According to a report released this morning by the Spirit of Milwaukee, regional and national business leaders' view of the Milwaukee region has improved since similar research was conducted six years ago.
The report issued at a press conference at the Spirit of Milwaukee headquarters Downtown notes that the businessmen appreciated Milwaukee's work ethic, universities and pro-business culture as well as its access to Lake Michigan.
"The Milwaukee region is evolving rapidly. There are a lot of dated perceptions and misperceptions out there, even among our own residents," said Steve Percy, director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Center for Urban Initiatives and Research (CUIR), who led the research. "This survey shows that the Milwaukee region is succeeding in changing minds while continuing to address real challenges."
The 2008 National and Regional Perception Studies -- commissioned by the Spirit of Milwaukee -- polled leaders in firms with 100 or more employees in construction, manufacturing, transportation, wholesale and retail trade, finance, insurance, real estate, business and financial services, legal services, engineering, architecture and accounting.
Outside the Milwaukee region, 5,000 surveys were randomly sent to business leaders with a disappointing response rate of just 3.3%. The regional study queried 1,500 business leaders from the seven-county Milwaukee region (Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha). It drew a more impressive 20.4% response rate.
"The research demonstrated why the Milwaukee region must do everything possible to deliver a strong, credible message to important decision makers," stated Timothy E. Hoeksema, chairman of the Spirit of Milwaukee and chairman, president and CEO of Midwest Airlines.
"Over the last several years the Milwaukee region has undergone some dramatic improvements but we can not simply build it without telling people across the country that this is great place to live, work, learn and visit."
Among the items business leaders said need improvement are crime, roads and a high tax rate.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
