Strengthening Emergency Preparedness
On Oct. 30 the MATC District Board approved a new class of public safety officers. They will have the same training as sworn police officers and be certified by the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Standards Bureau. Four existing positions will be upgraded and five new positions plus a lieutenant added. 

Like our current officers, these "public safety specialists" will respond to emergencies and work with local authorities to investigate crimes. They will be fully trained professionals with the ability to carry firearms should the state Legislature give the Wisconsin Technical College System the authority. No decision has been made as to when or if that will occur.

The old model has worked adequately for a long time. But now our Department of Public Safety, along with security departments nationwide, faces a far higher threat level compared to just a few years ago.

I want to reiterate that this is not a reflex reaction to Virginia Tech. Our concern arises from a growing number of rampage attacks in public places across the country.  We operate a large public college with non-secure perimeter access. It is prudent that we upgrade our ability to handle emergencies, including violent confrontations.

Also on Oct. 30, the MATC Board passed our adjusted budget and tax levy. It totals $140 million - a 5% increase from last year. Levy increases this year within the WTCS have generally been between 4 and 5 percent.

My personal thanks to Governor Jim Doyle for his courageous veto of levy limits on technical colleges in the new state budget. He described the situation perfectly in saying that it would be unfair to cap our levy, with the Legislature continuing to cut our state funding. He also championed taxpayer support for technical colleges because of our critical role in workforce development.

Photo: Governor Doyle signs the new state budget bill.

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'Partners' Award for the Bader Foundation
One of our most valued benefactors will be honored on Dec. 11. The Helen Bader Foundation has earned the Partners in Excellence Award from the MATC Foundation, Inc. The December event also acknowledges other longtime scholarship donors and recipients. The Bader Foundation has funded numerous scholarships, especially for students in the Teacher Education Program. TEP trains new teachers for urban schools. Students start here and finish at a partner college. The Bader Foundation also has been a generous supporter of our Black Student Union and many other MATC programs and economic development initiatives.

Keynote speaker will be former MATC student Reginald Daniel, author and entrepreneur. Each scholarship honoree at the banquet will receive a copy of his book, Living Your Life Backward - Finding Balance Between Family, Money, and Work.  Reginald will talk about how he overcame poverty and created a vision for his future. He has been recognized by national publications and businesses, and serves as chairman of the President's Club, National Black Chamber of Commerce. 

Open House Reminder
The deadline has passed to sign up to showcase your program at our open house this Saturday, Nov. 10. But it's not too late to volunteer. More than 200 faculty and staff, representing 112 programs, will be on hand. We're anticipating a large turnout, with high expectations for a good outcome. You may already have heard our radio ad, which is running 130 times on 10 different stations. The event also is being promoted in the community press and via direct mail to high school students. To jump aboard, please contact Brunnetta Soward, director of recruitment.

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Spring Registration Begins
Students who register early come out ahead because they get the classes, times and locations they need. Early registration also means fewer classes canceled for lack of interest. Please remind students that their chance to register early has arrived. Priority registration for continuing program students starts Nov. 5 and ends Nov. 11. Open registration for new and returning students begins Nov. 12. Spring classes start Jan. 23. Find schedules at https://infonline.matc.edu/liveinfonline/html/subject.html. Printed copies are available. Program students should meet with their faculty advisors before registering.

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'Marketplace' Offers One-Stop Registration
To help returning students prepare for the next semester and register early, faculty and staff this week (Nov. 6 - 8) are holding a "Marketplace of Classes and Programs" at the Downtown Milwaukee and Mequon campuses. All in one stop, students can meet with their advisors, choose their classes and learn the latest about financial aid and scholarships. Next year, organizers hope to expand the event to the Oak Creek and West Allis campuses. Thanks to Advising Coordinator Dr. Ann Burbach and English Instructor Michelle Felix for devising this new idea and making it work.

Assistance for Qualified Students Available
An on-campus outreach program later this month will inform students about state programs that can help pay for food, health care and child care. Students can determine their eligibility at https://access.wisconsin.gov/.  Program staff will visit MATC from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the dates listed below. Appointments are required and can be made by calling the appropriate phone number.

• Downtown Milwaukee Campus, Nov. 27, 414-297-6968
• West Allis Campus, Nov. 28, 414-456-5301
• Oak Creek Campus, Nov. 29, 414-571-4703

MATC at Machine Tool Expo
One of the world's largest machine tool trade shows took place recently at Wisconsin State Fair Park. MATC was there to spread the word about new training services available through our new center for Energy Conservation and Advanced Manufacturing - ECAM - at the Oak Creek Campus. The Wisconsin Manufacturing and Machine Tool Expo ran Oct. 8 to 11, drawing nearly 8,000 attendees from as far away as Asia.

With its vast array of advanced technology for manufacturing, the show illustrated the dizzying pace of machine tool evolution. This is exactly why ECAM cannot remain static. It will need continual infusions of donated technology. Karen Coy-Romano, executive director of the MATC Foundation, Inc., will play a lead role. Many thanks to TAS Instructor Greg Holther for coordinating our booth activities at the expo.

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New Scholarship for Trade Education
Thanks to Lee Shaw, pastor of St. Gabriel Church of God in Christ, for providing seed money to start a new scholarship fund and a sustaining endowment fund for trade education. Managed by the MATC Foundation, Inc., the funds are named in memory of Robert Crymes, founder of the Peer-to-Peer mentoring group at St. Gabriel, 5375 N. 37th St.

As part of its Milwaukee Vocational Scholarship Fund drive, the church has launched a citywide, grassroots giving campaign to sustain and grow the Crymes Endowment for future generations. Scholarships will be distributed by the Foundation in partnership with the Milwaukee Vocational Scholarship Steering Committee, focusing on disadvantaged people served or referred by central city community agencies. Complete information can be found in our online Newsroom at matc.edu.

Photo: Pastor Lee Shaw (left) presents a check to Dr. Cole. Deon'ta Johnson (center) is the first student to receive a grant from the new Robert Crymes Scholarship Fund.

Giving Campaign Reaches Monetary Goal
Although the Giving Campaign officially ended Nov. 7, you can still contribute. Please consider giving to one of the hundreds of worthy organizations, including the MATC Foundation and MPTV Friends. We met our monetary goal of $161,000 and are very close to reaching our goal of 600 contributors. If you need a donation packet, pick one up from Bill Quirmbach, Marketing Department.

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A Grand Slam
An MATC education starts and ends in the real world. Carpentry Instructor Don Starr brought his students to Saint Thomas More High School for one week recently to build softball diamond dugouts. It provided them with great practical experience, and the school got something in return. Saint Thomas More President Bob Pauly thanked the students and praised their work. We should be proud that our Carpentry program has helped many nonprofit projects around the metro region.

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Quick and Tasty
It's faster than fast food, and the choices are fresh and delicious. Please check out our new Grab-N-Go store at the Downtown Milwaukee Campus in the Student Union (third floor, Student Center). The former gift shop area now sells homemade soups cooked by Culinary Arts students, sub sandwiches with rolls from the MATC bakery, healthy salads, Alterra coffee, bagels and other bakery items, bottled beverages and more. The week of Dec. 6 will feature cooking demonstrations and hot entrees. Students and teachers from our food programs are needed for the demos and to sell their goods. Soups, casseroles, lasagna and baked items would be especially appreciated. Contact Anne Christ-Roman at 414-234-6218.

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Faculty and Staff Notes
I'm pleased to announce that Duane Schultz is our new director of Economic Development and Community Partnerships. He has served the college in a variety of administrative roles since 1985, most recently as associate dean in the Technology and Applied Sciences division. Duane is well qualified for this new job, having long worked with CBOs and other partner agencies on workplace-based training efforts.

For us to effectively address the skilled worker shortage will require strong partnerships and coordination. That is Duane's primary focus. He also will continue to help implement our $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to build training capacity for cutting-edge manufacturing jobs. Please congratulate him.

Brad Hines recently joined our team as deputy director of the Public Safety Department. Since the recent departure of director Doug Tripp, Brad has quickly assumed added responsibilities. Doug's tenure was short but influential. Among other things, he created the plan to add our new class of public safety specialists. Brad was an officer with the Illinois State Police for 25 years, rising to master sergeant. Before being hired here, he was a security supervisor with the University of Wisconsin - Madison Police Department.

John Stilp, vice president for the Oak Creek Campus and leader of our
ECAM project, addressed the Public Policy Forum on Oct. 31. The event was  covered by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. John talked up ECAM and spoke about the challenges of alleviating poverty in the central city and redeveloping our skilled workforce. He appeared with Donald Sykes, president and CEO of the Milwaukee Area Workforce Investment Board.

Congratulations to Patricia Gomez, host of !Adelante! on Milwaukee Public Television, for receiving the prestigious La Blanca Rosa (White Rose) award from the Wisconsin Hispanic Lawyers Association. On behalf of Hispanic communities, the award recognizes her for championing better access to legal services, more interpreters in the justice system and awareness of diversity issues.

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Brad Hines

Patricia Gomez