SPECIAL CLUB MEMBERSHIP

Platinum Club Members

5TH DISTRICT TAVERN LEAGUE

OSHKOSH CITY/WINNEBAGO COUNTY TAVERN LEAGUE

OUTAGAMIE COUNTY TAVERN LEAGUE

PORTAGE COUNTY TAVERN LEAGUE

Gold Club Members

DOOR COUNTY TAVERN LEAGUE

OCONTO COUNTY TAVERN LEAGUE

Annual Membership Levels

PLATINUM $1,000 Annual Membership Level

GOLD $500 Annual Membership Level

SILVER $250 Annual Membership Level

For more information on becoming a Special Club Member, call the TLW office at (608) 270-8591.

PRESIDENT Keith Kern

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Cathy Vales

TREASURER

Todd Giraud

SOUTHERN ZONE VICE PRESIDENT

Jennifer Collison

SOUTHERN DISTRICT VICE PRESIDENT

Keith Koehler

EASTERN ZONE VICE PRESIDENT

Tim "Tippy" Tomchek

EASTERN DISTRICT VICE PRESIDENT

Don Mjelde

CENTRAL ZONE VICE PRESIDENT

Paul Salzwedel

CENTRAL DISTRICT VICE PRESIDENT

Bob Carpenter

NORTHERN ZONE VICE PRESIDENT

Donn “Dino” Amundson

NORTHERN DISTRICT VICE PRESIDENT

Nancy Lorbetske

PAST PRESIDENT

Chris Marsicano

MANAGING EDITOR

Carrie Mantey, Nei-Turner Media Group Inc.

GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND ADVERTISING COORDINATOR

Jerriann Mullen, Nei-Turner Media Group Inc. jem@ntmediagroup.com

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE

Danielle Letenyei, Nei-Turner Media Group Inc. danielle@ntmediagroup.com

PRINTED BY LSC Communications, Pontiac, Illinois

On Premise (ISSN #1051-4562) is a bimonthly publication of the Tavern League of Wisconsin Inc., 11801 W. Silver Spring Dr., Ste. 200, Milwaukee, WI 53225, Phone: (608) 270-8591.

On Premise is produced by Nei-Turner Media Group Inc., 400 Broad St., Unit D, Lake Geneva, WI 53147. Gary Nei, Chairman; William Turner, President; Barbara Krause, Publisher.

Printing is by LSC Communications, Pontiac, IL. For advertising information, please contact Danielle Letenyei at (608) 438-6996 or danielle@ntmediagroup.com. Subscriptions included in TLW membership dues; nonmember subscriptions cost $15 per year.

Postmaster: Send address corrections to the Tavern League of Wisconsin Office, 11801 W. Silver Spring Dr., Ste. 200, Milwaukee, WI 53225. Periodicals postage paid at Madison, WI and other additional offices.

©2023 Tavern League of Wisconsin Inc. Permission to reprint must be secured in advance of publication, and credit given to author and On Premise.

Greetings and I hope everyone had a great holiday season!

Well, another year is behind us. Up by my hometown of Superior, we sure have seen our fair share of snow, but the unseasonably warm weather and heavy, wet snow have scattered tree and branch debris on many trails. I know many of you are not only members of our association, but also belong to local snowmobile clubs and have been working extra hard this winter.

Unfortunately, our Packers fell short for us this year, keeping the playoff business out of our establishments. With that, we know we will likely have to endure another off-season, free-agency saga that will keep us all on edge about the future of our beloved team. I have always been a fan of the green and gold, and will continue to cheer them on every year, no matter their record. I guess there may be a bit of a silver lining next year; not only will we be able to draft higher, but hopefully we will get away from the late prime-time games that typically don’t help business.

As most of you heard, the Board has made the decision to change management companies shortly after the new year. Many hours of planning and execution were put into this change, and I’m happy to report the transition to Wisconsin Association Management (WAM) is complete and they will be handling our day-to-day operations moving forward. You may have already seen some of the changes, like a new and improved newsletter, and an increased presence on social media, along with the most important aspect communicated to WAM, a new and improved member experience.

Change is never easy, and we will surely encounter a few speed bumps here and there over the next couple of months, but things are very different this time.

Our Board has also decided to put TLW lobbyist Scott Stenger and TLW outreach director Pete Madland into executive roles for this transition, while they jointly maintain the Executive Director role until a full replacement is implemented. These gentlemen have willingly stepped up, bringing their decades of experience to work with WAM and the Board. I’m very optimistic and believe we have all the right pieces in place to continue to grow the TLW, ensuring success not only in the short term, but also for many years to come!

Looking into the new year, our TLW calendar is beginning to shape up. A very important date to make sure you consider is February 28 for our annual Legislative Day in Madison. The session is in full swing and we continue to keep an eye on several issues while working on our own. The elections this year have welcomed the second largest assembly turnover in our state’s history, so we have plenty of work to do and need everyone’s help at the Capitol.

Next, we will be heading to Stevens Point for our Spring Convention & Trade Show, April 3-6. The fine folks in Portage County are in full planning mode, welcoming us back after we had to pull back the reins a couple years ago due to the pandemic. We are continuing to secure more lodging options and figure out logistics, but make sure you watch for further updates on the website and get yourself registered. I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone again as we ROCK THE POINT!

Other future dates as we look into the long-term is our League Leaders Day on August 28. We will once again convene in Oshkosh for a day filled with many different industry topics. Lastly, we will be on our way to Fond du Lac for our annual state TLW Foundation Golf Outing on September 11 at Rolling Meadows Golf Course. Make sure you sign up early, as the local league has a strong presence and expects this year’s event to fill fast. We will be sure to update you more as we continue to plan for 2023.

Again, I would like to thank each and every one of you for your trust and support. The TLW is moving forward as we continue to listen and make the changes that you, the members, request. My aim as your president is to navigate these changes and update you as frequently as possible, while I continue moving our association forward.

Cheers!

Keith Kern TLW