MONROE - Three influential men exchanged ideas about business, education and government Thursday night. The full house listened.
Swiss Colony President John Baumann; University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Chancellor Richard Telfer and Former Health and Human Services Secretary and four-term Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson participated in the Sesquicentennial Forum at the Monroe Arts Center.
Baumann spoke about the challenges of operating a major corporation in a small community and the need to meet those challenges for the viability of small communities.
"Monroe has to find new ways to grow," Baumann said. "And just as much as we want Monroe to stay the same, new business growth is healthy for Monroe."
Swiss Colony has grown. It started with Ray Kubly shipping out 50 orders of Swiss cheese. Today, the company is one of the largest direct marketers in the U.S. and has numerous divisions handling everything from pastries to global sourcing.
"Following Ray's initial vision, The Swiss Colony and its affiliates continue to be dedicated to their customers, employees and direct marketing goals," Baumann said. "The heart and soul of The Swiss Colony is Monroe."
Telfer said we are witnesses to an extraordinary time in our nation's history.
"During the last month we've seen our nation's business landscape change significantly, which will have impacts on all we talk about today," Telfer said. "Recent events will affect us all, but I believe that the university can play an important and essential role in moving us forward."
Telfer said Wisconsin is above the national average in the percentage of its population holding an associate's degree, however, the state is below the national average in the percentage of its population with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Because the demographics of the state are changing, universities will have to provide educational opportunities to what are referred to as nontraditional students, Telfer said.
"We have a population that will be increasingly diverse, racially and ethnically, as the high school graduating classes will have more students from groups that have not traditionally completed college," Telfer said.
The university can play a large role in the community, the state and beyond.
Our mission is "truly is to help Wisconsin grow," Telfer said.
Telfer said despite the significant economic challenges facing America, higher education and increasing the number of four-year degree holders are the cornerstones to economic recovery.
"An educated workforce has the skills to see the issues, evaluate them and provide solutions," Telfer said.
Thompson didn't beat around the bush when it came to talking about the health care system.
"We've got to completely transform the health care system, make it a wellness system and make it a prevention system," Thompson said. "The next president and Congress will have to address the U.S. health care system because health care costs are hurting businesses and Medicare is approaching insolvency."
Thompson said promoting electronic health records and prescriptions, as well as creating tax incentives and insurance pools to make insurance more affordable, would help control costs.
He also said that better prevention and management of chronic diseases would generate large savings, noting that while 20 percent of U.S. residents have a chronic disease, their care accounts for 80 percent of U.S. health care spending. He said employers should ban workers from smoking cigarettes and encourage better eating habits by increasing prices of unhealthy foods in company cafeterias, for example.
Swiss Colony President John Baumann; University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Chancellor Richard Telfer and Former Health and Human Services Secretary and four-term Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson participated in the Sesquicentennial Forum at the Monroe Arts Center.
Baumann spoke about the challenges of operating a major corporation in a small community and the need to meet those challenges for the viability of small communities.
"Monroe has to find new ways to grow," Baumann said. "And just as much as we want Monroe to stay the same, new business growth is healthy for Monroe."
Swiss Colony has grown. It started with Ray Kubly shipping out 50 orders of Swiss cheese. Today, the company is one of the largest direct marketers in the U.S. and has numerous divisions handling everything from pastries to global sourcing.
"Following Ray's initial vision, The Swiss Colony and its affiliates continue to be dedicated to their customers, employees and direct marketing goals," Baumann said. "The heart and soul of The Swiss Colony is Monroe."
Telfer said we are witnesses to an extraordinary time in our nation's history.
"During the last month we've seen our nation's business landscape change significantly, which will have impacts on all we talk about today," Telfer said. "Recent events will affect us all, but I believe that the university can play an important and essential role in moving us forward."
Telfer said Wisconsin is above the national average in the percentage of its population holding an associate's degree, however, the state is below the national average in the percentage of its population with a bachelor's degree or higher.
Because the demographics of the state are changing, universities will have to provide educational opportunities to what are referred to as nontraditional students, Telfer said.
"We have a population that will be increasingly diverse, racially and ethnically, as the high school graduating classes will have more students from groups that have not traditionally completed college," Telfer said.
The university can play a large role in the community, the state and beyond.
Our mission is "truly is to help Wisconsin grow," Telfer said.
Telfer said despite the significant economic challenges facing America, higher education and increasing the number of four-year degree holders are the cornerstones to economic recovery.
"An educated workforce has the skills to see the issues, evaluate them and provide solutions," Telfer said.
Thompson didn't beat around the bush when it came to talking about the health care system.
"We've got to completely transform the health care system, make it a wellness system and make it a prevention system," Thompson said. "The next president and Congress will have to address the U.S. health care system because health care costs are hurting businesses and Medicare is approaching insolvency."
Thompson said promoting electronic health records and prescriptions, as well as creating tax incentives and insurance pools to make insurance more affordable, would help control costs.
He also said that better prevention and management of chronic diseases would generate large savings, noting that while 20 percent of U.S. residents have a chronic disease, their care accounts for 80 percent of U.S. health care spending. He said employers should ban workers from smoking cigarettes and encourage better eating habits by increasing prices of unhealthy foods in company cafeterias, for example.