Get to know: Adam Tegelman
board chairman, NEW Construction Alliance
After witnessing the success of the NEW Manufacturing Alliance, construction industry leaders decided to create their own industry group. Members of the NEW Construction Alliance, which was formed two years ago, collaborate to work with educators, workforce development, economic development and government to promote careers in the building and construction trades in Northeast Wisconsin.
Adam Tegelman, board chairman of NEWCA and director of operations for Murphy Concrete & Construction of Appleton, says while companies may compete against one another for talent, it’s important for them to come together to attract the next generation of construction workers.
“We used to be competing with other construction companies, and now I think the spectrum has opened up so much that … you’re competing with everybody across the state of Wisconsin, no matter what industry they are,” he says. “We look at it as a giant fishing pond, and unless we stock more fish into the pond all we’re going to do is take each other’s fish — and that doesn’t help anybody.”
Though the pandemic has hampered some of NEWCA’s outreach efforts, leaders have found ways to continue the organization’s work. That has included holding monthly educational sessions at Fox Valley Technical College’s D.J. Bordini Center. Its most recent event featured Steve Janke, founder and CEO of Mission Wisconsin, speaking about recruiting within the military community.
Many smaller companies don’t have full human resources or recruitment staffs, and the alliance can provide helpful information and connections. In addition to attracting new talent, NEWCA is focused on recruiting more businesses to join as members, Tegelman says, adding that if the organization can provide some resources or connect companies to even one new worker, it’s doing its job.
“Our No. 1 goal is to integrate more people into the workforce and start helping our members gain the connections to foster the relationships that will bring them the people they need,” he says.
newconstructionalliance.org
— Jessica Thiel
Brewing for the better
The Black is Beautiful initiative launched as a worldwide collaborative effort among the brewing community to bring awareness to the injustices faced daily by people of color. Breweries are invited to use the base recipe, created by Weathered Souls Brewing Co., as a stout that showcases shades of black. Proceeds benefit racial justice nonprofits. Current and past participating New North breweries include 3 Sheeps of Sheboygan, Titletown Brewing Co. and Hinterland of Green Bay, and Appleton Beer Factory and McFleshman’s Brewing Co. of Appleton.
blackisbeautiful.beer
Immense impact
Just in time for winter, Green Bay Austin Straubel International Airport debuted three nonstop flights to warm destinations. New flights include Sun Country offering service to Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and Sky Harbor International Airport in Phoenix, as well as Frontier Airlines flying to Tampa International Airport. The new Frontier flight is in addition to the nonstop flights it offers from Green Bay to Denver International Airport and Orlando International Airport.
flygrb.com
Immense impact
The philanthropic spirit of the late John J. and Ethel D. Keller has created wide-ranging impact throughout the greater Fox Valley region. The couple began the family’s legacy of giving with a $20 grant to the American Cancer Society in 1991. Thirty years later, the J. J. Keller Foundation has reached the milestone of $70 million in giving. To commemorate its 30-year anniversary, the foundation provided $200,000 in grants, including $100,000 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of East Central Wisconsin, $70,000 to the Bay Area Workforce Development Board Transitions to Success program and $30,000 to the Winnebago Literacy Council.
