Thomas Hopp of West Bend was sworn in on July 8 as the newest member of the Moraine Park Technical College District Board. He will serve as an employer member representative, with a term expiring in June 2022.

Hopp learned from a young age the all-around benefits of volunteering within the community.

“My father was a large influence in my life,” Hopp said. “Through his dedicated volunteer work, he taught me that volunteering and helping others creates a strong, vibrant, and growing community by simply taking time to help others.”

Hopp has been an active part of the community of West Bend for many years. He currently serves on multiple boards including Albrecht Free Clinic, Commerce State Bank, and the United Way of Washington County. Additionally, he is involved with the City of West Bend Safety Commission as a volunteer for over 10-years and the Kettle Moraine YMCA as an active member and volunteer for over 20-years. 

“I have always believed that continuing education benefits everyone and what better organization to contribute as a board member than MPTC,” He said.

Also sworn in alongside Hopp were Renee Almeida of Beaver Dam and Vernon Jung of Kewaskum, retaining their spots on the board as an employee member and additional member, respectively. Their new terms will also expire in June of 2022.

The 2019-20 District Board members for Moraine Park were also nominated into office during the meeting. The following board members will serve as officers: Bur Zeratsky, chairperson; Vernon Jung, vice chairperson; Bob Lloyd, treasurer; Lowell Prill, secretary.

Moraine Park staff and board members gathered at the College’s monthly board meeting on Wednesday, June 19 to honor Mike Staral’s retirement from the Moraine Park board and his many years of service to the College.

Staral is a 1978 graduate from Moraine Park’s Tool and Die Technologies Apprenticeship program, and since then has been a self-motivated advocate and ambassador for the College.  He served for 40-years at Willer Tool Corp. in Jackson, retiring in June 2016 from his role as Vice President. He was also an active member of the Moraine Park CNC/Tool and Die Technologies Advisory Committee for 15 years, the Moraine Park Alumni Advisory committee for four years, and served on the Moraine Park Board for six years, two of those as the Chairperson.

He’s dedicated a large part of his life to spreading the good word about technical education. It’s no wonder, then, that 65 percent of Willer Tool Corp.’s employees are Moraine Park graduates.

 “I’m Moraine Park’s biggest fan,” Staral said.

Aside from himself, three other members of his family are graduates of Wisconsin technical colleges, including his wife, Kate, with a degree in interior design; his son, Jason, with a tool and die degree; and his daughter-in-law, Krista, with a degree in dental hygiene.

A lifelong West Bend resident, Staral will continue to serve his community as president of Friends of West Bend Parks and on the West Bend Baseball Association Board of Directors and the West Bend Park and Recreation Commission.

At the June board meeting, President Bonnie Baerwald extended her gratitude and presented Staral with a gift in honor of for his service to the College.

“Mike is one of those unique board members,” Bonnie Baerwald, Moraine Park president said. “I’m a firm believer that the success of an organization is built around strong leadership, which comes directly from the board, especially its chair. Mike has been one of my strongest supporters and the biggest cheerleader for Moraine Park. He is passionate about career and technical education, and it is felt through all that he did for the College. He not only served in various leadership roles on the Board, but also advocated for legislation, attended conferences to learn best practices, and challenged, as well as supported, fiscal and strategic decisions. He is a wonderful ally and dear friend, and the College and I will certainly miss him.”

Moraine Park Technical College is currently accepting applications for three positions, employer member, employee member, and additional member on the Moraine Park Technical College District Board. The application time frame is February 8 to February 22, with the terms ending June 2022.

The employer and additional members must reside within one of these Moraine Park District regions: east of the east shore of Lake Winnebago; east of the east boundary of the towns of Fond du Lac and Oakfield in Fond du Lac County; east of the east boundary of the towns of Leroy, Williamstown, Oak Grove, and Lowell in Dodge County.

The employee member must reside within one of these Moraine Park District regions: west of the east shore of Lake Winnebago; west of the east boundary of the towns of Fond du Lac and Oakfield in Fond du Lac County; west of the east boundary of the towns of Leroy, Williamstown, Oak Grove, and Lowell in Dodge County.

The employer and employee members must be representatives of the businesses and industries within the Moraine Park Technical College District.

Interested individuals can receive application materials from the County Board Chairperson or Clerk of any of the following counties: Calumet, Columbia, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette, Sheboygan, Washington, Waushara, and Winnebago or by contacting Jaclyn Jelinek, Moraine Park Technical College, 235 North National Avenue, P. O. Box 1940, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin 54936-1940, telephone (920) 929-2127, e-mail jjelinek@morainepark.edu. 

Candidates should mail their completed application to Mr. Lowell Prill, Secretary, Moraine Park Technical College District Board, 235 North National Avenue, P. O. Box 1940, Fond du Lac, WI 54936-1940. Their submission must include at least two written references supporting their nomination and be received by 4:30 p.m. on February 22, 2019. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. Applicants are also required to attend the public hearing of the District Board Appointment Committee tentatively scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on Monday, March 25, 2019, at Moraine Park Technical College. A legal notice announcing the exact date, time, and location of this meeting will be published sometime during the week of February 25 or March 4, 2019.

For more information on the open positions, please contact Jaclyn Jelinek at (920) 929-2127 or jjelinek@morainepark.edu.

For more information on Moraine Park, visit morainepark.edu.

Moraine Park Technical College is currently accepting applications for one open employee member position on the Moraine Park Technical College District Board.

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Cynthia Laubenstein of Fond du Lac was sworn in July 10 as the newest member of the Moraine Park Technical College District Board.

She will serve as an additional member representative, with a term expiring in June 2020.

Laubenstein is a Mayville High School graduate and raised her sons on a farm in Leroy, Wis., and currently serves as the Bank of Oakfield’s assistant vice president and administration officer. She has worked at the bank for the past 23 years, and is the former treasurer for the Town of Leroy. Laubenstein served in that role from 2001 to 2007.

Her appointment to Moraine Park’s District Board was a special moment, according to Laubenstein.
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Moraine Park Technical College is accepting applications from Feb. 17 to March 3 for three positions on the Moraine Park District Board. Openings exist for the following positions: one elected official member and two additional members; each is a three-year term of office that expires June 30, 2020.

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Bob Lloyd of Lomira was sworn in Wednesday, Nov. 16, as the newest member of the Moraine Park Technical College District Board.

He will serve as Moraine Park’s School District Administrator Member, with a term expiring in June 2018.

Lloyd is currently the superintendent of Lomira School District – a position he has held since 2012. Before that, he served as Lomira’s 4K-8 principal from 2003 to 2011.
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