Oshkosh, Wis., March 1, 2025 – Michael R. Ford, director of the Whitburn Center at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh announced a new partnership today with the Wisconsin Alliance for Civic Trust, a cross-partisan citizen group focused on building trust in democratic institutions.
Under terms of the arrangement, WisACT’s programming will be managed by Whitburn staff, led by Whitburn Research Director Samantha J. Larson. WisACT’s founders, former Gov. Scott McCallum, who also is chair of the Whitburn advisory board, and David D. Haynes, a former journalist, will continue in an advisory role.
“We’re pleased to welcome WisACT to the Whitburn Center, Ford said. “I have a great deal of respect for its leaders and what they’ve already accomplished – and for The Carter Center, which has supported WisACT up to now. I’m confident we can build on this good work.”
Since its founding, WisACT (www.wisact.org) has been supported by The Carter Center of Atlanta, a nonprofit founded by former President Jimmy Carter in 1982 that has worked extensively worldwide addressing healthcare challenges and resolving conflicts. Carter began supporting democracy resilience networks in the United States in 2020; it now supports networks in Wisconsin and five other states – Georgia, Arizona, Florida, Michigan, and North Carolina.
“This is the perfect fit for our two organizations,” McCallum said. “Both are committed to strengthening democratic institutions with a focus on secure elections and building effective local government.”
“I couldn’t be happier with our new partnership with Whitburn,” Haynes said. “One key takeaway from our listening tour last summer was a deep concern across our state over the lack of trust in institutions. It’s simply critical that we work together to rebuild that trust.”
Since founding WisACT in April, 2024, McCallum and Haynes have led development of the network, which now numbers nearly 400 Wisconsinites. Together, they hosted monthly member meetings and with Whitburn’s help developed listening sessions that spanned the state, which led to de-escalation training in four communities. McCallum and Haynes, along with state coordinator Allison Carter Keeley, also led a six-month messaging campaign to promote trust in Wisconsin’s electoral system and a concerted outreach effort to college students.
WisACT has developed relationships with other organizations concerned with trust-building including the Wisconsin Council of Churches, LeaderEthics, All Voting is Local, Keep Our Republic, and the MacIver Institute.
Whitburn is a privately funded academic center based at UWO. Its mission is to conduct nonpartisan, practical, applied research focused on evaluating and improving governance, professional management, and public policy in Wisconsin.
