Pablo event celebrates workforce-building partnerships

“In today’s event, we will hear from five UW-Eau Claire alumni who exemplify how the workforce coming out of the university drives the economic and social viability of this area,” said Jay Rothman, president of the Universities of Wisconsin.

Rothman noted his pride in answering questions about workforce development when asked across the state.

“When people ask where the next great teacher, entrepreneur or nonprofit leaders will come from, I can proudly say the answer to that in our state is the graduates of the Universities of Wisconsin,” Rothman said. “These connections are so important.”

Board of Regents President Amy B. Bogost echoed those sentiments in her statements to media.

“It’s partnerships like those we see in Eau Claire that are building communities in the state,” Bogost said. “And it’s our graduates who are leading the charge.”

In his opening remarks for the luncheon, Interim Chancellor Michael Carney expressed his hope that all community attendees left the event with a much clearer understanding of the ways UW-Eau Claire can help their organization.

In highlighting internship opportunities in the Chippewa Valley, Carney emphasized the value of student interns who he says increasingly become employed graduates “who choose to live and work here.”

“We recruit high-ability students who engage in the community through internships, research and other high-impact experiences, connecting their classroom learning to the world in which they are prepared to make a difference,” Carney said.

“Through these strong area partnerships, we are also able to align our curriculum with the specific needs of our community. Events like today help foster those connections.”

David Minor, president and CEO of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce, shared with the audience that there are currently 11 Blugold interns within the Chamber. Minor then challenged attendees to look hard at the benefits of hiring interns.

“For anyone here today who has not yet hired UW-Eau Claire student interns, I would ask you why not?” Minor said. “We recently hired four new full-time employees. Three of them are Blugolds, graduates in 2020, 2025 and one who will graduate this May. Our hiring of interns is intentional.”

Alumni panel: Blugold community leaders share stories

Beyond valuable networking opportunities during the early part of the event, guests were able to hear directly from recent UW-Eau Claire graduates in Chippewa Valley leadership roles, all of whom were eager to discuss the ways their Blugold experiences prepared them for success and how their organizations utilize the university’s resources to prepare for the future.

The panel guests were:

• Kate Felton, 2014 graduate, owner of Eau Claire Outdoors and civic and strategic communications coordinator for Downtown Eau Claire Inc.; former Eau Claire City Council member.
• Melissa Janssen, 2009 graduate, program director of community relations for Royal Credit Union; former Eau Claire County Board member.
• Ellie Peabody, 2023 graduate, tourism director for Chippewa Falls Chamber of Commerce and UW-Eau Claire Alumni Association board member.
• Casey Schumacher, 2013 graduate, outreach program manager for the Small Business Development Center at UW-Eau Claire.
• Quentin Volk, 2018 graduate, executive director of Eau Claire Jazz Inc. and professional musician.

The panelists talked about the ways this community won them over as the place they want to build careers, lives and families.

For Janssen, who lived in Ecuador for three years immediately after graduation, the decision was easy to return to live and work in Eau Claire, “a community that was growing and changing in exciting ways.”

“The focus on internships today is something very important to my story,” Janssen said. “I had three amazing internships as a student, in areas like event planning and public relations. Honestly, what I learned in those internships has applied almost daily to my role at Royal Credit Union. What’s more, I’m so proud now to hire and work with student interns every year — the fresh perspectives they bring us are invaluable.”

Peabody says that her broad view of the Chippewa Valley business community helps her recognize ways to advise organizations to partner with UW-Eau Claire.

“I always say that ‘you don’t know what you don’t know;’ in most cases, just reach out to anyone you know at the university if you are seeking a solution. Whether it’s internships or a collaborative research project, the help is there.”

Panel moderator Dr. Tim Nelson, co-founder and CEO of HeartWorks, said he moved his biomedical company headquarters to Eau Claire from Minnesota for the very reasons the panel guests mentioned.

“It’s the power of community, this community in partnership with UW-Eau Claire, that makes it all possible for us,” Nelson said. “Over half of our employees came to us from UW-Eau Claire. It’s how we will build a legacy.”