Over the Atlantic Ocean and 8,273 miles away, Emma Williamson of Zambia, Africa, attends her Moraine Park Marketing and Social Media Management classes. Between acting in Zambia’s most popular local TV show, working for her family businesses and taking classes at Moraine Park, Williamson excels at the non-traditional student experience.

“I chose to pursue my education at Moraine Park because the College offered a completely online learning program, which is beneficial for me because it allows me to be flexible with my schedule and pursue my acting career while still getting my education,” Williamson said.

Williamson is originally from Louisville, Kentucky. In 2010, she moved to Lusaka, Zambia, with her family to be missionaries, but after their contract was up, they loved it too much to leave. She has lived in Zambia for 12 years with her parents and six siblings.

“The culture in Zambia is very different from the United States, but because I’ve lived here for so long, it is sometimes difficult to remember,” Williamson said. “One difference is that there is a much bigger focus on family relationships. Family obligations and duties take high priority in people’s lives here.”

By completing the Marketing and Social Media Management program, Williamson hopes to learn how to market her family’s businesses. Her father owns a woodworking business called Williamson Craftsmen, where they create hand-crafted furniture and home goods. Her mother runs a business called Megan’s Cakery, where they supply authentic tortilla chips and salsa, and frozen cookie dough and waffles to local stores.

“Unlike some common misconceptions about Africa, there are many developed areas like the capital city, Lusaka, where I live, that have businesses, movie theaters, coffee shops, hotels, malls and all the things you see in the United States,” Williamson said.

Williamson is focused on pursuing her acting career and hopes to learn how to market herself and develop her own personal brand. She is currently an actress on Zambia’s largest television show, Mpali, and is very passionate about creating dynamic social media content on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok @EmmaRoseZambia.

Read more stories like Emma’s in our Fall/Winter 2022 NEXT Magazine.

Moraine Park is much more than a technical college. For many, it is a starting point, second chance, resource, reset or road to redemption.

For Linda Huckaby and her son Mike, their decisions to attend Moraine Park were both different and uniquely life-changing.

After leaving the Air Force, Mike Huckaby struggled to find the direction and ambition to make a much-needed change. In 2015, he returned to school and started in Moraine Park’s HVAC Installation Technician program–a decision that would change the course of his life for good.

“I chose Moraine Park because it was a college with multiple opportunities,” Mike said. “When I visited campus, the staff were very encouraging and enthusiastic about future students. I am always talking about the experience I had at Moraine Park, and often encourage my employer to recruit from the College.”

Mike graduated in 2017 and began working as a technician for Johnson Controls in Milwaukee. Beyond a stable career, Moraine Park also opened Mike up to student clubs, experiences and many new friends. In his last general education course at Moraine Park, Mike met, began dating and fell in love with his classmate, April, who was in the Medical Assistant program. The two were married in 2020 and recently welcomed their first child.

Through Mike’s education, his mother, Linda Huckaby, proudly watched as her son’s life transformed by his decision to attend Moraine Park. Five years later, after the loss of her husband, she knew she could rely on Moraine Park to help her find her next path.

“After my husband died, I was on the floor for a long time,” Linda said. “Eventually, I had to get up and start setting new goals for myself. Time will go by no matter what. It is never too late to go back to school and do whatever you want to do or be whoever you want to be.”

In 2021, Linda enrolled in Moraine Park’s Accounting program because she would be able to work from home after graduation. Linda struggles with degenerative disc and PTSD, which can make traditional work arrangements difficult.

“On my first day of school at Moraine Park, I was a deer in the headlights,” she said. “After class, Steve Pepper, Moraine Park’s student veterans specialist, had to help me jumpstart my car–I was so nervous I had kept it running!”

Since enrolling in Moraine Park, Linda has been awarded multiple scholarships, received counseling, joined the Fond du Lac Area Women’s Fund Development Committee and even got her real estate license in hopes of combining real estate and accounting in a future career.

“I am really happy for my mom that she is getting her life in gear at Moraine Park,” Mike said. “It is never too late to start over, and every step you take to better your life is worth seizing.”

Read more stories like Mike and Linda’s in our Fall/Winter 2022 NEXT Magazine.

Referendum Success

The Board of Canvassers reconvened this week, Nov. 16, and formally confirmed that Moraine Park Technical College’s 2022 referendum passed with 57.4% favored votes. The College was favorable in all ten district counties with 78,549 ‘yes’ votes out of 136,864 votes total–a landslide according to Greg Stensland, Radio Plus news director.

“When I am asked why I think we had such a high favorability, I share a couple things,” President Baerwald said. “The first is that we have a strong message. Our purpose is all about training the workforce of the future, and when you tell constituents we are going to have 14,000 manufacturing job openings and 8,000 healthcare jobs openings in the next 10 years, I think people reflect and realize Moraine Park needs the resourcing.”

The College held a campus celebration to commemorate the official passing of the referendum. President Baerwald spoke about the future of the institution and what people can expect moving forward with the projects.

“Moraine Park has touched so many people over our 110 years of history that there is hardly anybody in this community that has not either experienced Moraine Park personally or knows someone in their circle that is connected to the College,” President Baerwald said. “People are recognizing us, people are congratulating us, and I do not think we are the best-kept secret any longer.”

Moving Forward

Advanced Manufacturing and Trades, Fond du Lac

In spring 2023, the Advanced Manufacturing and Trades center will be the College’s first visible sign of construction in Fond du Lac. This project is expected to break ground in May 2023 and will be completed in two phases–the Automation, Innovation, and Robotics Center (AIR) and the campus B wing—with expected completion in the summer of 2024. Classes beginning in the fall 2024 semester will be the first to use this new section of campus.

Fire Training Facility

Design meetings on the fire training facility will begin towards the end of 2022. The location of the fire training facility is still being determined. Groundbreaking will occur in July 2023, and the project should be completed by the end of the year. Instruction is expected to begin in the Fire Training Facility in the spring 2024 semester.

Manufacturing, Automation and Robotics Lab, West Bend

Design for the Manufacturing, Automation and Robotics Lab in West Bend will kick off in early 2023 with construction starting later in the year. This is slated to be a year-long project, which means the new instructional spaces will be ready for use in the fall 2024 semester.

Health and Human Services Facility, Fond du Lac

The Health and Human Services Facility project will begin in July 2024 and will be completed in two phases. This project will be finished during the summer of 2025, which means the instruction will begin in the new health and human services wing in the fall 2025 semester.

More information about the projects can be found at morainepark.edu/future.

World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” – officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…“

The original concept for the celebration was for a day observed with parades and public meetings, and a brief suspension of business beginning at 11:00 a.m.

The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:

Whereas the 11th of November 1918 marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far-reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and

Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and

Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.

An Act (52 Stat. 351; 5 U. S. Code, Sec. 87a) approved May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as “Armistice Day.” Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines, and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans’ service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word “Armistice” and inserting in its place the word “Veterans.” With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

Later that same year, on October 8th, President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first “Veterans Day Proclamation,” which stated: “In order to ensure proper and widespread observance of this anniversary, all veterans, all veterans’ organizations, and the entire citizenry will wish to join hands in the common purpose. Toward this end, I am designating the Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs as Chairman of a Veterans Day National Committee, which shall include such other persons as the Chairman may select, and which will coordinate at the national level necessary planning for the observance. I am also requesting the heads of all departments and agencies of the Executive branch of the Government to assist the National Committee in every way possible.”

On that same day, President Eisenhower sent a letter to the Honorable Harvey V. Higley, Administrator of Veterans’ Affairs (VA), designating him as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee.

In 1958, the White House advised VA’s General Counsel that the 1954 designation of the VA Administrator as Chairman of the Veterans Day National Committee applied to all subsequent VA Administrators. Since March 1989, when VA was elevated to a cabinet-level department, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has served as the committee’s chairman.

The Uniform Holiday Bill (Public Law 90-363 (82 Stat. 250)) was signed on June 28, 1968, and was intended to ensure three-day weekends for Federal employees by celebrating four national holidays on Mondays: Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. It was thought that these extended weekends would encourage travel, recreational and cultural activities and stimulate greater industrial and commercial production. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holidays on their original dates.

The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971. It was quite apparent that the commemoration of this day was a matter of historic and patriotic significance to a great number of our citizens, and so on September 20th, 1975, President Gerald R. Ford signed Public Law 94-97 (89 Stat. 479), which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. This action supported the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, all major veterans service organizations, and the American people.

Veterans Day continues to be observed on November 11, regardless of what day of the week on which it falls. The restoration of the observance of Veterans Day to November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America’s veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Source: Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. (2015, July 20). History of Veterans Day. In U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Retrieved from https://www.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

Today is a historic day for Moraine Park Technical College as we celebrate the success of our 2022 referendum. While still unofficial until Nov. 15, Moraine Park’s referendum was well received by all district communities—many showed up to vote and the majority voted “yes!” Today is one of celebration! We look forward to the growth of our campus facilities and helping local partners meet their workforce demands. We would like to extend sincere gratitude to our district communities, business and industry, alumni, employees and friends, for their continued support and belief in the mission and value of Moraine Park Technical College as we imagine what’s next together. 

Votes will be certified by a board of canvassers Nov. 15, which determines the official outcome of the election.

morainepark.edu/future

Election Day is November 8.

Are you prepared to cast your vote?

Find your polling place.

Visit myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Find-My-Polling-Place to find your polling place and create a plan.

Get to know your ballot.

Prepare yourself to vote by getting to know what’s on your ballot. To preview your ballot, visit myvote.wi.gov/en-us/Whats-On-My-Ballot and plug in your address.

Understand Moraine Park’s referendum question.

Here is Moraine Park’s referendum question as it will appear on the ballot:

Shall the Moraine Park Technical College District, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds or promissory notes in an amount not to exceed $55,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of capital expenditures for the purchase or construction of buildings, building additions, remodeling and improvements, site improvements, the acquisition of sites, and the purchase of fixed and other equipment at District locations, including, but not limited to, advanced manufacturing facilities at the Fond du Lac and West Bend Campuses, a health and human services facility at the Fond du Lac Campus, and a regional fire training facility?

What it means:

• Moraine Park is seeking taxpayer approval to borrow $55 million.

• The total project costs cannot be more than $55M.

• This translates to an estimated tax increase of $1.75 per month or $21 per year for every 100,000 of property value.

• This increase is temporary and will last for no more than 20 years.

Last minute questions?

Submit any remaining questions to us for direct responses.

Tomorrow, Moraine Park Technical College District residents will have the opportunity to vote on the College’s first referendum in more than 30 years. Here are the key takeaways the College wants community members to know:

Moraine Park is required to go to referendum.

By state law, the amount of money Moraine Park can spend on new buildings, additions, or land acquisition without going to voters is limited to $1.5 million per campus every two years. New buildings, additions, or land acquisition beyond the cap (not funded through gifts, grants, or federal funds) must be approved by voters in a public referendum. 

“Education is the key to economic growth in any community,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president, said. “Workforce growth is what will change our community, and as a technical college, we are the change agents. This referendum is vital to making change and growth happen at a time when technology and automation are influencing industry so rapidly.”   

We do have employer/donor support.

As part of this referendum, the Moraine Park Foundation is currently campaigning for donations totaling $2.5 million to offset the costs of the robotics addition in Fond du Lac. To date, the Foundation has raised more than $2.1 million. If the referendum is approved, Moraine Park will seek additional dollars from employers, foundations, and other state and federal grant sources to offset the cost of the equipment.

“Employers regularly donate to our Foundation with gifts of materials, supplies, and student scholarships,” Baerwald said. “In the last five years, employers have donated to a few unique campaigns. In 2017, employers donated more than $300,000 toward a facility expansion in Beaver Dam to support a new gas utility technician program. In 2018, many employers donated more than $1.2 million to support student scholarships for our new Promise Program.”

Tax Payer Impact:

The projected tax impact of the $55 million facilities enhancement plan is estimated to be $21 per year per $100,000 of property value ($1.75 per month) for the next 20 years. If approved, the tax burden would be assessed to all property owners within the Moraine Park District, which includes 130 municipalities. Our District includes nearly all of Fond du Lac, Washington, Dodge and Green Lake counties and portions of Waushara, Marquette, Columbia, Winnebago, Calumet and Sheboygan counties.

“We won’t borrow it all upfront,” Baerwald said. “It would be $20-25 million the first year, $18 million the second year and the remainder during the third year.”

If the referendum does not pass:

With the most recent 10-year master plan for the district’s facilities, more than $27 million in projects were found that needed to be done over the next 10 years. Baerwald said that by state statute the district is only allowed to do remodeling projects and capital expansion additions to the tune of $1.5 million per project. The current list would take more than 20 years to create what is already needed in area workplaces. 

“We need to invest in this kind of growth either way,” Jim Eden, Moraine Park vice president of teaching and learning, said. “If a referendum passes, we will accelerate Moraine Park’s ability to grow by about 15 years. If it does not, it will take the College 15 years to catch up.”

The ballot question:

Shall the Moraine Park Technical College District, Wisconsin be authorized to issue pursuant to Chapter 67 of the Wisconsin Statutes, general obligation bonds or promissory notes in an amount not to exceed $55,000,000 for the public purpose of paying the cost of capital expenditures for the purchase or construction of buildings, building additions, remodeling and improvements, site improvements, the acquisition of sites, and the purchase of fixed and other equipment at District locations, including, but not limited to, advanced manufacturing facilities at the Fond du Lac and West Bend Campuses, a health and human services facility at the Fond du Lac Campus, and a regional fire training facility?

“I really want the voters to be informed and encouraged to go out and vote,” Baerwald said. “It is an investment in the economic health and workforce development for our entire community whether you have attended Moraine Park or have not.” 

Community Quotes:

“The important connection with an employer like Grande Cheese Company and Moraine Park Technical College is the bridge it provides for continuing education. It’s not something we can do on our own so we are very reliant on other resources and training avenues.” –Kelly Norton, Sr. Director of Culture and Communications, Grande Cheese 

“This project will save a department like Hartford Fire and Rescue’s future expenses by allowing us to preserve our unique staffing model that we are currently using. Almost our entire staff, which is 65 employees, have had some education completed by Moraine Park Technical College. […] Building a state-of-the-art fire service facility for Moraine Park would help us greatly. […] We need to have staff coming into our department not only initially but ongoing training so we can keep up with the trends and updates in technology and equipment.” –Paul Stephans, Fire Chief, Hartford Fire and Rescue 

“The West Bend schools really appreciate our partnership with Moraine Park Technical College. It’s an integral part of our career and technical education program and helps put many of our students on a pathway to success.” –Jen Wimmer, Superintendent, West Bend School District 

“Us being in the trucking business, we know how to dispatch, we know how to deal with drivers, we know how to fix trucks. What we don’t know how to do is train them and teach them the way Moraine Park is able to do that.” –Tim Kreilkamp, CEO, Kreilkamp Trucking, Inc. 

“[Moraine Park] is one of our major pipelines of people. They do the training of the people for us who are going to take our jobs. […] Anything that we can do to keep our workforce local, in our community, and also offer educational opportunities and experience through Moraine Park will only make us better as an organization.” –Katherine Vergos, President, SSM Health St. Agnes Hospital 

“Moraine Park Technical College is a valuable community partner in our commitment to providing high-quality health care to our region’s residents, close to where they live, work and play. […] EMS/Paramedic students with MPTC enrich the health and wellbeing of the community.” –Angelia Foster, President, Marshfield Medical Center – Beaver Dam 

“MPTC is really important to the resiliency of the whole Fond du Lac Area. Automation, innovation and robotics here at the MPTC campus in Fond du Lac are really important when I think about the path we’re going down. If you don’t have trained individuals to run those machines, we really can’t run manufacturing.” –Andres Gonzales, Vice President – Human Resources,  Mercury Marine

Community Endorsements:

• Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce
• City of Horicon
• West Bend Chamber of Commerce

Over the last few months, Moraine Park Technical College’s Referendum has received the following community endorsements:

Beaver Dam Chamber of Commerce

“Our chamber board has endorsed this referendum due to its possible impact on the educational facilities and in turn the future workforce in our areas. The updates and improvements at Moraine Park would target programs in high demand that impact citizens across the region in the career areas of robotics/automation, public safety, manufacturing, technology, and health care.”

West Bend Area Chamber of Commerce

At the September meeting of the Chamber’s Board of Directors, the Board had an extended discussion regarding this referendum for Moraine Park Technical College. Following that discussion, the Board voted to publicly support the Moraine Park Technical College referendum.

The Chamber recognizes that this is not a light-hearted venture for Moraine Park Technical College to turn to its constituents and request their support in the way of a tax increase. The Chamber acknowledges the due diligence and expertise that Moraine Park Technical College has utilized to assess the needs of its district and the use of that data to determine the largest funding impact.

Why is the Chamber supporting this referendum?

To answer that question, we will begin with a recent manufacturing statistic and a quote from a health care report. According to the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, there are expected to be more than 14,000 manufacturing jobs open over the next 10 years. The Wisconsin Hospital Association’s 2022 Health Care Workforce Report shares early survey results stating “registered nurse (RN) vacancy rates in the double digits for the first time since 2005. The nursing shortage has arrived.”

Envision Greater Fond du Lac

In 2021, the Board of Directors approved the creation of an Advocacy Committee. As an organization, we actively pay attention to local, state, and federal policies and legislation that impact our ability to grow our local economy. At times, the Advocacy Committee will recommend positions on certain policy matters pertinent to Envision’s mission and vision to the Envision Board of Directors for review and ultimate decision.   

After review, the Advocacy Committee recommended the Envision Board support the following ballot items:

Moraine Park Technical College – Moraine Park Technical College has also done their due diligence. This referendum would fund necessary projects across their district. There are four proposed pillars as part of this project: Advanced Manufacturing & Trades, Manufacturing, Automation & Robotics Lab, Fire Training Facility, and Health & Human Services Facility.

Our vision is to drive greater economic opportunities within our engaged communities through talent led economic development. In general, strong schools are critical to growth in economic development and talent attraction. We know that educational attainment rates are important to site selectors, developers, and business attraction. Our higher-than-state average on high school graduation attainment puts us at an advantage for low-skilled, entry-level positions. About 38% of county residents achieved only a high school diploma compared to 32% state average.

Soon, Moraine Park district residents will vote on a referendum authorizing the College to expand facilities.

Each project has been identified by local businesses as industry critical and necessary to economic growth in our region.

Are all your questions answered to make you an informed voter?

Submit any remaining questions to us for direct responses.