Madison College Seeks Employer Partners for Biotech Leadership Grant Program

Madison College Seeks Employer Partners for Biotech Emerging Leaders Grant Opportunity

Madison College is currently seeking employer partners in the biohealth, biotech and healthcare industries to participate in the development of a new Workforce Advancement Training (WAT) grant-funded program focused on leadership development.

The proposed Biotech Emerging Leaders Development Program is designed to strengthen leadership capacity among current and emerging leaders through competency-based, experiential training. The program will focus on key leadership areas such as effective communication, emotional intelligence, conflict navigation and leading people and processes.

Through this initiative, participating organizations will have the opportunity to invest in high-potential employees while helping shape a program tailored to industry-specific needs. Madison College will manage grant writing, administration and reporting, and will work with partners to align training schedules with business operations.

If awarded, the grant is expected to cover approximately 50% of training costs, with participating employers responsible for the remaining portion. Employees will not incur direct costs for participation.

Organizations interested in partnering should be willing to support employee participation and provide input on program development and outcomes.

Employer partners are currently being identified, with interest requested by March 18, 2026.

For more information or to express interest, please contact:
mabaldwin3@madisoncollege.edu or customizedtraining@madisoncollege.edu

MMSD Provides Update on “Building for the Future” Boundary Review Process

MADISON, Wis.—The Madison Metropolitan School District is providing an update on its ongoing “Building for the Future” plan, a multi-year effort to review school attendance areas, plan for future enrollment and align facilities with the city’s projected growth.

The work is designed to take a proactive systemwide approach and includes a comprehensive attendance area and boundary review, an enrollment strategy and an updated long-range facilities plan. Recommendations are expected to be presented to the Board of Education in early 2027 following an extended period of community input.

“We are planning ahead for the growth we know is coming to Madison and Dane County,” said Cindy Green, assistant superintendent of strategy and innovation. “This is an opportunity for us to take a comprehensive look at our system and better understand what our community wants to see in its schools. That insight will help guide thoughtful, long-term decisions and create opportunities for innovative programs that meet the needs and interests of our students and families.”

The review is informed in part by projected population growth and new housing development in the Madison area, as well as current enrollment patterns and building capacity. The district is also aligning this work with planned school construction and renovation projects approved by voters in 2024.

At this stage, the district emphasizes that no decisions about boundary changes have been made.

“We are still in the input phase,” Green said. “It is important that we hear from our community before any potential scenarios are developed or considered.”

Initial feedback gathered through a fall survey highlighted several priorities for families, including a preference for neighborhood schools, minimizing student transportation time and maintaining strong school communities. The district notes that additional engagement will be critical, as survey participation represented a small portion of MMSD families.

As part of the next phase of the process, MMSD will host 11 community engagement sessions during the first two weeks of May. These sessions will provide families, students, staff and community members with opportunities to learn about the process, ask questions and share perspectives.

Scheduled sessions include:

• Monday, May 4, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Robert M. La Follette High School, 702 Pflaum Road
• Tuesday, May 5, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at East High School, 2222 E. Washington Ave.
• Wednesday, May 6, noon to 1:30 p.m. (virtual) and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at West High School, 30 Ash St.
• Thursday, May 7, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Vel Phillips Memorial High School, 201 S. Gammon Road
• Friday, May 8, noon to 1:30 p.m. (virtual)
• Monday, May 11, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at John F. Kennedy Elementary School, 221 Meadowlark Drive
• Tuesday, May 12, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Boys & Girls Club – Allied Family Center, 4619 Jenewein Road, Fitchburg
• Wednesday, May 13, noon to 1:30 p.m. (virtual) and 6 to 8 p.m. at Paul J. Olson Elementary School, 801 Redan Drive, Fitchburg
• Thursday, May 14, 5 to 7 p.m. at Bayview Community Center, 103 La Mariposa Lane

Virtual session links will be shared on the district’s website in advance of each event.

The district’s guiding principles for the review include considerations such as transportation efficiency, walkability, school capacity and maintaining balanced student demographics, all of which will be evaluated together as potential options are developed.

The goal is to make decisions that will serve students well into the future while minimizing disruption whenever possible.

Learn more about this initiative and upcoming engagement opportunities on the MMSD website, and submit any related questions to the “Building for the Future” Boundary Review topic of the district’s Let’s Talk platform.

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About the Madison Metropolitan School District

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 7,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.

Dupaco warns consumers about new wave of IRS impersonation scams this tax season

DUBUQUE, Iowa—As consumers prepare for the 2026 tax season, Dupaco Credit Union urges its members to stay alert to the evolving IRS impersonation scams—especially those topping the IRS’ 2026 “Dirty Dozen” list of scams. The IRS reports that scammers are using increasingly sophisticated tactics to steal personal information, refunds and financial account access from unsuspecting taxpayers. 

“Tax‑related scams spike every year, but this season we’re seeing fraudsters use technology that makes their impersonations startlingly believable,” said Jill Gogel, Vice President, Fraud Services at Dupaco. “If someone reaches out claiming to be from the IRS—especially with urgency or threats—stop immediately. A pause and a quick verification could prevent significant financial harm.” 

Two scams included on this year’s IRS Dirty Dozen list that Dupaco is seeing more frequently involve increasingly advanced uses of technology.  

First, there’s phishing and smishing—scam emails, direct messages and text messages pretending to be from the IRS. These remain one of the most common schemes this tax season. This type of message often uses language or links to fraudulent websites that are designed to capture sensitive information. 

Then, there’s the fast-growing trend of AI-enabled phone impersonation scams. Scammers are now using technology to clone a voice to make a caller sound like someone you might know or trust—this is also known as deepfake AI. Then, they combine it with a spoofed caller ID and automated robocalls to create an urgent scenario.  

“It’s important to remember the IRS will not initiate contact by email, text message or social media for any personal information,” Gogel adds. 

She also reminds members that scammers often rely on urgency and emotional pressure, using phrases like ‘verify your account,’ ‘claim your refund,’ or ‘your account is locked.’  

“The IRS will never demand immediate payment or request payment through gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency or other payment apps like Venmo or Zelle,” says Gogel. 

Gogel offers these tips to protect yourself during tax season: 

• Ignore unsolicited messages claiming to be from the IRS via email, text or social media. 
• Verify suspicious phone calls by contacting the IRS directly at its published phone numbers listed on IRS.gov. 
• Enable two-factor authentication on all financial accounts like Dupaco’s Shine Online and Mobile Banking. 
• Monitor your credit report for signs of identity theft. Dupaco members can use Bright Track, the credit union’s no-cost credit monitoring tool.  
• Set up eNotifiers to receive real-time alerts about account activity. 
• Contact Dupaco before taking action if you’re unsure whether a message or request is legitimate. 
• Slow down and trust your gut. If something seems off, it usually is. 

For more fraud prevention resources visit dupaco.com/protection.

About Dupaco Community Credit Union 

Dupaco Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. It is dedicated to the financial well-being of its members, and specializes in personalized financial counseling, money advice and education. It offers savings, loans, investments, insurance and wealth management products for individuals and businesses. Dupaco serves residents in 118 counties throughout Iowa, northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. Founded in 1948 by ten Dubuque Packing Company employees, membership has grown to more than 180,000 with assets exceeding $3.6 billion. It has over 600 employees and 23 branch office locations.  Learn more at www.dupaco.com.

Maydm is searching for its next CEO

Maydm Executive Director, Dr. Christina Outlay has announced her plan to leave the organization after 4 years, and the local non-profit is seeking a mission-driven leader with experience in fundraising, community engagement and nonprofit leadership.

Maydm provides girls and youth of color in grades 6-12 with the skills, experiences, and connections to pursue careers in and change the face of STEM. Since 2015, they have grown their educational programs, along with a paid high school STEM internship program that is now in its fifth year. Through year-round educational and experiential programs, Maydm serves as a hub connecting students, schools, businesses, and community organizations to create pathways into STEM learning and careers. Within this supportive ecosystem, students build skills, confidence, mentorship, and professional networks that expand opportunity, close equity gaps, and help develop a diverse, inclusive workforce for the future.

Maydm is entering an exciting new chapter of growth and impact. As the organization looks to the future, the Chief Executive Officer will have the opportunity to build on a strong foundation of programs, partnerships, and community trust to expand pathways for youth in STEM.

You can learn more about the opportunity at: https://www.maydm.org/job-openings/maydm-chief-executive-officer.

Applications are being accepted through April 3.

The Diamond Center seeking individuals to grow with Sales Team

The Diamond Center is searching for the right individual to join our team!  We are currently accepting applications for the position of Diamond Consultant with our Sales Team at our Madison, WI location.  

If you have amazing communication skills and enjoy working with people, you may be just who we are looking for. The ideal individual is someone who is punctual, detail oriented, and eager to learn about our products, our company, and our people. Our team is looking for someone with ambition and the determination to succeed. Someone who is passionate about building loyalty with each customer, who will provide excellent customer service, and is able to make educated decisions in a fast-paced environment.  Join us!

For more information, visit https://www.thediamondcenter.com/about-us/careers

Email your application and/or resume to:  jobs@thediamondcenter.com