Alumni Spotlight
Jo Ann Preston
Jo Ann was a member of the SCIL Class of 2010-2011 and served on the SCIL board for several years after. What is she doing now? We caught up with her in July:
“Right now, I’m working in my final year of my career as I approach retirement at the end of 2024. It’s a very interesting experience to think about being “done,” and one that seemed so abstract until this year that I still can’t quite get my head around it. I’m not sure what is next, but one learns to listen to the heart and mind’s messages about timing. I feel ready for the next unknown.
I have worked professionally since 1981, my first job out of college at a community mental health center. In that job, and every one since, I’ve moved into a leadership role whether I wanted to or not. Most times I wanted to!
In top 10 fashion, here are a few things that have marked my 43 years of leadership experience:
1. Remember that in times of feeling like I am not making enough of a difference with my work, making a difference to one person is worthwhile.
2. Be the best listener possible, and continue to work on that.
3. Surrounding myself with people who are funny is the best antidote to stress.
4. Schedule and take breaks. No one else is going to arrange that for you, that’s for sure.
5. Diverse input is only a strength if I engender enough trust for people to take a risk with me, and that trust building is up to me in every action I take.
6. “Be kind. Everyone is fighting a hard battle.” I can’t know what someone else’s battle is but I can at least be kind in my interactions.
7. When values are clear, tough decisions also become much clearer.
8. Little habits make BIG impacts on health, quality of life, leadership, relationships, everything.
9. To a person, we all underestimate our impact on each other and the world.
10. It’s all about relationships.
Since graduating from SCIL, my biggest was turning my monthly leadership newsletter turned blog into a published book, “Lead the Way in Five Minutes a Day: Sparking High Performance in Yourself and Your Team.” SCIL was a great connector, especially living in a new community at the time. It was a wonderful group of people who expanded my understanding of how the breadth of leadership knows no one address. While my experience has been primarily in rural healthcare, fostering a workplace that brings out the best in people is what we are all working on no matter the industry. I’m so grateful for my SCIL experience and how it helped me to better understand my community, its needs and history, and be a part of my leadership learning – SCIL contributed something to every one of my top 10 mantras!”
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Read our recent Alumni Newsletters
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October
“Growth through the gift of others” is how retired Sauk Prairie School District Administrator Cliff Thompson sums up the importance of connection and openness to others’ ideas in leadership. This theme was recurring throughout the October session of Sauk County Institute of Leadership.The community of Sauk Prairie was in the SCIL spotlight this month.
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September
Meet the Class of 2024-2025!
The 2024 Sauk County Institute of Leadership officially launched on September 12-13 with a retreat at the Durward’s Glen Retreat Center. This opening event marked the beginning of a nine-month journey for this year’s participants, setting the stage for a program designed to cultivate leadership skills and foster community connections.
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May
Congratulations to the SCIL Class of 2024 who celebrated their graduation from the program last week. We are all so impressed with the hard work and dedication you put into the program.
And, we must acknowledge that the event did not go as planned. Thank you, weather. In December, the SCILsters learned Improv techniques from Kelsey Brennan from American Players Theatre. Improv is a shortened version of the word Improvisation. (Notice the impromptu “lectern” - fashioned out of a garbage can and cardboard box for our Leadership Award recipients). That's improvisation.
We celebrated “25 Years of SCIL” with our SCIL Connect Networking Lunch on Thursday, July 11th, featuring keynote speaker Jeff Wright.
Jeff relayed a message about the potent healing and connecting power of effective listening, including that people’s brains (and attitudes) shift when they feel heard. We learned that we will be more effective leaders if we can listen to others deeply.
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Alumni by Year
Class of 1998
Heidi Accola, Mark Bostwick, Beth Bradley, Larry Cliford, Kevin Fitzgerald, Shelly Granberg, Pat Gudenschwager, Ann Helwig, Sandi Holt, Aice Hutter, Tim Miller, Judith Stoeckmann, Dale Turner, Theresa Wimann
Class of 1999
Barb Blair, Jen Stewart, Joe Cognac, Paul Empey, Jean Klang, Tim Lueck, Larry Marlette, Carla Mercer, Mo Reilly, Susanne Stoeckmann, Char terBeest-Kudla, Tom Williams, Suzanne Wipperfurth
Class of 2000
Shelly Bomkamp, Mike Clague, Jim Daniels, Buddy Huffaker, Laura Jelle, Joan Kenney, Shirley Koehler, Pat McSweeny, Donna Neuwirth, Steve Schmelzer, Larry Schroeder, Janice Schyvinck, Bruce Stewart, Maxine Worman, Bob Zirngible
Class of 2001
Ken Carlson, John Crowley, John Dietrich, Patti Farber, Judy Fowler, Tom Grunwald, Melani Guentherman, Staci Hunt Ramsey, Marcy Huffaker, Pam Maxwell, Connie Molberg, Wayne Morse, Carol Olson, Kathy Schauf, Teresa Searock, Pete Shrake, Jim Tobakos, Lerna Mae Wiese, Cindy Zirngible
Class of 2002
Linda Bormann, Ron Frye, Carla Gorski, Mark Graupman, Gabe Jensen, Leslie McFarlane, Pearl McGuire-Hadlock, Carolyn Novak, Bob Parkhurst, Penny Pohle, Scott Sidell, Robin Smelcer, Bev Vaillancourt
Class of 2003
Carol Anderson, Arline Beagan, Diane Bindl, Derek Cowan, Jolene Gruber, Teresa Hays, Tammy Koenecke, David Loether, Patrice Luer, Jim Marsden, Laura Nedeau-Owen, Rob Nelson, Lynn Olson, Roger Pescinski, Mike Rogers, Paul Wolter, Jan Zechel
Class of 2004
Marianne Baumgarten, Paul Beagan, Michelle Britzman, Karen Cook, Vern Fowler, Brad Hintz, Beverly Hoege, Brenda Holloway, Maureen Kirk, Chris Mueller, Stephen Plaisance, Cheryl Shanks, Tara Zitsner
Class of 2005
Alice Allen, Chris Bernudez, Kathy Blum, Lucille Danube, Carolyn Davis, Margaret Dobrovolny, Larry Fisher, Jason Khodadad, Teresa Langer, Steve Lundin, Shawna Marquardt, Joe Spitz, Brandon Wegner
Class of 2006
Julie Andrews, Brenda Bergman, Jackie Bodette, Bobbie Boettcher, Corrie Boyer, Linda Damos, Jeff Fray, Toby Grabs, Lori Knadle, Jennifer Kobylecky, Gary McDermott, Monica Meyers, Shawn Murphy, Rene Pilon, Rose Valek
Class of 2007
John Alt, Nena Beier, Cindy Bondendein, Myra Dorow, Dawn Eno, Connie Hartje, Marcia Karstetter, Samantha Kimball, Carmen Luther, Linda Marshall, Melanie Mielke, Barbara Mortimore, Nancy O’Donnell, Jeanine Richards, Joseph Svetlik, Josephine Tarnutzer, Nancy Thome, Rene Zimmerman
Class of 2008
Jennifer Bailer, Jason Begalske, Dan Bergman, Sue Bergs, Tommy Brennan, Ann Burke, Robert Clyde, Brain Duvalle, Greg Glaser, Eric Johnson, David Jones, Ruth Joyce, Doug Mering, Drew Miner, Diane Reinfeldt, Kay Roherty, Mickey Snyder, Marilyn Sprecher
Class of 2009
Tara Baumgarten, Michelle Dent, Christine Dutton, Jed Eichhorn, Mary Farrell-Stieve, Dale Jaedike, Deb Johnsen, Kelli Kayser, Todd Krysiak, Heather Lesch, Kristie Meier, Ashley Nedeau-Owen, Mark Rozmarynowski, Debbie Schiffman, Wendy Schneider, Raynelle Syftestad, Robert Van Meeteren
Class of 2010
Margaret Brickner, Angela Brozak, James Carter, Carrie Covell, John Dougherty, Tywana German, Hattie Heller, Anne Horjus, Bonnie Johnson, Jody Kapp, Serge Koenig, Kari Labansky, Andrew Moon, Christian Russo, Amy Ryan, Renee Thums, Jason Timlin, Janet Volk, Matthew Warming
Class of 2011
David Armstrong, Nancy Betzold, Landiz Brozak, Karen DeSanto, Tyler Douglas, Anna Grogan, Bill Helm, Aleah Kuchta, Ryan La Broscian, Jason Lane, Angela Mack, Steven Paske, John Pohlmann Sr., Jo Anne Preston, Joshua Sanders, Tracy Niesen-Breunig, Robert Sinden, Marsha Stolte, Jenni Walsh, Lisa Wenzel, Julie Wuerger
Class of 2012
Debra Bauer, Marc Boucher, Terry Brickl, Diane Endres, Angela Galle Sylvester, Jordan Gilbert, Judy Gurgel, Anna Hawley, Jean Judd, Quincy Kissack, Christopher Lapp, Mitchell Lohr, Andrea Mauch, Jared Paget, Jordyn Schara, Anna Schmelzer, Scott Von Asten, Colin Walsh, Cathleen Warwick, Ryan Werner, Beth Ann Zick, Alyssa Ziegler, Rosemary Zuch
Class of 2013
Aaron Andres, Konya Antonetti, Charles Burnley, Brian Cunningham, Jennifer Endres Way, Mary Fabian, John Fritsch, Jim Haas, Marie Harper, Jennifer Helt, Philip Johnston, Tamara Lavender, Ken Meicher, Robin Meier, Bridget Morrey-Seals, Brady Neuman, Melanie Platt-Gibson, Cathy Witte
Class of 2014
Marissa Aron, Amy Bachhuber, Brendan Ballweg, Tyler Ballweg, Ruth Browning, Joann Douglas, Charles Ecklund, Holly Fenske, Stuart Fields, Roger Friede, Kimberly Gochanour, Samantha Kimball, Julie Lane, Ben Marsden, Morgan McArthur, Michael McShane, Amanda Meddaugh, Kimberly Miller, Nicole Querio, Nellie Schmitz, Melissa Southworth
Class of 2015
Meg Allen, Kurt Cottier, Adam Gulden, Danna Hillmer, Karen Hoekstra, Ryan Hulleman, Darren Jorgenson, Matt Jurvelin, Melissa Keenan, Rauel La Breche, Jennifer Mack, Michelle O’Connor, Kris Rasmussen, Amy Reine, Laura Rossitor, Joe Sabol, Pam Thompson, Morgan Tribbey, Vicki Wildes
Class of 2016
Rachel Adair, John Bachhuber, Scott Ballweg, Janene Clark, Jennifer Crubel, Brianna Deaton, Theresa Dietz, Vincent Graves, Dena Jarog, Karen Kothbauer, Janelle Krueger, Andrews Pemberton, John Philipp, Rebecca Powell, Katy Prange, Becky Radke, Ryan Roers, Brian Sadler, Jennifer Vosen, Sharon Warden, Kevin Weber
Class of 2017
Rachel Breunig, Stephanie Brickl, Ann Calhoun, Kyle Crosby, Elizabeth German, Abby Hays, Jeff Hoeben, Joshua Holler, Tricia Jones, Cindy Kissack, Ashley Litscher, Tezra Menne, Lexie Meyer, Nathaniel Newby, Jennifer Niles, David Olson, Matt Ryczek, Margaret Sage, Katie Schofield, Charles Spencer, Jodi Vogel, Haley Weisert, Kurt Wenger, Robin Whyte
Class of 2019
Jessica Bergin, Niki Conway, Pedro Dominguez, Theresa Douglas, David Earleywine, Jenni Gavin, Nicki Cabaj Green, Abby Howell-Dinger, Kira Meister, Gina Mitcham, Emily Olson, Kyra Peach, Jared Pinkus, Ross Retzlaff, Sara Roltgen, Ashley Schreiber, Linda Spencer
Class of 2020
Gina Baldwin, Becky Cassity, Kristina Coopman, Donna Crary, Kimberley Evert, Jessica Gavin, Ethan Giebel, Cheryl Goeckermann, Lauren Goff, Haley Hoffman, April Little Reichhoff, Adrienne Olson, Julia Randles, Tammy Seiler, Melissa Shimniok, Tiffany Sloan, Tammy Woirol
Class of 2022
Haley Bonilla, Briana Collman, Lacey Fulk, Antowan Hallmon Sr., Steven Jakubowski, Brian Kerr, Melissa Leathers, Philip Matthews, Seth Meise, Marissa Miller, Fr. Dave Mowers, Zach Ott, Karen Peterson, Jessie Phalen, Dan Rindfleisch, Tim Ripp, Heather Sloan, Nicole Tidwell
Class of 2023
Mari Burri, Amanda Coorough, Megan Haag, Monica Jaled, Sara Jesse, Laurie Killam, Rebecca Kirch, Mark Ladsten, Logan Littlegeorge, Andrea Lombard, Angela Lowe, Brittany Melka, Jodie Molitor, Greta Schaller-Alonso, Paul Sprosty, Angela Witczak, Dan Zurawski
Class of 2024
Brandon Barber, Joshua Behnke, Sara Benton, Kyle Blechner, Katie Burch, Gaile Burchill, Wendy Collins, Kristine Fischer, Allyson Hayes, Travis Helms, Jessica Herrewig, Emily Herritz, Brenda Miller, Sara Pahl, Stacy Parsons, Emmie Phillippi, Michael Randles, Joyce Smidl, Cari Teasdale, Michelle Zuelke
