WESTBY, Wis. – Over 100 people attended a presentation hosted by Kickapoo Conversations at the Westby Performing Arts Center on Tuesday night on the impact of federal spending in our area. Kickapoo Conversations said the presentation came about from discussions the group had about the apparent gap between the general public and federal funding in key sectors that many members work in throughout Southwest Wisconsin.
“Our goal is to give a sense of how federal funding impacts on our everyday lives with real life examples from people who live and work in our communities,” said Kickapoo Conversations member Pastor Michelle Engh.
The event was billed as a non-partisan, educational, community exchange of information.
Presenters included:
- Steve Michaels – Westby Area Schools
- David Hartberg – Vernon Health
- Hetti Brown – Couleecap
- Trina Erickson – Viroqua McIntosh Memorial Library
- Brad Robson – Agriculture/Conservation
- Brandon Larson – Vernon County Emergency Management
- Cassie Hannan – Vernon County Government
- Dan Helgerson – City of Westby Municipality
- Kim Ward – Guardianship Services
- Michele Engh – Immanuel Lutheran Church
Kickapoo Conversations began in 2014 as a group of community members identifying areas to initiate collaborative responses in rural Vernon, Monroe, and parts of Crawford counties. Kickapoo Conversations works to improve communication and connectivity between communities. When the region experienced serious flooding in August 2018, Kickapoo Conversations played a leadership role in the River to Ridge Flood Recovery initiative. After identifying childcare as a critical issue, Kickapoo conversations launched a Shared Services Network to support childcare providers, parents, children, and employers. This initiative earned a Wisconsin Top Rural Development Initiative Award in 2020.
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