Following Microsoft’s recent $3.3 billion investment into its data center campus in Mount Pleasant, Ryan Harkins, the company’s Senior Director of Public Policy, provided local business leaders a look back at the history of artificial intelligence, a peak into its promise as a game-changing business tool and provided insight into the steps his company is taking to provide safeguards during “The State of AI” at We Energies.

Harkins opened with a simple question: “Why all the buzz?”

It is no secret that AI (artificial intelligence) is changing the ways companies across the nation do business. The use of machine learning to foster innovation and create efficient processes in the workplace continues to generate conversation among tech industry leaders, specifically within the Milwaukee region.

June 3, 2024 (MILWAUKEE) – Regardless of the action the Milwaukee Public School Board takes this evening, Milwaukee families, taxpayers and other stakeholders shouldn’t be distracted from the larger issue at hand – fundamental change is necessary to rescue our students.  
 
The recent news that Milwaukee Public Schools failed to file a required financial report to the state, that its past reports were missing data or inaccurate, that MPS might have to pay back millions in funds to the state and have already had federal funding suspended due to non-compliance is just the tip of the iceberg of a deeper governance problem. 

May 31, 2024 (MILWAUKEE) – With 50 percent of our city’s students attending Milwaukee Public Schools, news about significant state funding at risk due to bureaucratic mismanagement is both shocking and infuriating. MPS owes an explanation to its stakeholders, most importantly the families it serves and taxpayers in our community. The most vulnerable and underfunded students – those with special needs – will be impacted directly.
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May 6, 2024 (MILWAUKEE) – The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) and UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin today announced a collaboration that will provide a $600,000, four-year commitment to All-In Milwaukee.

The gift will support 30 area students attending public, private and charter schools in the city and assist them on their paths to graduate from a local college and enter the workforce in southeastern Wisconsin. The donation will go to students majoring in the health sciences and starting college at area universities in the fall of 2024 and 2025. The application window for the next class of scholars will open in late fall 2024. More information can be found here.

Dear Members,

The Milwaukee Public Schools $252 million referendum result was not the one we were hoping for. We do, however, accept the will of the electorate in their decision to pass this measure.

Informing voters on a measure made public just a few short months ago was a heavy lift. It took a lot of hard work and resources. We appreciate the support we received from many.

With a $252 million referendum now passed, it’s imperative MPS uses these additional resources to improve student outcomes. The school district must adopt a long-term strategy that is both transparent and bold. With a vast majority of students performing below grade level throughout the district, the status quo is no longer an option.

Ninety percent of surveyed property managers in Milwaukee would increase rents should the Milwaukee Public Schools’ (MPS) $252 million referendum pass April 2, according to a recent poll conducted by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce (MMAC).
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On April 2, Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) will ask voters for a quarter-billion dollar increase in its annual revenue limit, much of it funded through property taxes. After listening to stakeholders and surveying its Board of Directors, the Milwaukee Metropolitan Association of Commerce (MMAC) is opposing this measure.
 
This referendum is being brought forward ¬less than five years after passage of an $87 million revenue limit increase without a clear plan on how to improve educational outcomes, even as academic performance continues to be at or near the bottom of all major city school districts. We cannot continue to perpetuate the same strategies and expect different outcomes. 

​With an election front-and-center, ongoing conflict in many corners of the globe and inflation still impacting everyone’s bottom line, our economy is on everyone’s mind.
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Those attending “What’s Next: Anticipating Business Cycle Changes in 2024/25” on March 13, at the Brookfield Conference Center, will get to hear the perspective of an economics expert on our fiscal future. Brian Beaulieu, CEO of ITR Economics, is one of the country’s foremost economists, researching the use of business cycle analysis and economic forecasts to increase business profitability.

Corry Joe Biddle, MMAC Vice President of Community Affairs, was honored by the Greater Milwaukee Urban League with its “Young Professional Making a Difference” award Monday. Biddle received the recognition during the organization’s annual Equal Opportunity Day luncheon. She joined nearly two dozen individuals and organizations honored for their efforts in providing and advocating for equal opportunity in Milwaukee.

Biddle has been with MMAC since 2008 – serving as Executive Director of FUEL Milwaukee, a 7,000-member community engagement network serving young professionals in the community. She also leads MMAC’s Region of Choice initiative, which has helped increase African American and Latino employment and advancement among 125-plus area companies since its launch in 2019.

“MMAC is lucky to have someone with the passion and drive of Corry Joe," said MMAC President Dale Kooyenga. "Whether it's championing equity by heading up our Region of Choice program, or facilitating professional development initiatives for the next generation of talent, she is certainly making a difference in our community.

MMAC to gather facts, meet with stakeholders regarding $252M measure
 
MPS is a critical part of K-12 education in the city of Milwaukee. We also recognize that more than 40 percent of city students receiving public funding attend schools outside of MPS. A comprehensive effort to improve student outcomes is critical to the region’s future, however the proposal to raise an additional $252M from taxpayers in this MPS proposal raises more questions than answers.
 
As employers, MMAC members have a vested interest in a high-quality K-12 education system that produces the talent needed to drive economic growth in our region.

Employers are also invested partners in funding Milwaukee Public Schools, as commercial property owners account for 40 percent of the city’s property tax base. That stated, we have significant concerns regarding the $252M referendum on the ballot this April. Those concerns include: