Editor’s note: Milwaukee is filled with many ordinary people who do extraordinary things. This year, from time to time, NNS will briefly highlight individuals who are helping our community. To nominate your neighbor, please send an email to info@milwaukeenns.org and put “Two to know” in the subject line.
Tyler Weber spent nine years at Walnut Way Conservation Corp. before becoming senior public health strategist for the Washington-Ozaukee Public Health Department. (Photo by Ryan Gonzalez)
Name: Tyler Weber
Why he’s worth knowing: After nearly nine years of working at Walnut Way Conservation Corp., a nonprofit organization in the Lindsay Heights neighborhood, Weber left in November to work for Washington-Ozaukee Public Health Department as a senior public health strategist.
What he says about leaving Walnut Way: “This has become more than just a work relationship . . . A lot of this has been centered on work, but it’s become so much more than that over so long. It’s more than just moving on from a job. So, I’ve been telling people, ‘it’s not a goodbye, it’s a see you soon.’”
What others have to say: “It’s been very inspiring and very fulfilling from the perspective of working with someone with a high level of professionalism and efficacy and commitment to learning and growth, taking on challenges and things like that . . . A lot of who he is will still exist in processes and systems and the spirit of the work, too,” said Antonio Butts, executive director of Walnut Way.
What he’ll miss most: “Hands down just the people. Regardless of the mission of the organization, it’s simply people driving it, and so you’re only as good as your partner and your team members and those make and break everything.”
About Walnut Way: Founded in 2000, Walnut Way is a nonprofit organization created for and by the people of the Lindsay Heights neighborhood. It provides services such as wellness courses, summer teen internship programs and more to help cultivate and grow the community.
What’s next: I’m “going from 110 square blocks to working across two counties. I think it’s going to be a little bit of a change but I’m excited to continue living here in Milwaukee and stay connected to the neighborhood.”
Maysee Herr looks forward to her new role as executive director at the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce. (Photo of Herr provided by Maysee Herr)
Name: Maysee Herr
Why she’s worth knowing: Herr is the new executive director of the Hmong Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, or HWCC. When she’s not overseeing her staff, she’s busy building relationships with those in the community all over the state.
What she says: “Our clients certainly aren’t just necessarily Hmong or Southeast Asian; we’re really focused on looking at ways in which we can help anyone who’s looking to directly or indirectly serve historically underserved individuals and communities.”
What she says about joining HWCC: “I was living in Kansas City and I still have some strong connections to the state of Wisconsin and people who have wanted me to consider coming back to the state . . . So when the position became open and people had heard that I was looking at another opportunity,” they encouraged me to apply. “After some thinking about it, I decided it was worth applying for, and it could be a new exciting role for me.”
What she loves about her job: “I love building relationships. I love the people I get to meet every day and to work with. It sounds cliché, but it’s so true: You will often hear that when you love your job, you love what it is you do and the purpose of the work that you do, it doesn’t really feel like work.”
What others say: “The reasons we chose Maysee was that she brought a wealth of knowledge in nonprofits, education and sustainability for organizations. We fully have confidence in her and her great leadership skills to develop programs, create lasting partnerships, and continue to champion HWCC across the state in our efforts to take the chamber to the next level of excellence,” said Patrick Martin, who serves as co-chairman of the Board of Directors at HWCC.
What’s next: “Hopefully, we can help to build more businesses all over the state. That is certainly a goal that I have this year: to deploy even more loans than we ever have in the past so that we can make people’s dreams come true.”
I’ve known Tyler for years and he is all that was written about him here. Truly a caring and compassionate individual concerned with justice. Great to see that he will be able to take what he learned in his work at Walnut Way and apply it in his new position in public health. Knowing Tyler, he will take what he learns in his new role and bring it back here to Milwaukee!