Rick Zawlocki’s five young nieces and nephews love the Milwaukee County Zoo. In 2007, Zawlocki (above, left) and his partner, Gerald Dias, joined the Platypus Society to make Zoo trips even more fun for the youngsters. “Our nieces and nephews are very special to us,” says Dias. “We wanted to bring them here for events and to help instill pride in the Zoo.” The children, ages 2 to 7, loved Platypus Society perks such as an annual after-hours summer picnic. Dias and Zawlocki discovered that a membership in the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) highest-level donor-member group gives adults a chance to enjoy the Zoo as well.

It all began with a special behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo’s pachyderm area that Dias and Zawlocki won at a Platypus Society event auction. (Volunteer-guided VIP tours of the entire Zoo

are offered to all Platypus Society members.) Dias and Zawlocki watched a training session with the Zoo’s two elephants, Ruth and Brittany. They learned how training improves animals’ lives and encourages them to participate in their own health care. The couple even helped zookeepers set out vegetables for the elephants and watched as the pachyderms ate up the treats. “We fell in love with opportunities to get up-close exposure to animal staff and how the Zoo operates,” says Dias.

Getting an insider’s perspective on the Zoo inspired the couple to become among the Platypus Society’s most enthusiastic ambassa-dors. Dias and Zawlocki attend Platypus events such as premieres of new exhibits, cocktail parties and an annual awards dinner in the fall (see inside pages). They even encourage their friends and neighbors to join the Platypus Society. “We share the really cool stuff that’s right at your fingertips,” Dias says. Their friends David and Candace Alswager joined them on the pachyderm tour. Last summer, Dias and Zawlocki won a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo’s greenhouse (normally off-limits to zoogoers) at a Platypus Society cocktail party auction. They invited Shannon and Fernando Rojas, a couple from their Milwaukee neighbor-hood, to come along. “The tour was just phenomenal,” says Dias. The Alswagers and the Rojases joined the Platypus Society (see back page for a new-member profile of the latter couple).

Dias, who moved to Milwaukee 11 years ago, was impressed by the city’s conservation-minded ideals. “I love the way we take care of our natural resources in Wisconsin,” he says. Caring for the Zoo is a priority for the couple. Dias plans to join Zoo Pride, the ZSM’s volunteer auxiliary, to help educate visitors about the park. The men also plan to donate to the ZSM’s annual appeals in honor of Zawlocki’s nieces and nephews: Mya and Tyler Salinas, Zach and Josh Zawlocki, and Alexis Hartgrave. The children’s enthusiasm for the Zoo is infectious, says Zawlocki. Seeing their names on Zoo recognition signs will encourage the youngsters to support the Zoo when they’re older.

“The Zoo is one of Milwaukee County’s most treasured resources,” adds Dias. “Platypus Society membership maintains the qual-ity we’ve all become accustomed to and enjoy. It’s important to preserve that for younger generations.” Thanks to Platypus Society members like Dias and Zawlocki, young people will enjoy the Zoo for years to come.

By Julia Kolker

November 2008

Fun & Funding for the Future

Platypus Awards

Suzy and Byron Foster of the Foster Family Foundation received the Gorilla gorilla gorilla conservation award, a framed footprint of a lowland silverback gorilla. Suzy is a member of the ZSM’s research and conservation committee, which supports conservation initiatives such as the Birds Without Borders-Aves Sin Fronteras® project and a bonobo (rare great ape) conservation project. The Foster Family Foundation also contributed to the New Zoo II Capital Campaign. The campaign, completed in 2008, improved more than 25% of the Zoo.

PLATYPUS SOCIETY STEERING COMMITTEE

Robert Anger Paul CadorinDr. Bert DavisMike Grebe

Katherine HustKaren Peck Katz

Maria Gonzalez KnavelJoe Kresl

James KuehnDaniel F. McKeithan Jr.

James McKennaBernard J. Peck

Joan Prince, Ph.D.John Sapp

Andrew T. Sawyer Jr. (chairman)Judy Holz Stathas

DEVELOPMENT STAFF

Beth W. Carona Vice President of Development

Katie Hess Annual Giving & Events Coordinator

Lisa Ruidl Development Assistant

Cassie Jeffery Grant Writer

NEWSLETTER STAFF

Paula Brookmire Editor & Writer

Julia Kolker Writer

Kevin de Wane Designer

Richard Brodzeller Photographer

The Platy Press is a newsletter for members of the Platypus Society.

The Platypus Society is the highest level, donor-member-recognition group in the Zoological Society

of Milwaukee’s network of support. Members include about 375 area

foundations, businesses and individuals contributing more than

$700,000 annually with in-kind services and support. The Platy Press is published four times

a year by the Zoological Society of Milwaukee, 1421 N. Water St.,

Milwaukee, WI 53202.

www.zoosociety.org

PlatyPress

Joe and Jennifer Kresl received the Leontideus rosalia (golden lion tamarin) award for longtime support of the Zoological Society. As president of Hawks Nursery, Joe donated $50,000 worth of landscape design and plantings for the Zoo’s new entrance, the U.S. Bank Gathering Place. From 1999 through 2006, Hawks also donated hundreds of holiday trees for the Hawks Nursery Fantastic Forest at the Zoo. Hawks is contributing 30 trees to decorate the Gathering Place this December. The Kresls donate flower centerpieces for ZSM events and donate to Zoo Ball. Joe also recruits volunteers to staff a summer raffle for the ZSM. Joe is a member of the ZSM’s Board of Directors and has served as president of the Associate Board. In 2005, the ZSM honored Hawks Nursery with an award for outstanding corporate service.

Mark Poker was honored for outstanding individual service to the Zoological Society with the Spheniscus humboldti award, a framed footprint of a Humboldt penguin. Poker, a partner at the law firm Michael Best and Friedrich LLP, contributed many hours of pro bono work to establish an endowment fund for the non-profit ZSM. He now serves as one of the fund’s trustees. Poker is also a member of the Simba Society, the ZSM’s planned-giving group, and serves on its steering committee. Mark’s wife, Mary Catherine, is on the ZSM’s Associate Board of Directors.

Platypus Awards

Judith Grimes received the Bubo virginianus award, a framed pair of children’s footprints, for exceptional support of Zoological Society conservation education programs. She and her foundation, the Judith Grimes Family Fund, support the ZSM’s Animal Ambassador program, which introduces elementary school children in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods to ani-mals and conservation. Grimes was also a major donor to the public-private New Zoo II Capital Campaign conducted jointly by the ZSM and Milwaukee County. The campaign, completed in 2008, improved more than 25% of the Zoo.

Virginia McCormick has contributed more than 14,000 hours to Zoo Pride, the ZSM’s volunteer auxiliary, since she joined in 1990. She received the Leontideus rosalia (golden lion tamarin) award for extraordinary efforts in assisting ZSM conservation education instructors, leading Zoo tours and preparing materials for classes. A retired schoolteacher, McCormick “has been a consistent presence and help in our department for over 18 years,” said James Mills, the ZSM’s education director. “There were times when she put in more hours than our full-time instructors.” McCormick’s husband, Jim, and daughter Lynn also are Zoo Pride volunteers.

Roberta Borgenheimer, owner of MacHealer Consulting, received the Thalarctos maritimus (polar bear) arts award. MacHealer Consulting has supported the ZSM’s creative department for more than 11 years, going above and beyond the usual consultant’s tasks. The Creative Department designs the Zoo’s and the ZSM’s signs, graphics, promotional materials and interactive displays. Borgenheimer supplies in-kind computer phone support and also donates her time to sell older ZSM equipment and to research new equipment and software that will be within the non-profit’s budget.

William Winter, head of the Bucyrus-Erie Foundation, received the Loxodanta africana (African elephant) award, a framed elephant footprint, for outstanding support of the Zoological Society. Winter is former chair-man and CEO of Bucyrus-Erie (now Bucyrus International). The Bucyrus-Erie Foundation has donated to the ZSM since 1987, contributing to the New Zoo II Capital Campaign and to Zoo Ball, the ZSM’s biggest annual fund-raiser. The foundation has been a longtime corporate member of the Platypus Society.

Animals from polar bears to birds were featured at the 27th annual Platypus Society Awards Dinner on Oct. 2 at the Zoo. Winning the Emu Egg, the Zoological Society of Milwaukee’s (ZSM’s) top award, was Judy Derse. The award, a real emu egg encased in glass, honored Derse for exceptional commit-ment to the ZSM. Derse chairs the board of the Foundation for Wildlife Conservation (FWC), Inc., the ZSM’s partner. She is also on the board of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, a nature preserve supported by the FWC and the ZSM. The Derse Foundation has been a major contributor to the ZSM over the years, including the Derse Family Foundation bird-observation deck at the Zoo. The Derse Foundation also helped fund an FWC-ZSM bird research-education-conservation project called Birds Without Borders-Aves Sin Fronteras®. The Derse Foundation has been a Platypus Society member since 1988 and was previously honored with two awards: the Elephus maximus award for exceptional support in 1992 and the Gorilla, gorilla, gorilla conservation award in 1998. The seven other award winners are shown here.

Zoological Society Development Office1421 N. Water StreetMilwaukee, WI 53202(414) 276-0843

Please remember the Zoological Society in your will or estate plan.

printed on recycled paper 3880J08

Patron Member: Shannon and Fernando RojasAddress: 3825 S. Griffin Ave., MilwaukeePhone: (414) 899-5916E-mail: sh-rojas@hotmail.com

Reason you joined the Platypus Society: We had been to the Milwaukee County Zoo many times prior to becoming members. We bring our two kids (ages 8 and 4) to the Zoo a lot. We enjoy seeing the animals, especially the penguins and giraffes, and attending Zoo events such as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel a la Carte.

Personal history with Zoological Society and Milwaukee County Zoo: Our neighbors

Gerald Dias and Rick Zawlocki (see cover) introduced us to the Platypus Society. They won a behind-the-scenes tour of the Zoo’s greenhouse and invited us to come. This year’s awards dinner (see inside pages) was the first Platypus event we attended. We are looking forward to attending many future events as Platypus Society members.

Why the Platypus Society is important: The Zoo is a beautiful part of the city. The Platypus Society helps support the Zoo and the animals. We’re big fans. We believe it is very important to preserve all wildlife, especially for the education of our children.

New-Member Profile

CalendarDec. 5Fantastic Forest of child-decorated holi-day trees, sponsored by Hawks Nursery, opens in the U.S. Bank Gathering Place.*

Dec. 6Family Free Day at the Zoo, sponsored by North Shore Bank and FOX 6, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

Dec. 6-7, 13-14, 20-21Breakfast and Lunch with Santa, spon-sored by Racine Danish Kringles; to get on Zoo mailing list, call (414) 256-5412.

Jan. 6 & Jan 18Free talks by Vicki Piaskowski, inter-national coordinator of Birds Without Borders-Aves Sin Fronteras®. Call (414) 276-0339 for details.

Jan. 15

Free talk by Dr. Gay E. Reinartz, director of ZSM’s bonobo-conservation program in Africa. 7 p.m.; Cedarburg Cultural Center, W62 N546 Washington Ave., Cedarburg; call (262) 375-3676 for details.Jan. 18 Samson Stomp & Romp for the Zoo, sponsored by Gatorade and Pick ’n Save, 8 a.m. registration. Call (414) 256-5412 for details.Jan. 21 & 24Two-session Zoo Pride introductory volunteer orientation; call (414) 258-5667.Jan. 22Puttin’ on the Ritz gourmet dinner and boxing fund-raiser for ZSM; 6 p.m. cocktails, Hyatt Regency Milwaukee. For an invitation, e-mail Julie at julieb@zoosociety.org.*Feb. 5Wines and Beers of the World ZSM

fund-raiser, sponsored by Wachovia Securities, 7-10 p.m., at the Zoo.** For more information, call (414) 258-2333 or go online at www.zoosociety.org.

Wachovia Securities reps sample wines at the event last year. From left are Paul and Nicole

Jackson of Hartland, Wis., and Sherry and Gary Sievewright of New Berlin.