Rotary Club of Milwaukee Tuesday Speaker Series

This week in Memorial Hall, we heard from Lafayette Crump, Milwaukee's Commissioner of City Development, as he shared his vision for Milwaukee in 2026 and provided an update on the city's economic development efforts and priorities.

This week in Memorial Hall, Rotarians heard from Milwaukee School of Engineering's 6th President, Dr. Eric Baumgartner, as he shared his vision for MSOE and the future of the region's leading technical university. Drawing on leadership experience in higher education, robotics, and at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Dr. Baumgartner offered a unique perspective on innovation, engineering, and the evolving landscape of technical education.

This week in Memorial Hall, community members gathered for an engaging discussion on the significance of Juneteenth in U.S. history and Milwaukee, and how the day is commemorated and celebrated today. Speakers included Tony Kearney, Executive Director of Northcott Neighborhood House; Clayborn Benson of the Wisconsin Black Historical Society; Sarah Pancheri of Milwaukee World Festival; and Miss Juneteenth, Sydney Purifoy-Mahone, with the conversation moderated by Rotarian Karine Moreno-Taxman. Together, the panelists explored the history of Juneteenth, how it is honored in our community today, and ways individuals can take part in the celebration.

This week, we celebrated our Armed Forces Week luncheon featuring Major General (Ret.) Brian Winski, Rotarian and President & CEO of the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center, as we recognized the dedication and sacrifice of active-duty military personnel in our community.

This week in Memorial Hall, Paul Smith, who has covered the outdoors for Wisconsin newspapers for more than 30 years, sat down with member David Haynes to talk about Wisconsin's long love affair with hunting, fishing, wildlife, and the state's natural beauty. He shared his thoughts on the deer population, recent bald eagle sightings in Milwaukee, and the impacts he is seeing from climate change.

Yesterday, Rotarian Dave Haynes moderated a bipartisan conversation featuring Mayor Tom Barrett and Representative Scott Klug, Wisconsin board members of the Democracy Defense Project. Their discussion focused on the state of civility in public discourse, Wisconsin's election administration systems, strategies for strengthening trust in civic institutions and showcased bipartisan cooperation as a model for preserving confidence in democracy.

The Rotary Club of Milwaukee's highest honor is the Rotary Person of the Year Award, which recognizes an outstanding individual each year for exceptional professional achievement and meaningful community impact. This week, we proudly recognized our Executive Director, Mary McCormick, as our 2026 Rotary Person of the Year. Mary exemplifies our club's mission of "connecting" by serving as the ultimate connector of people, ideas and resources for the betterment of the Milwaukee community. Congratulations, Mary! 👏

This week at Rotary, Mark Hasting, CEO & President of Blain's Farm & Fleet, shared the story of the family-owned retailer as it celebrates 70 years of serving customers. He also emphasized the company's continued momentum—building on a legacy of trust, hard work, and community commitment while actively adapting, expanding, and investing for the future

On Tuesday April 7th, Rotarians heard from Gil Peri, President and CEO, Children's Wisconsin. Children's Wisconsin has more than 7.3 million connections with kids and families throughout the state each year. Gil discussed the services and capabilities the organization has to support children – from prevention and early intervention through highly-specialized and complex hospital services. He also discussed the organization's roadmap for the future.

Adam Tindall-Schlicht, Rotarian and Milwaukee native, shared reflections from his service in the Biden-Harris Administration as the 11th Administrator of the U.S. Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation, where he led and oversaw one of North America's most vital international waterways. Adam discussed the economic, environmental, and geopolitical importance of the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence system, along with the initiatives undertaken to strengthen trade, safety, and decarbonization across the corridor.