Podcasts about uw stout

When the founder of the world's largest furniture manufacturer partners with one of the nation's most innovative technical colleges, you get one of the most unique learning centers in the world. This week, host Matt Kirchner is joined by the visionaries behind the landmark Wanek Center of Innovation at Western Technical College: Ron Wanek, Founder of Ashley Furniture Industries, Dr. Josh Gamer, Associate Vice President of Workforce Partnerships and Innovation, and Dr. Roger Stanford, President of Western Technical College.The conversation is a masterclass in industry partnerships, future-forward educational technology, and building a true pipeline from K-12 education to technical colleges to a four-year degree.This episode is a must-listen for any educator, employer, or policymaker committed to a skills-based, adaptable future workforce.Listen to learn:Why the 50-year partnership between Ashley Furniture and WTC was the core ingredient for this innovation.How a manufacturing leader defines the handful of ways to build true wealth in the United States today.The Digital Twin technology that allows students to digitally perfect process changes before implementing them on physical robotic assets.Western's new strategy to use a full-time position to bridge the operational gap between K-12 schools and local manufacturers.How the college is developing an enterprise AI strategy to use data from the center for operational efficiency and curriculum change.3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:1. U.S. education must refocus on technical skills to compete globally. Ron Wanek warns that the U.S. is falling behind countries like Germany and China because it has deprioritized technical education in favor of liberal arts. His partnership with Western is designed to reverse that trend through STEM and workforce training.2. The Wanek Center is a national model for Industry 4.0 integration in education. The facility includes 39 networked robots, a live IoT data infrastructure, and the first educational Digital Twin of its kind. The Digital Twin allows students to simulate manufacturing process changes in a virtual environment before applying them to the physical robotic cells. Students and employers alike now use the space to prototype real-world innovations.3. Western has built a full pipeline from middle school to a 4-year Automation Leadership degree. Through dual credit programs, high school students in the district now earn thousands of Western Technical College credits annually. A full-time K-12 liaison connects schools and employers, supporting everything from field trips to FIRST Robotics. Dr. Roger Stanford also signed 13 new transfer agreements with UW-Stout—including a direct 61-credit transfer into the new Automation Leadership bachelor's degree, which stacks seamlessly from credentials like SACA into advanced career pathways.Resources in this Episode:Learn more about the Wanek Center of Innovation: westerntc.edu/WanekCenterWe want to hear from you! Send us a text.Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

Justus Cleveland joins Dan to recap the latest week in high school football and to chat about the starts to the UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout football seasons.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We are kicking off the second part of Season 5 with a bang and sharing one of the coolest programs we've had the pleasure of learning about: Cardinal Manufacturing. Led by our guests, Craig and Tyson, Cardinal Manufacturing is a high school class *and* a full-fledged business that allows students to not only do actual work but learn the skills involved in running a business, from how to walk through a door with confidence and give a good handshake to how to quote jobs, do the work, and submit invoices. Like…can you even?! It's the coolest program and we can't wait to share it with you. About Cardinal Manufacturing: Cardinal Manufacturing began in the Eleva-Strum School District during the 2007-2008 academic year when instructor, Craig Cegielski, approached the School Board about the potential of pursuing an in-school manufacturing business similar to one he started in his prior position in the school district of Antigo, WI. The school board approved and since that time Cardinal Manufacturing has gone from its infant stages to a company with significant annual sales and national notoriety. The growth of the program has attracted national and international attention and Cardinal Manufacturing has attended national tradeshows and hosted celebrity guests including Wisconsin's Governor, Scott Walker. Cardinal Manufacturing has served hundreds of customers from private individuals to clients throughout the state of Wisconsin and other parts of the country. A number of students have gone directly to skilled employment positions after high school, but most choose to go on to post-secondary education through technical college or the university system. Chippewa Valley Technical College and UW-Stout have taken a particular interest in the program. Cardinal Manufacturing has also built strong relationships with a number of private companies and professional organizations which have been supportive through donations, advice, publicity opportunities, and projects. In-school programs such as Cardinal Manufacturing serve as a grassroots economic development effort. Not only do these programs expose students to career opportunities in manufacturing and teach students soft skills for future employment, but they also work toward changing the attitudes of counselors and parents to be more open to the idea of encouraging students to look at manufacturing careers. Students get hands on opportunities to try out these roles before making an expensive decision in choosing a post-secondary program. In other words, kids get the chance to try welding, machining, construction, production management, accounting, office management, and marketing prior to committing to a major or area of study. The services provided through the program are worthwhile and valuable to the customers who pay for the service. Cardinal Manufacturing is a year-long two credit class which offers more than a standard classroom instruction. Students in this class gain the real life experiences of problem solving, running a business, and working in professional career roles. Students must apply to be part of this program and manufacturing employees have successfully completed both Metal Working I and II. The application process includes creating and submitting a resume, project portfolio, and a letter of recommendation. Once accepted, student participants are assigned a role that may include: Quoting jobs Ordering materials Manufacturing parts Quality control and inspections Shipping product Receiving product and materials Invoicing Customer service Accounting Marketing Maintaining work hours Besides the great experience gained, the students receive a profit sharing check at the end of the school year based upon number of hours worked and other measurement tools. Only a portion of Cardinal Manufacturing earnings are paid to students after expenses and upcoming needs are covered. Most of the money earned supports the purchase of materials, equipment and facility needs to continually grow and improve Cardinal Manufacturing. About Craig: Craig Cegielski, a native of Marshfield, WI, developed a passion for manufacturing early on through high school technical education classes and hands-on work at a local machine and fabrication shop. He earned his degree in Technology Education from the University of Wisconsin–Stout and began his teaching career at Antigo High School, where he launched the successful student-run business, Red Robin Machining. After a brief return to industry, Craig joined Eleva-Strum High School as a Technology Education teacher. In 2007, he founded Cardinal Manufacturing, a student-run business designed to give students real-world experience in the trades. With over 20 years of dedication to technical education, Craig continues to lead and expand Cardinal Manufacturing, helping prepare students for successful careers in manufacturing. About Tyson: Tyson Rohrscheib is a Technology Education teacher at Eleva-Strum High School, where he has taught since 2019. An Eleva-Strum alumnus, Tyson began his training in Machine Tool and Die at Chippewa Valley Technical College before earning his degree in Technology Education from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. He brings a strong background in machining and hands-on learning to his teaching, preparing students for real-world careers in manufacturing and engineering. Outside of the classroom, Tyson is active on his family farm, managing a herd of 40 beef cattle and working on metalworking projects in his home shop. In this episode, we cover: What Cardinal Manufacturing is and how it started How exposing kids at a young age is key to getting them interested in a career Why technical skills are the least important thing they teach How the local community supports Cardinal Manufacturing and the students Links + Resources Mentioned: Website: Cardinal ManufacturingVideo Gallery: Watch HereFacebook: @CardinalManufacturingInstagram: @cardinal_manufacturingYouTube: Cardinal Manufacturing Channel Sponsor Spotlight: Brodie Mueller and The Market on the Plaza In small towns, coffee is more than caffeine. It's community! Market on the Plaza roasts beans locally in Aberdeen, in small batches for the freshest, richest cup to start your day or for an afternoon pick-me-up. Stop in to grab a bag for home or linger over a cup with neighbors. Proudly local, always welcoming. This week's Small-Town Shout-Out is: Freeman, South Dakota! Shelly says, “We love to fest!” Freeman hosts THREE annual Fests and they're all completely volunteer-run. Like, three *every year!* This is amazing and cool and hats off to Freeman for having the community enthusiasm and buy-in to host multiple events every year. Heck yeah Freeman! We Want to Hear From You! Some of the best parts about radio shows and podcasts are listener call-ins, so we've decided to make those a part of the Growing Small Towns Podcast. We really, really want to hear from you! We're have two “participation dance” elements of the show: “Small town humblebrags”: Call in and tell us about something amazing you did in your small town so we can celebrate with you. No win is too small—we want to hear it all, and we will be excessively enthusiastic about whatever it is! You can call in for your friends, too, because giving shout-outs is one of our favorite things.  “Solving Your Small-Town People Challenges”: Have a tough issue in your community? We want to help. Call in and tell us about your problem, and we'll solve it on an episode of the podcast. Want to remain anonymous? Totally cool, we can be all secretive and stuff. We're suave like that.  If you've got a humblebrag or a tricky people problem, call 701-203-3337 and leave a message with the deets. We really can't wait to hear from you!  Get In Touch Have an idea for a future episode/guest, have feedback or a question, or just want to chat? Email us at hello@growingsmalltowns.org Subscribe + Review Thanks for tuning into this week's episode of The Growing Small Towns Show! If the information in our conversations and interviews has helped you in your small town, head out to Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, or Spotify, subscribe to the show, and leave us an honest review. Your reviews and feedback will not only help us continue to deliver relevant, helpful content, but it will also help us reach even more small-town trailblazers just like you!  

Justus Cleveland from SportsScene 13 joins Dan to recap week 3 of the high school football season and to recap/preview some of what's coming up in local sports this week! They also discuss the big wins for the UW-Eau Claire and UW-Stout football teams to open up the season!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How can embracing the Japanese concept of omotenashi create better connections? Dr. Eric Brey, a Professor of Hospitality in the School of Management at the University of Wisconsin-Stout, joins Dan on the show today. Eric brings a wealth of experience from his time in the US Army to earning a PhD in hospitality administration and management. They discuss the significance of hospitality in various contexts, the launch of the nation's first Luxury Management Program at UW Stout, and how luxury isn't limited to opulence but extends to heartfelt interactions and detailed customer service. From the importance of thoughtful gift giving to cultural insights about hospitality, Eric shares the essence of genuine, anticipatory hospitality that enhances guest experiences across the spectrum, whether at a local tavern or a five-star property.Takeaways:Strive to deliver genuine hospitality, which involves anticipating guests' needs and providing meticulous attention to detail.Understand the varying expectations in different hospitality settings, from budget accommodations to luxury establishments.Recognize the value of understanding and integrating cultural nuances in hospitality. Consider participating in study-abroad programs or international internships to broaden your perspective.Engage with industry professionals and participate in hospitality summits and conferences. Extend your network by connecting with professors, industry leaders, and peers on platforms like LinkedIn.Always seek to learn from various sources, including other industries and educational programs, to continuously improve your hospitality skills.Cultivate meaningful relationships with guests, colleagues, and mentors. Emphasize the importance of personal interactions in an increasingly digital world.Quote of the Show:“ Omotenashi is at the heart of every interaction.” - Eric BreyLinks:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/professorbrey/ Website: https://www.uwstout.edu/Shout Outs:2:45 - New York University https://www.nyu.edu/ 2:46 - Pennsylvania State University https://www.psu.edu/ 2:51 - Cornell University https://www.cornell.edu/ 10:56 - Green Bay Packers https://www.packers.com/ 12:34 - Kwik Trip https://www.kwiktrip.com/ 14:13 - Courtyard https://courtyard.marriott.com/ 14:17 - Ritz-Carlton https://www.ritzcarlton.com/ 14:30 - Hampton Inn https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/hampton-by-hilton/ 19:08 - Four Seasons https://www.fourseasons.com/ 20:58 - Michigan State University https://msu.edu/ 20:59 - University of Central Florida https://www.ucf.edu/ 21:00 - University of Nevada-Las Vegas https://www.unlv.edu/ 22:08 - Scott Pierson https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-pierson/ 23:15 - Giftology https://www.amazon.com/Giftology-Increase-Referrals-Strengthen-Retention/dp/1619614332 25:40 - Paul Bunyan https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Bunyan 33:24 - Dan Seymour https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-seymour-549a4326/ 33:39 - HD Expo https://hdexpo.hospitalitydesign.com/ 40:14 - David Byrne https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Byrne 40:16 - American Utopia https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11874226/ 42: 57 - McDonald's https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us.html 46:32 - Disney https://www.disney.com/ 

At the University of Wisconsin–Stout, the campus greenhouse is much more than a place to grow plants. “It’s a research space. It’s a teaching space,” says Dr. Keith Gilland, Associate Professor of Biology and Greenhouse Manager. “Students can do independent projects, and we support classes in biology and environmental science.” In fact, the greenhouse has become a hub of cross-department collaboration. Faculty and students from math and engineering are also involved in ongoing projects. One of the standout features is a small robot called a FarmBot. It’s a computer-controlled device that helps automate small-scale agriculture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We love having guests who have rich histories in Menomonie, Jim Nelson being one of them. He discusses his many years teaching in the Menomonie School District, along with his foray into being a part-time Professor at UW-Stout for early education students. Jim may be most famous for playing in The Cutaways, a well known band throughout the area. He says he is retired, but we are unsure of that is true as he keeps himself extremely busy with music, golf and much more. Co-Hosts: Becca Schoenborn & Dustyn DubuqueSponsors: Tanglewood Greens, Office on Main, Elevated Endeavors and Carbliss.

In what seems like a blink of an eye, the NCAA Tournaments are down to the final four teams. Four rounds are in the book with two more to be played to crown two champions in Division III basketball. Tune into Hoopsville presented by D3hoops.com as we take a look back at an incredible weekend of basketball which saw none of the host teams advance. We also look ahead at what should be terrific games in Fort Wayne and Salem. Hear from coaches of teams outside of the Top 15 who have helped shake up the tournaments. Also hear from players on the top teams in the nation. And hear from one individual who has seen two coaches in the finals fours up close and personal. Guests appearing on the Hudl Hoopsville Hotline: - 'Dos Reverse' - No. 1s NYU - Natalie Bruns, women's grad student forward - Tristan How, men's grad student forward - Hannah Iverson & Anna Mutch, No. 22 UW-Stout women's coach - Pat Juckem, No. 17 WashU men's coach (with Pat Coleman) - Matt Lewis, UW-Oshosh men's coach

About the Guest(s):Megan Lalanne is a seasoned packaging engineer with an impressive background in various industries. Currently employed by Andis, a well-known company producing shaving products, Megan has been instrumental in advancing their packaging engineering capabilities. Educated at UW Stout, she brings her passion for innovation and sustainability into her day-to-day work, ensuring that Andis's packaging is as cutting-edge and efficient as their grooming tools.Specright eBook - How to define sustainable packaging strategies!* Gartner Report* Packaging Pros eBook* Home Page* Book a demo with SpecrightMeyers has some incredible sustainable packaging options!* Get the 2023 Sustainability Report* Meyers Packaging EPR eBook - it is FREE!!New sponsor is Label King! Check them out at www.thelabelking.comBook a demo with Trayak (LCA's on demand!)SmartSolve has water soluble label and paper materials. Learn more!The Scrapp App is going to revolutionize home and corporate recycling. Download for your device today!Episode Summary:In this episode of the People of Packaging Podcast, host Adam Peek engages in an enlightening conversation with Megan Lalanne, a packaging engineer at Andis. From the picturesque setting of the Dominican Republic, Megan shares her journey into the packaging world, her remote working experiences, and the innovative packaging strategies employed at Andis. The episode offers insights into how evolving industry demands and sustainability goals shape packaging projects.During their discussion, Megan explores the intricacies of packaging design, including the strategic use of materials, structural elements, and graphic touches like spot UV to enhance shelf appeal. She outlines the different packaging solutions used for Andis products, emphasizing customer experience and brand integrity. Megan also touches on her educational background at UW Stout and how it prepared her for a career in packaging. The episode provides valuable perspectives on maintaining quality and innovation in packaging amid changing market and environmental conditions.Key Takeaways:* Megan's journey from studying at UW Stout to becoming a packaging engineer at Andis highlights the importance of practical experience and adaptability in the packaging industry.* The episode sheds light on the evolution of packaging strategies at Andis, particularly how they balance premium design with sustainability and cost-efficiency.* Megan discusses the role of spot UV and other design elements in capturing customer attention and enhancing product presentation on retail shelves.* Insights into handling packaging production, including navigating domestic and international sourcing challenges, are shared to illustrate operational efficiencies.* Andis's commitment to brand integrity is demonstrated through innovations like the Amazon Transparency program to protect against counterfeiting.Notable Quotes:* "I always loved crafting and wrapping gifts as a kid… crazy that that became packaging."* "The first time you do something, you go all in; you think it's really fun."* "There's so much cool ways that they got really creative with the brand presence."* "Our products look like trophies… they sit them on the counter like a trophy."* "Incredible collaboration with our engineering team allowed us to function well during Covid."Resources:* Andis Website: Explore their products, learn about the tools, and check out potential job openings.* Follow Andis's various social media accounts for insights into grooming products and educations for DIY enthusiasts and professionals.For a full recap of the conversation with Megan Lalanne and to delve deeper into the world of packaging engineering at Andis, tune in to the full episode. Stay connected with the podcast for more industry insights and stories from packaging professionals around the globe. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.packagingisawesome.com

We head to UW-Stout for a weekend of duck hunting. We dive into the thrill of hunting the Mississippi River, share holiday gift ideas perfect for any waterfowl hunter, and highlight the incredible community of Ducks Unlimited at UW-Stout. Whether you're here for hunting stories, conservation insights, or tips for the perfect Christmas gift, this episode has something for everyone.

As fans file into the Lavern Gibson Cross Country course, eager to spectate the best D3 distance running has to offer in 2024, they'll be walking by a banner that features Tim Nelson, the 2012 champion forever immortalized on the course. On that day in November, Tim went out hard. Pushing from the front from the first step, he built a seemingly insurmountable lead. Entering the famous final stretch, the effort showed, he was losing steam. Fans held their breath wondering if he had done enough to win. He had. The win punctuated a career that saw the UW Stout distance runner go on a streak rarely seen in D3 history. From being the 4th man to break 14 outdoors, to not losing a title his final track and cross country season, we cover it all on this episode. SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR LEVER A big thanks to ⁠LEVER⁠ for supporting D3 Glory Days this month. Their treadmill attachment allows runners to stay healthy by reducing their body weight. LEVER has other recovery tools like a collapsible foam roller and recovery boots. They're offering D3 Glory Days readers 20% when you use the code ‘GloryDays' at checkout. Head over to ⁠levermovement.com⁠ to learn more! Coaches, they're offering a bundle for your team. Contact us for more information. How to Support D3 Glory Days: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠THE NEWSLETTER!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠D3 Glory Days Venmo⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠We launched a Patreon!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Strava⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Grant reacts to the Jets aquisitiuon of Davante Adams, talks about the improvement of the Badgers OL, and hopes Christian Watson can grow into a leader on the Packers offense. Zach Heilprin and UW Stout head football coach Clayt Birmingham join. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Football season is underway. The NFL opens its season tonight. The Packers open up in Brazil tomorrow night. And the WIAC kicks off this evening. We'll visit with Riley Kleist about how a team like UW-Stout preps for an opponent from a small college in Waukesha County. And in our Women Win Wisconsin segment powered by Motherhood for Good, we meet an Assembly candidate from the Ashland area. UpNorthNews with Pat Kreitlow airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-8 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X, and Instagram to keep up with Pat & the show. Guests: Nicole Slavin, Kate Duffy, Angela Stroud, Riley Kleist

Come meet Wesley Hartkemeyer, he is a passionate law enforcement officer with a mission to bridge the gap between traditional policing and innovative technology. As the co-founder of Ireport, a self-reporting software designed to streamline police processes and enhance public trust, Wesley leverages his extensive experience on the front lines to create solutions that empower both officers and communities. From Patrol Officer to Tech Disruptor, Wesley's dedication to public service began with a Bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from UW-Stout and a double dose of intensive training at the Chippewa Valley Technical College Police Academies. Since 2017, he has served as a patrol officer with the Madison Police Department, a department of roughly 500 officers. His daily patrol work has instilled a deep understanding of the challenges faced by officers on the ground.Committed to continuous improvement, Wesley has become a Licensed Law Enforcement Standards Board (LESB) certified instructor, sharing his expertise in firearms, vehicle contacts, and OMVWI enforcement with fellow officers.Ireport: A Vision for a More Efficient and Connected Future. Witnessing firsthand the demands placed on officers and the need for more streamlined processes, Wesley co-founded Ireport. This innovative software empowers officers to create standardized reports electronically, reducing paperwork and freeing up valuable time for community engagement.Wesley's unique perspective, combining real-world police experience with a forward-thinking approach to technology, positions him as a leader in the movement to revolutionize law enforcement. www.ireport.us

Former Alice in Dairyland Julia Nunes joins dairy farmer Hans Breitenmoser as we talk about celebrating June Dairy Month. A member of the UW-Stout football coaching staff tells us about the summertime prep about to take place ahead of the fall season. And Chad Holmes previews what he's talking about on his weekday morning show in Wausau. UpNorthNews with Pat Kreitlow airs on several stations across the Civic Media radio network, Monday through Friday from 6-8 am. Subscribe to the podcast to be sure not to miss out on a single episode! To learn more about the show and all of the programming across the Civic Media network, head over to https://civicmedia.us/shows to see the entire broadcast line up. Follow the show on Facebook, X, and Instagram to keep up with Pat & the show! Guests: Hans Breitenmoser, Julia Nunes, Riley Kleist

Episode 104 features Joel and Marcus McGuire (Owner of Marcus McGuire Homes). They discuss the Fox Valley, UW-Stout, Antigo, teaching, coaching, baseball, mastering craft, value in a supplier and the always famous Billboard question! https://www.marcusmcguirehomes.com/ #drexel #fonddulac #wrightstown #lumber #homes

Johnathan Wheeler is here to discuss all the fun happenings at UW-Stout's Unspooled Film and Animation Festival on May 9-11 in Harvey Hall. Of course Dustyn is ravenous with questions and geek out with Johnathan about movies. Becca chimes in about her favorite animation films and the group discusses their go-to movie theater snacks. Please give us a "Like" on Facebook and a "Follow" on Instagram. Co-Hosts: Becca Schoenborn & Dustyn Dubuque Find out more about Unspooled Film and Animation Festival at this link: https://www.uwstout.edu/outreach-engagement/community-connections/unspooled-film-animation-festival

The Sectional Weekend of games is upon us. On the eve of the Sweet 16 round, we talk to programs looking to keep their goals of a national championship in place. On Thursday's Hoopsville, we chat with a number of teams on the road this weekend. Most of the teams will still be traveling when we hit the air, so we will touch base either on the bus or just after arrival with some. We find out from all how they are preparing for some challenging games just with hopes to be in the Elite Eight. Plus, the Jostens Finalists have been announced and the vote for the final two spots in the NABC All-Star Game is wrapping up. We will actually talk to three of those finalists. Guests appearing on the Hudl Hoopsville Hotline: - Brandon Linton & Jay Dieterle, Tufts men's coach & senior guard - Hannah Iverson & Amanda Giesen, No. 23 UW-Stout women's coach & senior forward - Jeff Gard & Logan Pearson*, No. 11 UW-Platteville men's coach & senior forward  - Brian Morehouse & Jada Garner, No. 12 Hope women's coach & junior guard - Dave Hastings & Jeff Hunter*, No. 5 Keene State men's coach & 5th year center - Kendra Whitehead & Parris Parmer*, No. 10 Hardin-Simmons women's coach & senior forward * - Jostens Trophy Finalists Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com and Sport Tours International from the NABC Studio.

Sorry for the late upload, we had technical difficulties but we will be back on schedule for future episodes. The wait was worth it as Chancellor Frank returns to the podcast after being one of our very first guests. The first time Frank was on the show, we spoke all about COVID as she had only started her new job 7 days prior to the shut down. Now unmasked and ready to go, Frank shares her thoughts on the growing physical expansions on campus, the largest donation the college has ever received, the success of their sports program and so much more. Give us a "like" on Facebook and a "follow" on Instagram. Co-hosts: Becca Schoenborn & Dustyn Dubuque

Do you farm? Do you live in town? Do you manage residential, commercial, or public property? Do you enjoy fishing, swimming, boating, hiking, or canoeing? Do you think the economic and environmental health of this beautiful region is important? If the answer is "yes" to these questions, you should attend the Red Cedar Watershed Conference on Thursday, March 14, 2024. We are joined by Tina Lee who will break down the conference and what attendees can expect. Lee gives details on what a watershed is and how we as a community can improve our local waterways. To learn more about the conference: https://www.uwstout.edu/outreach-engagement/community-connections/red-cedar-watershed-conference Please "Like" and "Follow" The Menom Podcast on Facebook and Instagram. Co-Hosts: Becca Schoenborn & Dustyn Dubuque

In this edition of Madison Book Beat, host David Ahrens talks with with Thomas Pearson.Thomas Pearson is a professor of anthropology at UW-Stout, where he also leads the social science department.As a cultural anthropologist, he understands and appreciates the diversity of cultures and expressions of a common humanity. After the birth of his daughter, who has Down's Syndrome, he documents his struggle towards broadening the concept of humanity to all people-including those who are differently able and thinking about how we can enable them to achieve their full capabilities.That complexity and exploration of evolving ideas of disability and difference is outlined in his new book and the subject of today's interview. It's called Margaret Mead, the Problem of Disability, and a Child Born Different, published in fall 2023 from the University of California Press.In addition to numerous academic articles and essays, Thomas Pearson is also the author of “When the Hills Are Gone: Frac Sand Mining and the Struggle for Community,” published by the University of Minnesota Press in 2017.

Talented people are spread throughout the community and Erik Evensen is one of the premiere artistic talents we have the pleasure to know. Evensen's artwork can be seen on shirts, books, board games and more throughout Dunn County. He is a man of many talents who goes into great detail of his love for giving his art to the community, teaching the younger generations and participating in many Menomonie Theater Guild productions. Evensen is a delight of a person on our delightful podcast. Please give us a "Like" on Facebook or a "Follow" on Instagram. Co-Hosts: Becca Schoenborn & Dustyn Dubuque

It's mid-December and exams, holidays, and breaks are all combining as always into an interesting time of the season. How are the top teams dealing with the season? Thursday on Hoopsville, we jam the show with four Top 25 programs. Hear how they feel the season is going at this important juncture and what they are expecting in the weeks and months ahead. Plus, we take some time to tip our hat to Salem, Virginia. The "City of Champions" is getting ready to host yet another Stagg Bowl (the game's 50th edition and the city's 25th), so we take some time to look back at the impact the city has had on championships in Division III and the NCAA. Guests appearing on the Hudl Hoopsville Hotline: - Pete Moran, No. 1 John Carroll men's coach - Tom Palombo, No. 3 Guilford men's coach - Hannah Iverson, No. 24 UW-Stout women's coach - Bob Amsberry, No. 7 Wartburg women's coach - Pat Coleman, D3sports.com Editor-in-Chief Hoopsville is presented by D3hoops.com.

Guests include: Mike McFeely, Forum of Fargo-Moorhead Columnist Kyle Emanuel, NDSU All-American Defensive End, 2010-14 Jordan Hein, Bemidji State Wide Receivers Coach   Show Moments: - NDSU Men improve to 4-2 with a 101-72 win over UW-Stout. NDSU Women improve to 500 with a 67-60 win in Northern Colorado. The Timberwolves are the best in the West as they beat the Knicks 117-100. - The Eagles win the Super bowl rematch as they beat the Chiefs 21-17 on Monday Night. - Mike McFeely gives his thoughts on the FCS playoff bracket. - Kyle Emanuel gives his perspective on the FCS playoffs, Drake coming into their first playoff appearance at 8-3 and Cam Miller a candidate for MVFC 1st-team QB. - Jordan Hein talks about becoming Bemidji State's wide receivers coach and hosting Central Washington this Saturday. - What to Watch.   Watch Hot Mic with Dom Izzo weekday mornings from 9 to 11 on WDAY XTRA and streaming live at Inforum.com. Follow Hot Mic on Twitter: @HotMicWDAY

Ever wonder what it would look like to create a bachelors degree program so innovative, so accessible, so flexible, and so industry-driven that it's the first of its kind in the nation?The University of Wisconsin-Stout has done just that with the new Automation Leadership degree.Built on industry-recognized credentials with a  focus on hands-on skills and career readiness, the Automation Leadership program is meeting an acute need in the manufacturing industry in a way no other degree can. After completing the program, students will be equipped with the essential technical and leadership skills to take any company through a digital transformation.UW-Stout Chancellor Katherine Frank and Dr. David Ding, Director of Stout's School of Engineering join us on this invigorating episode where we dive deep into just how innovative this program is.3 Big Takeaways:The Automation Leadership degree meets a crucial need of industry - the combination of technical and business skills: Manufacturers seeking to invest more in automation need someone who can take their company through a digital transformation. The Automation Leadership degree does just that.The future of higher education consists of more on-ramps and off-ramps, greater flexibility, and more credit for prior learning: Discover how the university is making it easy for high school students, community college students and even incumbent workers earn credit for prior learning, take courses remotely, and earn a bachelors degree with very little university tuition paid. Spoiler alert: up to 88 credits of the degree can be earned through associated SACA certifications!Built on skill standards defined by industry, the Smart Automation Certification Alliance credentials make up a foundational part of this new degree: UW-Stout didn't reinvent the wheel in this new program. By aligning courses to already-existing certification standards, the degree is guaranteed to meet the needs of industrial employers. Additionally, any SACA member institution across the country has the opportunity to create articulation agreements with UW-Stout, and students anywhere in the country can earn the Automation Leadership degree remotely.Resources Mentioned in this EpisodeRead the press release about the new programVisit the Automation Leadership degree page for more information and program contacts: https://www.uwstout.edu/programs/bs-automation-leadershipTo learn more about the Smart Automation Certification Alliance, visit their website: https://www.saca.org/Connect with UW-Stout:Instagram  |  Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Facebook  |  YouTube  |  TikTokEpisode page: https://techedpodcast.com/automationleadership/Instagram - Facebook - YouTube - TikTok - Twitter - LinkedIn

We never know when something will happen that upends our lives, but sometimes that burden turns out to be a blessing. We'll talk to a cultural anthropologist at UW-Stout about how his daughter's disabilities are helping him remind all of us of the value of every person—and the benefits that come with being more inclusive.Guests: Kristin Lyerly, Luke Mathers, Salina Heller, Thomas Pearson

This one is to my past students I had the privilege to teach at UW-Stout! YOU GOT THIS! ____________________________Stay in the loop with the new Different Ability® product I'll be launching!Sign Up Here!Shop new products here!Places you can reach me at:Website:https://kateyfortun.com/https://kateyfortun.com/podcastInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/kateyfortun/https://www.instagram.com/differentabilitypodcast/ 

Joining Carol Pankow in the VRTAC-QM studio is Delora Newton, Division Administrator for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, and Kyle Schemenauer, Director of Services, Eligibility and Order of Selection Unit at the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute (SRVI). Delora and Kyle talk about the partnership that reduces the time for eligibility determination while freeing up counselors' work time by outsourcing and streamlining the pre-eligibility work to SRVI.  This partnership has brought an objective and consistent process utilizing a per-customer rate fee. It has been working for Wisconsin VR as applicant rates are soaring, keeping SVRI busier than ever.     Listen Here   Full Transcript:   VRTAC-QM Manager Minute - Maximizing VR Services: Leveraging Resources so Counselors Can Get Back to Counseling - Wisconsin VR- STOUT Partnership   {Music} Speaker1: Manager Minute brought to you by the VRTAC for Quality Management, Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time. Here is your host Carol Pankow.   Carol: So welcome to the Manager Minute. Joining me in the studio today is Delora Newton, Division Administrator for the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, and Kyle Schemenauer, Director of Services, Eligibility and Order of Selection Unit at the Stout Vocational Rehabilitation Institute. Holy cow. That was a mouthful. So how are things going, Delora?   Delora: Going great. I agree. I thought mine was a mouthful. But Kyle is even more than mine.   Carol: It is. It's kind of funny. How are you doing, Kyle?   Kyle: Doing good. Doing good. Easy. We could abbreviate to Director of services. How about that?   Carol: I like giving you the full shebang. The full glorious title. So I want to give our listeners a little bit of context. Wisconsin had embarked on a project to free up counselor time. It was way back in 2015, and the premise was to have SVRI program at Stout handle the applications and gather that pre eligibility information that is packaged up, passed to the Wisconsin VR counselors for making the eligibility determination. And Delora's staff have discussed this at previous conferences, but we are all well aware of the seismic shift in leadership across the country over this past decade. And I mean, I know I thought, Delora, I think you did too. We thought, oh, everybody already knows this, but there actually is a whole new group of leaders who have never heard of this idea. And I actually think people are really at a different place in being open to new ideas and ways of operating post pandemic. I feel like folks thought and I know I did when I was sitting in the audience, Oh, that's a cool idea. But I really didn't know how I would pursue that or how it would apply when I was working at Minnesota Blind. And so given that State of VR today, I think it's timely to bring up all the options that could be available for states to pursue when it comes to leveraging resources to make VR services happen. The other thing that's really cool about your project is that it's kind of withstood the test of time. So let's dig in. So Delora, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how long you've been with the agency and how many staff and consumers that you serve?   Delora: Yeah. Thanks. I have maybe a unique story for being a VR director. I came to VR in a roundabout way. I am not or have I ever been a licensed counselor in Wisconsin. Division administrators were political appointees, and so before coming to VR, I had served elected officials in the state capital for almost ten years. I also have several years of experience working for various businesses and business related nonprofits. So I actually started working for the Department of Workforce Development. That's who VR is aligned with in Wisconsin. So I started working for the Department of Workforce Development in July of 2014, and then I was actually hired as the administrator for the Division of Workers Compensation in August of 2015. So the Secretary's office in the Department of Workforce Development was very pleased with what I was doing there in workers comp, and there was an opening for a director in VR. And so they asked me if I would make the move. So I did. And since that time I've used my knowledge of the state's law making and budgeting processes, my management skills, my understanding of small business needs to lead Wisconsin VR along very several very talented managers. I am so blessed to have them. They have the counseling degrees and the historical knowledge of the federal regulations that I lack. So I've learned a lot along the way and I feel blessed to work with such a great team who positively change lives every day. And you asked about how many people we have. We have about 335 staff if we are full up. So we're located in 42 offices around the state so that we're close by where our consumers are. And counselors can also travel to where the consumers are. They don't have to come to the office. And a lot of things are being done virtually these days as well. And we were serving with open cases, about 16,500 consumers each year..   Carol: Wow! You know, I didn't know that background about you, Delora. That explains a lot because I always think you've had this super practical approach. You're very, you know, even keel and the way you've talked about kind of things you've implemented in Wisconsin, I think that serves you well. You bringing that background and having some of that other expertise in the regs and the different things, and then pairing it with your Meredith and all your other, you know, great folks there. Gosh, that's a great team. Good to know. So, Kyle, why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role with the SVRI Stout group?   Kyle: Yeah. So I come in, I'd be just shy of seven years now that I've been in my role here at. SVRI. And prior to that a couple of years in higher ed and disability services and then about six years or so in the VR world, in a local agency here that provided VR services. So as a service provider to Wisconsin. So all in all, I've been working with Wisconsin VR for almost 15 years and the service provider end of things. Yeah. And you know, kind of like Delora mentioned, I have a different path that kind of took a long path and have never been a VR counselor or anything like that, but have been in supervisory and director roles basically my whole professional career. Yeah. And that's got me here today, I guess.   Carol: Very cool. Well, and a little fact about me. I was not a VR counselor either, so I think a lot of us came into VR from a variety of different ways, but it's all good. So Delora let's go back to 2015. You came on board with Wisconsin VR and when you arrived, I know there was this confluence of things that had happened. Set the stage for us a little bit on what was going on that caused your staff to create this idea, and then you came into the picture and you helped them to implement it.   Delora: Yeah, well, again, it goes back to being a talented team. They're very innovative and creative and trying to come up with, you know, different ways to address issues. So they started this work before me. So when the law was when WIOA was signed into law in July of 2014 and, you know, they were looking at all the new things that VR was going to have to do. They were like, Wow, we need to try to find a way to address the additional administrative workload requirement for staff so that they can be able to prioritize their time to actually serving active consumers. So at that time, it was estimated that the VR counselors were spending up to 20% of their time processing applications. I mean, that's a lot, a lot that included getting consent forms signed and gathering the records that were needed to be determine eligibility. You know, things like the medical educational records. Et cetera. And then going back and forth with the consumers in communication or the applicants, actually, they would be applicants at that time. Also, at the same time, Wisconsin's Legislative audit bureau had done a report, and that report showed that eligibility outcomes were lower than anyone would like and that they were taking longer than people wanted them to. And then in addition, those eligibility determinations across the state were inconsistent. And what that means is, you know, we have 11 different workforce development areas. I told you we have 42 offices. And so depending on where you were in the state, you might have been using a little bit different of a process. So we thought or my staff at the time thought that development of a more objective and streamlined eligibility review process could really help address those issues. So DVR managers reviewed the law and they were like, Huh, Could we outsource the administrative elements of the eligibility process? So they talked to RSA. We're very good about talking to RSA up front before we do a big new initiative that saved us quite a bit. So they talked to RSA to make sure that outsourcing was allowable and RSA confirmed it was possible as long as the rehab counselors that were employed by the state agency reviewed the eligibility recommendation provided by the contracted entity or and that those counselors remained responsible for making the official eligibility determination. So knew that UW Stout and would be a perfect partner for the project. We have had a long standing history of collaboration with them and both UW Stout and SVRI are public entities operating in different roles, but with a common goal of increasing quality employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities. SVRI operates as a nonprofit within the university and can serve as an innovation incubator to pilot new ideas and approaches that can then be expanded or replicated.   Carol: I love that, you know your team, they're smart. I always look to Wisconsin like you guys are the one state agency that didn't have any monitoring findings. Like, you guys are always the people. You're on the edge and you aren't always out there chit-chatting about it. You know, you'll talk at a conference, but you aren't out, you know, widely promoting what you're doing. You all just are head down doing the work, but you're doing really creative things. And I love that you talked about engaging RSA because sometimes folks are thinking about these really great ideas and you don't talk to the federal partner and you might have a little element of this wrong. So that was really good advice that our listeners can take into anything that they're doing. Like it's really good to engage your federal partner just to make sure you don't go down the wrong path. Now, clearly you can't roll out something like this without taking some sort of staged approach. So what was the implementation process like in the beginning?   Delora: Yeah, you are right, a staged approach was really key. And so we launched the initiative as a pilot project in the fall of 2014, and then DVR and SVRI leadership started meeting weekly to design the pilot. So they talked about several different funding models and DVR opted to design it as a new service and then use case service dollars to fund the process per applicant. So we recognize that SVRI they were going to have high startup costs, you know, and we recognize that. And so we wanted to pay a higher rate initially to help them offset those higher start up costs. And then once those were covered, we started paying a lower set rate per case. And that model has worked really well because it provided SVRI with a boost to help with those initial costs. And then we could account for each expenditure because it was connected to a case. So then in May of 2014, SVRI initially hired ten staff for that pilot phase, and their leadership team provided close supervision and support as that new service was implemented and also DVR provided a multi-day, in-depth training to that new team in May of 2015. And then ongoing training was provided as needed. After that, we also provided extensive training to our staff, including directors, supervisors, counselors and support staff, so that no matter who you were on the team, you understood what the new process was going to be. And then we started piloting that new service in our southeast part of the state, which is the largest population center. For people who aren't really familiar with Wisconsin. That includes Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha, you know, a very large population area of the state. And we started that in May of 2015. And then a phased model was used to expand the service statewide by the summer of 2016. And as more of our areas were added then SVRI hired more staff. So by the end of the first full year of implementation, SVRI was processing more than 10,000 applicants annually on behalf of DVR. So it ramped up very quickly. I think if we had to do it over again, we would probably have phased it in a little bit slower. But, you know, those are some of the takeaways and the lessons that you learn. But overall, it worked really, really well.   Carol: That's a lot when you talk about that 10,000 applicants. I know I keep that number. When you said in the beginning, really that your staff were spending 20% of their time, you know, processing applications. Holy cow. I mean, this leveraging, you know, of these other services definitely helped you out. So now I know you also Delora did in the beginning kind of had this little bit of a situation or kind of the pushback from the counselors where maybe they were challenging some of the work done by SVRI. Can you talk a little bit about that?   Delora: Yeah, we knew going into it that we had inconsistent eligibility determinations across the state, which meant that all of our counselors weren't doing it the same. At the time we had almost 200 counselors reviewing those applications and then making the eligibility determinations based on their training and interpretation of the regs. And we all know that our regs are not black and white. They are gray. So people interpreted them a little bit differently. And of course, everybody believed that their way was the correct way to do it. So when SVRI had a dedicated team that was reviewing those applications and recommending the eligibility determinations, remember, recommendation is a key word here. The recommendations became a lot more consistent across the state because you had a set group of people who was doing it no matter where they were. So counselors have to make that final determination to stay compliant with the regs. Some of the counselors disagreed with the SVRI recommendations, so we had our managers review those disputed recommendations. And funny or not funny, however you want to look at it, they determined that most of what SVRI was recommending was actually correct mean some of our counselors weren't doing it correctly. So our managers, you know, also regularly conferred with SVR leadership about the feedback and the questions that we got from counselors so we could update processes as soon as possible if they needed updating. Sometimes more training was required for SVRI staff and sometimes more training was required for our counselors. But it was a joint effort of, okay, here's what we're seeing. You know, talking to Kyle, here's what we're seeing, here's what they're seeing. What do we need to adjust? So it was a very collaborative process.   Carol: Yeah, I really like that. And I'm sure any time you go into a new venture, you know, and staff are like they're kind of suspicious of what's happening and are you taking my work away? Even though people are like, it took 20% of my time, I don't want that work, yet, I don't want somebody else to do it either. So that sounds like that was handled really well. Now, Kyle, kind of switching to you a little bit, you came on board at the end of 2016 when the project was fully staffed. What challenges did you face as you were fully rolling all of this out?   Kyle: Yeah. As anything new in growing a new kind of business is getting the buy-in of one.. your staff, but then of your partners. So it was one continuously growing. So things, systematically things are changing, processes. We're trying to be as efficient and effective as we possibly can. So training, all of that, making sure we have the right staff, developing that communication and trust with Wisconsin VR, trusting in the process of what we're doing. So with anything new that was, you know, our biggest challenge is, is establishing the lines of communication and doing it the right way and getting the buy-in from both our staff, but then the VR staff as well, that we're in it for one thing, and that's the consumers. And we're here to do it together and make it the way it's supposed to be and provide that consistency across the board. It was a lot of training and education on both ends. It was our staff needing some time to kind of stand their ground of, well, this is our process and this is how we do that. And really just continuously to work together. In my role, it was continuously still hiring, even coming in at my spot at that point, we had that turnover, we had that that transition of anything new where you got your certain staff that were certainly bought in, maybe some staff that wasn't for you. So it was the growing pains of anything new. So facing that, plus then facing the referrals coming in and really just gearing up and making sure that we're providing the service that we say that we're going to provide and doing that. So yeah, it brought its own challenges, but working with VR in the past, having local VR connections and things like that on my perspective really helped kind of me and I guess maybe building that trust with VR and just being completely transparent in who we are and what we're trying to do.   Carol: I think it's cool. It's really evident you guys have a very good working relationship. I just wondered too, Kyle, kind of a little follow up. Did you ever think like, I keep thinking about 10,000, you know, like you had to do 10,000 applicants. Was that at all in your brain that it was going to be that many to handle?   Kyle: You know, maybe not, but we can do it. When you look at what's coming at you week to week, obviously that's accumulating. And over the time at the end of the year, yeah, we've served that many individuals and that's just amazing. And we have a great team of staff that, you know, we still have staff, the original kind of 10 or 8 staff. We have some of those staff that are still with us yet today from the beginning. And we do have a lot of longevity now since really myself coming in and some staff even before me coming in. So it's been great to see. It's been  great to see us continue to evolve together and working on little mini pilots within this to be more efficient and more rapid engaging with the consumer and stuff. So it's come a long ways and it's been a great partnership.   Carol: That's very cool music to my ears. That rapid engaging of those consumers. I like it. So Delora, as with any new initiative or initiatives that you go on, you've got staff that love it, you got people that hate it. How do you deal with those perspectives of staff? I'm sure you probably still maybe have a little rumblings of that as you go along.   Delora: Yeah, there has been rumblings a little bit, but as time goes on and we have more new counselors come in, they don't even know any different. So what we just continue to stress when we hear grumbling is that having SVRI handle the administrative side of collecting those applications and the related documents gives counselors more time to do what they want to do, which is actually offer rehabilitation counseling. It also has given counselors more time to work with transition students. We have met our federal 15% Pre-ets funding requirement every year since we've been required. I think we've heard we were the first state to do it. I can't verify that, but that's kind of what we had heard. And that equates to about $10 million annually for us. So counselors have really had more time to meet with those students throughout the year. And we do a lot of summer youth activities and trainings. And so it gives people time to actually plan those. And those summer youth activities give skills training and temporary work experiences to hundreds of students. So most counselors are now really happy to have SVRI do the task. And any new counselors who kind of want the experience of better understanding what is involved in making an eligibility determination, we will allow them to do those eligibilities on their own for a couple of months I mean, you know, with support of their supervisors and stuff, but we discourage them doing that very long term. So that's how we've addressed it.   Carol: Excellent.. Well, good for you too. I'm like, I'm giving you a big clap that you met your 15% and you're not one of the agencies that just received their 107 monitoring letter on the Pre-ets expenditures. And I would only expect the best of Wisconsin because you are the people we all always look up to because you guys are always doing it the right way. Now, I know you talked a little bit before about how you fund this, and so I just wanted to make sure that I had captured that in my brain the correct way. So you're doing kind of a fee per case, is that correct?   Delora: Yes, a fee for case. And we know the volume can fluctuate a little bit. So that also helps too. So like just having a flat rate, it helps us be able to budget more, I think, because it's something that they at least they know what the rate is per case.   Carol: Yeah, that's really good. That's interesting because I'm sure some of our folks that are listening in are going to sit there and go, Well, how are they making this happen? Okay, So Kyle, you had some really interesting data on your website. Can you talk to us a little bit about that, what the numbers look like?   Kyle: Yeah, really kind of, you know, feeding into what Delora mentioned is, you know, it's our goal is to provide that consistency, give back that time to the VR counselors to provide that guidance and counseling and let us do that busy work of the eligibility process. So really what we looked at is like a five year snapshot of kind of an internal study that we did on our end of what is our service providing to our agencies. And it is that sense of consistent eligibility across the board. More time back for the counselor to provide the guidance and counseling that they want to be doing. Allow us to do the busy work of the records collection, the information gathering and provide you this written report back to you that you can just take and run with and go. Now again, stamp of approval VR counselors providing their approval of that. We're just providing that recommendation. So really just looking at creating efficiencies and cost savings for our agencies and reflecting that. So we have some numbers on there over that five year window of how we're able to decrease eligibility determinations. You know, at one point we were down to like 23 days of being able to submit eligibility back to Wisconsin. All of this is a little bit you know, this is prior to the Covid timeframe that changes everything a little bit, too, but just the cost savings. So really what we're trying to reflect is what can we provide or, you know, even not just us having to do this for other entities, but showing what we've done for Wisconsin VR in that snapshot of time.   Carol: Yeah, I love that. I thought that was good stuff. So since you brought up the dreaded topic of the pandemic, let's look at that a little bit. So how did that impact what was happening with this project? And Delora, I'm going to go to you first and then I'll get your thoughts Kyle.   Delora: Yeah. So, you know, we're like other VR agencies around the country. Our numbers really went down during the pandemic. Even people who were on the caseload at that time who opted, can we just put my case on hold because I'm not comfortable going out in the world and very vulnerable medically. And it would be really, really especially difficult if I got Covid. So we respected that. So since we pay per case, SVRI saw a big decrease in their funding level and so they had to make staffing adjustments on their end. We understood that. And Kyle can speak more about that in a minute, but I do want to just add that SVRI remained a really strong partner throughout the pandemic and continued to provide sufficient staffing levels to meet our needs. So kudos and props to them for continuing to be a strong partner through a difficult time for everybody.   Carol: So since Delora said that, Kyle, what did that look like for your staffing numbers and how that all impact you?   Kyle: Yeah, overall, we've always kind of floated around a fully kind of staffed unit of about 25 to 30 staff, just really kind of depending on where things are at, at that point when referrals are starting to dry up. We didn't have any work anymore. We ended up going down to only five case facilitators, like a few office support staff to handle that during that time frame and then even campus implementing furloughs and all of that stuff. So there was furloughs that went across to quite a bit of our staff at that point, which nobody knew where things were going to go or how things were going to ever get back. You know, everything shifted completely remote. That was something where we would have day in and day out. You would have case facilitators in their cubicles here at work, and it was a buzz that went completely silent. Then everybody started shifting to working from home. That's been really the biggest, I think, shift to, I think for everybody is the world of work realized that there are some possibilities where you can be doing this from really anywhere. So we really started practicing that too. Even as we started to staff back up, we did weather the storm. It wasn't delightful by any means, but we made it. And realistically, now we're seeing record numbers on our end. And thankfully we were able to bring back almost everybody that we had to furlough at the point of our lowest point. And really, as things kind of changed and the world started shifting a little bit back to quote unquote, normal, we were able to then staff back up and pull everybody back in and just really adjust to the referrals as they were coming back to us.   Carol: Holy cow. Going down to five, my heart sunk. I'm like, that's a lot. That's pretty drastic. So since you said that, you know, where are the numbers today? So are you back at it, Kyle? Are you back up to your 25 or what are you looking at?   Kyle: We are crazy busy. We have seen weekly numbers that we have never seen before in terms of weekly referrals. We look at our numbers on a calendar year. Our actual years, July 1st, June 30th, we track our stuff within our case management systems calendar year. So January 1st through the year. And right now we're on pace for a record breaking year. We started tracking our data through Salesforce, our CRM that we use. We started tracking that in 2017, and right now we're on pace to shatter anything that we've tracked since then.   Carol: So what does shatter mean? What's that mean?   Kyle: Right now, at this pace, right now, we'll be over 12,000 cases. And in 2017, when we first started tracking, we were at just shy of 11,000. So we're going to at least be close to that, if not more. And that's great. That struggles with that is just the unknown that that was happening and really staffing back up. So that's kind of where we're at right now. You know, talking about pandemic and things changing the world of hiring employees is ever so challenging right now. And we've been in the hiring phase really since early this year and continue to hire because we can't keep up, which is great for business and we'll get there. We're confident in that. That's really where we're at is we're seeing such an influx in cases and the expansion of what we're doing, which is awesome to see that. And that's what we keep plugging along, is getting people in here as quickly as we possibly can and get them trained into our process and getting them doing eligibility.   Carol: Well, that's exciting news. So, Delora, I'm wondering, are you seeing numbers now of just consumers overall? Are you getting back to kind of pre-pandemic levels for the consumers you're serving?   Delora: Yeah, absolutely. I think our numbers went down through the pandemic. And then like I already said, we had people who just kind of like dropped out and said, this isn't a good time for me. But then even our new numbers coming in was really, really low. But we are ramping back up quite rapidly. So we started to ramp up last year, but to just give you an idea, so we had in June of 2022, we had 873 applicants and this June we had 1264.   Carol: Wow.   Delora: Since October of last year, we've consistently seen higher monthly numbers. It's anywhere from like 100 to 400 more than that month the previous year. So it's really going. We think part of it is because we want to make sure that we spend those federal dollars and we don't have to give money back. We've increased our outreach across the state, you know, making sure that we're connecting more in the schools with the local ILCs, with the ADRCs, and just really trying to get our message out that we're here to help. So we think that that's been helping. So we hope that that higher trend continues. And as Kyle said, we appreciate him watching those numbers, too. He's got a little bit harder job on his end because he's so dependent just on what we're paying, where we can absorb through higher budgets. But they're doing a good job of, you know, hiring as quickly as they can to respond to the need.   Carol: Well, that is super exciting news, though, because I know nationally, like the numbers have been just down in the program. So it's exciting to hear that that spurt, you know, coming back in, and I'm sorry, Kyle, I cut you off.   Kyle: No, that's fine. I just second what Dolores saying those numbers per month from last year to this year. That's exactly what we're seeing, too. They're seeing trends that we've never seen before. And really, you know, as the summer months, school's out, things, you know, kind of that roller coaster, you're kind of maybe going down a little bit. That never happened. This year, we're seeing over a thousand cases referred in the summer months, which were 700 in years prior, all years prior. We're seeing trends in data that of the years that we've been tracking it. This has never happened. So that's great. And the outreach must be working because they're seeing it and we're seeing it as well.   Carol: Yeah, that's super cool to hear. So I know that many states are looking for ways to leverage those other resources to help them carry out this type of work. And I know that, you know, Kyle, you and SVRI you can't do the work for the whole country. In fact, Delora won't let you because Wisconsin has you. But can you tell us some of the ways you've helped other states get started on this journey in their own state?   Kyle: Really, with our national networking of SVRI and who we are and the partnership with Wisconsin VR, we have drawn interest from other states from just having a conversation like we're having right now about kind of who we are. Two other states that are very interested in wanting to model something like this. Actually, we are doing a small pilot with the state of New Hampshire that we've been doing since actually just about a year now that we've been kind of fully engaged. Three offices, I believe, out of the state of New Hampshire on a very small scale doing that and also will be looking in the near future to be also piloting for the state of Vermont on a small scale again. And we've had other conversations. We've had a lot of conversations with the state of Texas and looking to collaborate with the Dallas Fort Worth area, University of North Texas, to really model who we are in that area. And then we've talked with Maryland on a couple of different occasions as well. And again, it's just really being as transparent as who we are, providing the information. And we're here to help guide or train or any type of technical assistance or anything that we could be doing in our end to talk about what we've done over the years and the growing pains and the ways to approach it. And if you did it differently, what would you do and things like that. So we've engaged in a lot of different conversations, most recently within the last probably couple years of who we are, you know, getting at the intrigue of those other states.   Carol: Yeah, I think that's cool that you guys are willing to do that and kind of share your knowledge out because definitely I feel like coming out of the pandemic, people are in a way different space with looking for different ideas and options and how to do something. And obviously you can't serve the whole country. So it is nice if you can help another state, maybe replicate this with their university or some entity, you know, to be able to take that on. I think that's really cool. So what lessons have you learned from this whole deal that are important to others as they might be looking at this option? And Delora, I'm going to go to you first.   Delora: Thank you. First of all, don't be afraid to think outside the box to find workable solutions. And when you're doing that, be sure that you're talking to your frontline staff to learn what are their pain points and then help. Let them help you identify some creative answers. That being said, people are naturally resistant to change, so create a solid change management plan and implement it early. Communicate that plan to staff in multiple ways. Use things like email trainings and staff meetings. The staff are going to need to hear the messages about why, how and when more than once, because they need that to fully absorb the big picture as well as all of the details. Make sure that that planning and implementation timelines are realistic. I mentioned earlier, if we had it to do over again, we would have phased that pilot project out a little bit longer than just a year. So be sure you don't rush it. And the benefits to doing pilots and launching segment by segment of your team is so that you can learn what's working, what's not, and what additional training needs that you have. And then also, as we've talked about, don't forget to consult with RSA during the process to make sure your innovative project is allowed under the regs. We have a positive working relationship with them and think it's a lot because we consult with them in advance and can make any needed adjustments prior to implementation and think that's probably also why we didn't have findings, as you mentioned earlier, because we do regularly consult is this allowed or not allowed? And then we might kind of come back at them a couple different times. Are you sure we can't do this? Or how could we do it a little bit differently so that it meets the regs? But that communication is key.   Carol: Yeah, love that. Really good advice. And Kyle, how about any lessons learned that you might be able to share?   Kyle: It works. We have a track record here now that just show that it does work. And if you can build a good team both as the service provider and the agency and you have strong communication and trust in the process, it works. And if you can get those buy-ins, , it's great to see the growth and I'm glad that we've had the opportunity to collaborate with other states because it's been something on my end. When we first kind of got started and got rolling out like, Oh my goodness, this needs to happen in other places because this is something that I truly believe in that can be replicated and can do the right thing. The biggest is your communication and trust in each other to do it and entertain anything new. And from our perspective, we're always looking to try to be more efficient, more effective. What is out there? Technologies are always changing. Processes are always changing to make us faster and to entertain those ideas and to share those with others to do it the right way.   Carol: Love it. You two have been fabulous this morning. I really appreciate it. And I'm sure as our listeners may want to reach out, that you're both open if someone's going to email you or some such with any questions. Is that all right?   Kyle: Absolutely.   Delora: Yeah, absolutely. In fact, we have had other states reach out to us and we're more than happy to meet with them. And New Hampshire did as well as the state of Texas. There might have been another state, too, that I just can't remember. So, yeah, we're always happy to help.   Carol: Well, good stuff and wish continued great success in your collaboration going forward. And thanks for being with me today. Appreciate it.   Delora: Thanks for having us.   Kyle: Yes, absolutely. Thank you.   {Music} Speaker1: Conversations powered by VR, one manager at a time, one minute at a time, brought to you by the VR TAC for Quality Management. Catch all of our podcast episodes by subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening!  

Known for its one of a kind pieces and terrific building, Triangle Art & Antiques has been a staple of the downtown for over a decade. Joan Navarre, UW-Stout professor, purchased the property and opened her store for all the community to enjoy. He selection is extremely eclectic, just like her personality. Join us for a great journey with a great person who represents the community. Co-hosts: Becca Schoenborn & Dustyn Dubuque "Like" The Menom Pod on Facebook and subscribe

From serving as editor of the Eau Claire Leader Telegram to spending 15 years serving UW-Stout, Doug Mell knows when politics is in full spin mode—and he says Assembly Speaker Robin Vos has it backwards when he claims the UW System is trying to force Diversity Equity and Inclusion programs onto students. We'll discuss the […]Guest: Doug Mell

It's been a great chapter of teaching at UW-Stout, but now the chapter is closed I have something to stay to my past students!My youtube video that I recorded for my students as well here!_________________________Stay in the loop with the new Different Ability® product I'll be launching!Sign Up Here!Shop new products here!Places you can reach me at:Website:https://kateyfortun.com/https://kateyfortun.com/podcastInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/kateyfortun/https://www.instagram.com/differentabilitypodcast/ 

Timeline - The Sports Science Dudes is on YouTube, Rumble, and Spotify.3:30 Wendi, what piqued your interest in working with young athletes? And how you deal with parents regarding young athletes?6:27 Mike, his work with kids was an accidental career. Started as a gym teacher. A four decade's worth of experience!12:31 Wendi's love of physical education; a true tomboy.14:36 Wendi, how do you deal with the crackpot ideas on sports nutrition and supplements from “experts” on social media. Some professionals are just not open to new ideas. 16:04 Wendi's view on the proper and safe use of creatine for youth.19:58 ACSM – in the 1980s – viewed aerobic exercise as the end all and be all. The NSCA are just meatheads that lift weights21:10 – Mike describes the “evolution” of resistance training. 21:45 – Mike describes the Universal “weight training” machine. Holy shit! We're dinosaurs.27:00 – Kenneth Cooper's “Aerobics” was revolutionary at the time.27:47 – People don't like the “basics.” Wendi's view of teaching the basics!30:40 – You can't eat like a bird, and race like a beast.30:59 – Women and young girls worry about “getting big” or gaining weight from protein or from lifting.32:40 – Mike dealt with high school kids that basically didn't eat enough.35:36 – Food service dietitians hate being called “lunch ladies.” 40:05 – Wendi, how do you educate young kids (and their parents) about the importance of body composition versus just weight. The content of the calories you consume affect body composition! Eat more protein for better body composition.43:48 – When can kids start lifting weights?  And is it safe? Mike opines.45:35 – Youth weightlifting – great for your health, Wendi opines.49:22 - Wendi was the black sheep of her dietetics program at UW-Stout. But she's great at translating sports science in a palatable way to parents and kids.50:38 - We have a profession (educators) and we have an industry (sellers).51:35 – Wendi's top supplements (in general) for active individuals.54:49 – Squats are the king of all resistance exercises – Mike opinesOur Special GuestsWendi Irlbeck, MS, RDN, LD, CISSN is a Registered Dietitian, certified sports nutritionist, lifestyle coach with an M.S. in Nutrition. Wendi specializes in enhancing health, athletic performance with a focus on injury prevention by improving metabolic efficiency using nutrient periodization. She and her team of registered dietitians work closely with both young and adult athletes nationwide. Wendi is a former collegiate athlete, active writer, speaker, mentor, and actively integrates faith into her practice. Based in Nashville, TN. You can check out her website www.nutritionwithwendi.com and subscribe to her FREE newsletter. Check out her guidebooks, sports nutrition presentations, testimonials, and coaching programs! Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.Mike Nitka MS earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Health and Physical Education from the University of Wisconsin- LaCrosse and began teaching at Muskego High School in Southeast Wisconsin for 38 years. He had a vision to create elective PE classes which were called Human Performance 1 & 2 and then expanded the weight room several times to meet the demands. The school's athletic teams improved their ability to compete as he and the staff applied basic principles of strength and conditioning. Looking for information he joined the NSCA in 1985 and began to earn the following credentials starting in 1988:  CSCS*D, RSCC*E, FNSCA*E; Other awards: Hall of Fame NHSSCA in 2018, NSCA Boyd Epley Lifetime Achievement Award in 2022. To date Coach has been in education working with students /athletes for the past 46 years. He currently is an Adjunct faculty member in Human Movement Sciences at Carroll University in Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Big announcement today on the future of me teaching at UW-Stout. This was a hard one to record..._________________________Stay in the loop with the new Different Ability® product I'll be launching!Sign Up Here!Shop new products here!Places you can reach me at:Website:https://kateyfortun.com/https://kateyfortun.com/podcastInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/kateyfortun/https://www.instagram.com/differentabilitypodcast/ 

Welcome back to Wayne's Word! In this episode, Nels and Spencer are joined by a few guests competing for UW-Stout distance in the upcoming 2023 WIAC Indoor Track and Field Championships, hosted right here in Menomonie. Nels and Spencer also highlight all of the UW-Stout mid-distance and distance athletes competing in this weekend's championships. Be sure to check out this episode at some point during the championship weekend! For new listeners – The Wayne's Word is brought to you from the basement of Wayne's World. Hosted by two Division III Student-Athletes seeking insight into peers, athletes, coaches, and others' views and opinions on a range of varying topics. Nels and Spencer upload these purely for entertainment and pleasure. For business inquiries please email schultzs5151@my.uwstout.edu or trandahln7899@my.uwstout.edu!

Grand Valley State defensive lineman Jack Gilchrist comes on to talk about GVSU's new head coach Scott Wooster, then we talk to Arthur Cox from UW Stout about his big-time year and how tough the WIAC conference is. We take a look at D3's biggest rivalry between Ithaca and Cortland, and then finish with a recap of the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs.

On the first full-length episode of "The Wayne's Word", Nels and Spencer are joined by 2022 NCAA DIII Outdoor Track and Field Qualifier, Grant Magnuson. In this episode, Grant speaks about his many exciting life adventures, including working as a McDonald's Manager, his life as a UW-Stout, his views on fishing, and what games he has on his phone! For new listeners – The Wayne's Word is brought to you from the basement of Wayne's World. Hosted by two Division III Student-Athletes seeking insight on peers, athletes, coaches, and others' views and opinions on a range of varying topics. Nels and Spencer upload these purely for entertainment and pleasure. For business inquiries please email schultzs5151@my.uwstout.edu or trandahln7899@my.uwstout.edu!

On the podcast today, a tribute to Gaddi Ben Dan, a media and social justice pioneer who passed away last week. Plus,  UW-Stout has a new DEI leaderand a Madison alder steps down.

He absolute tore up Minnesota high school with 117 pts in 72 games, he would go on to have a great junior career and would lead the way as a captain his 20 bomb year for the Okotoks oilers in the ajhl. After that he had a great collegiate career at UW-Stout, the toe drag king himself. 

If you want to learn more about the packaging program at UW Stout visit - https://www.uwstout.edu/programs/bs-packaging or connect with Robert at https://www.linkedin.com/in/robertpackmanmeisner/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/peopleofpackaging/support

This week UW-Stout Head Coach Clayt Birmingham stops by to share his coaching journey with us. Coach shares his path from WI high school coach to D1, as well his experience coaching internationally. Coach talks about learning the 4-2-5 from Gary Patterson, shares his mentors, and talks the transfer portal.

Linda John is the CEO and founder of Linda John Consulting, LLC, providing Executive Coaching and Destination Consulting services to clients throughout the USA. From 1993 – 2020, Linda served as the Executive Director for Visit Eau Claire in west-central Wisconsin. Some of Linda's top accomplishments at Visit Eau Claire included the development of a successful regional tourism program, creation of a sports commission for the Eau Claire area, and launching two successful mobile visitor center programs, all resulting in record-setting tourism growth for the region during her tenure. In most recent years, John was at the table for the completion of Pablo Center at the Confluence, where Visit Eau Claire opened its new Experience Center, as well as collaborating to craft the community partnership strategy for the new Sonnentag Event and Recreation Complex. She also was the lead voice in advocating for a new convention center, including the completion of a feasibility study and the development of a collaborative strategy for the project. Linda now owns and operates her professional coaching and consulting practice, Linda John Consulting, through which she offers a variety of professional training and human resource development services, including team development and organizational rebuilding initiatives. Linda is a Certified Destination Marketing Executive (CDME) and an accredited practitioner of the Integrative Enneagram for both individuals and teams. She holds memberships with Destinations International and the International Coach Federation (ICF). Linda earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Minnesota State University in Mankato, and a Master of Science degree in Training and Human Resource Development from UW Stout. Linda's Favorite Books: 1. The Nine Types of Leadership by Beatrice Chestnut 2. Own It by Chris Eyerie

Lots of news today, FSA update on use of FAFSA data to inform students about other federal benefit programs. NASFAA article about rescinding of need for ASLA. NASFAA article on new ID.me process at the IRS website, and an announcement on the 2022 NASFAA conference. Forbes article about needed changes in higher education. Napa Valley Register article about how students are leaving money (Pell Grant money) on the table by not applying for financial aid. An interesting article about whether your college degree is a worthy investment. Financial aid job postings for the LACCD, CSU Chico, and UW-Stout (that's in Wisconsin).   Find out more about CCCSFAAA at cccsfaaa.org.  Have feedback for Dennis and Dana?  Got a topic you want us to discuss?  Email us at wbcccsfaaa@gmail.com.   "What's Brewing, CCCSFAAA?" is a Studio 1051 production.  Studio 1051 is a creative collaboration of Dennis Schroeder and Dana Yarbrough.

Jerry Hui is an amazing choral director, both composing and bringing out of singers intricate & moving performances. Jerry is Director of Choral Activities at UW-Stout, and directs a number of other groups, including Schola Cantorum of Eau Claire. Growing up in Hong Kong, headed for a livelihood working with computers, Jerry found magic in music, and unity in choir.

This week on Downtwon Menom we are chatting with UW-Stout Chancellor, Katherine Frank! Learn more about her, what she likes to do in Menomonie, and what she's looking forward to in the future. Hosts: Becca Schoenborn & Dustyn Dubuque --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

In this episode I talk with Nick Arnoldy! A great friend of mine- what a blast from the past! We had a "best friends" relationship way back in 1999 when we both attended UW Stout. We've only spoken once since then.....and it was like no time had passed. Great guy, good talk and awesome to see him again! Enjoy!

Would you like to hear a story about a "once-upon-a-time" college first year who met InterVarsity and started impacting her family's spiritual trajectory because of her risky "Yes!" to follow Jesus? How about one about someone who entered the job market in the middle of a pandemic and learned to trust Jesus with her future? If so, this episode of After IV is for you! Listen in on my chat with Elleen, an alumna from UW Stout, and the beginning of her post-college journey, here!

Today I'm joined by Dalton Brauner who competes for UW Stout in one of the toughest, most underrated sports out there. No, not golf...rugby. Having to work his way up in the ranks and go head-to-head (literally) with the brutes of rugby, Dalton knows a thing or two about training for strength, hypertrophy, endurance, and everything in between. Don't mess with this guy. It's TOO EASY. Watch the YouTube video for this episode: https://youtu.be/0acG1M-FC0c

A front-row look at the situation in Hong Kong with Jerry (Chiwei) Hui, currently Associate Professor of Music at UW-Stout in Wisconsin, but he is Hong Kong born-and-raised, and he was present for the first two of the massive protests there. Jerry provides an inside glimpse of the people, laws, history, politics, & character of Hong Kong, which can be supplemented by the BBC Hong Kong page.

...in which 5th graders and "15th graders" (college journalism students from UW-Stout) interview each other and record a podcast.

Anyone working in international education probably studied abroad at one point or another, and Andria is no exception. She tells about her time in Seville, Japan, and graduate school. Great insight here from the education abroad coordinator at UW - Stout.