From Joan Winn Rufenacht

Monroe

To the Editor:

I served on the Green County Board for 11 years (April 2015—April 2026). I got to know Bill in his role as a UW-Extension Local Government Educator when he came to provide training to all of us on the County Board.

On August 11, I will enthusiastically vote for Bill Oemichen (D) to represent Wisconsin’s 50th Assembly District.

Bill has been a constant presence in Green County for years. He’s rolled up his sleeves as Chair and Treasurer of the Monroe Clinic board, served eight years on the New Glarus School board (six as President), and has helped mentor future community leaders as a member of the Green County Leaders board. If something’s happening in Green County, Bill’s probably been there helping out and making a difference.

Affordable housing is a cause really close to my heart and a perfect example of how Bill gets things done. The Green County Healthy Communities Coalition housing group keeps calling on Bill because he literally wrote senior co-op housing laws for Wisconsin and Minnesota, and helped grass roots groups start up around 120 housing co-ops across the upper Midwest. This created hundreds of much-needed homes in the process. Bill spoke to nearly 200 people at a recent Green County. Bill will keep mentoring local groups who want to bring affordable and innovative housing to Green County.

In New Glarus, the Oemichen family noticed a gap in housing — one that left working people, seniors on fixed incomes, people who needed accessible units, and adults with autism or other disabilities out in the cold. Bill and his wife Mary Anne were inspired by their adult daughter who has a disability and a desire to live independently. Their contagious motivation grew the grass roots group, which ultimately found a nonprofit developer and owner to create Prairie Haus apartments in New Glarus — a one-of-a-kind, nationally recognized rental community where people of all ages (0-70+) now have an affordable place to live. Bill spent a year managing Prairie Haus to make sure the first phase got off to a great start. Construction is about to start on a 50-unit Phase II building for people 55+.

Bill is a doer, not just a talker. He keeps stepping up, sharing his knowledge and energy just to make life better for everyone. I know he’ll bring that same drive, experience, and heart to the Legislature to help all of Wisconsin.