Community leaders in southeastern Wisconsin need to focus on improving the education system and reducing the segregation that plagues the city of Milwaukee in order for the region to continue to grow. Those were the two top weaknesses identified by the Milwaukee Business Journal's 40 Under 40 winners at a recent roundtable and in comments submitted by the group of young professionals.
Twenty-one of the paper's 2015 class of 40 Under 40 participated in the March 24 roundtable at the Wisconsin Club, while others submitted via email what they believe are the area's top five strengths and weaknesses. Check out the attached slideshow to see photos of the roundtable.
"Milwaukee has long been one of the most racially divided cities in the nation," wrote Greg Matzek of WTMJ-AM (620). "Recent events, such as the Dontre Hamilton case, have only added fuel to the already burning conflagration."
Added Sarah Fierek of 88Nine Radio Milwaukee, "We need to continue to support job growth for all levels of education and help provide people with jobs to earn a fair, living wage."
Amy Lindner of Meta House said the ongoing Milwaukee vs. the suburbs attitude hurts the region.
"Why is it if you live 90 minutes outside of Chicago you say you’re from Chicago, but if you live in Brookfield, you answer 'Brookfield?'” she said.
More has to be done to draw suburban residents to downtown Milwaukee for longer periods of time, said Rebeca Lopez of Godfrey & Kahn SC.
"Milwaukee is a city that is visited in a surgical manner – people come for one thing and then leave," she said. "We need to attract people to the city and invite them to explore their surroundings, rather than attending an event and leaving."
To be clear, the 40 Under 40 winners were quick to identify many of the Milwaukee area's strengths, including its location near Lake Michigan, the friendliness of its residents, the ease of getting around and the draw of many of the neighborhoods.
"Milwaukee is like a phoenix, constantly reinventing itself," Lopez said. "In its current iteration, there is an emergence of neighborhood identities that is helping to spur pride in Milwaukee neighborhoods and attracting others to the city."
Danielle Bergner of the Milwaukee City Attorney's Office had strong praise for the region.
"Milwaukee is an exceptionally livable city," she said. "We enjoy many of the amenities of larger cities with few of the corresponding hassles."
For much more coverage of the 40 Under 40 Roundtable, including whether the young professionals support the streetcar and the new arena proposed for downtown Milwaukee, see our April 10 issue.