April 2013 The PlatyPress is a newsletter for members of the Platypus Circle. The Platypus Circle is composed of individuals, corporations and foundations who share our passion for supporting the Milwaukee County Zoo, conserving endangered animal species, and teaching the importance of preserving wildlife and its natural environment. The PlatyPress is published three times a year by the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM), 10005 W. Blue Mound Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53226. www.zoosociety.org
New Member Profile: Getting the Family Involved resources and risk management consulting company. Rebecca Verhagen, of Hartland, who is one of Pearson’s daughters and a mother of two, explains: “We vote with a weighted scale. You can give your highest weighted vote to your favorite non-profit. The Zoological Society is always a big vote getter.” That’s hardly surprising because the Pearsons have been taking their daughters to the Milwaukee County Zoo for as long as the girls can remember. “Rebecca and I grew up as big animal lovers,” says daughter Michelle, who lives in Cedarburg with her husband and two children. “My dad has always said that our Zoo is one of Milwaukee’s greatest assets.” Originally from West Des Moines, Iowa, Pearson – who resides in Mequon – moved to Milwaukee in 1982 to open a new office for his company. He decided to stay because Milwaukee seemed like a great place to raise a family. As his daughter Michelle attests, it wasn’t lost on him that Milwaukee has a great Zoo. “I’ve been to a number of zoos in the country and I put ours right up there among the best,” he says. Pearson’s favorite animals are big cats. “I like their combination of grace and power.” He was very excited when the Zoo’s African lions Themba and Sanura had cubs in July 2011, and he’s been “watching with interest as the jaguar cubs grow.” Pearson is a new member of the Platypus Circle, and he used one of the Platypus benefits to go on a VIP behind-the-scenes tour with Rebecca, who is partial to the Small Mammals Building. “She got a real kick out of watching a fruit bat eat grapes,” he says. “I was impressed with how much goes on behind the scenes that the public doesn’t know about.”
From left: Rick and Susan Pearson pose with daughter Rebecca and son-in-law Stephen Verhagen at last year’s annual Platypus Circle Recognition Dinner. Not shown are daughter Michelle and her husband, Eddie Sauer. Photo by Richard Brodzeller
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bout two years ago Rick Pearson started a new family tradition. On Thanksgiving Pearson and his wife, Susan – as well as their two adult daughters and their husbands – began voting on non-profit organizations to support. “I wanted to teach my children about philanthropy,” says Pearson, who established the Pearson Family Foundation for that purpose shortly after retiring from Towers Watson, a human
Pearson’s passion for the Zoo has rubbed off on his daughters. Rebecca has taken her 5-year-old and 3-year-old children to Zoological Society education classes. Michelle, who has a baby and a child nearing 2, plans to do the same. ZSM classes start at age 2. Both women have already embraced their father’s belief in the importance of philanthropy. “My grandfather was a big believer in philanthropy and he passed it on to my father,” says Michelle. “Rebecca and I hope to teach our children the same values.” That’s exactly what Pearson wants. “I hope my legacy is that our Thanksgiving tradition will continue and that as (my daughters’) kids get older, it will perpetuate.” By Zak Mazur
The Whole Holz Family Supports Philanthropy
In June 2004, the Holz family stands in front of the Holz Family Foundation Learning Zone, a visitor-education area of the Milwaukee County Zoo's Animal Health Center. From left are Dorothy and Jerry Holz; their two daughters, Barbara Holz Weis and Dr. David Weis (center), and Judy Holz Stathas and Dr. William Stathas. Jerry Holz's Holz Motors, Inc., is a longtime Platypus Circle member.
“I
think the most valuable part of the Milwaukee County Zoo is that it’s for everybody of all ages,” says Jerry Holz. “And the Zoological Society takes care of this great place.” That respect and admiration is behind the Holz family’s longtime involvement and support of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee (ZSM). The “motor” behind the Holz Family generosity is Jerome Holz, who runs the family business, Holz Motors, in Hales Corners. A respected car dealer, Holz got a significant recognition this year from the Wisconsin Automotive and Truck Dealers Association. According to the group’s magazine, Holz is the only person to be named Quality Dealer of the Year by TIME magazine and Wisconsin Dealer of the Year for three separate years: 1979, 2005 and 2013. Jerome Holz and his late wife, Dorothy, created a family ethos of giving to the community. His children – Judy and Barb – and their husbands, Dr. William Stathas and Dr. David Weis (both dentists), have extended the tradition to other family members, such as the Weis children, J.J. and Traci. Whether it’s generous financial support, attendance at ZSM fundraisers or donations of their time and talent, many Holz, Stathas and Weis family members as well as Holz Motors (which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2014) have stepped up to support the Zoo and ZSM. “Our family is usually the first to sign up each year for Zoo Ball,” says Judy Holz Stathas. She and her husband not only contribute auction items every year for Zoo Ball, which is the ZSM’s largest annual fundraiser, but in 2004 they also, along with friends, co-chaired the event (see photo). Most of the family attends, and they’re planning a big family table at the 30th anniversary Zoo Ball 2013.
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The Zoo's new Ani mal Health Center was christened Sep coats and stethosco t. 4, 2003, at a gal pes are the people a Platypus/VIP pre who helped give birt miere. Posing with Steven Fisher, Dr. Gil h to the center: (fro lab Boese and Chuck m left) Bonnie Jos Wik enh auser. Joseph was Motors, Inc., gave eph, Jerry Holz, Att the chair of the Zoo a major gift through y. log his ical fam Soc ily foundation to hel the Holz Family Fou iety Board. Holz, of p finance a hospita ndation Learning Zon Holz l visitor-education e. Fisher is a trustee sponsored the aca area that’s called of the Gretchen & demic / administrat Andrew Dawes Cha ive wing of the hos Zoo Director Wikenh ritable Trust, which pital. Dr. Boese, the auser worked togeth n-president of the er in a public-private more than $30 mil Zoological Society partnership to con lion. , and duct a capital cam paign that raised
The Zoological Society’s prestigious Emu Egg Award was presented to Jerry and Dorothy Holz of the Holz Family Foundation at the 19th Annual Platypus Awards Dinner in October 2000, at the Zoo. The Emu Egg award, a real emu egg, honors outstanding support to the Society and the Milwaukee County Zoo.
The Jerome and Dorothy Holz Family Foundation was a significant contributor to the New Zoo II campaign that remodeled more than 25% of the Zoo between 2001 and 2008. The foundation provided major support for the remodeled impala and bongo yards, the first project of the campaign. A baby impala was born three days before the Holz Family Impala Country exhibit opened in spring 2001 and was named Chevy in honor of Chevrolet cars (such as the Impala) sold by Holz Motors. Two years later, in 2003, the foundation provided support for the Animal Health Center, and created the Holz Family Foundation Learning Zone. In 2005, Judy and Bill Stathas supported three key areas in the new feline building, called the Florence Mila Borchert Big Cat Country. Those areas were the feline theater, nutritional center and children’s educational area. “Most people think of the Zoo as this place that takes care of animals – and takes care of them very well,” says Judy Holz Stathas. Yet the Zoo and ZSM are so much more, she says. The Holz Family Foundation has been a significant supporter of ZSM education programs, especially the Animal Ambassador program, which brings students to the Zoo from schools in disadvantaged neighborhoods. ZSM instructors also bring programs to those schools, and the students learn how to be ambassadors for endangered animals. Also, the foundation supports internships for
college students to assist with ZSM summer camps, which draw up to 12,000 participants annually. Judy Holz Stathas sees one of her roles as proudly promoting the Zoo and bringing in more visitors. Yet she wears many hats since she represents four separate Holz Family entities that support various projects of the ZSM. She has been on the ZSM Board since 2004, and before that was on the Associate Board for a decade. She also serves on the development committee, education committee, and research and conservation committee. She and her husband, Bill, are 21-year Platypus Circle members and have chaired numerous events, including a Platypus road rally back in 1997 (see photo). “We were involved in the road rally for nine of the ten years that it ran,” says Judy, who adds that she has made many friends through the Platypus Circle. “It’s a group of like-minded individuals who have a love for the Zoo, and often we find there are other interests we share.” In November 2000, Jerome and Dorothy Holz received the ZSM’s most prestigious award, the Emu Egg, for their outstanding commitment to the ZSM and the Zoo. Ten years later, Judy Holz Stathas was presented with the same award for her exceptional commitment. And this
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The co-chairs of the 2004 Hula Zoola Zoo Ball, sponsored by American Airlines, were (from left) David and Paula Strelitz of New Berlin, David and Susan Batten of Pewaukee, and Dr. William and Judy Holz Stathas of Muskego. David Strelitz, David Batten and Judy Holz Stathas all have been active on the Zoological Society Associate Board.
Judy Holz Stathas, of New Berlin, received the Emu Egg award in 2010, 10 years after her parents received the award.
September, we will be recognizing Holz Motors for the company’s 25-year commitment as a Platypus Circle member. “We do it because we love kids, we have made a commitment to animals, and we can come visit the projects and animals that we donate to,” says Judy Holz Stathas. “The Zoological Society is one of the few organizations where you can see your dollars at work, no matter what giving level you’re at. Plus, I always have fun here.” Dr. Robert Davis, president and CEO of the Zoological Society, says, “We are truly thankful for all the contributions that this family, its foundation and its business have made to the Zoo and the Zoological Society over the decades.”
Bill and Judy Sta
thas chaired the
1997 Platypus roa
d rally fundraiser.
NEW PLATYPUS CIRCLE MEMBERS Deanna Braeger Sabrina Mia Bryant Great-West Life & Annuity Insurance Company
NEW 25-YEAR PLATYPUS MILESTONE MEMBERS CG Schmidt, Inc. Fruit Ranch Gifts Harley-Davidson Motor Company Holz Motors, Inc. Kalmbach Publishing Co. Karen P. & Alan J. Katz Koss Foundation Jodi Peck & Les Weil
Hatco Erin Hochschild Home Depot - Mukwonago Patricia Hutter Johnson Controls, Inc. Thomas & Ann Kamasky Patrick & Christine Keyes Mark Lowry Randall & Denyse Malone Menasha Corporation Foundation Molina Healthcare of Wisconsin Harold & Tamara Redman Strattec Security Corporation
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MEMORIALS
Remembering Their Passion
Carl Gosewehr
Carl L. Gosewehr, who died Nov. 24, 2012, was an early member of the Zoological Society’s 31-year-old Platypus Circle. And he was very clear about why he was a long-time donor. “The Zoo is not only entertaining, but it’s also educational,” he said for a 2009 Platy Press story. “Then there are all of these programs that the Zoological Society continues to add to teach people about animals and the environment. The [Milwaukee County] Zoo and the Zoological Society have so many virtues, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t put them up high on their list to support.” When Gosewehr was president and chief executive officer of Oilgear Company and also president of Oilgear Ferris Foundation, he made sure that the foundation supported the Zoo as a Platypus member. And when he retired in 1996, he switched his Platypus corporate membership to a family membership. He also increased his personal support and, in 2002, made a very generous donation to the New Zoo II capital campaign. He and his late wife, Ruth, gave the major gift to remodel the Zoo’s old Monkey Island and build a new facility for the Japanese macaques. “We both enjoyed kids, and we knew that kids would enjoy the monkeys,” said Carl. When he remarried, he and his wife, Karen, continued as Platypus members and attended many Platypus events. The family asked that any memorial donations be made either to food pantries (Carl volunteered at one) or to the Zoological Society of Milwaukee.
Photo: Carl and Karen Gosewehr at Macaque Island.
Verne Read
When Verne R. Read, who died Nov. 25, 2012, was told he had up to 4,000 little brown bats living in a wall of his Oconomowoc Lake home, he didn’t call the exterminator. Instead, Read – who was born in 1922 in Hudson, Ohio – built bat houses for them on his property. The incident sparked an interest in bats both in Read and his wife, Marion. In 1982 Read and Merlin Tuttle, who was the Milwaukee Public Museum’s curator of mammals, established Bat Conservation International. The two traveled to remote regions to study bats. The Reads’ passion for bats and nature was reflected in their long-time support of the Zoological Society of Milwaukee. Marion has been a member for more than 70 years, and her parents were also members.
Verne and Marion both were also 15-year members of the Platypus Circle. Trekking through the rainforests and jungles of Thailand, Samoa and South America in search of bats came naturally for Read, an avid mountain climber thanks to Marion’s climbing passion. “He married this adventurous woman, and he joined in fully,” said daughter Alice Read in a newspaper article. “It became a passion for both of them.” Read, who was a managing member of Wisconsin Securities Partners LLC and a retired chairman and president of T.A. Chapman Co., went on to play an instrumental role in establishing the National Park of Samoa to protect bats. In 1989 he received the Chevron Conservation Award for his efforts.
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Zoological Society of Milwaukee County Development Department 10005 W. Blue Mound Road Milwaukee, WI 53226 (414) 258-2333 Please remember the Zoological Society in your will or estate plan.
DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Dave Strelitz (Committee Chair) Thom Brown Dr. Robert Davis Mary Ellen Enea Karen Peck Katz Maria Gonzalez Knavel Jack McKeithan Deborah Musante Jill Pelisek Thelma Sias Ryan Schultz Tricia Shinners Judy Holz Stathas Jane Bush Wierzba DEVELOPMENT STAFF Karen Von Rueden, Vice President of Development Kim Peterson, Senior Development Officer Georgia Young, Development Coordinator Averia Steinman, Grant Administrator NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS Paula Brookmire, editor Zak Mazur, writer Richard Brodzeller, Photographer (unless otherwise noted)
On the Web For back issues of PlatyPress dating to September 2006, go to www.zoosociety.org/pubs/platypress.
EVENT CALENDAR May 23 VIP premiere of the Milwaukee County Zoo’s special summer exhibit, Sting Ray & Shark Bay, sponsored by Sendik’s Food Markets; invitations will be mailed. June 22 30th anniversary Zoo Ball evening fundraiser* July 9 Platypus Circle Family Picnic at the Zoo; invitations will be mailed.
July 29 Birdies & Eagles Golf Tournament, sponsored by Fiduciary Management, Inc.* August 8 Annual President’s Level event, David Barnett Gallery; invitations will be mailed. September 17 Platypus Circle Recognition Dinner October 17 Simba Circle Recognition Dinner
*For more information, call (414) 258-2333 or go online at www.zoosociety.org. printed on recycled paper
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