MONROE - Finding order in chaos might just be what Monroe's Phil Rath does best. Not only does he help with the general planning and direction of Monroe as its city administrator, he also helps manage his own family of seven children born within a nine-year span.
"This is my life now," he laughed. "We live moment-to-moment. We plan the best we can, but we're always ready to throw our plans right out the window."
He grew up Forestville, near Door County, until fourth grade, when the family moved to Clintonville for his father's work. He says times were different then, and he didn't fall back on electronics like some children today. He was usually outside, making friends with neighbors, finding fun and even a little trouble along the way.
He was the oldest of four siblings and they were close in age. Three of them were in high school at the same time. The family would camp a lot growing up and Rath has fond memories of fishing alongside his father and big family reunions in Two Rivers.
Rath was an involved student, finding his place on the honor roll and graduated seventh in his class of about 140 students. He enjoyed playing football, being part of the musicals, plays, forensics and the National Honor Society. He worked at a drug store and as he got older would deliver prescriptions and medical equipment, a job he enjoyed. When he turned 18, he became a bartender and short order cook at a truck stop - recalling hot, long summers where the only relief was taking some extra time while retrieving something from the walk-in cooler.
He graduated from Clintonville High School in 1995 and had a plan to go to college. He attended Ripon, hoping to become a lawyer.
"I think I was driven by a sense of fairness and equality," Rath said. "I saw it as a way to help people, and I'm a problem solver, so that interested me."
Once he started on his pre-law path he began taking prerequisites to figure out his major. He realized quickly there were more lawyers than jobs available and became immersed in his political science courses. He soon made economics his major.
Since his path still wasn't clear, Rath's college adviser decided to set him up for an internship with the Ripon City Administrator during his last year of college. He said he was hooked.
"I knew that this was what I wanted to do," Rath said.
He spent his summer looking at quality requests for engineering firms and wastewater treatment plants, filing, researching, going to meetings and doing other things that came with the job. He said the wide variety was part of the draw.
"No day was the same," he said. "I didn't think I'd get bored. I used my economics degree to make decisions and figure out the impacts on people. I really enjoyed looking at the bigger picture."
Coincidentally, although he didn't realize it at the time, Rath learned his grandfather was a city manager for Two Rivers, a similar position. His father also served on the village board in Clintonville and was active on a local level.
After his college graduation in 1999, Rath went home for the summer and approached the city administrator in Clintonville, asking to take on another internship there. Unfortunately, the council voted against it.
He then worked at a video store, a place where he met his wife, Greta, after she spotted him there and called to ask him out. The relationship started slow, but soon, the duo was inseparable.
From there, he jumped around, working at the DNR for a while, becoming a Taco Bell manager and, eventually, realized he needed to go back to school to land his dream job. He headed to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, to its weekend program, earning his master's degree in public administration.
"I knew at that point I needed the education and experience to do what I really wanted," he said.
He finished in May of 2004 and landed an interim job in Necedah as its administrator. After six months, he applied through the City of Princeton. Because people there knew of his grandfather's work as a city manager, it helped him land the job. He worked for two years in Princeton and had combined roles as the city administrator, clerk and treasurer. It was a lot of on-the-job learning and paving the way. Eventually, Rath hoped to find something more specialized in a bigger location.
He soon landed the city administrator job in Clintonville, big enough to not have to double up on roles and a position he enjoyed for nearly three years. When he started looking for opportunities again, he says he applied to Milton, Mauston and Monroe. Monroe was interested, and he said he made the leap to a much larger population.
He started in December of 2010 and said it was a smooth transition. The staff has been wonderful to work with and although Rath said there were some hurdles, he enjoyed the job immediately.
He's still working to get some internal policies and procedures ironed out in some areas. He's adding clarity and working to improve communications, he said. This year the city is rolling out priority-based budgeting and adding more data and information to big decisions. He works closely with human resources and helps implement plans to expand Monroe.
"The challenge is always how to increase ability to communicate in the best way," Rath said.
He's hoping the future for the city is bright, and is looking forward to seeing projects come to fruition and improving housing options. He's looking at resolving loan funding for businesses, reviewing zoning codes and encouraging development.
Rath says he likes Monroe and the challenges his job brings. Working through push back, getting things done and helping people resolve issues is something he enjoys and he says Monroe is the perfect size community to do that.
He considers Monroe "micropolitan" - a place you don't ever really have to leave for anything. Rath's family is active in local recreation programs, the YMCA and other activities.
He has enjoyed acting in a couple of productions for the Monroe Theatre Guild, sometimes with Greta. He said he loves to be able to take on another character, escape for a while and take the risks that go with performing in front of a live audience and thinking on your feet.
He and Greta enjoy spending time with their seven children and attending events. The children range from ages 6 to 15, which keeps life interesting. Rath has enjoyed cooking since he was young, and now does most of the cooking for the family.
It might be the close family he grew up with or the helpful hands he says his family relies on in and around Monroe to get the children places that makes things not feel so disorderly. He loves to watch the Packers and the family takes trips together whenever it can.
He is a part Grace Lutheran Church, serving on the council and helping with Vacation Bible School.
Hanging in his office is Max Ehrmann's poem from the 1950s, Desiderata, the same one that hung in his grandfather's office when he served as his own city's manager. His favorite, and most relatable excerpt:
"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.... Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself to others, you may become vain and bitter."
"It's all remembering your place in the universe," Rath said of the poem. "It's the humility of it all with a religious undertone, without it being blatant."
"This is my life now," he laughed. "We live moment-to-moment. We plan the best we can, but we're always ready to throw our plans right out the window."
He grew up Forestville, near Door County, until fourth grade, when the family moved to Clintonville for his father's work. He says times were different then, and he didn't fall back on electronics like some children today. He was usually outside, making friends with neighbors, finding fun and even a little trouble along the way.
He was the oldest of four siblings and they were close in age. Three of them were in high school at the same time. The family would camp a lot growing up and Rath has fond memories of fishing alongside his father and big family reunions in Two Rivers.
Rath was an involved student, finding his place on the honor roll and graduated seventh in his class of about 140 students. He enjoyed playing football, being part of the musicals, plays, forensics and the National Honor Society. He worked at a drug store and as he got older would deliver prescriptions and medical equipment, a job he enjoyed. When he turned 18, he became a bartender and short order cook at a truck stop - recalling hot, long summers where the only relief was taking some extra time while retrieving something from the walk-in cooler.
He graduated from Clintonville High School in 1995 and had a plan to go to college. He attended Ripon, hoping to become a lawyer.
"I think I was driven by a sense of fairness and equality," Rath said. "I saw it as a way to help people, and I'm a problem solver, so that interested me."
Once he started on his pre-law path he began taking prerequisites to figure out his major. He realized quickly there were more lawyers than jobs available and became immersed in his political science courses. He soon made economics his major.
Since his path still wasn't clear, Rath's college adviser decided to set him up for an internship with the Ripon City Administrator during his last year of college. He said he was hooked.
"I knew that this was what I wanted to do," Rath said.
He spent his summer looking at quality requests for engineering firms and wastewater treatment plants, filing, researching, going to meetings and doing other things that came with the job. He said the wide variety was part of the draw.
"No day was the same," he said. "I didn't think I'd get bored. I used my economics degree to make decisions and figure out the impacts on people. I really enjoyed looking at the bigger picture."
Coincidentally, although he didn't realize it at the time, Rath learned his grandfather was a city manager for Two Rivers, a similar position. His father also served on the village board in Clintonville and was active on a local level.
After his college graduation in 1999, Rath went home for the summer and approached the city administrator in Clintonville, asking to take on another internship there. Unfortunately, the council voted against it.
He then worked at a video store, a place where he met his wife, Greta, after she spotted him there and called to ask him out. The relationship started slow, but soon, the duo was inseparable.
From there, he jumped around, working at the DNR for a while, becoming a Taco Bell manager and, eventually, realized he needed to go back to school to land his dream job. He headed to the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, to its weekend program, earning his master's degree in public administration.
"I knew at that point I needed the education and experience to do what I really wanted," he said.
He finished in May of 2004 and landed an interim job in Necedah as its administrator. After six months, he applied through the City of Princeton. Because people there knew of his grandfather's work as a city manager, it helped him land the job. He worked for two years in Princeton and had combined roles as the city administrator, clerk and treasurer. It was a lot of on-the-job learning and paving the way. Eventually, Rath hoped to find something more specialized in a bigger location.
He soon landed the city administrator job in Clintonville, big enough to not have to double up on roles and a position he enjoyed for nearly three years. When he started looking for opportunities again, he says he applied to Milton, Mauston and Monroe. Monroe was interested, and he said he made the leap to a much larger population.
He started in December of 2010 and said it was a smooth transition. The staff has been wonderful to work with and although Rath said there were some hurdles, he enjoyed the job immediately.
He's still working to get some internal policies and procedures ironed out in some areas. He's adding clarity and working to improve communications, he said. This year the city is rolling out priority-based budgeting and adding more data and information to big decisions. He works closely with human resources and helps implement plans to expand Monroe.
"The challenge is always how to increase ability to communicate in the best way," Rath said.
He's hoping the future for the city is bright, and is looking forward to seeing projects come to fruition and improving housing options. He's looking at resolving loan funding for businesses, reviewing zoning codes and encouraging development.
Rath says he likes Monroe and the challenges his job brings. Working through push back, getting things done and helping people resolve issues is something he enjoys and he says Monroe is the perfect size community to do that.
He considers Monroe "micropolitan" - a place you don't ever really have to leave for anything. Rath's family is active in local recreation programs, the YMCA and other activities.
He has enjoyed acting in a couple of productions for the Monroe Theatre Guild, sometimes with Greta. He said he loves to be able to take on another character, escape for a while and take the risks that go with performing in front of a live audience and thinking on your feet.
He and Greta enjoy spending time with their seven children and attending events. The children range from ages 6 to 15, which keeps life interesting. Rath has enjoyed cooking since he was young, and now does most of the cooking for the family.
It might be the close family he grew up with or the helpful hands he says his family relies on in and around Monroe to get the children places that makes things not feel so disorderly. He loves to watch the Packers and the family takes trips together whenever it can.
He is a part Grace Lutheran Church, serving on the council and helping with Vacation Bible School.
Hanging in his office is Max Ehrmann's poem from the 1950s, Desiderata, the same one that hung in his grandfather's office when he served as his own city's manager. His favorite, and most relatable excerpt:
"Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence.... Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself to others, you may become vain and bitter."
"It's all remembering your place in the universe," Rath said of the poem. "It's the humility of it all with a religious undertone, without it being blatant."