SCIL Class Explores Leadership Through Connection, Resilience, and Community Action
Sauk County, Wis., October 8, 2026. The Sauk County Institute of Leadership (SCIL) 2026-2027 class spent its October 8 session learning how connection, resilience, and service shape effective leadership, hearing from local business leaders, county department heads, educators, and community advocates.
The day began with Rich Modjeski and Nate Keiser of Culver's, who described the company's people-centered culture and selective franchisee training. Effective leaders, they noted, take the initiative to understand and motivate their teams. Culver's also gives back through Share Nights, which raise funds for local nonprofits.
In "Leadership Secret Sauce," UW-Madison Extension Sauk County facilitator Morgan McArthur and Victoria Solomon of Extension Green County explored resilience and the power of choice. Solomon read a letter she wrote to her past self seven and a half years after a brain tumor diagnosis, tracing surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and the people who carried her through. "You didn't choose cancer. No one chooses cancer. But you do have a choice in how to respond," she wrote. Participants then reflected on what a meaningful life looks like and identified a "1% change" they could make toward their goals.
During "What's Hot and What's Not in Sauk County?" participants rotated through speed-dating-style conversations with Finance Director Stephanie Beardsley, Aging and Disability Resource Center Director Quinn Hause, Human Services Director Jessica Mijal, and Land Resources and Environment Director Tim Kabat. Budget pressure was a recurring theme, as funding is not keeping pace with the cost of meeting community needs. Leaders described creative responses, from sharing receptionists across departments to reducing the county vehicle fleet, and emphasized collaboration, trust in staff, and succession planning.
Marietta Reuter, owner of Tools of Marketing, Inc. and recipient of SCIL's 2025 Leadership Award, joined Vietnam veteran Fritz Wyttenbach, known to many as "Mr. Sauk Prairie," for a grassroots leadership talk. Reuter encouraged participants to spot unmet needs, build relationships, and persevere. Wyttenbach, who raises funds for Badger Honor Flight, urged the class to step out of their comfort zones and into the "stretch zone," where growth happens.
McArthur then led "Lead and Succeed: You Can't Do It Without a Connectwork," sending participants on paired walking conversations to practice open-ended questions and attentive listening. The lesson: meaningful connections begin when people feel seen, heard and valued.
Cliff Thompson, retired superintendent of the Sauk Prairie School District, continued the theme in "Unlock Your Leadership with the Key of Connection." At 72, Thompson calls "growth" his favorite word, and he challenged participants to consider who had shaped their lives and how they might mentor others. Thompson closed with the Sauk Prairie tradition of a single clap, a symbol of unity.
As the class continues its nine-month journey, participants are discovering that meaningful change begins with small actions, authentic relationships, and a shared commitment to strengthening Sauk County.
The program was supported by Tools of Marketing, Inc.
For more information on SCIL, go to www.saukcountyinstituteofleadership.org.
Written by: Shannon Cowan and Susie Moon
