Wisconsin Technical College System: elects officers

MADISON – The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) Board elected its officers at the July 8 Board meeting hosted by Nicolet College in Rhinelander.

Sara Rogers was elected to serve as Board President. She is a Planning and Policy Analyst with Employ Milwaukee, the Workforce Development Board (WDB) representing Milwaukee County. Her work includes scaling career pathways by connecting employers, educators and other stakeholders to meet the talent needs of industry. She is a member of the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment and serves as the WTCS representative on the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents. Sara earned a BA from UW-Milwaukee and has spent her career in public or non-profit service, dedicated to economic and social justice.

Lindsay Blumer was elected to serve as the Board Vice President. She is the president and CEO at WRTP | BIG STEP, a Milwaukee-based workforce intermediary connecting traditionally disenfranchised people to quality career opportunities. She is also a member of the Governor’s Council on Workforce Investment and the Department of Workforce Development’s Bureau of Apprenticeship Standards Advisory Council.

Dan Klecker was elected to serve as Board Secretary. Dan represents the Automotive Service Excellent (ASE) Education Foundation, in multiple states, assisting accredited transportation programs and business affiliates. He facilitates cooperation between education and business to mentor youth into their industry. Prior to that, his many years of Technology Education teaching experience in Wisconsin culminated at McFarland High School (MHS) where he specialized in automotive education. MHS and Madison College created an articulated evening automotive education program for all Dane County Automotive Youth Apprentice students and the MHS automotive program was the first nationally accredited high school automotive program in Dane County.

The meeting at Nicolet College also included the WTCS Board’s Futuremaker Partner award honoring Superior Diesel, one of North America’s premier providers of engine power solutions for off-highway equipment. The company has a strong relationship with Nicolet College that includes hiring their graduates, interns and apprentices, participating in specialized training opportunities, and more. Additionally, the Board participated in a smudging ceremony, heard from Nicolet College’s Tribal Business Management program students and learned about the progress on a grant the Board approved for the college last year.

About the System:

The Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS) is Wisconsin’s largest higher education system, offering more than 500 programs awarding two-year associate degrees, one- and two-year technical diplomas, short-term technical diplomas and certificates and education for registered apprenticeship students. In addition, the System is the major provider of customized instruction and consultation for Wisconsin employers. More than 287,000 individuals access the technical colleges each year.