Urban Plunge Raises Awareness of Hunger

In his most recent role as equity asset management and equity capital markets with Baird, William Mahler led the company’s Institutional Equities Business division to growth for 17 consecutive years. An active member of his community, William Mahler has served on the finance committee with Casa Romero.

A multicultural and bilingual spirituality center, Casa Romero provides educational programming to help young people create connections in their community. The organizations’ Urban Immersion Program, for example, helps young people develop awareness and cultural sensitivity surrounding a number of urban issues. The Urban Plunge invites groups of students, parish groups, or campus ministry programs to engage in prayer and reflection, as well as to visit local agencies and participate in service projects, all aimed at broadening perspectives on issues such as hunger and homelessness.

The Urban Plunge allows participants to reflect on poverty rates among different demographics, and to examine common stereotypes they may hold of people living in poverty. Working as a group they can then discuss potential ways they may be of service to urban populations who are experiencing homelessness and hunger.

Foster Care and Adoption Services

A veteran of the financial industry with a sense of community, William Mahler consistently volunteers his time and gives back to many good causes that support children and young people. William Mahler is a strong supporter of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, which has the largest adoption and foster care program in the state.

Children’s Wisconsin is the region’s only healthcare facility specifically dedicated to the wellness of children. The hospital has three different areas that provide adoption and foster care, depending on certain circumstances.

It partners with the Division of Milwaukee Child Protective Services to offer general foster care that matches children with foster homes. Treatment foster care is available for children in situations where the parent or guardian cannot take care of them. Children and adolescents receive home-based care until their guardians finish treatment.

Full-time foster parents who need extra support or to take a break can utilize respite foster care. Children’s Wisconsin sends in a respite worker to temporarily take over for the foster parent.

CLF Releases 2020 Yellow Iris Abatement

An experienced executive in the financial services industry, William Mahler is an advocate for preserving the natural environment. Among his areas of focus, William Mahler helps to protect Wisconsin's Crab Lake ecosystem as the president of the Crab Lake Conservation Foundation.

Seeking to sustain the Crab Lake area, the Crab Lake Conservation Foundation carries out boating safety, fishery, natural-beauty, and water-quality initiatives, and in recent years it has sought to reduce the negative effects of the invasive yellow iris. The yellow iris causes significant environmental damage, including overwhelming native vegetation and trapping sediment.

In a 2020 report, the foundation estimated its impact on reducing the harm caused by the yellow iris. It announced it had addressed (by either removing or treating plants) 56.5 percent of the 112 known yellow iris locations. It had also removed or treated 74.5 percent of 2870 known yellow iris leaf fans. In all, the organization removed and burned 3.7 cubic yards of total plant mass volume. Additionally, the foundation stated that though its 2019-2020 yellow iris abatement initiatives represented a “very high bar,” abatement should not be seen as a 100-percent effective measure. Accordingly, further surveys and abatement efforts should be expected in order to manage the invasive plant's impact on the area’s ecosystem.

Casa Romero’s Canasta Llena Program Strengthens Families

A financial executive with Baird for more than three decades, William Mahler most recently served as chairman of equity asset management and equity capital markets. An active philanthropist, William Mahler serves on the finance committee for Casa Romero, an educational organization that provides multicultural and bilingual spiritual programming for Latino youth in Milwaukee.

At the Casa Romero Renewal Center, children and families can participate in faith-based programming designed to strengthen families and enhance communities. The Canasta Llena (Full Basket) Retreat, for example, comprises four sessions that can deepen family connections, particularly between parents and teenagers. The program includes full days of sharing and communication, concluding with a “family resolution” that identifies a common goal to work on.

The family then attends follow-up sessions where they are guided in reflection on how the resolution is going and how they might continue improving. As part of the program, the family also participates in a community service project that provides the opportunity for bonding through the pursuit of a meaningful objective.