Milwaukee’s longstanding Club is riding a wave of exciting changes that blend innovation with tradition. See why even at 140 years old, The MAC is proving it’s the city’s best in class.
From 1977 to 2022, James was a MAC Valet and Greeter. But to Members, he was so much more. With his everyday upbeat attitude coupled with his signature smile, James exuded the type of positivity we should all hope to emulate. He was nothing short of a legend at The Club and will be sorely missed.
-James “Jimmy” Jackson
“Make the best day out of it no matter what’s going on. I try to come in here and do that. I’d rather stay happy!”
11Stingl, Jim. “Club’s parking valet brings a human touch to the job he has loved for 40 years.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, June 23, 2017.
05
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Dave Mesick offers his executive perspective on today’s Club.
06-07
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Meet The MAC Board of Directors.
08-10
A BRIEF HISTORY
Do you know the story of the early days of The MAC?
14-16
A FAMILY ADVENTURE
The Burkwalds share past Club stories and their future outlook.
17
STAFF SPOTLIGHT
Learn about Membership & Events Coordinator, Sidney Stutzman-Hatchett.
20-25
PEOPLE & EVENTS
Catch up on just some of the great Club happenings so far!
26 & 27
A CHEF’S JOURNEY
Learn more about Chef Tom McGinty and his culinary travels.
28 & 29
ATHLETICS UPGRADES
New machines, trainers, programs – there’s a lot to get excited about.
30
STAFF PERSPECTIVE
Brad Schendel offers insight into maximizing your Club experience.
32 & 33
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Start saving the dates for great events throughout the year.
34 & 35
LOOKING FORWARD
The MAC is ripe with not only renovations but also renewed optimism.
08-10 14-16
17
20-25
28 & 29
Welcome to a Special Edition of Club Life! Amid the flurry of excitement at The MAC, it seems only fitting our Members receive something a little special to look over that highlights just some of the great things about our Club.
While I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on the past of The MAC, I now find myself with renewed optimism and thankfulness as I look forward through the windshield. Isn’t it amazing where we are? I see nothing but bright possibilities for The MAC.
Not long ago, the team and I set a vision where The MAC Board would be as diverse and talented as both the City of Milwaukee and our great Membership. With that said, I’m pleased to take this opportunity to share the faces of the new Board going forward. Each Board Member was chosen for their unique perspectives, their undeniable talents, and their shared commitment to making The MAC simply best in class.
I thank you for your Membership. You are truly what has always made The MAC special. I hope you are as excited as I am for our new Board. And I hope you enjoy the pages to come as much as we had putting them together!
DAVE MESICK PRESIDENT, MILWAUKEE FORGEDave serves as the President for Milwaukee Forge, which operates in nearly every forging market out there with the exception of automotive and aerospace, producing forgings in the construction, agriculture, oil and gas, highway, defense, industrial power, racing, recreational vehicles, solar, forestry, medical, rail and mining markets. The company continues to focus on markets with growth opportunities to diversify even further.
Moving into the merger of Wisconsin and Illinois’s largest health systems, Erickajoy assumed the role of Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. She is responsible for designing and driving enterprise diversity, community equity and workplace inclusion strategies for the ninth largest healthcare system in the country, and creatively exploring ways for all to live well, as we transform healthcare.
Laura is an accomplished leader with over 15 years of experience in directing a sales organization including customer, team, and business development management. She established a record of success in leading high-performance, cross-functional teams that develop and deliver projects focused on growing revenue and increasing value to the customer and the Corporation. Laura excels in employee development, new product introduction and deployment/operational issues. As a strategic thinker and decision maker she drives sustainable growth and has developed teams under rapidly changing business environments. She is a persuasive communicator who is adept at developing and influencing relationships with colleagues, customers, and teams at all levels.
A Milwaukee native and marketing enthusiast, Lauren brings more than 20 years of regional and global marketing and communications experience to the Board and the Club. With a rich background working in various industries and roles, her skills span widely over corporate, talent brand and digital marketing, sales, business development, and customer retention. A lifelong athlete and retired professional dancer, she also Chairs the Athletic Committee. Lauren and her husband, Regan Hindman, joined The MAC in 2013 and have been active participants in many athletic and social events ever since. “My favorite memories include nights at The MAC, our wedding shower on the rooftop, listening to the piano in the Elephant Room, Breakfasts with Santa, and the Badger and Packer shuttle buses to Camp Randall and Lambeau!”
Drew focuses his attention on consulting small business owners to offer and maintain attractive retirement plan benefits to recruit, retain and reward their valued employees.
PAUL BENSON TRIAL LAWYER AND PARTNER, MICHAEL BEST & FRIEDRICH LLP
Paul is a trial lawyer and partner with Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Milwaukee. In his 30-plus years at Michael Best, Paul has handled litigation in state and federal courts across the country, specializing in product liability defense, toxic tort defense, class action defense, multi-district litigation defense, and other complex commercial cases. Paul is particularly well known for his work in the class action, mass tort, and food and beverage sectors, where he is a nationally and locally recognized speaker and thought leader on product liability issues and regulatory trends. In addition to his 15-plus years as a member of The Milwaukee Athletic Club, Paul is active in a number of community-based organizations. He currently serves as the President of the Milwaukee Bar Association Foundation, a member of the Leadership Council and acting Legal Counsel to Food & Beverage Wisconsin, and is a Council Member and acting Legal Counsel to Fox Point Lutheran Church.
Hans helps Visionary CEOs discover what they really want from their business and then help them get there faster. He provides Fractional COO/Fractional Integrator services using the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS®) as the operating platform. His prior executive-level experience is broad across industries in sales, business development, finance and operational roles.
PRESIDENT
& CEO, GRAEF-USA, INC.
John Kissinger offers more than 25 years of extensive experience in contributing to Milwaukee’s most notable developments and attractions. John Kissinger earned his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1979 and his Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1983. He joined GRAEF in 1984 as a structural engineer in the firm’s Milwaukee office. Since that time, he has held positions of increasing responsibility including project engineer, project manager, principal, vice-president, regional manager, and COO. In January 2012, John was named president and CEO. He has also served on the GRAEF Board of Directors since 2002.
Johanna is the co-founder of Young Milwaukee and served as Chairperson for the Davey Nelson Celebrity Golf Tournament for a decade as one of the area’s largest non-profit events. She is a strong collaborator and advocate for Milwaukee and its future.
he MAC may have officially begun in 1882, but three Milwaukee businessmen had the idea for “an athletic club for Milwaukee” in 1878 during their routine lunch in the old Mack building on East Water. Henry R. King, Charles W. Norris, and John M. W. Pratt took their inspired idea and coordinated more than three hundred men and women to meet at Boyton Hall on the corner of Milwaukee and Mason and
started what was then called the “Milwaukee Athletic Society.”
As enthusiasm and membership grew, the group migrated to nine different buildings around the city. In 1878 during the first meeting, newly elected President King boldly stated, “The organization is destined to be one the greatest bodies in the City of Milwaukee.”
The Club was later incorporated on Sept.18, 1882, under revised Wisconsin statutes with the expressed purpose of “...Development of the bodily powers through gymnastics and other exercises.” The name was changed to The Milwaukee Athletic Club on January 19, 1898.
For decades, The MAC fielded teams in multiple sports that competed in exhibitions across the state
and Midwest. In 1904, Olympic Games Chairman (and MAC administer)
Walter H. Ligigner sent a team to the Olympics, including George Poage. Poage took home bronze medals in both the 200and 400-meter hurdles, and became the first African American to medal in Olympic history.
Later in the 1920s, The MAC even fielded a team to scrimmage against Curly Lambeau’s
Green Bay Packers. Ground broke on today’s location on Broadway in May of 1916 despite the scarcity of experienced labor and fundraising challenges due to World War I. The total investment in land, building and equipment was over two million dollars at the time (that’s about 33 million in today’s dollars).
The Club had nine temporary locations before finally settling
into its current home on Broadway in 1917, during which the Clubhouse was designed by local architect Armand Koch in a Neoclassical style over a steel skeleton and constructed by the Dahlman Construction Company.
• Annual payroll was $300,000 for 300 employees
• Operating costs were $26 per day
• Over 1,000 meals were served every day
• There were eight bowling alleys
• 200 Members used the pools daily The Club magazine was called “The Candle”
Improve or maintain your game no matter what time of year in our Virtual Golf Suites. Enjoy the immersive experience with two simulator hitting bays, a putting green, and social gathering areas.
• Seasonal Leagues
• Winter Club Storage
• Coaching Programs
For questions or to enroll in a program or service, email MACGolf @ TheMACWI.com
Meet others with the same interests. Create your own club. With so many options, there’s no excuse not to get involved.
Share your love of boating with other Members as we coordinate fun adventures in the area. Don’t have a boat? Rent our Club pontoon!
Get recommendations for your next great read or just enjoy lively conversations with diverse opinions about the most talked-about books of the day.
Join your fellow cigar lovers for cocktails, dinner and a signature stogie on the Rooftop Terrace.
This one’s for the professional seeking to network with other area professionals. With The MAC’s diverse, growing community, there are some great business relationships to make.
Join other families for MAC Kids programming including swim lessons, junior golf, father/ daughter dance traditions, special occasion pool parties, movie nights, and more.
Pop over to the nearby beach areas for some volleyball, Spikeball, or just to enjoy some time in the sand with friends.
Get special access at the area’s top courses or take on Members in the Club’s state-of-the-art simulators while perfecting your game.
Great clubs have a great sense of community. We are serious about making Milwaukee special, and you can give back to the City through service, mentoring, charity work, and more.
Enjoy curated tasting experiences at hosted events that include special releases and unique bottles from around the world.
Take your passion for wine to the next level as we sniff, swirl, and sip preferred selections and explore the history of each bottle.
Make MAC history by starting a new Affinity Club. ?
Enjoy the camaraderie of a Members-only experience with views of Milwaukee unlike anywhere else in the city. Featuring upscale New American cuisine, The Roof serves weekly breakfast, lunch and dinner with a la carte brunch on the weekends.
Let’s pretend for a moment that you’re starting a new business. You’re looking to meet like-minded people, network, and hopefully make friends in the process. How would you achieve those goals?
If you ask Dan Burkwald, you should probably join the Milwaukee Athletic Club. It worked for him.
Longstanding Member Dan, daughter Lizzy, and new son-in-law, Leo, recently shared how they got started at The MAC and what it’s meant, not only for their respective businesses, but also for their tight-knit family.
When he started his life insurance business in 1978, his mentor and former Club Member, Bob Wagner, had some advice for Dan on how to jumpstart the business.
“You could either do business with people of the YMCA or you could do business with people of the Milwaukee Athletic Club,” Dan recounted. His only hang-up was that as just a 23-year-old, Dan didn’t have a lot of money. “It’ll be the best investment you ever make,” Bob told him.
It’s fair to say Bob was right on the money. Now, over 40 years later, Dan is still going strong as a Club Member and so are the variety of his ventures and advisory roles at Burkwald & Associates, which now includes talent acquisition and commercial real estate (among others).
Recently, Dan’s been able to weave his growing family into Burkwald & Associates with The MAC serving as one of the tying threads to those experiences. Like Dan, recently wed Lizzy and Leo Osma have passions for their own businesses and found the advice her father once received to be as true today as ever. They joined the Club on January 1, 2022, and have gotten a great head start into the network, social, and business aspects of The Club.
Lizzy recently achieved her Kickstarter funding goals for her invention Beekeepr, a unique on-the-go wipes dispenser with a built-in storage compartment for those pesky used wipes. As she and Dad navigate distribution and develop more products, through her business, Bee by Lizzy B., Lizzy also seems to be embracing The MAC culture she once knew.
Back when she was little, the Burkwalds towed Lizzy along to MAC events like the Father-Daughter dance. “I still remember them. Running up and down the old stairs and being there with my friends. It was special,” Lizzy said. They estimate they attended five of those dances alone in the 1990’s as well as other events. There was one Christmas party where, according to Dan, a photographer “somehow got Lizzy to sit still long enough to get a picture.” Dan and wife Kim were pleasantly surprised and appreciative to see that picture of Lizzy on the cover of Club Life Magazine.
With those childhood memories still so dear to her, Lizzy was already familiar with The MAC and it was the recent renovations that really got her excited about rejoining. From the new floor plans to the workout facilities (that Lizzy now uses all the time) to The Roof, both Lizzy and Leo fell in love with The Club. “We’ve got to join,” they agreed.
They also saw a great opportunity for Leo to utilize the coworking space and networking possibilities for Apexluxe, his company that offers a variety of luxury logistics, including private jet charters. On any given day, you might find Leo having lunch, working on Apexluxe in the Lounge or even managing Burkim, Dan’s aviation company, which leases his Cessna Citation III across the country. Leo is also an active member of the MAC’s Development Committee and he’s using his firsthand knowledge to inform prospective professionals and families how The Club can be tailored to them.
“(The MAC) puts all those people in different life stages together under one roof and you don’t find that anywhere else … It creates that traffic that
forms into business relationships or even better, into friendships,” he said. “Being able to share that with others is very important.”
For Dan to see his daughter and new son-in-law on similar paths as when he started at The MAC has been extra special. He values all those MAC lunches with his wife when they both worked downtown, all the events he’s been a part of, and all the relationships he’s formed over the years thanks in part to The Club.
“It’s like the looking glass,” he said. “Looking back at how you got started, how you made things happen, and that’s what they’re doing now. It’s fun to see.”
“My dad started out there when he was starting his business and really establishing his family and now Leo and I are doing the same thing and we really love the aspect of community,” Lizzy concurred.
From startups to saying “I do,” it’s clear the Burkwalds’ love of entrepreneurship, family, and spending time together has a special place at The MAC.
It will be interesting to see whether Lizzy’s younger brother Harrison, a senior at Iowa State University who is interning in downtown Milwaukee, will follow in their footsteps. But that’s another story
“Looking back at how you got started, how you made things happen, and that’s what they’re doing now. It’s fun to see.”
All those great newsletters and social media posts you see? That’s Sidney’s work coming to life. Sidney is the Club’s social media guru on top of helping coordinate The MAC’s legendary events, like she did for the April 9th Gala.
Sidney’s journey to The MAC was heavily influenced by her mother, who worked as an event coordinator for Madison’s YWCA when she was Sidney’s age and has since been involved with nonprofits her whole life. In turn, Sidney has helped out with hundreds of events before coming to The MAC. Most recently with the Salvation Army’s Dinner in the Alley in conjunction with the young
professional group, Echelon Milwaukee, of which she is a member.
As a Milwaukee native, Sidney can’t help but appreciate the Club’s connection with the city.
“I love the ties to Milwaukee. My favorite thing about The MAC is the amazing history and updates in this building. Each time I come to work, something unique has been added or changed.”
When she’s not at work, you can look for Sidney roller skating around the Hoan Bridge. You might even catch a glimpse of her in ads for Target, Kohl’s or making modeling appearances in the metro area and beyond.
Order a single massage or save with a 5-pack. For full hours, more information, or booking, log into the Member website section of TheMACWI.com.
GAMES • HIGH-SPEED WI-FI • QUICK EATS • OPEN 5AM-9PM
The MAC is so fortunate to have such an active, diverse Membership. Whether it’s epic parties, social events, or just the fun happenings of the day, The Club is the best in the area because of vibrant Members like you and our amazing staff striving to deliver excellence at every turn.
Executive Chef
TOM McGINTY
“Food is so inherent to travel, and travel absolutely inspires me, giving me the opportunity to be creative,” Executive Chef Tom McGinty said with a smile.
After smoking salmon on the Eastern shore of Russia and jumping from a helicopter onto a volcano … After studying the art of sushi with a noted Japanese master … After collaborating with Chinese chefs while spending a month in Beijing filming an infomercial …
We’re confident Chef McGinty has inspiration galore.
Throughout the course of his 25+ year career, most of McGinty’s travels have been food-related. He’s stored those memories in a sort of culinary library – ideal reference material for a series of international dinners he is planning for the new Milwaukee Athletic Club’s restaurant space.
all these experiences, and I hope the Members leave with their own food memories.”
Chef McGinty plans to take Members on a culinary tour of the globe with coursed menus paired with wines and crafted cocktails coming from The Club’s own master mixologists. And he is excited about the opportunity to introduce ingredients that are genuine to the culture while bringing approachable, yet elevated, dining to the space.
“The vision is to create an experience that our Members talk about, have confidence in,” he explained. “I want to build a curiosity about what comes next from our kitchen.”
McGinty’s wife, Kristen, shares his passion for food and travel. Also a chef by trade, she is a noted sake sommelier. Together they would travel to Japan where she competed
One of his favorite food memories included a month of dining throughout Beijing while filming an infomercial on grapefruits for the Florida Department of Agriculture.
“I would be cooking dishes with these chefs in all these kitchens which was really amazing, seeing the way they operate is amazing. But it also exposed me to back-ofhouse areas, which I don’t think a lot of people get access to in China, so that was a really unique experience.”
McGinty has spent time as a traveler throughout Europe, South America, Italy and the Caribbean where his food journey directed his own culinary style. “I thought Germany was some of the best food I’ve ever had anywhere,” said McGinty. “I look forward to sharing
against other sake sommeliers from around the world. In 2006 she was named U.S. champion.
“We both love to travel. We honeymooned in Australia so we traveled up and down the coast and went to wine country in Australia,” said McGinty.
But about that Russian volcano, Chef? “Yeah, that was fun, that was crazy,” he chuckled, keeping the details to himself.
“I’ve taken so much from the places I’ve been, the food I’ve experienced, and I’m excited to bring that back to the Members of The Milwaukee Athletic Club.”
“I’ve taken so much from the places I’ve been, the food I’ve experienced, and I’m excited to bring that back to the Members of The Milwaukee Athletic Club.”
A popular Apple commercial not long ago teased the seemingly infinite possible number of apps for whatever your interests are. When you look at The MAC’s completely reimagined Athletics offerings, it’s easy to draw comparisons to personalizing for Members’ fitness tastes.
Like to swim? The MAC has that. Prefer golf? The MAC has that. Into Pilates, basketball or pickleball? The MAC has that, too. Just want to get back in shape? You get the idea.
But what separates MAC Athletics from other area clubs isn’t just the volume of possibilities; it’s the professional quality of the experiences that makes it best-in-class. A wide range of premier products and spaces paired with passionate, world-class staff have elevated MAC Athletics to a fitnesslover’s paradise.
Be sure to use the brandnew Precor workout machines or try on the Normatec boots from Hyperice that use hightech compression therapy to increase circulation and help maintain a full range of motion. You can play dozens of international PGA courses in our golf simulator or swim in our 20-meter salt water pool before escaping to a recovery massage from our certified massage therapist.
Twenty-five feet of turf also provides a unique experience of functional movement to your workout while new Rooftop group exercises allow you to enjoy the fresh air and the
Club’s epic city views at the same time. And with Kids Fit Club, your entire family is assured great fitness possibilities.
Director of Athletics Klae Scott brings his 20+ years of world-class fitness expertise to the Club and along with his positive energy, leads an exceptional staff who knows how to help you achieve your goals.
“We are here to help Members incorporate some kind of fitness
activity. Some need a push, others need organization. This team was developed to help individuals to become a better version of themselves and give them an education that’ll set them up for a lifelong course of wellness,”he said.
Whether you’re a weekend warrior or seeking to truly maximize your fitness potential, there’s no excuse not to get moving!
We understand Members love bringing children with them to The MAC but also enjoy some time to themselves. Our Kids Club provides short-term care for your child so you can focus on your personal health and wellness. Kids will enjoy a variety of games, toys, arts and crafts with our longstanding caregiver, Wanda.
Anyone who’s been a Member in the last 45 years knows Brad. Since 1977, Brad has been the model leader for renowned service, organization, and strategy as Director of Member Services. He coordinates trips, the concerts, and guest speakers. And yet he still makes time to do the little things that sometimes fly under the radar (like all MAC staff) to make The Club best-in-class.
Amongst the wealth of Club knowledge he has, Brad knows a thing or two about how Members can get the most out of their Club experience. According to Brad, Members should use everything your Club has to offer. From business to athletics to social, you have access to top-of-the-line facilities and programming. And when you network with your fellow Members, you can develop those business opportunities that truly separate The MAC from other clubs in the area.
That’s sage advice from someone who’s seen just about everything at The Club. And if you’re wondering how The MAC got lucky enough to have such a great leader and friend, you can thank his dad.
As a Milwaukee police detective, Brad’s dad was once called to The MAC for a stolen coat case. When talking to The Club manager at the time, Detective Schendel mentioned he had a kid looking for work. The next day, Brad came in, filled out an application and immediately began working at The MAC without knowing any of the details of the job.
What job did Brad give up to come to The MAC? He was a bike parker at Summerfest.
Wednesday 4pm-10pm
Thursday 4pm-10pm
Friday 4pm-11pm
Saturday 4pm-11pm
WHAT WHEN
Cigar Club Every first Tuesday
Book Club Every first Wednesday
MAC Gives Back Monthly
Business Roundtable Meetings 5 or 6 monthly October-March
EMHAC Breakfast Monthly
Sports/Event Tickets Potential pre-events
Golf Outings Monthly/Summer
Group Hunts Spring
Wine/Spirits Tastings and Dinners Monthly
Spirits Club Tastings Monthly
Business Speakers Quarterly
Book Authors When available
Live Music Check website
Wine Club Tastings and Dinners Monthly
SUMMER EVENTS (JUNE-AUGUST)
• Coffee & Cocktail Cruises on The MAC Pontoon
• Summer Music Series
• Spikeball and Volleyball at Bradford Beach
• Father’s Day Brunch
• Big Bang Fireworks
• 3rd of July Fireworks
• Air & Water Show
• Fashion Show
FALL EVENTS (SEPTEMBERNOVEMBER)
• Boxing Night
• Oktoberfest
• Business Roundtables
• Halloween Hullabaloo
• Ladies’ Holiday Boutique
• Pickleball League
SPRING EVENTS (MARCH-MAY)
• Boxing Night
• Trivia League
• Millwaukee Scavenger Hunt
• Easter Brunch
• Father Daughter Dance
• Mother’s Day Brunch
• Kentucky Derby
• Annual Gala
WINTER EVENTS (DECEMBERFEBRUARY)
• Santa Brunch
• Cookie Decorating
• MAC Women Holiday Party
• New Year’s Eve Party
• Princess and Superhero Party
• Galentine’s
• Golf League
A newly renovated building. Membership doubled in one year. A new team supporting our Members. Members have a lot to be excited about today. But according to Milwaukee Athletic Club President Dave Mesick and Chief Operating Officer Joe Kurth, part of the appreciation of the current state of The Club comes from also recognizing the recent journey of how we got here.
Think back a little to where The MAC was not long ago.
A 2008 recession followed by declining Membership. Deferred maintenance and financial struggles. A Board working tirelessly on options for a future that was fading. For a while, there was simply no sugar-coating it—The MAC had fallen on hard times.
Something had to be done. Something big. Something a quick fix here and there just wouldn’t solve. That’s why in 2017 the Board started working with developers to recreate The MAC as a hotel model with one exclusive Member floor. The Club closed in December of 2018 to undergo a complete renovation with the Board creating a short-term interim mini clubhouse along the Milwaukee River.
But there’s nothing like a worldwide pandemic to stop us all in our tracks. If you had asked Board Members and the developers at the time, The MAC seemed dead in the water. The weight of prior Club debt seemed insurmountable. The outside support from a national hospitality partner was gone. The options to franchise Club support from traditional industry firms did not fit the bill.
The Membership experience came clearly into focus as the priority. A new, creative approach was needed to help tackle the seemingly impossible. A vision for self-operation came into view. A national leadership search began in December 2020. Enter Joe Kurth. From Kohler’s American Club to Milwaukee’s nearby Pfister Hotel to Notre Dame, Kurth has a wealth of experience with some of the best organizations in the industry. He was fresh off leading a $50 million reimagining of Notre Dame’s campus-centered hotel, even helping them earn the nation’s top honors for service from TripAdvisor along the way.
Despite the obvious challenges with The MAC, Kurth was eager to come aboard. “The opportunity to build and create has always been exciting in my career,” he said. “To bring that energy partnering with an experienced development team, the Members of The MAC and existing team members of The MAC along with a $65 million project in a building as storied as the Milwaukee Athletic Club is a tremendous, once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity.”
Led by a combined vision from hand-picked developers Josh Jeffers and Tony Janowiec, then Board President David Kriete, his soon to be successor Dave Mesick, and Kurth doubled down on creating a Club with a true Membership focus. They also worked with the full MAC Board and the financing group to reimagine it in a way totally new to Membership and just as importantly, a way that didn’t involve Member capital assessments.
“I’m not aware of anyone else in the nation that has been able to recreate their Club without having a major assessment to its Membership,” Mesick said with regard to MAC Membership. “In addition, the rock-solid foundation of our Legacy Members that stayed with us through the renovation and the unprecedented pandemic allowed us to clear the slate to be able to see a path forward.”
After everyone involved came together in the summer of 2020 to reimagine a plan without a hotel at the center of the vision, construction of The New MAC restarted in November of 2020. One private Club Member floor turned into six private floors. Rather than thousands of hotel guests each year, fifty apartment residents would share the building. The goal remained of being able to move back into the Broadway location by the end of 2021.
The fact that so many Members chose to stick with The MAC at a temporary location during a pandemic isn’t lost on Mesick. “In a word, I’m grateful,” said Mesick. “We felt like we did everything we could in the situation and it was incredibly inspiring to see new, diverse bonds being formed that may not have otherwise happened,” he added.
To those Legacy Members who persevered, the wait was worth the journey. Three years and $65 million later,
The MAC is back on Broadway with a new facility, a focus on inclusion, and an eager determination to make it Best in Class. According to Kurth, however, The MAC reopened in 2022 starting off just as “good.” Supply chain constraints, post-pandemic staffing and other challenges were very real. He and Mesick both know it will take a lot of work to get there, and here’s where someone like Erickajoy Daniels can help.
In June of 2022, Daniels joined the Board and was appointed as The MAC’s Vice President. She has a complementary vision to elevate The Club’s identity and impact to the new high bar. On top of her fearless optimism, she possesses a wealth of knowledge in organizational development, having held a variety of leadership roles including her current one at Advocate Aurora Health. In short, she’s a builder of culture through people. “I remain so excited for the opportunity to help discover and advance the power of the people, energy and innovation in this historic Club. We have a growing Membership, but no matter how big we get, that solid foundation of purposeful relationship among a community of influence such as us, is key to ensuring our culture is as vibrant as our wonderful building and city,” she said.
“One of our key pillars that we have seen over this past year is tremendous growth of Members from all backgrounds. There is an energy and authentic feeling of inclusion and belonging for the hundreds of Legacy Members and hundreds of newly joined families. In addition, we have brought together a leadership team and a group of managers who understand the difference between starting good, getting better and what it will take to become the best,” Kurth said.
Mesick is equally excited, but also realistic about the future of The MAC. “I’m not sure anyone had an aspiration to make the Club best-in-class. By setting a new standard of service, having Membership and a Board that reflects the city’s diversity where all feel welcome, we can get there. Our Members deserve it. Milwaukee deserves it,” he said.
The MAC’s thirteen floors of top-to-bottom renovations are open and currently serving over 1000 Member families. Members have exclusive access to six floors, priority for The MAC’s beautiful event spaces, apartments and offices, and other services. But the message of aspiring to be more than a facility is very clear.
“The magic of a private Club is the connection and partnerships of its Members,” Mesick said. “I have enjoyed my Membership for decades at the MAC as my family and my MAC family have grown. I’ve danced with my daughters in the Father/Daughter Dance for years, and look forward to doing the same with my granddaughters for years to come. This isn’t a Club where we just stay inside our four walls in Milwaukee. This is a Club where we use the MAC
as our downtown hub to experience and impact Milwaukee. I feel extremely fortunate to be the Board President during this reopening transition and truly believe we already have an experience for our Members even better than we imagined in the planning sessions of early 2018 … and we’re only getting started!”
Mesick and Daniels have recently partnered with The MAC Board on an aggressive strategic planning process outlining the future for MAC Membership. With respect for its 140 years of history along with the growth already experienced, the future of the Club is bright. With Membership already doubled in the initial year since reopening, the MAC has been rebuilt on a strong physical foundation with a solid financial base and a world class operations team. The future of The MAC is clearly in good hands.
Mesick, Daniels and The MAC Board shared their vision: “We’re here to not only make The MAC a better place but to also make Milwaukee a better place for the next 140 years and beyond.”
