In the past year, issues of racism and social injustice are finally receiving the kind of focus and attention necessary to move the collective conversation toward actionable solutions. We are noticing a greater spotlight on educating about and advocating for justice. There is stronger representation in public and government sectors serving as allies than ever before, and more intentional efforts incorporating social responsibility to the core organizational missions. For many, this has been a year of tragedies and challenges that impacted us in one form or another. We have learned that we are stronger when we work together to be that catalyst of change.

I am proud of the TEMPO Madison Board of Directors’ commitment to strengthening diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the organization. Progress to date include educating on DEI through monthly luncheons and the leadership series. In addition, our February networking event to see Forward Theatre’s THE NICETIES, included a post-show discussion, which offered a safe space for members to share their personal experiences and perspectives on racial discrimination. The NICETIES play, showcasing a debate between a Black college student and a white professor on the topics of race, history, and power in America, served as a catalyst for critical conversations, which are continuing among our members.

Looking forward, TEMPO Madison has developed the following DEI statement to reflect our commitment to creating a welcoming and inclusive experience for everyone.

TEMPO Madison DEI Statement

TEMPO Madison is committed to embodying diversity, equity, and inclusion as an organization representing members from different backgrounds, businesses, industries, and professions. We live these values by embracing and celebrating individuals and ideas that represent and reflect all dimensions of diversity including race, ethnicity, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, sexual orientation, gender non-conforming traits, religion, military membership, veteran status, and ability. We respect and value diverse experiences and will strive to ensure that all voices are heard and given equal value. In addition to committing to these values within TEMPO Madison, we promote them outside the organization into the broader Madison community.

TEMPO Madison Board of Directors will exemplify and provide leadership on diversity, equity, and inclusion by committing to the following:

· Examine and address inequities within our policies, programs, and services and ensure transparency by communicating to appropriate constituents.

· Expand and commit to greater diversity within the Board of Directors, membership, as well as our partners and vendors.

· Develop and offer DEI professional development opportunities for the Board of Directors, especially those newly appointed in board leadership roles, members, and guests.

· Identify and advocate resources and programs for underrepresented members to ensure an equitable, inclusive, and rewarding experience.

Our DEI efforts do not stop with a statement. The next step is forming a DEI Committee with members that represent our growing diverse membership and who have expressed interest in strengthening the organizational efforts in diversity, equity, and inclusion of TEMPO Madison. The DEI Committee will work closely with the Board of Directors to develop a vision, goals, and objectives, and to hold our organization accountable to meet the commitments set forth in the DEI Statement in all aspects (e.g., membership, speakers, events, vendors, partners, etc.). If you are interested in joining the DEI Committee, please email Erin Fabrizius at tempomadison@tempomadison.org by May 31, 2021.

As we proudly embrace our differences, it is our hope you will join us during the month of May in celebrating Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. To discover more about this amazing journey, check out: https://www.etonline.com/asian-american-and-pacific-islander-heritage-month-how-it-started-and-how-to-celebrate-164426

Respectfully,

Leslie M. Petty

President, TEMPO Madison

At the June Annual meeting, the Board of Directors will ask the membership to vote on updates and one addition to the TEMPO Madison bylaws. It has been 10 years since the bylaws were voted on by the membership, and after a committee of board members reviewed the bylaws the board of directors approved the updates and additions for membership vote. 

2021 Proposed Bylaws 

Proposed Updates and Additions

Internships: EmployAbility ProjectThe EmployAbility Project

(501c3) connects college students with disabilities to internships in the field of their choice. The internships are part of their program so there is no cost to the employer, although some do choose to provide an hourly wage. The internships are generally 15 to 20 hours per week for 6 to 8 weeks beginning at the end of May when classes are over for the summer.
 
Our goal is to make the first job experience a great one although we do teach that it is equally important to learn that maybe their field of choice is not what they thought it was after all. We have worked with clients to place interns working in data, policy analysis, science & technology and just about everything in between. 
 
If you have questions about working with an intern or are interested in joining our business advisory, please contact me: BJ Pfeiffer at  608 698 3700 or bjpfeiffer@estgi.com

TEMPO Madison members are like diamonds… strong, rare, beautiful, and valuable. By definition, TEMPO Madison members have achieved an extraordinary level of success in our professional lives because of our hard work and perseverance, but also because of the support, encouragement, and guidance of other women.

We invite TEMPO Madison members to join us in a celebration of those very special women who have made an impact in our lives; who have shared their wisdom and more.  For $150, your personal message of inspiration/gratitude will appear in our Annual Meeting Booklet.  We hope that your commemorative message of 30 words or less will inspire touching memories and rich conversation.

To participate in the Diamond Tributes, please send your message to Megan Purtell at mmpurtell@gmail.com by May 17, 2021. Upon receipt, Erin Fabrizius will send you an invoice for your tribute.

Save the Date! |TEMPO Madison’s 40th Anniversary Kick-Off Event

Wednesday, October 27, 2021 | 5:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Edgewater Hotel

It’s not just any party. Come together with fellow executive women leaders with diverse backgrounds and experiences to celebrate the brainchild of three women, conceived 40 years ago: the founding of TEMPO Madison! 

October 27, 2021 will be the kick-off event for a year-long celebration honoring TEMPO Madison's role in breaking down the barriers preventing the integration of women executives into the fiber of Madison. This will be the first in a series of events that will look to TEMPO Madison's future, inspiring members to continue to lead, connect, and engage with one another and to reinforce opportunities for women.

Your 40^th Anniversary Committee is planning these in-person and hybrid events throughout 2021-2022 to build momentum for a community-wide, gala celebration in October, 2022. The keynote speaker wish list is already long and impressive, reminding us how far women have come in the last 40 years.

Mark your calendars for October 27, starting at 5:30 (location and details to be revealed closer to the date). Get ready to enjoy TEMPO Madison's 40^th anniversary year!

Theola Carter, Manager of Policy and Program Improvement, Dane County - Tamara D. Grigbsy Office for Equity and Inclusion

Theola Carter was featured in an article on Madison365 about her role in the Loud ‘N’ Unchained Black Theater Festival, which was held in Madison from April 29-30.

Ronnie Hess, Retired

Ronnie Hess had the honor of being invited by Madison Poet Laureate Angie Trudel Vasquez to read a poem, "The Martyrdom," at the first session of the new Madison City Council. You can view the reading at about the six minute mark of this recording.

Consuelo Lopez, Assistant Dean Emerita, UW-Madison

Consuelo Lopez was featured on the Overture Center for the Arts blog! She currently serves as the chair of the Overture Center’s Community Advisory Council. Read the post here.

PROJECT REACH is an initiative with the mission to increase the number of TEMPO Madison members serving on corporate and business boards. The PROJECT REACH Steering Committee is chaired by Shana Lewis and Patti Epstein. We intend to educate, network, and position TEMPO Madison members to serve on corporate and business boards.

Last year, PROJECT REACH embarked on Phase One of its initiative: Education. Led by Kim Sponem and Kris Euclide, we brought in experts to provide training to TEMPO Madison members focusing on a Determining Board Readiness, Fiduciary Responsibility and Liability Related to Board Service, and Board Recruitment.

This year, PROJECT REACH moved into Phase Two of its initiative: Connections.

We are building a TEMPO Madison Talent Database of corporate and business board bios/resumes to share with those helping to fill board vacancies. We are expanding our list of advocates and sponsors, i.e., TEMPO Madison members and others who have offered to assist us in making connections between TEMPO Madison members and those filling board seats. We are reaching out to ally associations and other business leaders to further increase our opportunities for meaningful and productive connections. We will also be offering additional training sessions focused on ESOP Associations, Board Governance, Understanding Financial Reports, and more.

For those of you who have already submitted your corporate/business board bio/resume, watch for a communication from PROJECT REACH about the launch of our database. If you have not submitted your corporate/business board bio/resume, but want to do so, please contact any of the TEMPO Madison members serving on the PROJECT REACH Steering Committee: Shana Lewis, Patti Epstein, Kris Euclide, Kim Sponem, Theola Carter, Sue Ann Kaestner, Kathy Blumenfeld, Kelda Roys, Megan Purtell, and Kathleen Murphy.

For those of you who learn about a corporate or business board vacancy or other opportunity, please contact Patti Epstein at pepstein2@charter.net for more information about how to connect TEMPO Madison members to those filling the vacancy.

We are very excited for the new opportunities becoming available to TEMPO Madison members as a result of the PROJECT REACH initiative.

Shana Lewis & Patti Epstein
Co-Chairs, Project Reach

Spring has arrived! Thank goodness Mother Nature has finally put us on defrost, at least for a moment. Let’s lean in with a spirit of renewal and an anticipation of brighter days!

As we make April plans, I want to invite each of you, along with your guests, to attend the next TEMPO Madison leadership series event on April 22nd – How to Elevate and Be Elevated. We have a panel of C-suite women, along with our moderator, who will share how mentorship (advising) and sponsorship (advocating) have elevated their careers while helping others along the way. As we all know, we have not arrived where we are on talent alone. For many of us, it took that one person who genuinely believed in you and invested quality time and effort in the advancement and achievement of your career goals.

Regardless of where you stand on the organizational ladder or in running your own business, it is essential to have a strong support system beyond family and friends. For more women to achieve upward mobility and advance their career aspirations, mentoring matters and sponsorship is critical.

After several years in Madison, working in a predominately white, middle-aged (some much older) male environment, I finally landed a mentor. She offered guidance on my professional goals and connected me with influential leaders in the local community. Most importantly, she understood the challenges of being a Black female executive administrator in a male-dominated, top-ranked business school. Thanks in part to our relationship, I have thrived as an academic administrator, community leader, and volunteer. I am passionate about paying it forward – mentoring and sponsoring other women, building a roadmap, and being a voice for the advancement of women.

An equally important role is sponsorship. Sponsors are the individuals who already have a seat at the table, who serve as our representatives, agents, and advocates. It is not enough to have a mentor. Mentors are not always in the position to support you in securing a promotion or pay raise, but sponsors can make it happen. They are your personal agent who will speak on your behalf. If you are fortunate, your mentor and sponsor may even be one and the same person. If so, what a gift!

I hope you will join me at the leadership series to learn more about these essential career networks.

Respectfully,

Leslie M. Petty

President, TEMPO Madison

Fatou Ceesay, Cairasu Home Care

Have you checked out our podcast, SuperAgers? Join me to explore healthy aging, amplifying caregiver voices, and raising Alzheimer's awareness. This podcast strives to organically give voice to caregivers, raise awareness about aging issues including dementia, and promote healthy aging. Interviews are conducted with experts in the health and aging industry and caregivers to help educate our community about healthy lifestyles, aging issues, and caregiver experiences and strategies.

Check out our latest episode: 

Interview with Jean Ketcham

In this episode, I had a pleasure to interview Ms. Jean Ketcham, the CEO and founder of ‘Aging But DANGEROUS!’, an internationally acclaimed movement of women 50-plus, living life to the fullest, redefining aging, having fun and looking good. Since 2008, Aging But Dangerous has provided women a community for positivity, education, and adventure: from colonoscopy parties, to fashion shows with older adults in mind, to skydiving outings!

Known for her style and encouragement, Ms. Ketcham’s Aging But Dangerous movement has garnered an international fanbase of more than 125,000 people from 50 countries. Tune in for a treat to our conservation

Sharon Brantmeier, Eventus Wealth

Sharon Brantmeier was named to the 2021 Forbes "Best-in-State Wealth Advisors" list. Female advisors on the list in 2021 accounted for 15.3% of those ranked, up from 13.8% the previous year.

Theola Carter, Manager of Policy and Program Improvement, the Tamara D. Grigsby Office for Equity and Inclusion (OEI) Department

On Friday, February 19, Theola had the honor and privilege of portraying Mary McLeod Bethune at the 3rd Annual Black Education Conference. Mary McLeod Bethune was a civil and women's rights advocate and a strong education proponent. She was the founder of Bethune Cookman College and HBCU located in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Eve Galanter, Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation Board

Eve Galanter was interviewed by the Wisconsin State Journal and Isthmus about the newly-created editorial writing and editorial cartoon contests offered under the Wisconsin Civics Games umbrella. Middle and high school students can submit content through May 15.

Roberta Gassman, Honorary Fellow and retired Senior Fellow faculty member of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work.

Roberta Gassman has been elected chair of the Madison Community Foundation Board of Governors which works, with its staff, donors and partners, to invest and leverage its resources to enhance the Madison region through philanthropy and grantmaking in priority areas including Covid recovery, particularly for the most vulnerable, diversity, children and youth, the environment, the arts, community development and non-profit capacity building.

Frances Huntley-Cooper, Program Chair, NAACP ACT-SO

Frances Huntley-Cooper is being featured as part of the "Elevating Equity in Policymaking" series at the UW-Madison La Follette School of Public Policy on April 9. She will discuss her distinguish public service career with students in a moderated conversation.

Martha Sullivan, Founder & President, Provenance Hill Consulting, LLC

Martha Sullivan reflects on the balance family businesses work to find between being a family first family or business first family in her article in Forbes Magazine regarding the Royal Family.

March is Women's History Month.  Let's keep it real – one month out of the year should not be the only time we acknowledge women's achievements in our society. Although, for many, it's the only time they pause to think about the role of women and the sacrifices they made to help shape our future.  Nevertheless, this is an opportunity to celebrate the generations of women who have influenced and enriched our nation and community.

Encapsulating briefly, the recognition of Women's History Month started in 1978 by a K - 12 Education Task Force as a weeklong event in Sonoma, California.  Following these events and subsequent explorations, President Jimmy Carter established National Women's History Week on March 8, 1980.  Seven years later, in 1987, Congress acted to make that week a full month.

To that end, it's befitting to acknowledge the three trailblazers who started TEMPO Madison in 1980.  These pioneers are Boo Henderson, Sue Riordan, and Barb Miller.  Their vision was to create an organization that would break down barriers and connect women in executive roles with a common interest in the Madison region.  Clearly, all three founders understood the essence of sustaining viable communities by bolstering the leadership of qualified and talented women.

When creating a community that focuses on empowerment to inspire, encourage, sponsor, and advocate, inherently, we find ourselves inching closer to accomplishing our goals. Research in the Harvard Business Review found that women who have an inner circle of close female contacts are more likely to land executive positions with greater authority and higher pay.  Interestingly, the study did not find the same success for men as it relates to the gender composition of their inner circles.  This illustrates that women professionally advance when we make meaningful connections based on shared interests and goals.

In honor of Women's History Month, I dedicate and celebrate the founders and members of TEMPO Madison because you amplify your voice for those without one, foster inclusive leadership, remain confident amid adversity, and take your seat at the table with unapologetic authenticity.  Most of all, you never let others decide your destiny or define your success.  

Cheers to the remarkable and amazing TEMPO Madison Women!

Leslie Petty

TEMPO Madison President