Course Catalog

This class will teach you how to lead four interactive exercises that will enhance your team’s creativity, communication and productivity. Learn how such exercises build your team’s collaborative know-how. You’ll discover how listing your team members’ strengths, values and talents can increase the effectiveness of new and old teams alike. These exercises help define current abilities, team member roles and ultimate team responsibilities.

Dave Podeszwa has been in the leadership development business for more than 30 years. His background includes US military, manufacturing, electrical engineering, marketing, management, computerized systems installation and repair, and running his own consulting business. Dave consults with a variety of businesses and has taught leadership classes at the AC over the last 14 years.

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Class description: So there’s Twitter, and Facebook, and YouTube, and LinkedIn, and on and on. And you’ve heard that the really smart businesses are jumping in with both feet. But wait – is this just another internet fad? Who has the time to Tweet and Tube the day away? Does any of this make sense in a businesses’ marketing plan? Our panelists provide those answers. You’ll get an overview of the world of social media today. You’ll get some advice on how you might incorporate social media to reach to new customers. And you’ll hear how one businessperson used social media to build a client base.

Alan Hathaway, president and co-owner of BrownBoots Interactive, Inc., has more than 15 years’ experience in commercial art and advertising development. A graduate from UW-Oshkosh, Hathaway began BrownBoots primarily as a web site development company in 1999. He is chair-elect for the Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Board of Directors; he also is on the boards of Fond du Lac YMCA, the Center for Enterprise Development and the Young Professionals of Fond du Lac, and sits on the Advisory Council for the Fond du Lac Children’s Museum.

An advertising industry veteran of more than 15 years, Johnny Macklin is Associate Creative Director at The Karma Group in Green Bay. A copywriter by discipline, Mackin has penned campaigns for such varied brands as Best Buy, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Cottonelle and The Green Bay Packers. Macklin also has held adjunct faculty positions at both the Minneapolis campus of Miami Ad School, and at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He currently lives in De Pere with his wife and three young daughters.

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An examination of how the demographics of work force has evolved over the last 20 years, with an in-depth look at how workers of different generations view the world, their family and professional lives. What motivates the different generations? What are their values? What has changed from the Boomers to the Gen Y and Millennials?

Josh Bullock, Ph.D., is the vice president - strategic advancement for Moraine Park Technical College, managing institutional research, quality improvement, accreditation, strategic planning and special projects. Prior to joining Moraine Park, Dr. Bullock worked in new product development for a Fortune 500 organization. For the past 16 years he has served as an adjunct business instructor at Marian University in Fond du Lac, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, marketing and research.

As institutional research associate for Moraine Park, Jo Ann Giese-Kent coordinates the day-to-day research activities, environmental scanning process, mail list database system and program development process. Giese-Kent worked in the banking and direct marketing industries, specializing in database marketing, prior to joining Moraine Park. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an MBA from UW-Oshkosh.

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What national, regional and state trends are going to be felt in our communities in the next 20 years? How will the demographics change? What are the forecasts for population growth, diversity, home ownership, etc.? Where is the economy of Fond du Lac and Fond du Lac County headed? This class looks forward to 2026 to paint a picture of changes up ahead, giving you information you need today to plan accordingly.

Joe Reitemeier has served as President & CEO of the Fond du Lac Association of Commerce for the past 24 years and has been in the Chamber of Commerce profession since 1975. Reitemeier has held numerous leadership positions with the American Chamber of Commerce Executives. Reitemeier was elected president of the Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce Executives Association in 1991 and currently holds positions on numerous boards, including Mid-States Aluminum Corp. and the Agnesian HealthCare System Board. Reitemeier has a degree in Business Administration and Management from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and is a graduate of the Institute of Organizational Management. In 1989, he received the Certified Chamber of Commerce Executive Award.

Josh Bullock, Ph.D., is the vice president - strategic advancement for Moraine Park Technical College, managing institutional research, quality improvement, accreditation, strategic planning and special projects. Prior to joining Moraine Park, Dr. Bullock worked in new product development for a Fortune 500 organization. For the past 16 years he has served as an adjunct business instructor at Marian University in Fond du Lac, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in leadership, marketing and research.

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Whether you're speaking off the cuff or planning a formal presentation, this session will provide tips and strategies to ensure that you successfully focus in on your listeners and deliver what you want them to understand, think and do as a result. Sharing information, ideas and knowledge is crucial for long-term organizational learning, business growth as well as day-to-day interaction. Everyone should be able to deliver a message that is clear and compelling. Learn how to raise your confidence and skill levels in presenting your thoughts and ideas. Whether you want to have an informal discussion or make a formal presentation, this session will deliver techniques necessary for planning, organizing and delivering results-oriented messages with pizzazz!

Linda Wilke has been an instructor with Moraine Park Technical College since 1989. As an Economic and Workforce Development Instructor, Wilke provides training and facilitation in the area of human performance for large and small businesses throughout the Midwest. Her business background allows her to provide training in diverse arenas, including manufacturing, financial institutions, healthcare, the railroad industry, government agencies and service/hospitality industries, in addition to the confines of correctional facilities. Wilke is a master trainer for Development Dimensions International and Achieve Global, a certified facilitator for Agreement Dynamics, Talent Smart - Emotional Intelligence, Business Snapshot, DACUM, ART, Franklin Covey and more. She has received numerous Professional Excellence Awards for teaching at both the state and local levels from various organizations. Wilke also has been recognized by the Wisconsin State Assembly with a Legislative citation for Leadership and Service. She most recently was selected to receive the prestigious Pasch Award.

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