Kate Wegrzyn

What is your job and its responsibilities?
I’m a corporate attorney at Foley & Lardner LLP.  I counsel businesses on commercial matters and represent borrowers and banks in financing transactions.

I also serve as a member of the board of directors of the Wisconsin Humane Society and as the chair of the Wisconsin Humane Society’s Young Leaders Advisory Board, which harnesses the talents and philanthropic spirit of Milwaukee-area young professionals who have a soft spot for animals.

Was there a point where you decided this was the city you wanted to live in?
My personality is on the Type A side of the spectrum, so my decision of what city to live in after law school was based on a meticulously-devised spreadsheet with various factors weighted on a scale of importance. In the end, I made the choice because of Milwaukee’s proximity to my giant, close-knit Italian family. As luck would have it, Milwaukee turned out to be the perfect fit for me – the right size, right energy level, good Packer-loving people, and, most importantly, ready access to fried cheese.

What is your favorite Milwaukee event?
I may be biased but my favorite Milwaukee event is the annual Tails on the Trail Dog Walk that the Wisconsin Humane Society hosts each year in May. It is such a unique event where you can bring your dog for a walk with thousands of other dogs for a great cause. Hank the Ballpark Pup even joined us this year!

Wisconsin Humane Society also puts on a beautiful gala each September and, for the first time this year, it is offering a cocktail hour ticket exclusively to NEWaukee members that permits attendees to enjoy an open bar at the Pfister, bid in the silent auction, and hobnob with Milwaukee’s finest (humans and animals alike).

Is there an issue you believe all Milwaukeeans should turn our attention to?
First, I think that Milwaukeeans should work together to ban polar vortexes.

On a serious note, because I think it is important to provide a voice for a voiceless population, we should keep an eye on animal issues in the area, particularly preventing animal homelessness by advocating spay/neutering. Wisconsin Humane Society has a cool program called Pets for Life, which serves people and animals in Milwaukee’s 53206 zip code ( a zip code with no veterinary clinics) through door-to-door outreach and community events.

What is the perfect thing to do in Milwaukee on a Sunday afternoon?
Visiting the Estabrook dog park followed by a short walk over to the Estabrook Beer Garden is a pretty ideal Sunday afternoon for me.

Where do you see MKE in 5 years?
With two skyscrapers under construction and one in the planning phase, the landscape of Milwaukee will look a lot different in five years. I hope that the new buildings draw business downtown, which in turn helps with an economic revival of Wisconsin Avenue.