Our community celebrates the life of Phil Hauck, 1942-2023, Envision president 2006-07, 2022-23. A mentor and cherished friend to so many, Phil chose to be exceptional. He did nothing half-way – and he brought the rest of us along. It was only his understated and modest demeanor that kept him from being recognized as a giant in Green Bay’s economic landscape. Phil placed great importance on fostering foresight as the best-known way to secure happy, prosperous futures. A dedicated advocate for the future of Northeast Wisconsin, he created the community, the action, the passion, and commitment he wanted, and we all needed – and we are all better for it. His energy, inspiration and leadership were legend. We will miss his focus and his dedication to our community and its prosperous future. We will miss his humble curiosity, but our sense of loss is tempered by a greater sense of gratitude. Click tribute to Phil Hauck.
Gratzia Villarroel, Ph.D. , Director of International Studies, St. Norbert College
The Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) emerged in the late 1990s when the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) identified a need for an international assessment beyond traditional performance measures. The first PISA assessment took place in 2000 and included 32 countries, which has risen to 80 in recent test evaluations. The test occurs every three years, and improvements are made each time to address different needs. To read the complete article click PISA Study.
We welcomed 23 new Strategic Foresight students to our fall workshop, held at the beautiful Green Bay Botanical Garden – our biggest class yet. Collectively, they represent ten local organizations, some new to strategic foresight and others in training to enhance teams already established. Pictured in back on the far right is Garry Golden, certified futurist, who travels to Green Bay from New York City twice each year to train local organizations in the Greater Green Bay area.
It is with great enthusiasm that I share some news with you about the ever-evolving landscape of our community. As we look ahead to the future, I believe it is our duty to equip ourselves with the tools and insights needed to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie on the horizon.
Nan Nelson, Envision Board Member and Economic Transformation Signals Team
A new startup is using AI to make non-English call center employees, who are often located in India, Pakistan or the Philippines, sound American. Founded in 2020, Sanas now provides companies with a proprietary AI software that works in real-time to alter users’ voices to sound more “Western.” Its aim is to “improve human-to-human relationships,” but critics argue the plan is fraught with ethical and psychological implications. Some say it puts the onus on non-Westerners to cater to Western interests. Read more here.
Enjoy the September 2023 Horizons, Envision’s bi-monthly newsletter. Meet Alexa Naudziunas, Envision’s new executive director; read how Karmen Lemke, Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay, has helped implement Strategic Foresight Training in her agency; and benefit from valuable insights on current trends and signals from Envision Board members.
Jim Golembeski, Envision Board member and Upward Mobility Signals Team
It takes 18 years to grow a worker.
That makes workforce forecasting one of the easiest things that Envision can do in our efforts to identify trends and challenges. It is easy to gather live birth data for our region on an annual basis and extrapolate out into the future.
We know the numbers of each age group, year by year, in NEW North. I have been speaking about these numbers for more than twenty years. The writing, as in the book of Daniel, has been on the wall: too many Baby Boomers retiring and not enough replacement workers coming into our workforce.
Karmen Lemke, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay
Although the future is really in the hands of our Almighty God, we can use our wisdom to best prepare Catholic Charities for our next years of service. That’s just what we’ve been doing since 1918. Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Green Bay began when the Rev. Paul P. Rhode was appointed to the position of Bishop. His familiarity with outreach to the poor prompted Bishop Rhode to conduct a local survey which highlighted needs for services within the Green Bay area. He created a plan to implement a social services arm of the Diocese of Green Bay.
Alexa Naudziunas, with deep roots in community-building, has accepted the position of Executive Director of Envision. She begins her term September 8 when she joins Envision’s eighth Garry Golden Strategic Foresight Workshop series along with 23 others. In October, she will enter the University of Houston’s certification program on Strategic Foresight.
Alexa was selected from a strong field of candidates after the resignation of Envision’s first Executive Director, Steve McCarthy, who left to return to his home in western Wisconsin. The search committee was impressed by her grassroots experience in building community involvement: She was employed by the city of Oshkosh for eight years, serving as a city planner assisting residents, neighborhoods and city committees.
(Excerpts from Leatherby, Lauren. “How a Vast Demographic Shift Will Reshape the World,” New York Times, July 16, 2023.)
Excerpted by Phil Hauck, Envision Board and Economic Transformation Signals Team
The world’s demographics have already been transformed. Europe is shrinking. China is shrinking, with India, a much younger country, overtaking it this year as the world’s most populous nation.
