By: James Madlom, Partner and COO of Mueller Communications
Our founder, Carl Mueller, was recently recognized as a Community Hero at the Jewish Family Services Luncheon of Champions.
Carl is a hero to us, at the firm, as well. Carl dedicates himself to making our community better – each and every day – in his work and in his play. In the office, he urges us all to "do the right thing" – for clients, colleagues and our community. And he doesn't just say it, he lives it.
Over the years, we’ve shaped the firm around the belief that the work we do should be a force for good. One aspect of that, is our commitment to volunteer service to the organizations making a difference in our community.
Last year, our team invested more than 1,372 work hours into nonprofits around the Greater Milwaukee area and members of our team served on 21 different boards of directors for local organizations. As a firm, we helped spread the word about amazing local non-profit organizations and initiatives like Sherman Phoenix, Near West Side Partners, Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics (FAST) and Light the Hoan.
Why do we spend more than a thousand hours per year on pro bono services? As a business, how can we justify donating that time, and in turn, those resources?
Because it’s the right thing to do.
But we also know that this community engagement work is an investment that pays off – not only for our community, but for the firm. Part of the fun of it is that you never know when or exactly how. Over the years, this has proven true.
“Board service is a way to give back of my time, talent and treasure,” says Lori Richards, President of Mueller Communications. “What I didn't anticipate, before getting so involved in the Milwaukee community, is how much I would learn. Tangible things like leadership skills and business acumen from my fellow volunteers, but also more important things about the challenges people face and the generosity of spirit our community shows to solve these challenges.”
Jennifer Morton, an Iowa native who first moved to Wisconsin for college and stayed after being hired by Mueller Communications, agrees. “As a Wisconsin transplant, having Mueller leadership encourage me to work with nonprofit clients and seek other ways to serve has introduced and exposed me to people, and to the community, in a meaningful way. As an additional benefit, lending a hand to groups and causes that I care about is extremely personally rewarding.”
As we reflect on great examples of community leaders, like Carl, let’s challenge ourselves to give back to our communities: lend a hand to your neighbor, raise your voice for a cause you believe in, use your time and talent to help a non-profit group. It’s like Carl says, “you never know when or how it will come back to you.”