PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL
Nourishing New Perspectives in Leadership A trio of young mothers steps into positions on La Crosse City Council. BY TALLITHA REESE | CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS
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Mac Kiel, pictured with her husband, Andy, and son, Fynn, represents District 7 on the La Crosse City Council.
hree of the newest members of the La Crosse Common Council hope to bring a perspective that is often missing on elected boards: that of young mothers. All elected to their first public office in April 2021, Mac Kiel, Makenzie Mindel and Rebecca Schwarz say they are excited to learn from their constituents and colleagues as they expand the viewpoints represented on the council.
MAC KIEL, DISTRICT 7 Kiel moved to La Crosse for college and met her husband while working at the Boys & Girls Clubs. Together, they decided that La Crosse was where they would settle. Now with a young son and newborn daughter, Kiel is an admissions coach at Western Technical College. She decided to run for the city council position after realizing that for many, city government can be confusing and not very accessible. “I truly wanted to better educate the public on city government and when and how their voices could be used,” says Kiel. “It is important to have different life experiences at the tables making decisions, and as a young mother, I see things differently than others,” explains Kiel. “I truly want to serve the community I live in
and saw this as an opportunity to step up and do that.” Being the parent of young children also helped Kiel understand how difficult it is to be involved in or educated on what is going on in the community. “Meetings are not family friendly,” says Kiel. “We need to reenvision how we do local government and how to get everyone involved, not just those whom it works for timewise.” Kiel is learning every day, and she is determined to bring the community right along with her. “It is my mission to help everyone understand the decisions that are made, how they are made and how they can have an impact,” says Kiel. Kiel was pleasantly surprised by the acceptance and support she has received from other city council members, city employees and citizens. “There truly are amazing people all over this city,” says Kiel. “So many are willing to answer questions and help support my learning, even if we don’t agree on a topic.” MACKENZIE MINDEL, DISTRICT 8 Since moving to La Crosse in 2011 for college, Mindel has served on nonprofit boards, volunteered, participated in community engagement efforts and worked for both nonprofits and for-profit businesses, developing a broad perspective of the community. Mindel and her husband welcomed their daughter at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, but before she finished maternity leave, Mindel lost her job with a local nonprofit due to the impact of the pandemic. “My identity as an individual and a new mom, and now someone who had experienced job loss and parenting in isolation during a global pandemic was difficult,” says Mindel. www.crwmagazine.com OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 15
