PATHWAYS TO THE FUTURE From strong schools to real-world career experiences, our community is creating new connections that prepare the next generation — and strengthen our future workforce. 14 S. Jackson Street, Suite 200 Janesville, WI 53548 PRE-SRT STD US Postage PAID Janesville, WI Permit No. 157 FJI•REPORT
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Affordable, dependable health coverage for local businesses Since 1994, MercyCare Health Plans has provided local businesses with quality health coverage backed by the trusted care of Mercyhealth. Whether you’re a small business or a growing organization, MercyCare offers flexible solutions to fit your needs, including: • Fully insured plans • Level-funded plans • Self-funded plans • ICHRA plans With local service and access to a connected system of care, MercyCare helps employers provide valuable benefits while managing costs. To learn more, scan code, visit mercycarehealthplans.com, or call (608) 314-2508. JANESVILLE experience the power of community •INSIDE THIS ISSUE • 14 S. Jackson Street, Suite 200 • Janesville, WI 53548 Phone: 608.757.3160 Email: forward@forwardjanesville.com www.forwardjanesville.com 2026-2027 BOARD OF DIRECTORS George Cullen • Chair JP Cullen Sean Kennedy • Vice Chair JP Cullen Joe Stadelman • Secretary/Treasurer Angus-Young Mick Gilbertson• Past Chair The Developing Edge Joel Bailey • Johnson Financial Group Jon Ballard • Foremost Media, Inc. JP Brummond • Alliant Energy Todd Buehl • ABC Supply Co., Inc. Tim Cullen • Bushwood Golf Range Michael Davis • Nowlan Law Dave Holterman • First Community Bank Bekki Kennedy • Fist Bump Labs Bob Kennedy • Rock Road Companies, Inc. Kyle Mair • Baker Tilly Kayla Murphy • SSM Health Todd Needham • Batterman Cheryl Peterson • SHINE Technologies Dr. Tracy Pierner • Blackhawk Technical College Christine Rebout • Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Kara Sankey • Mercyhealth Tanner Voss • BMO Letter from the FJI Board President & CEO...........................4 A Story Worth Telling. A Future Worth Building....................7 A Stronger Tomorrow.............................................................8 Opening the Doors to Opportunities..................................12 How Did I Get Here - Lynnette Wirth...................................20 Creating Pathways, Growing Potential................................22 New Members.....................................................................24 Cheers to our Quarter Century Club...................................25 Issue 2026 – 2 Editor: Eric Schmoldt, Feature Editor: Claire Gray Advertising: Sommer Brockman Cover photo: Courtesy School District of Janesville Layout: Mary Terry Design www.forwardjanesville.com |3
When we talk with employers across Janesville and Rock County, workforce is almost always part of the conversation. Where will our next generation of employees come from? Do they have the skills businesses need? How do we introduce young people to the tremendous career opportunities that exist right here in our community? And how do we give them reasons to build their lives here? Those questions don't have a single answer. And they certainly aren't solved when someone walks through the door for their first day of work. Building a strong workforce starts much earlier. That's why I’m especially excited about this edition of the FJI Report. Throughout these pages, you'll see what can happen when education, business and community partners recognize that preparing our future workforce is a responsibility we all share. Our cover story explores the partnership between Forward Janesville and the School District of Janesville and how our Education Council has evolved from a place to better understand one another into a catalyst for action. That work has helped support investments in our schools, strengthened communication through our Keep Kids Learning initiative, and created new opportunities to connect education with the needs of our business community. You’ll also get a closer look at what happens when those connections move beyond the meeting room and into workplaces. Programs like Craftsman with Character, Janesville Business Academy and Youth Apprenticeship give students opportunities to walk through the doors of local businesses, meet the people doing the work and discover careers they may never have considered. Just as importantly, employers get an opportunity to help develop their future talent pipeline. That connection is something we're committed to growing. You’ll see that same spirit reflected in our Member Engagement feature, where leaders share their perspectives on developing people, creating pathways and strengthening the connections between education and industry. This issue also takes a broader look at what education means to a thriving community. Quint Studer reminds us that learning begins well before kindergarten and continues far beyond graduation. Education can mean early childhood development, strong K-12 schools, technical education, workplace training or even raising our collective “Civic IQ” so residents are better equipped to engage in the decisions shaping their community. That idea feels particularly timely as the brand new children’s museum prepares to open its doors in downtown Janesville. What began as an idea years ago is becoming a place where generations of children will be encouraged to explore, imagine and learn. And, as always, this magazine is also about the people who make our community what it is. You’ll meet members who are investing their time and talents in workforce and education, and you’ll learn more about Lynette Wirth's winding career journey in How Did I Get Here? Her story is another reminder that there is no single pathway to a meaningful career. At Forward Janesville, Workforce & Education is one of the five segments of our Growth Wheel because we know its impact reaches far beyond the classroom. Strong schools help attract families. Career pathways help employers find talent. Work-based learning helps young people see a future for themselves right here. Lifelong learning helps our existing workforce adapt and grow. None of that happens through the work of one organization. It takes educators, employers, parents, students, nonprofits and community leaders working together. That's exactly what you'll see throughout this issue. The workforce of tomorrow is sitting in our classrooms today. Our opportunity — and our responsibility — is to help them see just how much their future can hold. Where Learning Meets Opportunity 4 | FORWARD JANESVILLE Shar Hermanson President & CEO Forward Janesville
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www.forwardjanesville.com |7 A Story Worth Telling. A Future Worth Building. Forward Janesville Annual Dinner | October 22, 2026 Every community has a story. Janesville’s is one shaped by generations of businesses, entrepreneurs, workers and community leaders who built, invested and believed here. AND THAT STORY IS STILL BEING WRITTEN. This year’s Forward Janesville Annual Dinner celebrates the story that shaped our community, the momentum carrying Janesville forward, and the people and businesses helping write what comes next. Throughout the evening, we’ll look back at lessons from Janesville’s past, celebrate the opportunities in front of our community today and consider the role each of us can play in building what comes next. We’ll also turn the focus to your story — with practical ideas for how businesses, entrepreneurs and professionals can better tell their own stories, strengthen their brands and connect with the audiences that matter to them. Last year, more than 730 businessprofessionals and community leaders filled the room for Forward Janesville’s biggest event of the year. On October 22, we’ll bring the community together again for an evening of connection, celebration and optimism about Janesville’s future. BE PART OF THE STORY. Thursday, October 22, 2026 Woodman’s Sports & Convention Center Doors open at 5:30 p.m. | Program begins at 6:30 p.m. Registration deadline: October 8 Learn more and register at forwardjanesville.com/dinner
That’s why many in the community, like Dr. Allison DeGraaf, Director of Learning and Innovation for the School District of Janesville, believe that the success of both the business and education sectors are inextricably linked. “Investing in education is also economic development,” she said. And while Janesville has always had a robust workforce, external factors in recent years have shown just how important this connection is for a thriving community. In the years following the closure of General Motors, Janesville was faced with a problem. Declining birth rates, coupled with an aging workforce nearing retirement coalesced as one of the area’s largest and most gainful employers closed its doors for good. Forward Janesville’s 2025 Business Retention & Expansion (BRE) Survey also revealed concerns about misaligned skillsets within the workforce. At the same time, the School District of Janesville found that its structure for workforce readiness had hit a barrier. While the district offered some opportunities for students to garner experience with future employers, it lacked the overarching system necessary to build relationships with local businesses while also connecting students to these opportunities. As conversations around this shared struggle continued, one idea became obvious. “Workforce development is a shared community responsibility,” Hurda said. With that in mind, Forward Janesville partnered with the district in 2022 to launch the Education Council, the first of many shared initiatives aimed at strengthening workforce development in Janesville. A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING The Education Council grew out of a desire from both Forward Janesville and the district to learn more about how the business community and the education sector could work together. In the beginning, it served as an opportunity for both groups to form a mutual understanding of each other. “Education is very different [from the business sector],” said Shar Hermanson, president and CEO of Forward Janesville. “And it takes time to really learn how our education system works, what levers they're trying to pull and what work that they're trying to do so that we could figure out where could we be of value and resource to our student population.” Superintendent for the School District of Janesville Mark Holzman echoed the importance of establishing this familiarity since many educators do not have any direct business experience. He said that over time, the Education Council has functioned as everything from a think tank to an opportunity to communicate the shared vision of how great schools build great communities. It has also helped create and invest in partnership initiatives and offered a unified voice of support for the district’s capital and operational referendums in 2024, which both passed. The messaging the group created for the referendums continued on as the Keep Kids Learning initiative. This awareness campaign provides resources for the entire community on the importance of a strong education and A Stronger Tomorrow Strengthening Workforce Readiness in Janesville By Jen Bastron Walk into any doctor’s office, grocery store or auto mechanic shop in Janesville, and it will soon become apparent that a thriving workforce is essential to a community’s success. “It's really the livelihood of our community,” said School Board President for the School District of Janesville Lisa Hurda. But without a solid foundation, that workforce may not have the skills necessary to keep every facet of the community running smoothly. Teachers have a demonstrated impact on student academic performance and overall social-emotional growth. “Strong public schools play a vital role in developing our future leaders, preparing a skilled workforce and contributing to the long-term success and viability of Janesville.” 8 | FORWARD JANESVILLE “We wanted to teach the community how keeping kids learning and engaged with lifelong learning is what’s going to build the future of our community. I think when you have kids in school, you’re hyper aware of the value of that. But if you no longer have kids in school, your mind focuses on other things.”
The Janesville Culver’s Scoopie Night workforce and offers opportunities for the community to support this work. “We wanted to teach the community how keeping kids learning and engaged with lifelong learning is what’s going to build the future of our community,” Hermanson said. “I think when you have kids in school, you’re hyper aware of the value of that. But if you no longer have kids in school, your mind focuses on other things.” Hurda said she encourages everyone in the community to stay engaged and informed with this work. “Strong public schools play a vital role in developing our future leaders, preparing a skilled workforce and contributing to the long-term success and viability of Janesville,” she said. INVESTING IN A K-12 EDUCATION In order to create real economic growth for Janesville, the district and Forward Janesville recognized the importance of investing in the Janesville school system. Together, the two organizations agreed to seek funding for two programs that would support the district’s goal of improving math, reading and attendance for all students and would align with the district’s four strategic priorities identified by the school board – student academic excellence, staff excellence, operational excellence and community and family partnerships. Thanks to gifts from Forward Janesville’s Forward Foundation, Forward Janesville and the district were able to implement the national program Studer Education districtwide and the Bright Spots Grant Program at Wilson Elementary School and Craig High School earlier this year. The Forward Foundation, Hermanson said, consists of a group of community members who help allocate funds to local initiatives in need of support. As its name implies, it allows local programming to look ahead to the needs they are serving rather than scramble to find funding sources. “When those times [of need] occur, it is quite challenging to do fundraising at the same time that you're trying to do messaging and build a coalition of community to support a particular event,” Hermanson said. As Bright Spots integrated into Wilson Elementary School and Craig High School, it began offering a unique approach to achieving the academic goals of both schools. “What’s great about the Bright Spots grant is that the funding is really supporting our principals and leaders to have access to resources that drive some of our strategic goals at the classroom level,” DeGraaf said. “And it does it in a less traditional way.” Rather than sending educators to conferences or professional development seminars to help increase literacy rates at Wilson, DeGraaf said the Bright Spots method allowed Wilson staff to visit a school with similar demographics in Ohio that has some of the highest reading scores in the state. From there, Wilson educators began implementing new techniques in the classroom, like the cupcake strategy. The more advanced the students can make their sentence structure, the more layers, like frosting and sprinkles, get added to the proverbial cupcake. Though this is only the first year of Bright Spots at Wilson, DeGraaf said teachers are already noticing the improvements these strategies are having on their students’ success. In fact, reading abilities climbed to 166% of presumed growth for fourth grade students. Bright Spots also allowed Craig High School to bring in a coach who worked with educators on strategies to close achievement gaps and raise ACT scores. Holzman said that, as a result, for the first time since 2012, Craig’s ACT scores are at or above the state average. The alignment Bright Spots has with the district’s focus on academic and staff excellence is part of what makes the program shine, Holzman said. “We can’t have great student outcomes without great teachers,” he said. “When we watch what great people do, and we can emulate that in our own practice, that raises the bar and grows what we’re trying to accomplish in the end.” Studer Education offers another path to great schools, this time with an emphasis on the entire district. Through its 9 Pillars of Leadership Excellence, which includes strategies on communication and continual improvement, Studer aims to provide a unified voice and direction for everyone in the district. “Studer Education really did a great job of providing a common language and a discipline process for continuous improvement,” Hurda said. “That’s helping us strengthen alignment across governance, leadership and our schools.” She said that adopting the Studer method was an easy decision because its framework aligned with the strategic vision and priorities the board helped put in place. The Studer method www.forwardjanesville.com |9 Superintendent Mark Holzman regularly engages with students and staff in the schools. It is part of a philosophy to keep the magic of educating youth front and center to the school district’s work. “What’s great about the Bright Spots grant is that the funding is really supporting our principals and leaders to have access to resources that drive some of our strategic goals at the classroom level.” CHECK OUT BRIGHT SPOTS Scan the QR code to learn about how Bright Spots Grants are supporting measurable gains in student literacy at Wilson Elementary and precision math instruction at Craig High School. Bright Spots Grants were made possible through a partnership with the Vision Forward Fund of the Forward Foundation.
also supplies the district and the board with a pulse on what is and is not working through a process called systematic rounding. “[Rounding] is being able to have two-way conversations between leadership and their staff to build a stronger culture,” DeGraaf said. She said that along with ensuring these conversations happen on a regular basis, the district has also employed surveys at the district level and to parents and employees to ensure that everyone’s voice gets heard. For the school board, this type of information is already proving invaluable as it begins monitoring Studer’s progress. “That feedback we receive as a board really provides valuable insight into what’s working well and where opportunities for growth exist,” Hurda said. “Which allows us as a board to make more data-informed decisions.” THE ROAD AHEAD As this work continues, Forward Janesville and the district look forward to measuring outcomes and overcoming challenges. The district set an overarching goal to have at least 15 schools meet or exceed expectations on the State of Wisconsin School Report Card by the 2026-27 school year. Holzman said that while the report card is not the only factor for determining success, he is optimistic about achieving this goal and hopes to see all the schools in the district eventually meet or exceed expectations. The district also hopes to implement Bright Spots in more schools and ensure that all students in the district grow by two percent, especially in the district’s focus areas of reading, math and attendance. DeGraaf said that, at times, the challenge has become staying committed to the focus areas, especially when external factors, such as declining enrollment or the flood damage at Washington Elementary School earlier this year, threaten to drive the focus in a different direction. But staying the course pays off. Monroe Elementary School recently became the district’s third National Blue Ribbon School, an honor it received for its strong academic performance. DeGraaf said this can be attributed to the school’s strong focus on reading, math and attendance. “They’ve been very intentional about the strategy,” she said. “They’ve been very intentional about what they’re measuring and how they’re measuring it, but, most importantly, they’ve been really strategic about how they’re monitoring the data.” Even as challenges come up, however, Hurda said the strong partnership forged between the district and Forward Janesville has made maneuvering them easier. “What’s really impressed me the most is the willingness of our district leadership, entities like Forward Janesville and our community partners to work through challenges together, learn from the experience and adapt when needed,” she said. In fact, the partnership between Forward Janesville and the district has created so many opportunities for growth in Janesville that Holzman hopes to present on the partnership at the 2027 Wisconsin State Education Convention. “We want to tell our story because I think it’s unique in Janesville, but it doesn’t have to be,” he said. “This model for K-12 education is necessary. Ultimately, we’re doing something special here.” 10 | FORWARD JANESVILLE Teachers, staff, and administration celebrated district progress on higher scores in math and reading and improved attendance numbers, while getting pumped up for the school year, at the Back to School Kickoff 2026. Awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, National Blue Ribbon Schools are honored for their exemplary standards of excellence and success in closing achievement gaps. In 2023, Director of Learning and Curriculum Allison DeGraaf (left), Monroe Principal Sally Pope (center) and Monroe Academic Learning Coach Dennis Condon (right) attended the national conference to receive the Blue Ribbon School award. “We want to tell our story because I think it’s unique in Janesville, but it doesn’t have to be. This model for K-12 education is necessary. Ultimately, we’re doing something special here.” “That feedback we receive as a [school] board really provides valuable insight into what’s working well and where opportunities for growth exist…Which allows us as a board to make more data-informed decisions.”
Investing in Education. Building Janesville’s Future. • Accurate Machine Products • Blackhawk Community Credit Union • Blackhawk Technical College • Cotta, LLC • Hesser Toyota Forward Janesville and the Forward Foundation support K-12 education at every stage, from cultivating strong foundational skills to providing opportunities for work-based learning. When students succeed, Janesville succeeds. THANK YOU TO OUR 2026-2027 CRAFTSMAN WITH CHARACTER PARTNERS • IBEW Local 890 • JP Cullen • Rock Road Companies • United Alloy • University of Wisconsin Whitewater at Rock County
In order to prepare students for careers in the workforce, both organizations recognized the importance of familiarizing students with their options early, but an initial lack of equipment and business partnerships made this difficult. “Giving students the experience on the job is really hard to replicate in the classroom,” said Mark Holzman, Superintendent at the School District of Janesville. Forward Janesville’s connections to local businesses opened the door for the type of community partnerships that can bridge this gap and help students to get more work-based learning experiences. Partnering with more local businesses also can allow those businesses to gain future employees and keep local talent in Janesville – strengthening the local economy in the process, said Allison DeGraaf, Director of Learning and Curriculum at the School District of Janesville. INVESTING IN THE FUTURE WORKFORCE In 2023, recognizing the need for more work-based learning opportunities in the district, the Education Council introduced the Craftsman with Character program at Craig High School and Parker High School and, in 2025, Aimee Thurner was hired as the district’s Work-Based Learning Liaison to lead the district’s work-based learning initiatives. In 2025, Forward Janesville also brought on Greg Phillips as the Workforce Development Coordinator. In Greg’s role, he helps deepen the impact of programs like Craftsman with Character and strengthens the broader relationships between industry and education. “The Craftsman with Character program was developed specifically for students who might be interested in the trades,” Thurner said. Originally created by Dave Hataj, the owner of Edgerton Gear, Inc., the program’s 10th, 11th and 12th grade students spend a semester visiting participating companies to learn more about the various types of trade work in Janesville. “The point is to get high school kids to understand what’s made in your own backyard,” Phillips said. “You drive by these buildings all the time, right? You see the logos of these companies, but you really don’t know what goes on behind the walls.” Thurner said that the students also get the opportunity to do financial literacy lessons through Blackhawk Community Credit Union and tour Blackhawk Technical College. “The program just keeps growing as far as getting the community involved so that the students can have great experiences,” she said. Learning more about the trades is only one part of the program, though. The students spend every Wednesday of the semester learning more about what character means in the workforce. This ranges from developing soft skills, such as how to conduct yourself in the workplace, to understanding the importance of lifelong learning skills, such as resiliency and adaptability. “It’s a program that’s much less about the X’s and O’s of how to be a machinist or how to be a plumber,” Phillips said. “And more about the individual, and the individual learning more about who they are as an individual.” The students also memorize the Craftsman Code, which includes affirmations such as “there is dignity and purpose in knowing my trade” and “the world needs me.” For Phillips, this aspect of the program is crucial to counter what he calls a “less than” mindset in students. “It’s ‘I didn’t have the grades out of high school, so I’m just going to go straight into a factory and work.’ It’s a less than. ‘I couldn’t attain this, so I’m just going to do this,’” he said. Changing that mindset can help students understand that their future careers have value and importance for themselves and for their community as a whole. Craftsman with Character (CWC) is a pre-youth apprenticeship program that prepares students for the Youth Apprenticeship program, a work-based learning opportunity for 11th and 12th Opening the Doors to Opportunities Work-based learning creates pathways into the workforce By Jen Bastron From the early days of the partnership between Forward Janesville and the school district, it became clear that the two organizations were uniquely equipped to support workforce development in Janesville. The Spring 2026 Craftsman with Character cohort touring Blackhawk Technical College (BTC). Seeing the facilities and program offerings help students understand their post-graduation options, especially right here in Rock County. “The point is to get high school kids to understand what’s made in your own backyard. “ “Giving students the experience on the job is really hard to replicate in the classroom.” 12 | FORWARD JANESVILLE “Our belief is that it [work-based learning] builds their talent pipeline. It builds their workforce.”
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14 | FORWARD JANESVILLE grade students. Youth Apprenticeship offers students the chance to expand upon what they learned in CWC. “Our hope is that if a student is interested in the trades and they participate in CWC, they might then move on and do a Youth Apprenticeship after that,” Thurner said. The Youth Apprenticeship (YA) program offers students the chance to gain experience in a trade they’re interested in. Students get placed with a company and are allowed to adjust their school schedules to attend their apprenticeship while receiving credits for their work. In many cases, the students are hired at that company after graduation. “It’s a pathway right into work where you start under 18,” Phillips said. This is equally important for the companies themselves, too, as their workforce begins retiring at a higher rate than can be replaced. “Our belief is that it [work-based learning] builds their talent pipeline,” Thurner said. “It builds their workforce.” Even if a student decides not to pursue a particular pathway they did an apprenticeship in, though, Thurner said she still sees the success of the program in that. “The student might say, this is not for me,” she said. “But isn’t it great that the student can determine that when they’re so young still?” By exposing students to opportunities earlier, she said, students can determine what they really want to do before they invest additional time and resources into accomplishing something they may not like. IT TAKES A WHOLE COMMUNITY As they look ahead to the future of work-based learning, both Phillips and Thurner said they would like to see more businesses join the program. This requires getting organizations to think long-term and more proactively about their hiring goals for the future. They are also working hard to dispel the concern some companies have about working with students under the age of 18. Hermanson said that Phillips and Thurner can work with companies who have this concern to figure out a solution. She added that students can also participate by simply job shadowing at the company and learning more about the organization itself. Phillips is hopeful that connecting more students to more local businesses will encourage them to stay in the area after they graduate, but he understands that accomplishing this will be a team effort. “It really takes everyone from parents and families right on through the education system, business and industry and your civic leadership all working together to pull this wagon in the same direction,” he said. Thurner echoed the importance of these partnerships. “For these kinds of work-based learning programs, it really takes a whole community,” she said. “The School District of Janesville couldn’t do this without the partnership of Forward Janesville, without our business community. So it really is a communitywide initiative in order to make these programs work.” And this alignment could open the door for even more opportunities. Thurner said that as more businesses commit to partnerships, she hopes that this work can expand to include even more work-based opportunities for students, like a Craftsman with Character but with a medical slant, for example. “I mean, the opportunities are endless,” she said. Are you a local employer that wants to get involved in work-based learning opportunities? Reach out to Greg Phillips, Forward Janesville’s Workforce Development Coordinator, at greg@forwardjanesville.com. At the time of publication, Aimee Thurner is no longer with the School District of Janesville. In the photo above, students learn about opportunities at United Alloy. A Youth Apprenticeship student perfects his mechanic skills at Blain Supply. “It really takes everyone from parents and families right on through the education system, business and industry and your civic leadership all working together to pull this wagon in the same direction.”
www.forwardjanesville.com |15 Together with local businesses, community organizations and schools, we’re shaping the workforce of Rock and Green counties — transforming lives and industries every day. JOIN US IN BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY. Learn more at: blackhawk.edu/workforce Blackhawk Technical College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, disability, or age in its programs and activities. The following person has been designated to manage inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies: Title IX Coordinator/Equal Opportunity Officer, 6004 S County Road G, P.O. Box 5009, Janesville, WI 53547-5009, (608) 757-7796 or (608) 757-7773, WI Relay: 711 PARTNERSHIPS POWER PROGRESS
For community leaders asking about the foundation of a thriving town, education is always the starting point. Not because schools are the only thing that matters, but because education, from a child’s earliest years through the adult civic learning of programs like CivicCon, is what makes everything else possible. Businesses invest where there is a strong workforce. Families move where there are good schools. Young people stay where they can see a future for themselves. Civic decisions get made better when the people making them know enough to weigh the trade-offs. Education is the foundation of all of it. A strong education system does four things at once. It trains tomorrow’s workforce. It attracts employer investment. It draws talent, because families relocating look closely at schools. And it creates upward mobility, the most reliable path from where a child starts to where they can go. Learning starts at birth. Education does not begin in kindergarten. Research from the University of Chicago shows that eighty-five percent of a child’s brain development happens in the first three years of life. The graduation rate a community will celebrate eighteen years from now is being shaped, right now, by how much time infants and toddlers spend in a language-rich environment. Pensacola learned this the hard way. Data showed its high school graduation rate tracking its kindergarten readiness rate almost exactly. That was not a coincidence. Children who arrive at kindergarten ready to learn are far more likely to finish school and go on to productive lives. Pensacola partnered with the University of Chicago and Dr. Dana Suskind’s Thirty Million Words Initiative and worked with the three local hospitals to reach every new mother, roughly 5,000 births a year, with materials on how simple daily conversation shapes a child’s future. A low-cost intervention with a lifelong return. Rock County has this work well underway. The Stateline Community Foundation’s Literacy for Life serves as a backbone organization for local zero-to-five initiatives, partnering with Janesville Early Literacy and community partners on the Read Talk Play Every Day initiative. Roughly twenty community stations across the county help empower parents as their child’s first and best teacher. A companion coalition, Thrive by 5 Rock County, co-chaired by Jessica Austin, convenes service providers from prenatal through age five to better understand local needs, identify barriers and service gaps, raise awareness, and develop collaborative strategies to strengthen early childhood supports across the county. Learn more at statelinecf.org/literacy-for-life, readtalkplayeveryday.com, and co.rock.wi.us/thrive-by-5. Education is a whole-community responsibility. It takes a village. Business leaders can offer internships and mentor young people. Retirees can tutor. Nonprofits can run after-school programs. Employers can partner with schools on curriculum, so students see how what they are learning connects to the jobs waiting at Blackhawk Technical College, Mercyhealth, SSM Health, and the manufacturers along the corridor. Every one of those partnerships raises the odds a child finishes strong. Janesville is fortunate. The School District has a 93 percent graduation rate, one of the numbers that helped convince Dollar General to build its logistics center here. Protecting and building on that number starts long before kindergarten, with the language-rich environments infants and toddlers grow up in. It takes everyone at the table: the Vision Forward Fund investors, district leadership, Blackhawk Technical College, local employers, and the parents raising the next generation of Janesville workers. The next layer: raising the Civic IQ. There is one more piece of education that gets less attention than it deserves. Civic education, not just for children, but for the adults making community decisions every day. Raising the Civic IQ is what it sounds like. A community where citizens have enough shared understanding to think well together about the decisions that shape their lives. It is not about turning anyone into an expert. It is about giving a whole community a common set of facts and a common language, so people can weigh trade-offs together instead of talking past one another. The format matters less than the commitment. A speaker series. A book study. A visiting expert. A well-run town hall. Each of them can do the work. Janesville has started down this road. The community has begun bringing in national voices, and the conversations that have followed show what happens when citizens engage with real expertise together. That momentum is worth protecting. Good plans stall when citizens do not understand them. Bad plans win when citizens cannot see what is wrong with them. A vibrant community depends on citizens who can tell the difference. Strong communities treat education as infrastructure. Not a program to fund when there is money left over, but a foundation to build on with every decision. The employers, educators, nonprofits, and public leaders featured in this issue are doing exactly that work. A vibrant Janesville will be built by an educated community, one classroom, one conversation, one child at a time. About Quint Studer: Quint Studer is an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and leadership expert dedicated to helping organizations and communities thrive. He founded the Studer Group, which improved education and healthcare outcomes and earned the Malcolm Baldrige Award before its acquisition in 2015. His focus has long been community revitalization through the Studer Community Institute, which advances early brain development and leadership training, and the Center for Civic Engagement, which brings speakers to Pensacola on a wide range of topics aimed at educating citizens and raising civic IQ. His efforts helped revitalize Pensacola, Florida, driving significant growth and earning national recognition. He has authored 16 books, including The Busy Leader’s Handbook, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and Building a Vibrant Community, a blueprint for creating great places to live, work, and play. A passionate teacher and mentor, he continues to inspire leaders and communities nationwide. A Vibrant Janesville Is Built by an Educated Community By Quint Studer ADVERTORIAL “Janesville has started down this road. The community has begun bringing in national voices, and that momentum is worth protecting.” ‘
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www.forwardjanesville.com |20 My family is the most important thing to me. I am happiest when we are together. My wonderful husband and I have been married 39 years. We have two beautiful daughters and five awesome grandchildren. We try to get together regularly and attend school and sports events anytime we can. We see our extended family whenever we can, too. I come from a very large family, so even if it’s an unplanned get together, we run into each other often and can catch up. I've always believed in giving back and helping anyone who needs help to the best of my ability. I would volunteer at the church with my mom, watching kids in the Sunday school room or preparing meals for potlucks. When I was older, we would help with the food pantry or if elderly neighbors needed help with yard work or errands, we would do it. My mom taught me that serving others serves your soul. Most of my life I have had 2 or 3 jobs at a time. They aren’t on my resume because they were a lot of seasonal positions for variety and learning experiences. Real estate is something I had always planned on doing. My thought was when we retire, I could do real estate to keep me busy. We moved a few times, and our agent said, “Why don’t you just get your license now instead of paying me every time you find a new house you like?” It was great advice, and I went for it. I got my Wisconsin license in 2018 and Illinois license in 2023. HOW DID I GET HERE? success • challenges • life lessons • education • career • family • inspirations I always knew that I wanted to work and I wanted to serve people. I always loved sales and getting people things they wanted. I think when I was 8, I would do door-to-door sales with what was called a Tom Watt kit. I also went to neighbors’ houses asking if there was any work I could do for them. It was a win-win; I helped with something they needed and I earned money. At 15, I started waitressing at Town and Country Restaurant. I loved being a waitress. I was able to have great conversations with people while serving them and making some really wonderful connections. I married my high school sweetheart, Eric. At that time, we were both in college, both working and no plan of having children. I was taking business management courses at UWRock County, and the plan was to graduate college and find a career in retail management. Sometimes things don't work out like you have them on paper. We were blessed a year later to have our first daughter, and a year and a half after that our second. I went back to college, but Ole Natter offered me a position and I decided to take on-the-job learning over college and worked with them for a few years. It was a gamble, but I felt learning hands-on was what I needed. Ole and Dan Natter, Mike Benson and Jim Campbell taught me about work ethic and how to run a business. • LYNNETTE WIRTH GENERAL MANAGER, BASICS CO-OP NATURAL FOODS; REALTOR, COLDWELL BANKER THE REALTY GROUP {WORK EXPERIENCE} 2006 – PRESENT Basics Co-Op Natural Foods 2018-PRESENT Realtor, Coldwell Banker The Realty Group 2013-2016 Certified Fitness Instructor, Train Dirty Fitness 1994-2000 Operations and Projects Manager, Cambeck Petroleum {EDUCATION} 1987 High School Diploma, Janesville Craig High School I knew Basics needed a different location as soon as I began working there. The customers wanted a larger variety of products, wider aisles, lower shelving and a community room. September 25th of 2008 we opened our doors in a location twice the size of our old store. Our projections were conservative at a 25% sales increase. Then GM announced that they were shutting down. All the other businesses that supported them were also closing. Our sales increases were only 8%. It was a tough road for a long time. Our staff was amazing, and we pivoted over and over as needed. We survived and have grown our sales over 3 times what they were in the old store. • • We moved back to Janesville from Florida and I had taken a position with Deb clothing store. I was flying out on Mondays and back to Janesville on Thursday or Friday. My territory was North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, part of Illinois and part of Wisconsin. My kids were in high school, and I felt I was missing out on too much in their lives. Basics Co-op posted they were hiring for a General Manager. It was a store that I already shopped at and loved, so I applied. They offered me the position, and over 20 years later I'm still here. I love what Basic stands for. I love our customers and our staff and the continued growth that I feel personally and professionally working there.
www.forwardjanesville.com |21 Lesson #1: Choose the Right Business Structure Your choice of entity affects taxes, liability, ownership, and future growth opportunities. Common options include: • Limited Liability Company (LLC) • Corporation • Partnership • Sole Proprietorship The right structure depends on your business goals, not simply what was easiest to set up online. Lesson #2: Put It in Writing Handshake agreements may work between friends, but businesses thrive on clear expectations. Consider written agreements for: • Customer and vendor relationships • Business partners • Independent contractors • Employees • Commercial leases A well-written contract helps prevent misunderstandings before they become expensive disputes. Lesson #3: Think Beyond Today Legal planning isn't just about starting a business—it's about preparing for growth. As your business evolves, you may face questions involving: • Hiring employees • Protecting intellectual property • Purchasing or selling a business • Bringing on investors • Succession planning Planning ahead gives you more options and fewer surprises. Lesson #4: Compliance Matters Laws affecting businesses continue to change. Employment regulations, privacy requirements, cybersecurity concerns, and industry-specific rules all deserve attention. Staying compliant isn't just about avoiding penalties. It builds credibility with customers, lenders, and business partners. Lesson #5: Build Your Advisory Team Successful entrepreneurs rarely do everything themselves. Your professional team may include: • An accountant • A banker • An insurance professional • A financial advisor • An experienced business attorney Having trusted advisors allows you to make informed decisions before challenges arise. ASK THE EXPERT: Building a Business? Don't Overlook the Legal Lessons By Attorney Tim Lindau, Managing Partner at Nowlan Law ADVERTORIAL The Top 5 Costly Mistakes I’ve Seen Entrepreneurs Make: • Choosing a business structure based solely on online advice. • Operating without written contracts. • Mixing personal and business finances. • Waiting until a dispute arises to consult an attorney. • Failing to plan for ownership changes or succession. Starting a business requires passion, vision, and plenty of hard work. It also requires making smart legal decisions that can protect your investment and position your company for long-term success.Many entrepreneurs spend months refining a business plan or developing a product, but delay addressing the legal issues until something goes wrong. The reality is that the best legal advice is often preventive—not reactive. The Bottom Line Education doesn't stop after school, and neither does learning as a business owner. Every stage of your business presents new opportunities and new legal considerations. Whether you're launching a startup, expanding operations, purchasing a competitor, or preparing for retirement, proactive legal guidance can help protect what you've built while supporting future growth. The goal isn't simply solving legal problems when they occur. It's creating a strong legal foundation that allows your business to adapt, grow, and succeed. The best investment many entrepreneurs make isn't waiting until they need a lawyer—it's developing a relationship with one before they do.
22 | FORWARD JANESVILLE Creating Pathways, Growing Potential DR. TRACY PIERNER President, Blackhawk Technical College Forward Janesville Board of Directors What are some of the workforce development programs and initiatives at Blackhawk Technical College that the community should know more about? First and foremost, Rock University High School (RUHS). I am not sure Janesville knows about one of the best high schools that exists right in their backyard. Ranked as a top-20 high school in the state of Wisconsin, our common goal is to become No. 1 and top 1% in the country. This past year, we had 11 RUHS graduates that graduated with their associate degrees one month before their high school graduation. Those students are starting their collegiate journey as universities like the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a junior – at age 18. This saves them approximately $60,000. What are the best ways you think local employers and community members can get involved when it comes to shaping the next generation of workforce? There are so many ways to get involved. After understanding your goals, Blackhawk Technical College is best positioned to connect you with the partner that can make it happen. We are connected to all K-12, workforce development, economic development, and community partners in Rock and Green counties. Specifically, manufacturers should join the Stateline Manufacturing Alliance and plug in to the variety of activities they sponsor. What have you found most rewarding about being on Forward Janesville’s Board of Directors thus far? The work of Forward Janesville in workforce development intersects with the College, so it is important to be at the table to ensure we are aligned and all rowing in the same direction. It is truly humbling to have the opportunity to be a part of an incredible team of leaders. The passion for our community, commitment to excellence, and the level of talent on the board reflect why Janesville continues to thrive and why the future looks so bright. To be a part of this environment, listening to the input, being part of the rich dialog, and observing how the board members conduct business has been one of the most rewarding experiences in my career. CORTNEY MICHAELS Workforce Development Specialist, United Alloy Craftsman With Character Partner Workforce Development is one of Forward Janesville’s top initiatives. What is United Alloy’s vision, and what programs are you involved with when it comes to workforce development? I’ve been with UA for just over five years, and during that time I’ve seen firsthand how intentional development can transform both individuals and organizations. United Alloy’s vision for workforce development centers on growing people, creating clear pathways for skill building, career advancement, and long term success. At a high level, we focus on developing talent through hands-on learning, strong mentorship, and partnerships that connect students and jobseekers with real opportunities in modern manufacturing. Our programs support both early career exploration and ongoing employee growth, reinforcing a culture where individuals can build meaningful careers and continue expanding their craft over time. What kind of impact have you seen from participating in the Craftsman With Character program? Craftsman With Character has been one of the most rewarding partnerships I’ve been part of. Students walk in curious and unsure, and they leave with a clearer sense of direction, stronger confidence, and a deeper understanding Developing tomorrow’s workforce takes more than preparing people for a job. It means creating opportunities to learn, explore and grow at every stage. Meet three Forward Janesville members whose organizations are investing in that journey in different ways. From educational pathways and hands-on career experiences to mentorship, literacy and community partnerships, Dr. Tracy Pierner, Cortney Michaels and Jerad Clark show how businesses and organizations can help the next generation discover their potential and build a future right here in Janesville.
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