Mentor Award winners are recognized at the annual event, held each February. Winners receive a financial contribution in their honor which is designated in his/her name and awarded to a woman at a four-year educational institution in the state of Wisconsin. Scholarships are provided by the TEMPO Foundation, through the generous support of corporate sponsors and individual donors. TEMPO has awarded more than $240,000 in scholarships to more than 75 Wisconsin women since the inception of the event.
The Annual Mentor Awards recognizes individuals and organizations in the community dedicated to mentoring of others. Mentor Award recipients are nominated by individuals within the Milwaukee community. Nominations are then judged on three criteria: mentoring of others, business leadership and community leadership.
About our 2023 Award Recipients:
Mary McCormick
Mary McCormick is the executive director of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee where she has led the organization since 2002. She currently sits on the boards of Wellpoint Care Network (formerly SaintA), the Shorewood Foundation and the Saber Six Foundation. Prior leadership roles include Milwaukee Women inc, Columbia College of Nursing and UWM's Institute of World Affairs. She and her husband, Tim Hawks, live in Shorewood, have four adult children and five grandchildren. She enjoys reading, writing, going to the theater, walking and conversation with good friends. Mary became a TEMPO member in 2002.
In her nomination, Mary was described as the type of mentor who has the “multiplier effect” as she has helped so many others become mentors through her behind the scenes encouragement, sponsorship, and support. Mary creates an environment where those she is mentoring are able to mentor others, creating a far more impactful organization that she would be able to execute alone.
Under her leadership, Mary restructured the Rotary Club of Milwaukee which is considered one of the leading clubs in the county. Mary was instrumental in helping Rotary establish community scholarships which support many first-generation college students. This community scholarship program also connects each of its scholars with a Rotary member to mentor the students which has, in part, led to these students completing their education at almost 4x the National average.
Mary was described in her nomination as someone who truly exemplifies what it means to lead, mentor and build community as a savvy, influential connector of people, ideas and initiatives.
Mary’s mentoring reaches far beyond the Milwaukee community as she is a well-known and respected “go to” person for other club leaders. She is consistently willing to share her expertise and best practices with smaller or new clubs.
Ana Simpson serves as Director of Community and Economic Development at WHEDA (Wisconsin Housing Economic Development Authority). Ana leads a state-wide team that focuses on growing economic development statewide as well as promoting financing products and tools that support WHEDA’s multifamily lending activity. Ana currently sits on the Advisory Board of La Casa de Esperanza in Waukesha, is Board Secretary of Family Services. Ana joined TEMPO in 2017.
In her nomination, Ana was described as a mentor who is always a heartbeat away from bridging a connection or sharing a piece of advice that will rock your world.
In her role at WHEDA, Ana leads with a unique mix of drive, empathy and advocacy that is both admirable and can be difficult to find at the leadership level. She has created an environment where professionals from all walks of life with varied experiences feel valued and empowered. She is intentional in showcasing the value of this diversity to senior leaders and other departments to inspire a similar work culture across the organization.
Ana’s mentoring has reached many but she is particularly excited when someone that looks like her gets a chance at an opportunity that they otherwise would not have. She talks about the lack of sponsors she has had and that her formal mentors were men early in her career. She is dedicated to changing this for the women that come after her. She will always invite you to a seat at the table (even if she has to create one).
Ana's daughter wrote in her nomination that “there is a need for more women like my mom who are looking out for younger generations and making it their personal mission to expose us to these opportunities.”
Herzing University is unique in that its core mission is mentoring; it is an educational organization focused on advancing individuals of all ages and backgrounds so they can be more professionally successful, more economically secure and more personally satisfied. For more than 55 years, Herzing University has provided progressive, career-focused education with high levels of personal support, including career services that support graduates through to employment in high-demand fields.
Herzing's significant contributions in mentoring include its educational leadership in solving the healthcare and behavioral health workforce gap and its engagement in creative partnerships to make education-to-career pathways accessible to those in our community most in need.
