In the Sept. 14 edition of MMAC's monthly webinar, Business of Metro MKE, we heard from the following guests:
• Dr. Benjamin Weston, MCW Associate Professor and Medical Director at the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management
• Kari Atkinson, Vice President of Employee Rewards and Experience, ManpowerGroup
• Mark Goldstein, President, Goldstein Law Group

Video replays of MMAC webinars are available on our YouTube channel. 

​Dr. Raymond had a scheduling conflict, but did provide this update:

On Sept. 9, President Biden announced the Administration’s “Path Out of the Pandemic” plan. It may be weeks before our business community receives specific details from the federal government on the general policies that were announced. In many respects, there are more questions than answers. The following is an overview of what we know right now about the plan and how it may affect your business. We'd especially like to thank MMAC member Michael Best & Friedrich LLP for sharing their initial takeaways, many of which are incorporated here.

Members also are welcome to attend MMAC’s Business of Metro MKE webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to noon. In that program, experts from public health, human resources and law will discuss efforts to contain the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, what a return to the office looks like in this environment, and what we know about the new Biden administration plan. If you are already registered for the series, we’ll see you on Tuesday. If not, register for free on MMAC.org. 

Our perspective:
​
MMAC shared the following statement Thursday evening:




Our businesses, and you as business leaders, have already borne a significant and unprecedented burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. We remain committed to helping you, your companies and your employees navigate these obligations.
 
Plan overview:

Through a Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), employers with 100 or more employees must ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require any unvaccinated workers to produce weekly negative test results before coming to work.

The Administration’s plan also includes the following obligations:  

• Employers with 100 or more employees must provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated.
• Federal executive branch employees must get vaccinated, and there is no option for weekly testing for unvaccinated employees.
• Federal agencies are directed to extend the federal executive employee vaccination requirements to federal contractors.
• In October, the federal government’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will issue rules to require health care providers receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding to fully vaccinate employees.
• The plan encourages schools to implement vaccination requirements and testing for teachers, staff and students.
  
  

Key details and unanswered questions:

When will OSHA release its rule implementing the President’s requirements? And when will it go into effect?
Currently, the plan does not estimate when it will be released or when it goes into effect, or how long employers will have to prepare. We hope that more guidance addressing employer concerns will be available in the coming days or weeks.

Who will be responsible for payment of weekly testing of unvaccinated employees?
The plan does not address who must pay for additional costs of testing unvaccinated employees on a weekly basis, including the time to get the negative test results. 

Who is responsible for the PTO the plan is requiring for employees who get vaccinated?
The plan does not address who is financially responsible for the PTO, nor does it indicate whether the PTO requirement will be in addition to any employer-provided PTO benefit.

Will the vaccination requirement apply to remote workers and remote employees?
The plan lacks clarity whether remote workers will be required to get vaccinated, but the “before coming to work” language suggests that vaccination requirements may not apply to remote workers.

Will the vaccination requirement apply to federal employees, and to contractors and subcontractors that do business with the federal government? 
The President has signed an Executive Order to require all federal executive branch workers to be vaccinated, “subject to exceptions required by law.” The President also signed an Executive Order directing that this standard be extended to employees of many contractors and subcontractors that do business with the federal government. These orders do not, as we read them, allow for employees to remain unvaccinated by providing a weekly negative test result.

How will the vaccination requirement affect schools?
The plan does not require teachers, staff, or students to be vaccinated. Nor does it require schools or school districts to adopt vaccination or testing requirements. However, the plan calls for governors to require vaccinations for teachers and school staff. Additionally, the plan calls for the Department of Education to make additional funding available to school districts for implementing COVID safety measures.   

Will existing mask rules stay in place? 
The plan calls for continued strong mask requirements to help slow and contain the spread of the virus and COVID-19 transmission keeping in place mask mandates at the federal level.  President Biden’s executive order, “Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel,” directed applicable agencies to take action to require mask-wearing in airports and on certain modes of public transportation, including on many airplanes, trains, maritime vessels, and intercity bus services. 

TSA has extended its implementing orders for air and ground travel through Jan. 18, 2022, and the President’s plan will double fines for those who are not in compliance. The President’s plan will also ensure that masking requirements remain in place on the other modes of transportation as the country continues to battle COVID-19. 

Also, President Biden’s executive order, “Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing,” requires masks and specific physical distancing requirements in federal buildings, on federal lands, on military bases and other overseas locations consistent with CDC guidance. President Biden’s plan will ensure that these requirements remain in place as the nation continues to battle COVID-19.

Again, thank you to Michael Best for sharing their perspective.

Your partner in challenging times

We will continue to share details on these new policies as they emerge. MMAC is here to help businesses and business leaders through this challenge and whatever comes next.  

If your business is already a member of MMAC, thank you for your investment. Our work would not be possible without you. If your company is not yet a member, our team would love the opportunity to speak with you.

 

STATEMENT FROM MMAC: 
“We share President Biden’s goal of increasing the rate of vaccination among our eligible population. The COVID-19 vaccines have been proven safe and effective, and they are the best path for our society to finally reach the end of this pandemic. Many Milwaukee Region employers already have chosen to require their employees to get vaccinated. Many public-facing venues have required the same of their customers. The same is true at some of our colleges and universities. However, we are concerned that this new federal requirement for any business with 100 or more employees to require vaccinations or regular testing of their entire workforce is a blunt instrument that will create a significant regulatory and logistical burden for businesses. We will continue to monitor this policy as it become more fully developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, including the possibility of subjecting businesses to financial penalties for the actions of employees who do not comply with requirements. In the meantime, we will continue to encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated.”

The White House announced that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will be nominated as the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg. 

STATEMENT FROM MMAC PRESIDENT TIM SHEEHY
"We congratulate Mayor Barrett on his upcoming ambassadorial appointment, 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."
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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.”

MILWAUKEE – To recognize some of our region’s most inspiring business stories, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) is announcing 15 finalists for the 2021 Focus on the Future awards.

Winners in each of five categories will be revealed at the Focus on the Future awards luncheon on Friday, Sept. 24 at the Italian Community Center. An additional group of companies is being recognized as honorable mentions.

Download a copy of the slides from the July edition of the MMAC Business of Metro MKE webinar series. This episode featured guest host Jim Paetsch, Executive Director of the Milwaukee 7 Development Partnership, along with Milwaukee City Development Commissioner Lafayette Crump and Todd Battle, President of the Kenosha Area Business Alliance. Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, also gave a regional health update.

Replays of this and other webinar episodes are available on MMAC’s YouTube channel.

The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce recognizes the foundational role a democracy plays in supporting a free-market economy. As such, we affirm these principles:

• The right to vote is a fundamental right for citizens.
  
• Unreasonable obstacles to eligible voters exercising their right to vote disenfranchises citizens and threatens the right to vote.
  
• Public faith in our elections is best served when voting laws and ballot procedures are clear, understandable, and uniform, so that a citizen’s franchise rights are not dependent on their zip code.
  
• Citizens have a responsibility to lawfully comply with voting regulations and procedures legally enacted to protect the integrity of the electoral system.
  
• It is the responsibility of government to ensure both ballot access and ballot integrity.
  
• The electoral system should be easy to understand and hard to undermine.
  

To continue its work to advance economic development efforts in the seven counties of Southeastern Wisconsin, the Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership is reorganizing its leadership roles. These changes become effective July 1.

As a result of this reorganization:

• Pat O’Brien will move to a full-time position as President of the Milwaukee Development Corporation (MDC).
• Jim Paetsch is being promoted to Senior Vice President of Corporate Attraction and Expansion, and Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership Executive Director.
• Lynn Olberding will join the team as Vice President of Economic Development.

O’Brien was named the inaugural Executive Director of M7 after it was created in 2005 to bring together the seven counties of Southeastern Wisconsin to collaborate and advance economic development efforts in the region. O’Brien also previously served on a part-time basis as leader of MDC, an MMAC affiliate focused on catalytic real estate development with $37 million in assets. O’Brien will now focus on this role on a full-time basis.

“During Pat’s tenure, M7 has matured from a fledgling concept to a fully grown regional economic development partnership,” MMAC President Tim Sheehy said. “M7 has worked on talent development programs, international trade, entrepreneurship, and region building with its local, state, and federal partners. On behalf of everyone in the Milwaukee Region’s economic development and business communities, we thank Pat for his important work in making this vision a reality.”

Paetsch also has been with M7 since it launched in 2005, previously serving as Vice President of Corporate Expansion and Attraction. During that time, M7 has recorded 113 attraction and expansion project wins, adding a total of 24,000 pledged jobs, $1.3 billion in annual payroll and $3.2 billion in capital investment.  

“Jim is a dynamic leader who has become the driving force for our region’s corporate attraction and expansion efforts,” Sheehy said. “His promotion to Senior VP and Executive Director is in recognition of these terrific efforts. Jim has a proven track record of collaborating to deliver results, including major projects such as Haribo, Milwaukee Tool, Komatsu Mining, Nexus, and Ingeteam, to name just a few of more than 100. Jim will also oversee the role M7 plays in economic development. This promotion and new role will allow for continued coordination with our local and state partners, while delivering best-in-class attention to our development prospects. We congratulate Jim on this well-deserved acknowledgement of his efforts.” 

In her newly created role, Olberding will integrate economic development programing across M7 and MMAC to support members, investors, and regional and state partners. She brings a breadth of experience to the organization, most recently as President of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce in Iowa. She has an MBA from the University of Iowa.

“We’re proud to welcome Lynn to the team, and excited for her to get started,” Sheehy said. “As we emerge from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and refocus on the M7 Prosperity 2025 campaign, Lynn will lead the strategy development of this critical effort to ensure the future prosperity of the Milwaukee Region.”

About the Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership
The Milwaukee 7 is the regional economic development partnership of the seven Southeastern Wisconsin counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha.
Launched in 2005 by founding partners MMAC, the City of Milwaukee and the Greater Milwaukee Committee, M7 is dedicated to bringing the Milwaukee Region’s business and economic development community together to grow, expand and attract businesses and develop talented employees. mke7.com

About the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce
For more than 150 years, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) 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
 

In this episode of MMAC’s Business of Metro MKE webinar, we heard from Milwaukee Tool Group President Steve Richman and Dr. Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin.
A replay of the event will be available on MMAC’s YouTube channel shortly after it concludes.
 
To download a copy of Dr. Raymond’s presentation, click here:

Today, the City of Milwaukee announced that it would lift most COVID-19 restrictions on businesses beginning June 15.

Read a statement from MMAC President Tim Sheehy:
"Today’s announcement is a huge positive step toward full economic recovery for our region. We appreciate the leadership of Commissioner Johnson and the team at the Milwaukee Health Department in helping businesses navigate through the constantly changing complexities of the COVID pandemic over the past 14 months. Being able to reach a point where the emphasis can shift away from government controls and safety mandates to increased business flexibility and individual responsibility is a validation of the hard work and sacrifice by so many individuals and businesses who made the tough choices necessary to slow the spread of COVID. We urge continued vigilance by the entire community to make the commonsense choices necessary to keep our region healthy and allow our economy to return to full strength."

For additional perspective, watch a video from our Senior VP of Governmental Affairs Steve Baas:

In the May 11 edition of MMAC's Business of Metro MKE webinar, we discussed what factors businesses should be considering as they plan to bring employees who have been working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic back to the office. Below, you can download presentations from this episode. Video replays will be available on MMAC's YouTube channel shortly after the live episode has concluded.

MMAC has launched an online application for the 2021 Focus on the Future awards.

These awards will highlight the Milwaukee Region’s most inspiring business stories, honoring organizations for their excellence in one of these five categories:

• TALENT: Nearly every business is experiencing challenges with attracting, retaining and advancing talented employees. Is your company’s retention rate on the rise? Are you cultivating a cohesive company culture or upskilling your employees? Tell us your unique accomplishments.
• GROWTH:  Is your company expanding its physical footprint, adding new location(s) or bigger facilities? Or are you going to market in new territories to export goods and services beyond our 7-county region? Tell us your story of success.
• LIVABILITY: Metro Milwaukee keeps evolving as a better place to live, work, play and learn. Tell us how your company, products or services play a role in that endeavor.
• EQUITY: Racial disparities are one of the biggest challenges facing the Milwaukee Region, and we know the business community must be a part of the solution. What is your company doing to attract and advance a diverse work force while cultivating an inclusive workplace culture?
• INNOVATION: From manufacturing to FinTech and so much more, Milwaukee is a place that still takes pride in designing and making things. What’s your big idea, and how did you bring it to market?

Additional information is available on MMAC.org  including  a link to the application. The application deadline is May 28. Members of the Milwaukee community also can nominate an employer worthy of consideration. Nonprofits and startups are eligible for award consideration. Small and mid-size businesses, and diverse-owned businesses, are encouraged to apply. 

Winners and honorable mentions in each category will be honored at an award ceremony on Friday, Sept. 24. Specific event details are to be determined, but it is expected to be held in person at the Italian Community Center.

We thank our sponsor First Midwest Bank and media partner BizTimes Media for their support of this program.

Chamber invites attendees to “have a shot and a beer on us!”

To emphasize the pivotal role that COVID-19 vaccines play in the Milwaukee Region’s economic rebound, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) is partnering with one of its member companies, Novir, to provide free COVID-19 vaccinations to attendees at this week’s Madison Night in Milwaukee event.

The event, which will be held at the Saint Kate hotel on Thursday, May 6, is MMAC’s first major in-person event since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Milwaukee-based Novir, an MMAC member company and leader in on-site COVID-19 testing and vaccination services, will provide free vaccinations, plus free antibody testing and antigen testing, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the event.

“Milwaukee’s economy is bouncing back already, and we’ll make even more economic progress as more and more of us get the robust, safe and scientifically proven protection that comes with vaccination,” said Steve Baas, MMAC Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs. “While this is not the first time you’ll hear someone in Milwaukee talk about having a ‘shot and a beer,’ we’re temporarily borrowing the phrase to help encourage everybody to get vaccinated and have a little fun in the process.”

Madison Night in Milwaukee is MMAC’s annual reception thanking state elected officials for all the work they do and showcasing the Milwaukee region and its companies. Working together, we are making the Southeast Wisconsin a world-class business location.

Last year’s event was cancelled because of the pandemic. This year’s safe, socially distanced event is designed to follow City of Milwaukee health and safety guidelines. Masks will be required when not eating or drinking.  
Registration remains open for the event, although capacity is limited by City guidelines. Visit MMAC.org for details.

Area residents overwhelmingly support the modernization of the 60-year-old I-94 East-West Corridor with an added lane in each direction to reduce congestion and improve traffic flow and safety, according to a poll of Milwaukee and Waukesha voters released today.


Roughly three-quarters of those surveyed drive this vital stretch of Interstate between the Marquette and Zoo interchanges at least once a month, with 28 percent using it weekly. People who live along the   3.5-mile proposed project work area are most likely to use the corridor daily.


“The poll shows that people understand this section of the Interstate is old and reaching the end of its life,” said Terry McGowan, president/business manager of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 139 and member of the I-94 East-West Econ Connect coalition. “Doing nothing is not an option. Instead of a continual cycle of short-term fixes, like another resurfacing, which will lead to years of orange barrels and traffic diversions with no improvements in safety or increase in capacity, we need to move forward now to create jobs and rebuild the corridor to meet the region’s demands for the next 50-plus years.”

Read the full release here.

MMAC is hosting the latest edition of its monthly Business of Metro MKE webinar on Tuesday, April 13. A replay will be available on MMAC’s YouTube channel.

To download a copy of the presentation given by Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, click here:

Metro Milwaukee’s great strength is its resilience. Our ability to navigate an always turbulent economy has led to a consistent run of prosperity. As other regions rise and fall, we have consistently ranked among the top 25 U.S. metros measured by per capita income for the past 40 years.

To ensure our future, the big idea is to double down on our greatest asset: our citizens.

Click below to download presentations from Tuesday's Business of Metro MKE webinar, featuring:

• Carla Cross, President & CEO, Cross Management Services
• Ugo Nwagbaraocha, President & Owner, Diamond Discs International
• James Phelps, President, JCP Construction
• Medical College of Wisconsin President and CEO Dr. John Raymond

A replay of this program will be available on MMAC’s YouTube channel.

In MMAC's new interview series Take 10, we’ll get to know business and community leaders who are playing a significant role in building the future of Milwaukee, our region and the state of Wisconsin. Our series kicks off with Nancy Hernandez, President of the Hispanic Collaborative. Watch our interview with Nancy here:

MILWAUKEE -- Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) President Tim Sheehy expressed support for a proposal unveiled by Governor Tony Evers today which would allow counties and large municipalities to seek referendum approval for an additional half cent local sales tax.

“For more than a decade, MMAC has been working to find ways to restructure our state and local tax systems in a way that encourages economic growth,” Sheehy said. “Allowing referenda asking local voters for permission to raise additional sales tax revenue increases local taxpayer control of their own communities’ financial destiny and diversifies the revenue options available to local governments.”

Governor Evers announced that the sales tax referendum provision would be part of the state budget proposal he will be releasing next week. The Evers language would allow counties to increase their local sales tax to 1 percent, while municipalities with at least 30,000 people could add a 0.5 percent sales tax. Both would need approval from local taxpayers via referendum. Currently, local county sales taxes are capped at 0.5 percent.

Sheehy noted that Evers’ sales tax proposal was similar to the actions Republican Governor Tommy Thompson took in the mid-1990s to allow local governments the option of raising property taxes via referendum.

“We applaud Governor Evers’ leadership including this measure in his state budget proposal,” Sheehy said. “Allowing direct voter input on local taxing decisions makes local governments more responsive to those constituents in their spending decisions. Nearly three decades ago, Governor Tommy Thompson showed the leadership to empower local voters with regard to property taxes. With this budget proposal, Governor Evers has shown similar leadership with regard to sales taxes.”