Ian Abston and Michael Hostad, Co-Founders of Light the Hoan
Release Date: 07/23/2025
Chad Bauman, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
In this episode, Rotarian and Executive Director Chad Bauman sits down with our host Tom Luljak to discuss the theater’s $80 million renovation and its transformative impact on Milwaukee’s arts community. He also highlights the Rep’s strong audience engagement, educational outreach, and the vital role of philanthropy in sustaining Wisconsin’s underfunded arts sector. Listen to the conversation on CONNECTIONS wherever you get your podcasts—including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the
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Milwaukee Health Commissioner Mike Totoraitis, RCM Executive Director Mary McCormick, and polio survivor Kristine Hinrichs
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
In this special episode of CONNECTIONS, Milwaukee Health Commissioner Mike Totoraitis, RCM Executive Director, Mary McCormick, and polio survivor Kristine Hinrichs discuss Rotary’s decades-long fight to eradicate polio. They share personal stories, global progress, and the ongoing efforts to protect millions of children worldwide ahead of World Polio Day on October 24th. Listen to the conversation on CONNECTIONS wherever you get your podcasts—including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and the
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Paige Radke of UMB Wealth Management, Antoine Carter of the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, and Carol Alexander Barnes of KCB Buildings LLC
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
On this edition of CONNECTIONS, host Tom Luljak sits down with three young and ambitious Rotarians who are shaping the future of Milwaukee: Paige Radke of UMB Wealth Management, Antoine Carter of the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, and Carol Alexander Barnes of KCB Buildings LLC. They share their perspectives as up-and-coming leaders, offering insight into how the next generation of Rotarians is making an impact in their professions, their community, and within the club.
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Ian Abston and Michael Hostad, Co-Founders of Light the Hoan
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
On this edition of CONNECTIONS, host Tom Luljak shines a light on the good work of fellow Rotarian Ian Abston and Michael Hostad…two of the people who are the driving force behind lighting the Daniel Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee. We’ll hear about the impact Lighting the Hoan has had on Milwaukee’s image around the world…and how it has affected the way Milwaukeans themselves feel about their home town.
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Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown, BID #21
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
Later this week, Beth Weirick, CEO of Milwaukee Downtown Business Improvement District #21, will step down after decades of service that have transformed Milwaukee into a more vibrant, inclusive, and thriving community. Beth's passion for Milwaukee runs deep, and her energy is unmatched. Often spotted dashing through the city streets in her signature high heels, she led countless ambitious projects, all with the goal of making Milwaukee a better place to live, work, and play. A lifelong Milwaukeean, Beth has been committed to the city since her first independent bus ride downtown to...
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Kevin Shafer, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
In this episode of CONNECTIONS, host Tom Luljak sits down with new Rotarian Kevin Shafer, the Executive Director of MMSD - the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District. Kevin has been working on water issues for much of his career and is recognized as a national leader in water management. He’s been called a visionary because of his work to stop sewer overflows into Lake Michigan and using Green Infrastructure. We’ll hear about Kevin’s ability to create strong partnerships between MMSD and other leading organizations committed to keeping Milwaukee and...
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Beth Ridley, Founder & CEO of Ridley Consulting Group
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
One of the keys to being a successful business leader is creating a great environment for employees. Our guest on this edition of CONNECTIONS the podcast is someone who has spent her entire career trying to do just that. Beth Ridley has worked as a corporate executive for a Fortune 500 Company, served as a management consultant at one of the world’s largest consulting firms, and today...is head of her own company - Ridley Consulting Group-providing organizations with Leadership Development, Training, and HR Support. Join host Tom Luljak as we learn...
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Frank Cumberbatch, Vice President of Engagement at Bader Philanthropies
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
In this episode of CONNECTIONS, host Tom Luljak has a Frank discussion…as in Frank Cumberbatch, Vice President of Engagement at Bader Philanthropies. Frank’s responsibilities include leading the Foundation’s exploration of a neighborhood, place-based strategy to complement the Foundation’s existing grantmaking, with an emphasis on the Harambee neighborhood. We’ll hear how Frank's own determination and discipline lifted him from a life of poverty in Trinidad to an existence in the U.S. he could only dream about as a profoundly shy, severely asthmatic boy.
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Erin Richards, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Newsroom Development for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
In our fourth episode of CONNECTIONS, host sits down with Rotarian , ’s first director of strategic partnerships and development. Erin has spent much of her career as an education reporter for the Journal, and later covered the national education beat for . Newspapers that once commanded top dollar for advertising space have seen their incomes and market share shrink. Erin shares how Wisconsin’s largest news gathering organization, the , is taking a new approach to building audiences and improving their bottom line. All of this happening at a time when the need for...
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Kent Lovern, Milwaukee County District Attorney
CONNECTIONS: The Podcast
In this episode of CONNECTIONS, incoming Rotary President and Milwaukee County District Attorney Kent Lovern joins host Tom Luljak. As a seasoned prosecutor, Kent recognizes that action in the criminal justice system should be coupled with community efforts that diminish poverty and expand economic opportunity. He celebrates the many ways that Rotary has expanded his knowledge of Milwaukee and friendships outside circle.
info_outlineOn this edition of CONNECTIONS, host Tom Luljak shines a light on the good work of fellow Rotarian Ian Abston and Michael Hostad…two of the people who are the driving force behind lighting the Daniel Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee. We’ll hear about the impact Lighting the Hoan has had on Milwaukee’s image around the world…and how it has affected the way Milwaukeans themselves feel about their home town.