1. What is the number one challenge facing Wisconsin today and why?
Investing in the next generation by equipping them with the skills they need to thrive in the Wisconsin workforce and innovate in ways that promote a strong Wisconsin economy. This challenge is especially pertinent when it comes to children and young adults who don’t have access to the resources and education that help them flourish, and those who grow up in cycles of generational poverty and trauma.
2. Best Wisconsin vacation destination?
Door County! I’ve been going up to Door County every summer since I was a young child and my family’s connection there dates back to my grandmother’s childhood when her family (who immigrated from Norway) spent time there because of its Scandinavian roots. There is so much that we love about it and it’s been wonderful to bring our kids up there these past 6 years and to enjoy the time with 4 generations all together.
3. What thinker or writer has had the biggest influence on you? And why?
N.T. Wright, an Anglican bishop and New Testament scholar. His writings (and podcast) have opened my eyes to a deeper understanding of the Christian faith as the story of a God who made every person in his image, conferred them with God-given dignity, and who loves and pursues them and calls them to a life of wholeness. He paints a picture of a God who is on mission to redeem, renew, and restore all of the brokenness, pain, and injustice in the world.