Park at the Radisson, the parking ramp, or street parking where available
Allow for time to go through buffet line!
May 21 - Radisson Ballroom
May 28 - Radisson Ballroom
This Week: Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey, Reimaging Our City's Future
An honest reflection by Mayor Shaundel Washington-Spivey on his monumental election, the successes and tribulations of his first year in office, and his plans and priorities for ushering the city of La Crosse into an unprecedented era.
As a son of the soil raised in the city of Milwaukee, Shaundel Washington-Spivey made history as the first Black mayor of La Crosse, Wisconsin on April 1, 2025. A proud two-time graduate of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse (UWL), he holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s in Student Affairs Administration. He also earned a Master's in Mental Health Counseling from Viterbo University.
Washington-Spivey co-founded and served as the Executive Director of Black Leaders Acquiring Collective Knowledge (B.L.A.C.K.), a nonprofit that empowers Black youth, families, and professionals by focusing on skill-building, mental health, academic success, social justice, and economic and social mobility.
He has long been dedicated to the city’s youth, having served as the Cultural Liaison for the La Crosse School District, Director of UWL’s Upward Bound program, College Connections Manager at Western Technical College, and a member of the La Crosse Board of Education. Washington-Spivey currently serves on Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ Advisory Council on Equity and Inclusion, along with several regional boards and committees.
Washington-Spivey has earned regional recognition, including the 2019 Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award, 2021 TRIO Achiever Award, and UWL 2024 Morgan Improving Lives Alumni Award. In 2022, he was also selected as one of the Most Influential Black Leaders in Wisconsin. As mayor, he leads with empathy and a lifelong commitment to inclusive governance, prioritizing equitable access to resources, community safety, civic engagement, and cross-sector collaboration with academic institutions and public and private businesses and organizations.
Next Week: Rotary Youth Exchange, Pedro
Pedro will share his reflections upon life in La Crosse as a Rotary International Friendship Exchange Student.
The Rotary Club of La Crosse is sponsoring Inbound Youth Exchange Student Pedro for the 2025-2026 school year!
Pedro is a student at Logan High School in the School District of La Crosse.
Julia Behrenbeck coordinates our Youth Exchange student's schedule with their host families, as well as the background check process required for Rotarians to spend time alone with Pedro.
Committee Members: Erin Kujak, Duane and Karen Abata, and Michael Wagner
Meal for This Week
Lunch this week: Lemon Pepper Baked Fish Buffet
Coffee, ice tea, and water available at a beverage station.
Guests are ALWAYS welcome! RSVP in advance to Niki Pohnlby the end of day Monday for the meal on Thursday.
Rotary Visioning Event -
On Saturday morning, May 9, 20 members of our club gathering for a District-led Visioning Session to look at where our club might be three years from now. This was very insightful! We thank you for your input on the questions sent out prior to this meeting. This information helped guide our discussions. As we move through this process to create our next Strategic Plan, we will keep you all posted. CLICK HERE to view “2026 Member Survey Results” and “2026 Member Survey Results - Graph”. Reach out to Richard Strauss or Sheila Riley with any questions.
New Member Proposal
The following community member has been proposed to become a member of our club:
Tony Piazza, General Manager, Designing Jewelers/River City Gold and Silver Exchange, proposed by Bill Hoel.
According to club procedure, applicant names are to be published in our weekly email bulletin for two weeks. If there are no objections from the current membership, these applications will be approved. Please contact the Club Administrator if you object to these applications by May 21st.
