MATC Matters

Dear Faculty and Staff,

One of the best parts of my job is to hear the positive comments about MATC in the community. Here’s just a sampling of what I experienced last week.

At the YWCA Circle of Women celebration on Tuesday, one woman honored was an MATC student, Geraldine Walker, who will be graduating in May. She spoke of how MATC helped her transform her life after a traffic accident. In addition, three other former recipients came up to me to tell me how much MATC has made a difference in their lives.

Later on Tuesday, at the Collaboration Council meeting, community leader after community leader spoke about the importance of training the workforce. We got wonderful coverage on Thursday and Friday from Channel 27, first about our Latino students and then about how our Cabinetmaking and Millwork Program crafted a reception desk from tornado-damaged trees.

When I was out for dinner Saturday night a woman started talking to me and stated how much she would like to come to MATC because she was ready for a career change. It was gratifying to tell her that we welcome everyone! She also said how much she had heard about good faculty at MATC.

The highpoint of my week was attending the MATC Follies Saturday night. How heartwarming it was to see Corey Helser, Student Life/Mitby administrator, and company put on a very entertaining show to help our students through the MATC Foundation. All the performers were stars! The line up included Ed Clarke (grants and special projects coordinator), Mike Winckler (senior academic system specialist), David Woolpert (adult basic education instructor), Jonathan Pollack (history instructor), Sarah Johnson (English instructor), Tim Twohill (English instructor) and Mac Robertson (computer information systems instructor). Mac, whenever I see a blue ribbon, I’ll remember your ballad!

Today I met with the President’s Advisory Team (PAT), as I mentioned in my letter two weeks ago. The meeting had to be postponed last week because of a meeting conflict with Dane County. Remember who your members are. Every employee should have at least one representative on PAT. Be sure to let them know your issues and be sure to tap them as one more resource of information about events at the college.

PAT members are:

• Leadership Council: Corey Helser (Learner Success, Campus Life and Enrichment);
• Full-time faculty: Beverly Klein (business technology);
• Part-time faculty: Sandra Docter (part-time teachers’ union);
• Full-time regional faculty: Cindy Spankowski, (supervisory management, Fort Atkinson) and Teresa Valencia, (plastics, Portage);
• Part-time regional faculty: Michele Anderson (algebra, Portage);
• PSRP: Jean Karls (Agriscience & Technologies administrative assistant) and Annie Neuberger (Business administrative coordinator, PSRP president);
• Intercultural Council: Rocio Martinez (counselor) and Bernard Hoes (English);
• Student: Chris Listle (Student Senate president);
• DTEC, Comm Ave, Fire Service Center, South Madison, T.E.C. Corridor: Ryan Liebert (controller, DTEC); and
• Fort Atkinson, Portage, Reedsburg, Watertown campuses: John Alt (Economic and Workforce Development, Reedsburg).

Preparing for Daylight Savings Time
Do you know that Daylight Savings Time starts next Sunday, March 11, three weeks earlier than in the past? Because we “spring forwardâ€? we lose an hour of weekend time, but our GroupWise and electronic calendars likely will be affected more by the change than we will. Please read the latest tips from Technology Services to learn what you can do to ensure you are getting accurate information from your GroupWise calendars and PDA’s over the next several weeks.

MATC Marvels
Each week, I like to highlight some marvelous people I encounter or learn about here at the college. Here are this week’s “favorite teachers,â€? as mentioned to me by students:

Michael Johnson, finance/accounting
Peggy Boerman, accounting
Timothy Nelson, electrical
Janice Redford, Spanish
Don Schroeder, auto technology (retired)

Other MATC Marvels
Geoff Bradshaw, international education coordinator, for making the arrangements for our guests from the Hessen delegation to visit MATC.

Volunteered at the 2007 March Membership Drive at Wisconsin Public Television on Sunday, March 4, were Wisconsin Association for Career and Technical Education (WACTE) members Linda Bahr (Agricultural and Technical administrative assistant), Marilynn Bunnell (retired), Robin Gee (marketing publications specialist), Rosanne Glick (counselor), Sandy Middleton (purchasing agent), Terry Wermuth (accounting clerk), Tonya Vertein (fiscal support) and David Shonkwiler (Agricultural and Technical dean).

Highlights of my week

• Met with Kathleen Woit, Madison Community Foundation.
• Met with Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk.
• Met with board members Jeff Doherty and Annette Miller of the Urban League of Greater Madison.
• Heard a program at Downtown Madison Rotary on the history of Monona Terrace, which will be celebrating its 10th anniversary this summer.
• Presented at the City of Madison’s Equal Employment Opportunities Committee meeting held at DTEC, with Maria Banuelos, Diversity and Community Relations associate vice president, and Will Strycker, Labor Relations and Diversity director, regarding our service to the Latino community (Channel 27 picked up the story and gave us extensive coverage on the evening and morning news shows),
• Hosted lunch in our gourmet dining room for a group of leaders from the Madison community: Laurie Benson (Founder and CEO of Inacom Information Systems and Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Board member), Jim Ruhly (local attorney and president of the Madison Cultural Arts District Board of Directors, which oversees the Overture Center), Jan Grignano (a relocation expert who also is an MATC graduate and former MATC Foundation Board member), and Rich Lynch (CEO of Findorff Construction).
• Delivered remarks at a “Parent Nightâ€? event at Monona Grove High School and evaluated our new recruitment materials.
• Greeted two groups of students at the Madison Area Builders Association’s (MABA) apprenticeship event hosted at our Commercial Avenue Campus; the purpose of this event was to provide an opportunity for high school students and teachers to learn about the home building industry, apprenticeship and construction trades careers.

In closing, I would like to share a quote by Katharine Graham:
“To love what you do and feel that it matters - how could anything be more fun?”

Bettsey