Innovation, hot off the press
To Lucy Brown, there’s something very familiar about George Bailey, the humble hero Jimmy Stewart portrayed in the holiday classic “It’s a Wonderful Life.”
Just as viewers come to see hypothetically how bleak the fictional Bedford Falls would be without George, she finds it hard to imagine Kenosha without the influence of her late father, longtime Kenosha News publisher Howard Brown.
Honoring Howard in the year he would’ve turned 100, this gift will provide starter funding for the College to develop new educational options benefiting businesses in the region.
“I’m so grateful for this commitment from Betsy and Lucy, honoring and extending the Brown family’s legacy in developing the prosperity of the Kenosha region,” says Carthage President John Swallow. “This gift is the seed corn for new partnerships and forms of education that are adapted to today’s students and today’s businesses, and I can’t wait for us to get started.”
The Browns answered the call during Carthage’s ongoing Light that Travels fundraising campaign. Their pledge falls under Program Innovation, one of the campaign’s three pillars.
“Innovation begins with creative ideas and progresses to action,” Betsy says. “It is essential to educate leaders who will accept the need for change to assure an economically viable future.”
This new fund will cover program startup costs, freeing up time for Carthage faculty and administrators to strengthen relationships with new and existing employer partners. A portion of the gift can be used to supply scholarships for participants.
President Swallow is determined to broaden the educational scope of the College as student and employer needs change, an approach the mother-daughter donors fully endorse.
“We’re taking advantage of the opportunity to support the local economy and our students simultaneously,” says Lucy, who serves on the Carthage Board of Trustees. “This fund will help to execute the president’s vision.”
This feature story first appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of The Carthaginian magazine.
Spark to ignition
Even though Carthage has sustained strong enrollment and expanded its academic offerings, this is no time for cruise control. Not with the gauntlet higher education must pass through in the coming years.
Due to declining birth rates, two- and four-year schools everywhere are competing for a dwindling pool of students. Rising public skepticism about the value of a college degree only compounds the challenge.
That’s where the ambitious $100 million campaign fits in, emboldening Carthage to keep its foot firmly on the gas after bringing in its largest first-year class last fall.
Lucy argues the two-way “talent exchange” her father cultivated between business and higher education is even more essential today — on both sides of the equation. A new workplace-delivered education program called Carthage Spark has taken a big step in that direction.
Looking for new ideas to attract, upskill, and retain talented employees, Kenosha County manufacturer LMI Packaging approached Carthage about a partnership. Within weeks, an agreement was in place for the growing, family-owned business to pilot the Spark program.
Fifteen LMI workers took at least one of the four business-focused courses that Carthage faculty taught on site in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin. In February, six of them earned certificates in Business Foundations for completing the entire 2023-24 sequence.
The College is actively seeking additional Spark partners. Certificate programs can be tailored to each employer’s needs.
The promising debut with LMI impressed Lucy, demonstrating that Carthage can quickly turn excellent ideas into reality.
“Carthage is uniquely positioned to execute this concept,” she says, “because it’s nimble, flexible, and willing to think outside the box.”
20/20 Foresight
Thanks in large part to its central location between Chicago and Milwaukee, Howard proclaimed the city a gem with untapped potential. He built relationships with local industry leaders and advanced the work of nonprofits, especially the Goodfellows — a group that gives out toys, food, and winter coats to families in need during the Christmas season.
“Back then, the success of a local newspaper was largely a reflection of its owner,” Lucy says. “He recognized the vital need for high-quality local journalism to engage and inform the community.”
The parent company gradually expanded its holdings, which gave Howard newspapers and TV stations in six states to manage in the final stage of his career as president of United Communications Corporation.
But Kenosha was always home. The couple raised their three daughters here, and the count of honorary nieces and nephews ran much higher.
“My dad encouraged people to call him ‘Uncle Howard,’ because Kenosha was, in some ways, his huge extended family,” explains Lucy.
If a rising tide indeed lifts all boats, Howard steadfastly believed education is the pump. Acknowledging Carthage’s momentous arrival in the community, he devoted 65 newspaper pages to its 1962 grand opening.
Like his daughter today, Howard contributed his knowledge and passion as a trustee for more than 20 years. In 1998, he became the 10th recipient of the Carthage Flame, the gold medallion representing the College’s highest honor.
Alongside her volunteerism on behalf of libraries and other causes, Betsy served on the original steering committee for the Carthage Business and Professional Coalition. The group still convenes timely discussions about regional economic issues.
In addition to their investment of time, the Brown family has given generously to the College for over 50 years to support facilities, scholarships, athletics, the arts, and general operations.
“Having the privilege to attend some of the country’s leading schools and universities, Howard knew the value of a college education for everyone who wanted one,” Betsy says. “Carthage fulfilled his expectations of a quality education here, and he appreciated the benefits its graduates brought to our community and beyond. Howard and I have been proud to contribute to Carthage’s success.”
A joint venture
Howard supported K-12 schools, as well, and vigorously advocated for the creation of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside just north of the city in Somers. The consolidation of two community college campuses led to the university’s founding in 1968.
“To have a fully engaged workforce, he knew educational opportunities for all were critical,” Lucy recalls.
As the oldest sibling, she took a leave from her Minneapolis area real estate business to manage the media group after her father’s death. Back in place now as president of Lupe Development Partners — which she co-founded with husband Steven Minn — Lucy splits time between the Twin Cities and Polk County in northwestern Wisconsin.
Betsy still lives in Kenosha, where the conversation is no longer about hidden economic potential. The secret’s out.
In the past several years, major employers like Amazon, Uline, and Haribo have set up or expanded operations in the Kenosha area. New projects include a $3.3 billion Microsoft data center and a $1 billion “innovation neighborhood” on vacant land where a Chrysler plant stood.
The latest Business and Professional Coalition event drew more than 200 business, education, and civic professionals to campus on April 18. President Swallow and his counterpart at the Universities of Wisconsin, Jay Rothman, gave a forecast for “The Future of Education” from their distinct vantage points.
Based on workforce needs, both leaders envision a central role ahead for the state’s colleges and universities — in collaboration with businesses and other stakeholders.
“The state’s economy depends on this. The education sector depends on this,” President Swallow said in closing. “And, if we all come together, we can make that happen.”
Spoken like Uncle Howard.