Events

6:00-6:20  

Welcome!

REC Club Introductions &

Overview of the Night

Student Union: The Bluffs

2120 & Stage Side

Welcome! We'll kick off the night by hearing from the sponsors and organizers of this event, UWL REC Club. Meet the officers and hear what REC Club is all about. They'll also give you a quick overview of how the night will go.

REC Club Officers

President: Amelia Mitchell -- I am a senior Recreation Management major with an emphasis in Outdoor Recreation here at UWL. I am from Mineral Point, a small town in Wisconsin. Some of my favorite recreation activities include kayaking, hiking, and camping. After graduation I plan to continue my career in recreation as an outdoor guide. 

President-Elect: Mary Hanson -- I am a senior Recreation Management major with an emphasis in Tourism and Event Coordination here at UWL. I am from Iron Mountain, a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Some of my favorite recreation activities include skiing and backpacking! 

Treasurer: Katie Barker-Boarini --

Secretary: Jack Nelson -- I am a senior here at UWL and I am majoring in Recreation Management with an outdoor emphasis. I am from Stoughton, WI near Madison. My favorite leisure and recreation activities include, hiking, disc golf, the outdoors in general and ultimate frisbee (I am the captain of the men’s team here).

Social Coordinator: Mari Malin -- I am a senior here at UWL and majoring in Recreation Management with an Outdoor Emphasis. I am from Stoughton, WI which is a small town just outside Madison. Some of my favorite recreation activities are hiking, camping, and playing ultimate frisbee.

6:20-6:30

FIND WAY TO BREAK OUT ROOMS

Find your way to one of our first breakout sessions. Locations for all sessions are included on the agenda below.

6:30-7:10

Commercial Recreation Panel

Room Location 

Bluffs 2120 & Stage Side

Brent Hanifl: Brent Hanifl is the Media Director / Co-Owner of River Travel Media: Experience in planning, promoting, implementing and managing tourism initiatives across the country in rural and city populations. River Travel Media offers high-quality services grounded in a solid understanding of the marketplace; offering a targeted reach for destinations and businesses wanting to attract new visitors, clients, and travelers. Received BS - Recreation and Tourism from Winona State University, and a Master of Science Arts Management at the University of Oregon.

Brie Bartz: Brie Bartz is the Director of Hospitality for the Lakeshore Chinooks Baseball Team. She is responsible for all hospitality and concessions, group outings, special events, and intern responsibilities during our season. During the off season she assists with selling corporate sponsorships, our internship program, and the implementation of marketing campaigns. She graduated from UW-La Crosse in May of 2021, and immediately continued working for the Lakeshore Chinooks, following her internship here. During her time at UW-L, she was the President of the Rec Club and the WPRA student representative, which was the same year she helped pilot the first ever Career Expo.

Dick Zierke: I have been the proprietor at Pla Mor Lanes for 22 years.  I grew up in the La Crosse area and my father managed Pla Mor Lanes from 1967 until the mid 90's. This is where I got my love for the game.  I am a past president of the Bowling Centers Association of Wisconsin,  a member of our local Bowling association.  I started the Middle School Bowling program in Wisconsin 12 years ago and am also a member of the Wisconsin High School Club committee.  Pla Mor Lanes is active with multiple youth programs and has leagues for ages 2 to 102. 

6:30-7:10

Campus Recreation Panel

Room Location

WIMBERLY 122

Ali Tackett: Ali Tackett (she/her), Competitive Sports Coordinator with UWL Rec Sports. I oversee the sport club and intramural sports programs here on campus. Job duties range from scheduling contests, training intramural officials, meeting with students, maintaining equipment and facilities, and overseeing the employment process at the REC. Outside of work, I love walking my two dogs, Yogi and Panda, baking, and spending time with my fiancée, Jason.

Thomas McManaway: I started my recreation career as a soccer official my freshman year here at UWL. From there I joined the Outdoor Connection staff my junior year as a trip guide and now am the graduate assistant for Outdoor Connection and Climbing Wall on campus here at the Rec.

Jeff Keenan: Jeff Keenan currently serves at the Director of Rec Sports at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Jeff has worked in the field of collegiate recreation for over 14 years at 5 different universities, specializing in outdoor recreation, competitive sports, student development and risk management. He obtained his M.S. in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

6:30-7:10

Wisconsin DNR Panel

Room Location

Union 3110

Lore Vang: Prior to my role as Recruiting Manager for the Wisconsin DNR - Division of Public Safety and Resource Protection, I spent my early career working in higher education.  I obtained my undergraduate degree in Communication Studies and earned a Master of Science in Education, both from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.  My professional experiences have given me a unique appreciation for the crucial impact of recruiting and developing an ethical and professional workforce that is reflective of the community it serves.  As a result, I have a deep commitment to promoting and contributing to a workplace of equity and inclusion.  When it comes to recreation, I enjoy many activities, but my new favorite would be overlanding.  There is something incredibly gratifying when being one with machine and one with nature at the same time.  

Mary Bisch: My name is Mary Bisch and I am a Conservation Warden with the WI Department of Natural Resources. I am a fully commissioned police officer tasked with protecting the public and natural resources of the state. I attended UW-Madison where I received my bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Ecology and received a certificate in Environmental Studies. In my spare time I enjoy doing anything outdoors including hunting, hiking, fishing and most importantly, bird watching.

Note: Speakers will be attending virtually. Students can engage with the presenters in the identified room.

6:30-7:10

The Golden Ticket:

Resumes that WOW!

Room Location

Union 3310

Cristine Reid: Cristine Reid is the Community Recreation Supervisor and Internship Coordinate at the Madison School & Community Recreation Department (MSCR). She has worked for 30 years in the resorts, private, corporate, municipal and non-profits sectors of recreation. Proud graduate from UWL with BS and MS in Recreation. Sarah Zahn is the Youth Arts & Enrichment Specialist at MSCR. She started as an MSCR Intern and has worked in various positions at MSCR for the past 13 years. Sarah has a BAA in Leisure Services Administration from Central Michigan University.

A good resume may be your golden ticket to your dream internship/job and your work starts today! Learn from two recreation professionals how they evaluate resume content and skills and what causes red flags. Learn key tips and strategies you can use NOW, to start building a better resume.

Note: Speaker will be attending virtually. Students can engage with the presenters in the identified room.

6:30-7:10

Therapeutic Recreation Panel

Room Location

Union [Bluffs] 2110

Emily Simmerman

Michelle Robers

7:10-7:20

FIND WAY TO NETWORKING

TIME

 LOCATION FOR NEWORKING

PROFESSIONALS

7:20- 8:05

TIME

TOPIC & LOCATION

Speaker Bios/Session Info.

Tourism & Events Panel

Room Location

Bluffs 2120 & Stage Side

Andrew Nussbaum: Andrew joined the Wisconsin Department of Tourism in 2012, after having spent his entire professional career in hospitality, marketing, and tourism. His focus with companies and organizations has always been on providing Midwest hospitality and welcoming guests to our region. Andrew refers to this as “Northern Hospitality”. As Regional Tourism Specialist he serves as the outreach liaison to all tourism promotion and development entities in Southwest Wisconsin. Having worked with various regional and statewide collaboration efforts, Andrew enjoys bringing organizations together to share ideas and resources. Tourism is a large part of economic development in Wisconsin, and the visitor’s experience here is paramount.

Elizabeth Poh: Elizabeth Poh is a 2013 graduate of the Recreation Management Program at UWL! After graduation Elizabeth has worked with various recreation, tourism and event programs, she joined the La Crosse Center as the Sales and Event Coordinator in 2019. As the Sales and Event Coordinator, she works with a wide range of groups from local, Wisconsin, Mid-West and Nationally where she helps plan conferences, conventions, tradeshows, banquets and weddings.

Andrea Frisch: My name is Andrea Frisch and I am the Marketing Director for WisCorps in La Crosse. I am a CTRS and I have my Master’s Degree in Recreation Management from UWL. I have experience in conservation corps, outdoor adaptive sports, adventure camps, and camps for people with disabilities. I am passionate about non-profit leadership and increasing access to nature; I am a volunteer and board member of HorseSense, Wisconsin Warriors Power Soccer Team, and Wisconsin DNR Disability Advisory Council.

Stephanie Hanna:

Public Recreation Panel

Room Location

Union [Bluffs] 2110

Leah Hackmaster: I Graduated from UWL in 2016 with a degree in Rec Management. Currently I work as a Recreation Director for the Village of Suamico, where I have been for 3 years now. I enjoy the flexibility to be creative and innovative in my community. 

McKenzie Dull: My name is Mckenzie Dull and I’m a 2018 graduate from the UWL Recreation Management Program. From there, I interned back in my hometown of Richland Center with the Parks and Recreation Department. In November, 2018, I started as the Recreation Coordinator with the City of La Crosse Parks & Recreation where I am currently. I work closely with our youth programs and youth sports as well as supervising our Aquatics program and our three public pools throughout the year.

Ryan Pawlisch: My name is Ryan Pawlisch, I am the Recreation Superintendent for the City of Sparta Parks and Recreation Department. I got my Bachelor’s degree from UWL in Recreation Management and completed my internship for Sheboygan Community Recreation Department. I have been in the Recreation field for a little over 4 years. Some hobbies of mine are Hunting, Fishing, Golf, Basketball, Softball and Volleyball. Recreation all the time!

Jason West: My name is Jason West and I began my career in parks and recreation as a Playground Leader. I then went to University of Wisconsin-La Crosse to complete my Bachelor of Science in Recreation Management. I became a Recreation Coordinator and then a Recreation Supervisor for the City of Cottage Grove. During that time, I finished my Master's Degree in Management at The College of St. Scholastica. In 2005, I made the move to supervising a large community center, golf course and all the recreation programs for the City of New Brighton as an Assistant Park and Recreation Director for nine years. In late 2014, I made the move to the City of St. Louis Park which I am the Recreation Superintendent overseeing the operations of The Rec Center/ROC/Aquatic Park, Westwood Hills Nature Center and all the recreation programs. I have lead project teams to design and build a $12.5M nature center, $8.4M Recreation Outdoor Center (ROC), $200,000 skatepark, 20+ play structures, created multiple strategic plans and feasibility studies.

Eric Thompson: Eric has 4 decades of public service with St. Paul Parks and Recreation. Eric currently is a recreation supervisor and is responsible for 9 community recreation centers and 6 service partner contracts. Eric has also managed public art, park security and safety programs, off-leash dog parks, the downhill ski program, and served for 5 years as the City’s bike/ped coordinator.

Therapeutic Recreation Panel

Room Location

WIMBERLY 122

Summer Camp Presentation

Room Location

Union 3310