Congratulations To Emerge Wisconsin's Class of 2013!

You done good!

Emerge Wisconsin congratulates the newest graduates of their training program. On Saturday, June 20th, twenty-two Democratic women joined the growing ranks of Emerge Alumnae. Emerge participants complete a seven-month course covering topics from campaign messaging to fundraising and public speaking.

“Many of our program members have been activists in their communities for a long time. Now all of them are ready to take the next step on their respective paths to becoming Democratic leaders in their communities,” Emerge Wisconsin Executive Director Wendy Strout.

“We are proud of our newest alumnae who have already proven their readiness to run at all levels of government,” Bethany Ordaz, Emerge Board Chair. “I know they are going to be successful for whatever seat they choose.”

The Emerge Wisconsin 2013 graduates are:

Kelley Albrecht (Burlington); Julie Allen (Tomahawk); Marisabel Cabrera (West Allis); Lillian Cheesman (Milwaukee); Paula Cooper (Pardeeville); Dane County Supervisor Jennifer Dye (Fitchburg); Frances Irwin (Wausau); Julie Jansch (Green Bay); La Crosse County Supervisor Karin Johnson (La Crosse); Kimberly Kane (Racine); Dane County Supervisor Mary Kolar (Madison); Mabel Lamb (Milwaukee); Margaret McInnis (Madison); Pat McPartland (Verona); Janesville School Board Director Catherine Myers (Janesville); Karyl Rice (Madison); Sara Schulz (Genoa City); Middleton Alderwoman Miriam Share (Middleton); Sequanna Taylor (Milwaukee); Karen Vieth (Madison); Kati Walsh (Madison); Emily Wunderlich (Baraboo)

Since 2007, Emerge has been the premier training program for Democratic women in Wisconsin. Emerge recruits and trains women from across the state to run for office on a local, state, and national level and provides them with the tools and network support needed to succeed in the world of politics. Emerge graduates have gone on to win races ranging from Village Trustee to State Senate. Nationally, Emerge has expanded to thirteen states to train the next generation of female Democratic leaders across the country. Emerge is located in Arizona, California, Colorado, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oregon, Virginia and Wisconsin

I would like to congratulate all of the women in the Class of 2013. I know how hard each of you have worked this year and you should all be very proud of yourselves. I look forward to seeing you to stand up and run (or run again) to claim our state back.

And for the purposes of full disclosure, I do work for Emerge Wisconsin, and I am damn proud of it.

Mazel Tov, Michael Maistelman

A couple of months ago, I brought up the fact that Michael Maistelman, among other notables such as the Honorable Maryann Sumi, were being named as the 2012 Leaders in the Law.

A couple of weeks ago, they held an event to honor these leaders.  In recognition of that honor, Maistelman issued the following press release:

Leaders in the Law[2]

He also included this video, with one thing that surprised me:



I knew that Maistelman was representing Tim Russell. But who is the second Walker staffer that he is defending?

Another Honor For The Honorable Maryann Sumi

At the end of last year, the Honorable Maryann Sumi, of the Dane County Circuit Court, who had ruled correctly that the Republicans had violated open meeting laws when they rammed through Act 10, was named one of the 2012 Leaders in the Law.

That was just the precursor for her gaining the honor of being named Judge of the Year by the Wisconsin State Bar Association.  Per the State Bar:

State Bar information states The Judge of the Year award recognizes an outstanding circuit court judge who has improved the judicial system during the past year by her leadership. Sumi’s award will be presented in June at the state bar’s annual meeting.

There is no confirmation at this time that Prosser tried to chokehold take defensive action against one of the judges when he learned that he again didn't win an honor.