This is how I like to meet people and connect with them, by doing it individually and at the same time make them feel like they are part of something bigger.
Milwaukee Area Technical College President Dr. Anthony Cruz spent a big chunk of his first week on the job literally pouring hundreds of beverages and chatting with students, faculty and staff.
He didn’t mind one bit.
“I thought it was a very encouraging start,” Dr. Cruz said about the five Coffee with Cruz events held at the college’s campuses and the MATC Education Center at Walker’s Square. “I was very pleased with how engaged people were. This is how I like to meet people and connect with them, by doing it individually and at the same time make them feel like they are part of something bigger. It’s all about creating connections.”
Dr. Cruz began his tenure as MATC’s 11th president on July 15 and hosted the coffee events at Walker’s Square and West Allis Campus on July 16, Mequon Campus on July 17, Oak Creek Campus on July 18 and Downtown Milwaukee Campus on July 23.
He toured each location and then served guests their choice of beverage — coffee or lemonade — while talking with them for a few minutes.
Nearly 100 people gathered at the first event at Walker’s Square, which is located on National Avenue in the heart of Milwaukee’s Hispanic/Latino/a community.
“He seems like a great fit,” said Elena Ceja, who works as an assessment center technician at Walker’s Square and attended the event. “I am very impressed with the experience he has and that he speaks Spanish. I think that’s a very important skill to have, especially in this neighborhood.”
In the future, Dr. Cruz said he’ll be familiar with the campuses, so he can immediately engage with people who attend. “We’ll just set up and go,” he said.
Dr. Cruz said he plans to hold coffees at least once a semester.
The sessions for students and employees are informal and no RSVP will be required.
He hopes that future coffees will attract more students. To do that, he is thinking about having events at lunchtime, when people have more free time.
“I’d like these events to be something people look forward to,” he said.
Dr. Cruz is modeling his MATC coffees on informal events he held as president of the Kendall Campus of Miami Dade College, where he served for five years before coming to MATC.
“When I did these events in Florida, I rarely had people give me any complaints and I got some really good suggestions,” Dr. Cruz said. “It was an overwhelmingly positive experience, and that’s what I want it to be here as well.”
About MATC: As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.