​Context: Today, We Energies announced a new timeline for Oak Creek plant retirements
 
STATEMENT FROM MMAC PRESIDENT TIM SHEEHY
“Reliable access to power is one of the most important factors in the stability of a region and its economy, and WEC Energy Group consistently delivers on this responsibility. MMAC supports WEC Energy Group as it takes strategic steps to ensure continued reliability amid shifting supply chain and regulatory conditions. While still working toward its important and ambitious renewable energy goals, this step to delay the phase out is prudent and responsive to concerns about reliability.”

The June edition of our monthly Business of Metro MKE webinar features Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson and Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin. A replay of the webinar will be available on MMAC's YouTube channel shortly after it concludes.

See below to download Dr. Raymond's presentation:

Click here to download the presentation from our event:

And click here to view our group invitation list:

Fellowship provided state and local chambers with opportunities to engage nationally on critical education and workforce issues.
 
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation announced that Alexis Deblitz, Director of Talent & Industry Partnerships for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce and Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership, graduated from its premier business leadership program. The Business Leads Fellowship Program trains and equips leaders from state and local chambers of commerce, economic development agencies, and statewide trade associations with resources, access to experts, and a network of peers to build their capacity to address the most pressing education and workforce challenges.
 
Originally selected in February 2020 following a competitive application and selection process, Deblitz graduates with 25 other state and local business leaders from the program’s fourth cohort. The yearlong virtual program covered the entire talent pipeline, including early childhood education, K-12, higher education, and workforce development, and culminated with a recent in-person meeting in Palm Springs, California.
 
Susan Koehn, Vice President of Talent and Industry Partnerships for MMAC and M7, also graduated from the fellowship program in 2019 and the U.S. Chamber's Talent Pipeline Management Academy in 2017. Talent Pipeline Management is a new way of addressing local skills gaps by positioning employers in a more central role as end-customers of postsecondary education and training providers.

"The training we received through the Business Leads Fellowship and Talent Pipeline Academy will allow MMAC's Talent & Industry Partnerships team to better serve member employers' current and future talent strategies with leading-edge practices, supported by a peer network across the U.S.," Koehn said.

Added Cheryl Oldham, Senior Vice President of the Center for Education and Workforce: “As clearly displayed throughout this program, state and local leaders know better than anyone the critical link between education and economic development. Not only did the Fellows gain a network of peers and experts in the field, but the program is also designed to help these leaders find opportunities to develop initiatives that will continue to advance the growth of their local economy and put education policy into practice.”
 
Upon program completion, Business Leads Fellows join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s dedicated network of 220 individuals from chambers of commerce and statewide associations from around the country who regularly engage on the most impactful education and workforce initiatives.
 
To learn more about the U.S. Chamber Foundation’s Business Leads Fellowship Program, visit businessleads.uschamberfoundation.org.

Download a presentation from the April edition of MMAC's Business of Metro MKE webinar. A replay of the event will be available on MMAC's YouTube Channel later in the day.

Dr. Raymond's slides:

Presentation from Tim Sheehy, Susan Koehn and John Swallow:

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) and Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) are partnering with the Brewers Community Foundation (BCF) to host a career experience day at American Family Field on Thursday, April 7.

This event will bring approximately 300 10th graders from seven MPS schools to the ballpark, where they will have the chance to interact with professionals who work in a wide variety of careers connected to the Brewers organization and the local companies that serve as its suppliers.

Media are welcome to cover this event, and should contact MMAC Director of Communications Chris Jenkins in advance for details.

The program will focus on careers in high-demand industries -- including Advanced Manufacturing, Technology, Business/Finance, Construction and Patient Care -- and how professionals working in each of those careers support the Brewers, one of our region’s most recognizable businesses.

By 2025, the Milwaukee Region is projected to have more than 450,000 jobs within these five industry clusters, offering an average annual wage of $60,000. The program will highlight careers within each cluster that offer opportunities to learn new skills and advance on a career pathway.

“As one of our region’s most iconic brands, the Milwaukee Brewers are uniquely positioned to highlight the variety of attractive career opportunities that exist here in the Milwaukee Region,” MMAC President Tim Sheehy said. “We often think of the Brewers as a team on the field, but there’s a much larger ‘team behind the team’ that makes it all possible – and within that team, there are many high quality, high demand careers. Connecting students with career-based learning experiences has been a longstanding MMAC priority, and we’re happy to have the opportunity to do so in person again.”

Launched in 2014, MMAC’s Be the Spark program connected nearly 15,000 MPS seventh graders to local businesses for in-person career experiences with the support of more than 125 business partners. The program introduced students to potential future careers and the skills they need to succeed. Career experiences are a part of MMAC efforts to develop our region’s future workforce and talent pipeline. MMAC efforts also include support for the region’s 70-plus school districts and convening industry groups to connect to K-12 education institutions and provide feedback loops that incorporate future skills demands into career pathways.

About the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
For more than 150 years, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has been serving area businesses as a private, not-for-profit organization. Today we represent approximately 1,800 member businesses with 300,000 employees in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties and beyond. Our mission is to improve metro Milwaukee as a place to invest capital, grow business and create jobs. mmac.org

​If your company is already a member of MMAC, thank you for your investment in growing your business and building the Milwaukee Region. If your company is not yet a member, but is interested in exploring the benefits of joining, please contact our membership team.

STATEMENT FROM MMAC PRESIDENT TIM SHEEHY

"Michael Cudahy was Milwaukee’s entrepreneur. His positive impact on our region will be felt for decades to come because of the influence he had on so many people here, myself included. Marquette Medical Systems was a longtime MMAC member, and its legacy lives on today in the success of GE Healthcare. Throughout our interactions over the years, I saw firsthand how Michael’s sprit of curiosity drove him to learn more about big-picture economic development issues and how they affect Milwaukee. He was always looking for ways to improve our region. He will be missed greatly, and we send our deepest condolences to his family."

 
STATEMENT FROM MMAC PRESIDENT TIM SHEEHY
 
"Former State Representative, State Senator and Lieutenant Governor Margaret Farrow was instrumental in a number of legislative and policy wins that have had a deep and lasting impact on the prosperity of this region. Having worked with then-Senator Farrow, I can personally attest to her thoughtful insight and determination, both of which were instrumental to the passage of legislation providing low-income parents the opportunity to choose where their children attended school, both through the Milwaukee Parental Choice program and independent charter schools.
 
Senator Farrow had the respect of her colleagues, the ability to work across the aisle, and was focused on outcomes, never credit.
 
She should also be recognized for her role in helping to make Miller Park, now American Family Field, a reality for millions of baseball fans across Wisconsin, securing an asset that will long be of value to this community."

In the March edition of our monthly Business of Metro MKE webinar, we featured insights on the economy from Don Rissmiller, the Chief Economist for Strategas, the market strategy arm of Baird. We also received our regular update from Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin. A replay of the event is available on MMAC's YouTube channel.

Also, you can download copies of presentations from the webinar here:

Student success is critical to the future of our region. MMAC joins other Milwaukee leaders in advocating for state surplus tax resources in future state biennial budgets to increase per pupil funding. This is one of the few existing ways to support all students in the city, whether they’re in a traditional MPS, public charter or choice school.

Read the full text of a letter to Governor Evers, Speaker Vos and Majority Leader LeMahieu:

As employers search for the best ways to attract and retain talent in the midst of one
of the fiercest talents wars yet, compensation is now front and center.

How is that playing out in our market? Read the findings from a new survey from MMAC member company MRA. Key takeaways include:

• 74 percent of organizations in this study indicate they are occasionally to very frequently offering candidates starting salaries outside the regular starting pay ranges as a tactic to try and gain talent.
• As a result of talent challenges, 90% of organizations have adjusted the pay ranges in their organization for 2022 to recruit and retain talent. 
• Moving into 2022, 37% of organizations will be offering a signing bonus to some, if not all, of their new hires.
• Executive-level positions are most commonly offered more than $5,000 (38%) as a sign-on bonus while production, office, and technical positions are most commonly offered between $500 - $2,500.
• Of organizations that offer a signing bonus, 75% have a retention requirement associated with the signing bonus, with over half requiring at least a year of service. 
• Referral bonuses continue to be a popular tactic of recruiting new talent. Seventy-two percent of organizations are offering a referral bonus for
  their employees to encourage participation in the recruitment process for the organization. That bonus is commonly offered between $500 - $1,000.

​Read the full report:

STATEMENT FROM MMAC:

"We continue to have significant concerns about the mask mandate passed by the Milwaukee Common Council on Tuesday.

This mandate shifts the burden of convincing people to wear masks entirely to businesses and their front-line employees. It requires employees to act as the ‘mask police.’

The mandate also carries the threat of an arbitrary and drastic enforcement provision: the possibility that a business may not have its license renewed based on the individual actions of customers. There are no clear guidelines on what actions would threaten a revocation of a business’s license to operate.

This mandate applies a geographic patchwork approach to regulation with no real effect on stopping the spread of COVID.

​Vaccinations and booster shots are the most effective way to turn COVID-19 from pandemic to endemic. MMAC has been consistently communicating this to its vast membership. Masks (especially those of N95 quality or similar) are part of the protection protocols that can help stop the spread. Many Milwaukee Region employers, public-facing venues and educational institutions have implemented mask requirements. Many individuals embrace personal responsibility and choose to wear masks in public indoor spaces."

Download a copy of the slide deck from the Jan. 11 edition of MMAC's monthly Business of Metro MKE webinar series below. In this episode, Tim Sheehy was joined by Dr. John Raymond, Dr. Laura Cassidy and Dr. Benjamin Weston of the Medical College of Wisconsin.

A replay of this webinar will be available on MMAC's YouTube channel. 
​

“Vaccinations and booster shots are the most effective way to turn COVID-19 from pandemic to endemic. MMAC has been consistently communicating this to its vast membership. The region’s hospitals are full right now, and the vast majority of patients who are sick with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

Masks (especially those of N95 quality) are part of the protection protocols that can help stop the spread. Many Milwaukee Region employers, public-facing venues and educational institutions have implemented mask requirements. However, an unenforceable mask mandate shifts the burden of convincing people to wear masks to the business community and its front-line employees. It requires employees to act as the ‘mask police.’

​Personal responsibility is front and center to living with COVID. A myriad of Swiss cheese regulations applied to a mobile population will not be effective.“

​
 
STATEMENT FROM MMAC PRESIDENT TIM SHEEHY
"We congratulate Mayor Barrett on his confirmation as ambassador, and thank him for all he’s done on behalf of Milwaukee. Mayor Barrett has been a consistent champion for economic development here, and we wish him all the best in his new role. We look forward to continuing our work to improve metro Milwaukee as a place to invest capital, grow business and create jobs with the respected leader of the Common Council, Cavalier Johnson, in his new role as Acting Mayor."
​

STATEMENT FROM JIM PAETSCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MILWAUKEE 7 REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP
“We congratulate Mayor Barrett, who was a valued founding partner of the Milwaukee 7. Mayor Barrett was an early champion of regionalism, and he recognized that what was good for the region was good for Milwaukee. He put economic development among his highest priorities and on his watch, Milwaukee drew in a significant amount of investment and job creation. We wish Mayor Barrett all the best in his next chapter and look forward to working with Acting Mayor Johnson, who shares our commitment to economic development.”
 
 
 
 

In the December edition of MMAC's Business of Metro MKE webinar series, we're featuring Dr. John Raymond of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Cathy Jacobson of Froedtert, MMAC's new Board Chair. 

A replay of this event will be available on MMAC's YouTube channel shortly after the live event concludes.

To download today's presentation, click below:

Chamber’s Region of Choice initiative documents growth in diverse hiring and advancement

MMAC announced progress by Milwaukee Region employers toward diverse hiring and advancement goals and reiterated its support for a sales tax increase to fund critical quality of life services for the City and County of Milwaukee during its 160th All Member Meeting on Tuesday night.

During the meeting, held at the newly remodeled Bradley Symphony Center in downtown Milwaukee, MMAC also recognized health care and business leaders for their efforts during the pandemic and presented its Champion of Commerce award to Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin.

MMAC President Tim Sheehy thanked Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup, for providing steady leadership during his two-year term as MMAC’s Board Chair. He also welcomed incoming Chair Cathy Jacobson, President and CEO of Froedtert Health, along with several newly elected board members.

Region of Choice initiative: Progress on diverse hiring and advancement
In 2019, MMAC ranked Milwaukee against 20 peer metro areas using 7 measures of prosperity. We found that Milwaukee has the largest gap in prosperity between its White population and its African American and Hispanic/Latino populations.

To help close these gaps by improving the recruitment, retention and advancement of diverse talent, MMAC launched an employer-led effort to make Milwaukee a Region of Choice (ROC) for All. Employers participating in the initiative pledged to collectively increase African American and Hispanic/Latino employment -- as a percentage of their overall employment -- by 15%, and management by 25%, over five years.

Since announcing the Region of Choice initiative in 2019, employer participation grew by 94% to 120 organizations that employ 119,700 people in the region.

On Tuesday, MMAC announced the first round of results:

• Despite a 1% decline in total employment within the ROC collective, African American and Hispanic/Latino employment still rose 6.2% from our 2018 baseline.
• The consortium is on track to reach the goal of 18.1% of its workforce being African American and Hispanic/Latino by 2023.
• Total management employment increased 6.1% since 2018. During the same period, African American and Hispanic/Latino management employment rose 23%.
• The consortium is on pace to exceed the goal of 8.6% of its management workforce being African American and Hispanic/Latino by 2023.

“This initiative highlights what we do best: collaborate to improve our standing as a place to work and live,” Prising said. “The Region of Choice initiative is not a moment, but a movement committed to producing a measurable impact. We can be pleased with our progress so far, but not satisfied. We know we have more work to do.”

Survey of Milwaukee Region managers
MMAC also commissioned a survey of management employees within companies that are participating in the Region of Choice initiative. More than 2,000 management employees answered two questions:

• Would you to recommend your company as a place to work?
• Would you recommend metro Milwaukee as a place to live?

Their responses were scored on a scale from 1-10 using a widely accepted measurement called a Net Promoter Score. Those that rate their experience a 9 or 10 are considered “promoters” – enthusiastic supporters. Those giving a rating between 1 and 6 are considered “detractors.” The 7s and 8s are regarded as “passives.” The score is calculated by setting aside the passives, then subtracting the detractors from the promotors. For example, if 60 percent are promotors, and 40 percent are detractors, the score is 20.

In our survey, the experiences of the management employees reflected positively on the companies, with a total average score of 61. The ratings vary widely by race. The rating from White managers was 69, while it was 46 from Hispanic/Latino managers and 21 from African American managers. Overall, 92 percent of survey respondents said they believe their employer has made a greater commitment to equity and inclusion over the past two years.

“When asked what would improve equity and inclusion at their companies, managers offered a range of ideas, including providing anti-bias training to all employees, increasing diversity within candidate pools and search committees and holding open and transparent listening sessions with top leadership,” MMAC Executive Vice President Julie Granger said.

Next steps for MMAC include:

• Creating a playbook for beginning, accelerating, and advancing corporate DEI strategies for companies of all sizes.
• Forming a recruiters’ roundtable to help companies attract diverse talent from outside the region and hire and retain talent from within the region.
• Better connecting black and brown talent to metro Milwaukee and each other, working with AALAM, HPGM, We Exist, and others.
• And advocating for changes that reduce barriers to employment.

The survey also applied the Net Promoter Score to our second survey question, “Would you recommend Milwaukee as a place to live?” This is the first time the net promoter score has been used to rate a region, making it difficult to draw comparisons to other cities.

The Net Promoter Score for metro Milwaukee from all respondents was plus-16. The most important takeaway was the vast difference in ratings by race. Metro Milwaukee’s rating among White managers was 23, while it was 6 for Hispanic and Latino managers -- and minus-37 for African American managers.

“Managers gave high marks to metro Milwaukee’s restaurants, sports, entertainment, vibrant downtown and natural beauty. The biggest negatives were crime, racial segregation, income inequality and political divides,” MMAC Vice President of Community Engagement Corry Joe Biddle said. “Both workplace and community affect Milwaukee’s ability to attract and retain talent. Next steps include meeting with local and state elected leaders to share these findings and identify actions that we can take to improve our assets and address these liabilities.”

MMAC support for sales tax
Tuesday’s meeting included a panel discussion of regional budget challenges and potential solutions with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson and State Senator Dale Kooyenga.

Noting that competition between regions to attract talented workers is intensifying, MMAC President Tim Sheehy called budget issues “a clear and present danger to the region’s livability.” Sheehy reiterated the Association’s support for legislation that would allow a sales tax increase.

“Wisconsin law prohibits the City of Milwaukee from levying a sales tax, and Milwaukee County from levying an additional sales tax,” Sheehy said. “And for the past decade the state has broken its commitment to share its growing revenue from sales and income taxes generated here. This places a unique fiscal constraint on the City and County, impacting their ability to support key quality-of-life services.”

MMAC Champion of Commerce award: Dr. John Raymond, Medical College of Wisconsin
To honor his contributions to MMAC and the Milwaukee Region’s business community, we presented John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, President and CEO of MCW, with the Champion of Commerce award. In a time of great confusion and disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, having consistent access to vetted, accurate information has been critical to business and community leaders. And this was only possible thanks to the work of Dr. Raymond and the MCW team.

“We’re so thankful to Dr. Raymond and the Medical College team for their tireless work on behalf of the Milwaukee community,” Sheehy said. “This is unlike any crisis we’ve seen in our lifetimes, and accurate information made all the difference as businesses had to make difficult decisions in the best interests of their companies, their employees and their customers. We at MMAC also needed information to frame our regular discussions with local and state health departments. From the beginning of the pandemic to where we are today, we knew we could count on Dr. Raymond and the MCW team.”

During the initial stages of the pandemic, Dr. Raymond briefed the MMAC’s Board of Directors on a weekly basis. The Medical College team provided health and safety toolkits that MMAC distributed to members of the business community. Dr. Raymond and Sheehy also hosted a series of webinars to inform the community -- appearing six times a week during the first several months of the pandemic, reaching thousands of virtual audience members. Those webinars continue today, now on a monthly cadence, and Dr. Raymond and Tim also appear on a weekly segment on WTMJ Radio.

“As a health and science leader, when something of this magnitude happens, I feel it is our responsibility as an institution to step up and care for our communities with the depth of collaborative expertise we have,” Dr. Raymond said. “I am honored that our work here at MCW can continue to make an impact during this extremely challenging pandemic.”

MMAC leadership update
To conclude Tuesday’s meeting, Prising concluded his two-year term as Board Chair by welcoming Jacobson as MMAC’s 77th Chair.

“Thank you, Jonas, your global perspective helped us see the pandemic early, speeding our reaction. Your leadership of the Region of Choice initiative is foundational to the region’s prosperity. And we are all appreciative of your energetic leadership over the past two years,” Jacobson said. “I’m honored to serve as Chair, and genuinely excited to get to work.”

MMAC also welcomed the following new board members, recently elected by the membership:

Jon Adams, Columbus McKinnon Corp
Dana Guthrie, Gateway Capital Partners
Bob Hau, Fiserv
Adam Jelen, Gilbane Building Co.
Chris Miskel, Versiti
Andy Nunemaker, Groupware Technologies

About the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
For more than 150 years, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has been serving area businesses as a private, not-for-profit organization. Today we represent approximately 1,800 member businesses with 300,000 employees in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties and beyond. Our mission is to improve metro Milwaukee as a place to invest capital, grow business and create jobs. mmac.org

​If your company is already a member of MMAC, thank you for your investment in growing your business and building the Milwaukee Region. If your company is not yet a member, but is interested in exploring the benefits of joining, please contact our membership team.
 

Download a presentation from the November edition of MMAC's Business of Metro MKE webinar series. In this episode, Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, gave an overview of current health trends and answered your questions. A replay will be posted on MMAC's YouTube channel shortly after the live webinar concludes.
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