Kylie West may have been predestined to become the Waunakee village executive assistant, although she also gives credit to her best friend, who kept sending her the help wanted ad for the position.
As she told her fellow Rotarians during her classification talk June 22, after she applied for the job and went for the interview, she realized her interviewer, Adam Bentley, was also her son’s reading buddy, and at the end of the interview, she told Adam how he had changed her son’s life.
“He ended up crying, and I think that’s why I got the job,” Kylie said.
She always felt like Waunakee was where she belonged, she said.
Kylie has taken the lead as the village’s administrator for Create Waunakee, an effort to support the village’s creative economy.
“It’s probably one of the coolest things I’ve ever done in my life,” she said.
Kylie grew on Madison’s Northside. Showing a family photo of her and her partner with with their sons, she said she considers his children to be her stepkids. The other family members are two dogs who are best buddies.
They are a big hockey family, and the boys love it.
Kylie’s first son was born shortly after she graduated from high school, and she attended her college orientation with a week-old baby then realized it wasn’t for her.
She took a job as a receptionist at a law firm specializing in bankruptcies and became a self-taught assistant for that attorney, then two others before she came to work in Waunakee. She had been ready to leave the job, saying bankruptcy is a really good tool, but the people involved are often in sad places.
Overall, Kylie is happy to be living and working in Waunakee.
“I always felt like this is where I’m supposed to be,” she said.
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Other News:
-Incoming President Jennifer Tasker informed the club that it received a $500 new member grant, so the new members will decide on the projects to spend it on.
-The June 29 meeting (next week’s) has been canceled as many members will gather to celebrate the club’s 50th year the night before.
-The club is still short of the 100% for $100 Rotary International requires from each of the clubs to receive district grants. A request has gone out to member to contribute their $100 or whatever they can. For every member who has not contributed $100 to Rotary International, the club pays $25. So, if you are contributing a smaller amount, you might to want to send $25 payable to the Waunakee Rotary Club, Treasurer Jim Elvekrog said.
-Ellen Schaaf said volunteers are still needed to staff the WaunaBoom, beer tent.
-Ellen also told the club about a Chamber member discount to register early for the WaunaFest Run.
Upcoming Events:
-July 12, Senior picnic
-July 27, WaunFest set-up; July 28-30, WaunaFest
Guests: Sally Gile, guest of Ken Ballweg.
Visiting Rotarians: None.
Birthdays: June July 4, Sean Wayne; July 4,; Todd Schmidt; July 6, Dean Grosskopf; July 10, Peggy Acker-Farber; July 10, Shelley Moffatt.
Anniversaries: June 30, Fritz and Sheri Durst; June 30, Chris and Amie Zellner; July 9, David and Erica Weishoff; July 9, Alex and Sarah Welk; July 10, Gordy and Kris Meicher.
Greeters: July 6, Ray Statz and Howard Teeter; July 13; Don Tierney and Jon Townley; July 20; Max Ujdak and Sarah Vergeront; July 27, Ryan Walsh and Sean Wayne.
