March 2024 News & Updates from MTCF!

What's Inside:

- POTC Award Luncheon & Honoree

- Celebrate Trails Event in April

- Apply for a Grant by April 1st

- Thiensville Village Park Baseball Fencing

- Ozaukee Washington Land Trust

- MTCF Board Member Spotlight

- Follow us on Social Media

POTC Award Luncheon & Honoree

This year, we will be honoring

Connie Pukaite

as the 2024 Pillar of the Community

"Connie's passion for people and the environment shines through everything she does - in her professions, service to Mequon, and countless projects that have positively impacted our community and beyond. Connie truly exemplifies what it means to be a Pillar of the Community," says MTCF President Lori Lorenz.

Connie has made an indelible mark throughout the community, indeed! She served as Alderman for eight years over three different terms; as Mayor and Chair of the Planning Commission for six years; as President of the Mequon Police and Fire Commission for three years; and held numerous leadership positions for the Sunrise Rotary Club over the past 15 years. Connie was the first woman elected to a top governmental position in Ozaukee County, and was the first female member of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club when they asked her to join in the mid-1980s!

Click below to learn more about Connie's impact within our community!

CONNIE'S BIO

Our annual Pillars of the Community award recognizes a member of the Mequon-Thiensville community who has had a significant and lasting impact on making Mequon or Thiensville a great place to live and work.

The event will be held on Tuesday, June 4th, 2024 at North Shore Country Club

Registration begins at 11:00 am, lunch at 11:30 am

We hope to see you there to help us celebrate Connie Pukaite and her significant contributions to our community.

Visit our website to learn more about the event, and ticketing options, and to register!

Please RSVP by May 20th, 2024

RSVP HERE

Spring will be here before you know it, and you will want to get out on the bike trails with family and friends! 🚲

Mark your calendars for April 27, from 9 am - 1 pm to attend Mequon-Thiensville's third annual Celebrate Trails Event in the northeast corner of the Spur 16 parking lot next to the Ozaukee Interurban Trail (OIT).

The Mequon-Thiensville Community Foundation (MTCF) and MT Trails Foundation will be sponsoring the event. Come see bike vendors, dog vendors, e-bike demos, music, bike trail information, and so much more! Proceeds from the event will go towards the MT Trails Foundation’s first project - the Highland Road 1.5 mile, paved bike and pedestrian trail that will connect the Ozaukee Interurban Trail (OIT) to Mequon’s Rotary Park.

MTCF most recently partnered with the MT Trails Foundation in support of the new Highland Road trail at both the Lion’s Club tent at Applefest, and at a free shredding event hosted by Port Washington State Bank (PWSB) in Mequon, both held this past October. PWSB generously matched all donations dollar for dollar, helping to raise $720 that day!

LEARN MORE

UPCOMING EVENTS

Apply For A Grant by April 1st!

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

LEARN MORE & APPLICATION

MTCF granted $10,000 to Mequon Thiensville Little League (MTLL) last year to fully fund one of two portable, chain-link, outfield fences needed at Thiensville Village Park. MTLL uses two of the three fields at the park for their games and tournaments. Previous fencing options over the years have included temporary snow or nylon fencing, which needed to be replaced every three to five years.

As a part of the community for decades, MTLL provides an environment for its youth to have an enjoyable, safe, team-oriented, and community-based experience while learning and playing the games of baseball and softball. And, as many adult leagues utilize these fields as well, this addition to the park is a true win for the community at large.

Ozaukee Washington Land Trust (OWLT) recently completed several renovations at Donges Bay Gorge Nature Preserve, a conservation area within Mequon held by the OWLT. MTCF’s grant of $5,000 funded the kiosk and signage located at the trailhead and was part of a broader collaborative effort to enhance the visitor experience at the preserve. Additional renovations were made possible by other funding to the pool house stairs and structural posts, rerouting and enhancements to the hiking trails, installation of new boardwalks/bridges on the hiking trail, removal and treatment of invasive plant/wood species, and the excavation/reworking of the parking lot area/entry trail.

OWLT is committed to continuing its efforts in stewardship and land protection. OWLT conservation lands are located in ecologically and culturally significant places within the Milwaukee River, Menomonee River, and Lake Michigan watersheds. The environmental health of the land serves all communities within these watersheds. Maintaining these areas through science-forward stewardship continually enhances the land and our community members by supporting outdoor recreation, protecting water quality, and addressing the worst impacts of climate change.

MTCF Board Member Spotlight

Jim Ott

Jim has served as a Director since 2021. After a long career in broadcast meteorology and 14 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly where he was named Legislator of the Year multiple times by Mothers Against Drunk Driving, we are lucky to have Jim’s talents on our board. Jim served three years in the Army and is a Vietnam veteran. He has a law degree from Marquette University and is a member of the American Legion, the American Meteorological Society, and the State Bar, and serves on the Advisory Council for Interfaith Caregivers of Ozaukee County. He is also a volunteer for Stars and Stripes Honor Flight.

A Mequon resident since 1986, Jim and his wife, Carol, enjoy being part of a thriving community. Through their involvement in both the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club and Lumen Christi Catholic Church, they have made many wonderful friends over the years.

Dan Gannon

A long-time resident of Mequon, Dan Gannon joined the MTCF Board in 2022 where he currently serves as a Director. After a long career in commercial banking including positions in top management, lending management, financial management, operations, and data management, he participated in a variety of civic and City of Mequon responsibilities. He was a Mequon alderman (2006-2012), and a member of The Town Center Citizens Committee (2003-2006) and the Gateway Project Committee. In 2019 he was a member of the Mequon Thiensville School District Community Task Force focused on the renovation and upgrade of all of the District Buildings.

Dan also spent 12 years on the Board of P.A.V.E. - Parents Advocating Values in Education in the City of Milwaukee. He is a member of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club and a current member of the Economic Development Committee. Dan and his wife, Sheila, are both graduates of Marquette University and he received his MBA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Dan is a CPA and was an Army officer.