Access: Pro Bono: The Business Case for a Life of Service

By now you’ve forged the perfect balance between your career, personal life, and community involvement, right? Yeah—not so much! If you’re like most, you know how important it is to "give back” but haven’t quite figured out how to weave volunteerism into your already busy life.

Join FUEL Milwaukee for Pro Bono: The Business Case for a Life of Service. Not only will we prove to you that your delicate balance can be achieved, we’ll reinforce what you all ready know - that community service can be as beneficial to you as it is to the nonprofit you're serving!

Meet the Honorable Derek Mosley, Cristy Garcia-Thomas, and Tom Flierl, three Milwaukeeans whose names are synonymous with "community.” They will have a conversation with you and a group of like-minded FUELers about the synergistic effects that volunteerism can have on your career, personal live, and regional reputation.

You’ll also be the one of the first to meet FUEL’s Adopt-a-Nonprofit organizations for 2009. For the second year, we’ve partnered with eight irresistible nonprofits that are eager to work with you. Each nonprofit is offering interesting, fulfilling, and enriching volunteer opportunities for individuals and teams—and one of theses organizations is bound to be perfect for you!

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Judge Derek C. Mosley, Judge of Milwaukee's Municipal Court

Easily one of Milwaukee's most engaging public speakers, Judge Mosley's passion for justice is heard far beyond the bench. The judge serves on the boards of directors for the Northside YMCA, Lake Residential Treatment Center, Transcenter for Youth and sits on the TRUE Skool Advisory Panel. Mosley has also received the Community Journal's Black Excellence in Law Award and the Wisconsin Cares About Kids Award. He's been featured in Milwaukee Magazine's "Top Lawers Edition" and The Business Journal of Milwaukee's "Forty Under 40."

Cristy Garcia-Thomas, President of United Performing Arts Fund

Cristy Garcia-Thomas is known as a strategic and collaborative force within the nonprofit community. Though her community roots started with journalism—she was formerly vice president of advertising for Journal Sentinel Inc.—Garcia-Thomas now centers her career on garnering support and funds for organizations that affect the community. A "Forty Under 40” award recipient, Garcia-Thomas has served on the boards of Tempo Milwaukee, La Causa, Inc., and Aurora Health Care and is also affiliated with the UWM School of Education’s Board of Visitors and on the United Way Women’s Leadership Initiative.

Tom Flierl, Vice President of Development, Zizzo Group, Inc.

Tom Flierl's community service work includes acting as a 2010 co-chair of Next Generation UPAF, an organization that aims "to cultivate awareness, engagement and philanthropy in UPAF and the performing arts by the next generation of community leaders." A Marquette graduate, Flierl also participates in Marquette University's innovative business networking program CIRCLES, and was named one of BizTime.com's "Fittest Execs." Flierl’s company, Zizzo Group, Inc., has contributed more than $250,000 annually to various community organizations.

MODERATOR

Dante Houston, International Recruiter, Rockwell Automation

When not recruiting, Dante is involved with several community-based organizations. He serves as the President of the Ripon College Alumni Board of Directors, serves as Alumnus Advisor of Theta Chi Fraternity, volunteers as Co-Chair of the YMCA Career Clusters through Black Achievers, facilitates educational sessions for undergraduate students through INROADS, WI, coaches a Special Olympics athlete on public speaking through their Global Messengers program, is a Counselor at Camp Hozhoni (camp for kids with cancer), and is a member of several professional organizations.