Campus Connection

CBA alums, mayors collaborate to drive county-wide progress

Mayors Tim Kabat and Joe Chilsen, both UW-La Crosse College of Business Administration alums and instructors, are bringing growth and development to their city’s skylines and waterfronts — thanks in large part to their ability to collaborate. They’ve worked not only with each other, but also alongside other city governments, businesses and non-profits to build consensus on tough issues and make better use of city resources. Kabat, La Crosse mayor, says he first realized the importance of collaboration in UWL classes. There, the business major refined his process for asking questions, actively listening and trying to see both sides of issues. Similarly, in the MBA program, Onalaska Mayor Chilsen learned how collaboration was an important means to pursue big-picture ideas. “Before I came to UWL, I was always good at making money, but what the MBA program showed me was how to look at issues with a more strategic view — at the 32,000-foot level,” explains Chilsen. “That’s where all this collaboration comes in.” [caption id="attachment_47126" align="aligncenter" width="685"] La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat, ’88, earned an undergraduate degree in business administration. He teaches business research and communication at UWL. He has also taught microeconomics and public policy.[/caption] Creating a county-wide tourism hub Tourism has become an increasingly important source of income and employment for both cities. La Crosse County recently was listed among the top 10 Wisconsin counties in the state for its total tourism impact, moving from No. 12 in 2014 to No. 9 in 2015. Chilsen and Kabat have taken a collaborative and strategic look at their city’s tourism efforts and realized they could do it better together. They got the wheels rolling on the collaborative, county-wide work that led to the creation of the La Crosse County Convention and Visitors Bureau in early 2016. The entity merges all of the tourism agencies in the county into one regional tourism hub, ultimately saving taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars and more effectively promoting tourism of the region. “We rely on tourism and recreation for a significant part of our economy, so having a regional group that can pool resources and effectively promote the La Crosse area will be very important,” says Kabat. Each municipality has its own strength and weaknesses, explains Chilsen, so they can accomplish more by leaning on one another. In Onalaska, the county-wide bureau has saved the city at least a quarter million dollars a year while giving it better marketing, says Chilsen. That’s allowed the city to spend more money on other projects, such as the development of its waterfront property. Likewise, Kabat attributes many of La Crosse’s significant accomplishments in recent years to collaboration. One of the most notable signs of progress is economic development in downtown and commercial areas. In the last couple of years, La Crosse has had more than $1 billion in new investment in construction via building permits, notes Kabat. “The mayor is one voice and seldom do things get done by one person,” says Kabat. “Reaching out and working with citizens, business people and other key stakeholders is the most effective way to produce results that have a positive impact on our community.” [caption id="attachment_47127" align="aligncenter" width="685"] Onalaksa Mayor Joe Chilsen, ’86, earned an MBA at UWL. He has taught many classes in UWL’s Marketing Department.[/caption] Teaching is important too In addition to running cities, Kabat and Chilsen also teach in the CBA, where they often share experiences from the job and life lessons. “People are drawn to stories and how the concepts and ideas relate to the world outside of the classroom,” says Kabat. “I believe these experiences — both good and bad — help us to grow as people.” Chilsen, who has taught nearly every course in the marketing curriculum over 22 years, teaches students about not only the business bottom line, but also the importance of service. “I want students to see service to others as an integral part of their lives,” he says. Chilsen loves teaching the introductory course, Principles of Marketing. These students are taking their first business classes, so he gets to see the most change in them, he says. “I see changes in the way they think about business — beginning to understand how decisions they make impact the overall business,” he says. They begin to see the business picture from the 32,000-foot view, like he did as an MBA student, as well as the collaboration it takes to get there. ---------- What’s your advice? Mayor Kabat and Mayor Chilsen offer advice for students and recent graduates looking to make a difference in their communities — “Get as many varied experiences in business as you can because those experiences are what you’ll retain and use later. Some of the best experiences I draw from are from the worst company I worked for. I learned what not to do. And ask alums and teachers as many things about their experiences as you can. We’ve already made the mistakes.” – Onalaska Mayor Joe Chilsen, ’86 “Get involved in your community — whether that’s volunteering, serving on a committee, helping a non-profit or charity — basically, try to make life a little better for someone every day. It is so easy to criticize what’s going on and to give in to the nay-sayers. It is much more challenging and ultimately more rewarding to roll up your sleeves and be a part of the solution.” – La Crosse Mayor Tim Kabat, ’88