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The Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Foundation contribution to broadcasting in Wisconsin encompasses a strategic, long term vision for enhancing, promoting and supporting the broadcast industry by encouraging the preservation of broadcast history, participating in public affairs activities in the State of Wisconsin and providing educational opportunities for professional broadcasters and those who seek future careers in the broadcast industry.

 

WALKER BROADCAST MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

2012 Management Institute
May 15 - 17, 2012
Information and Mail In Registration
Online Registration

 The WBA Foundation’s 2011 Walker Management Institute, in its 14th year, had one of its highest enrollment ever with 28 participants. The Institute was held on May 10-12 in Madison.
     The Walker Institute was established in 1998 to provide broadcast general managers, middle managers and future managers, an in depth management training experience at an affordable cost. It was designed as a 3-year program, with nine one day training modules, three each year, sequenced so that participants can start the three year cycle at any time. The curriculum covers areas of basic and advanced broadcast finance, personnel management and general management.
     Since its inception, The Institute has been held on the campus of the University of Wisconsin School of Business. Its faculty is comprised of UW School of Business professors or skilled practitioners in the fields in which they are training. The Institute is a turnkey educational experience whose fees include all materials, meals and lodging at Business School’s Fluno Center which includes modern hotel space for Executive Education programs. The Institute program is managed by Joan Gilman of the UW School of Business.
     The 2011 Walker Management Institute curriculum consisted of modules on Financial Management for Broadcasters II, presented by Tom Walker, President of Mid-West Management, Inc., which provides management oversight to radio station clusters in five States in the Midwest United States; Customer Service, presented by Robert Shaver, Executive Education Instructor, UW-Madison, School of Business; and Managing Organizational Change and Managing Motivation, presented by Buck Joseph, Professor Emeritus of Management, UW-Madison, School of Business.
     This year’s Institute also included the seventh annual half-day, “Grad School” for graduates of the Institute, which included presentations on The 2011 Economy by Don Nichols, Emeritus Professor, UW-Madison Department of Economics and The La Follette Institute, followed by “Monetizing Social Media” with Don Stanley, a UW Madison School of Business instructor.
     A special dinner, honoring the 2011 graduates of the Institute on the middle evening of Institute, featured an in depth conversation between WBA Foundation President & CEO, John Laabs, and Todd Berry, The President of Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance. The dinner was attended by the participants in the Institute as well as the Institute’s grad school attendees.
     Planning is already underway for the 2012 Walker Management Institute, which will be held at the UW School of Business in Madison on May 15-17, 2012.
     The Walker Management Institute is operated by the WBA Foundation through a permanent endowment from the estate of William R. Walker. It is named after William R. Walker and his father, William E. Walker, the founders and prime movers behind Midwest Family Radio.

The following are graduates of the three-year module:
 
2011
  • Kevin Ruppert, WISC-TV
  • Paul Layendecker, Mid-West Radio - Michigan
  • Bob Bucholtz, Mid-West Radio - Michigan
2010
  • Mike Kornemann, Madison Magazine
  • Colin Benedict, WISC-TV
  • Susie Taylor, Channel 3000
  • Ty Shea, WISC-TV
  • Sandi Schmidt, Woodward Communications
  • Greg Lawrence, Woodward Communications
2009
  • Cindy Taerud-Forkes, WKBT-TV, La Crosse
  • Amy Ziebell, Mid-West Family Radio
  • Ritchie Baumann, Mid-West Family Radio
  • Jason McCutchin, Mid-West Family Radio
  • Len Clark, Learfield Communications
  • Sue Ramsett, WSAW-TV, Wausau
  • Scott Huber, WSVX Radio
  • Theresa Timm, Family Radio
  • Corri Moran, Family Radio
  • Linda Baun, WBA, Madison
  • Mary Anne Drewek, Woodward Communications
  • Don Grassman, Results Broadcasting
2008
  • Joe Daguanno, Mid-West Family Radio, Stevensville, MI
  • Dave Doetsch, Mid-West Family Radio, Springfield, IL
  • Glen Gardner, Mid-West Family Radio, Madison
  • Jim Gifford, Mid-West Family Radio, St. Joseph, MI
  • Brian Michaels, Family Radio, La Crosse
  • Geoff Shields, WMTV-TV, Madison
  • Rick Trautschold, Mid-West Family Radio, Springfield, MO
2007
  • Nan Blom Roach, WISC-TV, Madison
  • Tim Bremel, WCLO/WJVL, Janesville
  • Joe Calgaro, Woodward Communications, Appleton
  • Don Rosen, WRJN/WEZY, Racine
  • Ken Scott, WCLO/WJVL, Janesville
  • Jeff Ver Voort, WISC-TV, Madison
  • Tom Yunt, Woodward Communications, Dubuque, IA
2006
  • Steve Brown, Woodward Communications, Appleton
  • Randy Hawke, Mid-West Family Radio, Madison
  • John Hunt, Mid-West Family Radio, Madison
  • Kevin Kavanaugh, Family Radio, La Crosse
  • Al Lancaster, WSAW-TV, Wausau
  • Kristy Nix, Family Radio, La Crosse
  • John “Sly” Sylvester, Mid-West Family Radio, Madison
  • John Wanie, Woodward Communications, Appleton
2005
  • Scott Chorski, WKBT-TV, La Crosse
  • Jason Effinger, WMTV, Madison/WEAU-TV, Eau Claire
  • Steve Scadden, WISC-TV, Madison
2004
  • Dave Black, WSUM-FM, Madison
  • Carmelyn Daley, WISC-TV, Madison
  • Tim Etes, WRJN/WEZY, Racine
  • Steve Lavin, WEAU-TV, Eau Claire/WBAY-TV, Green Bay
  • Scott Lopas, WTKM AM/FM, Hartford
  • Barb Renbarger, WEAU-TV, Eau Claire
2003
  • Greg Bell, Woodward Communications, Appleton
  • Bob Dailey, WCLO/WJVL, Janesville
  • James Hodges, WBKV/WBWI, West Bend
  • Brian Howell, Madison Magazine, Madison
  • Dayton Kane, Woodward Communications, Appleton
  • Michelle Vetterkind, WBA, Madison
  • Jolene Neis, Mid-West Family Radio, Madison
  • Pat O’Neill, Mid-West Family Radio, Madison
  • Kelly Radandt, Woodward Communications, Appleton
  • Scott Robert Shaw, Family Radio, La Crosse
  • George Smith, WSUP-FM, Platteville
  • Ted Waldbillig, Mid-West Family Radio, Madison
2002
  • Wilfred Tremblay, WSUW-FM, Whitewater
2001
  • Ken Beno, Lake Land College, Mattoon, IL
  • Leonard Charles, WISC-TV, Madison  
2000
  • Mary Jo Berner, WERL/WRJO, Eagle River
  • Tom Bier, WISC-TV, Madison
  • John Laabs, WBA, Madison
  • Bob Miller, WKOW-TV, Madison/Discover Mediaworks, Milwaukee
  • David Sanks, WISC-TV, Madison
  • Sandy Shockley, Shockley Communications, Madison
  • Terry Shockley, Shockley Communications, Madison
  • Tom Walker, Mid-West Family Radio, Madison
  • Jen Winiger, Madison Magazine, Madison