Business and Professional Coalition

Welcome, business owners and professionals!

The Carthage Business and Professional Coalition comprises the leading business, civic, and professional leaders in the region. Members meet regularly for luncheons that feature guest speakers and discussions that highlight important national and local issues affecting businesses and organizations.

The mission of the Carthage Business and Professional Coalition is to convene members of the business and professional communities around relevant topics that promote learning, conversation, and relationship-building, in order to lead to a stronger and more vibrant community.

Through programming that includes prominent guest speakers, the Coalition will engage leading business, civic, and professional leaders in the region, and provide a space to engage in substantive conversations that further the region’s growth and prosperity.

“Carthage College is a vital partner to industry, not-for-profits, and government in the Chicago-to-Milwaukee corridor,” Carthage President John Swallow said, “The College works to align our educational programs with the needs of our local and regional communities.”

The Coalition is guided by a steering committee of business and community leaders and chaired by Mr. Bob Lee, Jr., President of Lee Mechanical.

 

Upcoming Event

The BPC is excited to Co-host a series of roundtable discussions about curricular topics for the launch of the new School of Business and Economics.   

Learn more about this event.

Registration for the Coalition Roundtable Series has closed, but we would love you to join us at the School of Business and Economics reception and keynote address by Kunal Kapoor, CEO of Morningstar. RSVP Here!

 

Steering committee members and program sponsors

• Mike Gentile; President Operations and Product Management, Snap-on Tools
• Kimberly Kane; President and CEO, Kane Communications
• Todd Battle; Kenosha Area Business Association
• Samantha Kerkman; Kenosha County Executive
• Mark Molinaro, Jr.; Principal, Partners in Design Architects
• Mike Pitts, Jr.; Real Estate Agent, Pitts Brothers, LLC
• Dave Riley; Chairman and Director of the Board, Riley Construction Company, Inc.
• Wes Saber; Executive Vice President and CFO, HARIBO of America
• Ric Schmidt; President, CEO, and General Counsel, Froedtert South, Inc.
• Chris Tenuta; Owner, Tenuta’s Delicatessen & Liquors
• Jenny Trick; Executive Director, Racine County Economic Development Corporation (RCEDC)
• Karla Krehbiel, Regional President, Southeast; Johnson Financial Group

 

Honoring the legacy of Ralph Tenuta

Carthage Trustee Emeritus Ralph Tenuta, a prominent Kenosha businessman who passed away on Jan. 15, 2020, founded the Carthage Business and Professional Coalition in the early 1990s. He aimed to provide a forum for area leaders to gather and discuss mutual concerns and opportunities. To honor the contributions Mr. Tenuta made to Carthage and the local community, a portion of the proceeds raised through sponsorships will support the Ralph Tenuta Experiential Learning Fund, which will fund Carthage students as they participate in internships and hands-on learning that prepares them for future careers. This fund will be managed by The Aspire Center, Carthage’s renowned comprehensive four-year career development program.

 

Contact us

To learn more about the Business and Professional Coalition and our corporate sponsorship opportunities, please contact Katharine Keenan at 262-551-6464 or kkeenan@carthage.edu.

• Learn about sponsorship opportunities
• Join our email list to stay up-to-date on Business and Professional Coalition events and news