All the sessions of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Economic Forum “have been valuable,” said Michael I. Sattell, managing partner of the CPA firm Sattell Johnson Appel, which is one of the sponsors this year, but he especially remembers one.
Featured speaker Dean Taylor, then general manager of the Milwaukee Brewers (he was let go in 2002), “gave a baseball economics lesson and challenged all the group to be general managers for a day,” said Sattell. As a sports fan, Sattell was fascinated to learn “what goes on” in the mind of a professional team’s manager.
But all of the ten years worth of programs have been both well-attended and well-received by the audiences, according to several reports.
Milwaukee attorney Robert Habush, who was MJF campaign chair during the forum’s first season in 1993-94, said, “I think the most striking observations that I have had are that typically the room is filled to capacity and the overwhelming critiques of the forums have been positive.”
But these forums on topics of interest to the business and professional communities have not just benefited the audiences. Michael Falbo, CEO of State Financial Bank, which is also one of the sponsors of this year’s series, said his bank “is very supportive of efforts of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation to strengthen the local economy as well as the global economy.”
“We recognize the Economic Forum is one of the important tools to accomplish the goal of economic growth through ongoing education and networking,” he said.
The forum also has benefited the economics of the sponsoring organizations. Michael L. Green, broker/owner of Green Realty Co., the third sponsor of this year’s series, said he sponsors the forum ‘for two reasons. One, I thought it was a good thing to support; and I still believe in it.
“Two, it has probably done me some good business-wise. I’m getting lots of inquiries from people who didn’t know I was in the business and are looking to purchase real estate.”
Sattell also said that sponsoring the forum is “a way of giving back to the community and at the same time associating the firm with issues relating to our clients.”
“I think it is really a great way for the federation to maintain visibility in the community at large,” Sattell continued. “It is also something I’ve been able to invite my associates and clients to and be very proud of.”
Fulfilled motives
Green and Habush were among the originators of the forum, though Green credits then-campaign director Ken Mintzer with the idea. The first season, chaired by Stan Bluestone, began in November 1993, when Habush was campaign director.
Habush said the organizers “were looking for ways to involve members of the business community and professions who had up to that point not been involved in the federation or the campaign.”
“We thought that establishing an Economic Forum that would invite guest speakers, many of whom would be members of the Milwaukee Jewish community, would amount to an introduction to the federation in a way that would appeal to their economic interest,” Habush said.
“Our expectations were fulfilled and the original motives for setting up the Economic Forum have been satisfied, in my mind,” said Habush.
And Green added that the forum “now has a following. There are some people who would never think of missing a meeting, because it’s really been a quality event.”
The next forum session, and the last of three for this campaign season, will take place on Thursday, June 3, noon, at the Rubenstein Pavilion of the Jewish Home and Care Center.
Featured speakers will be Craig C. Culver, CEO and co-founder of Culver’s restaurant; and Curt S. Culver, president and CEO of MGIC Investment Corp. and its principal subsidiary, Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp. Admission is $15 per person and dietary laws will be observed for the lunch.
Earlier sessions this year featured Gov. Jim Doyle on Feb. 26 and Bob Uecker, “the voice of the Milwaukee Brewers,” who spoke on April 20.
Other sponsors over the years have included: First Bank; Adelman Travel Systems; Krukowski & Costello, S.C.; Gellman Growth Partners; The Gellman Group; Bruce Gendelman; U.S. Bank and Froedtert & Medical College.
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