The Waukesha Education Foundation, Inc. (WEF) is pleased to announce the recipients of the annual WEF Awards for 2025. All three winners will be recognized at the 2026 Evening for Education event, being held on March 25 at the Milwaukee Marriott-West (Waukesha).
The recipient of the WEF Corporate Partner Award is Eaton Corporation. Eaton Corporation has been supportive of the Waukesha Engineering Preparatory Academy and has hosted Schools2Skills field trips to encourage students to explore manufacturing careers. They have hosted the high school FEMADE Clubs to share careers considered “nontraditional for females.” Eaton has a long list of much appreciated community sponsorships, but especially noteworthy is their recent $250,000 grant for the WCTC Foundation to build an Artificial Intelligence Lab.
The recipient of the WEF Community Partner Award is the Waukesha Police Department School Resource Officer (“SRO”) Program. The principals of three School District of Waukesha (SDW) secondary schools nominated the SRO program because “it is one of the most important partnerships in the SDW.” The presence of trained School Resource Officers enhances school safety and security through immediate response capabilities in emergencies. The officers assist in maintaining a secure campus atmosphere conducive to learning by reducing incidents of violence, vandalism, and substance abuse. The approachable officers often prevent incidents by acting on the tips that are given. They provide instruction on topics such as bullying prevention, internet safety, drug awareness, and conflict resolution. Collaboration between our schools and law enforcement creates an atmosphere where students feel protected, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential.
The recipient of the Sally Jo Michalko Lifetime Excellence in Education Award is James Boling. Mr. Boling received an unprecedented four nominations that demonstrated a collective appreciation for the 38 years of service through the University of Wisconsin system to students and families at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in the School District of Waukesha. James’s influence is transformative as he mentors, encourages, connects, and opens doors for our youth. James believes that “every young person deserves a chance to find their spark” and then helps them find it through programs like the UW pre-college program, Emerging Leaders, after-school 4-H programs, and other programs like the Waukesha North Black Student Union and Waukesha South Latino Student Union.
“These awards honor organizations and individuals in our community who support our schools and help us live our motto of Strong Schools = Strong Businesses = Strong Communities,” said Lynnette Kalmadge, WEF’s Executive Director. “We are excited to celebrate their contributions.”
“The contributions and involvement of these honorees have directly impacted student success,” added WEF Board President Janaka Subotnik. “Their dedication to education and our schools is truly inspiring.”
The award recognitions will occur at the Evening for Education which will be held at the Milwaukee Marriott-West (Waukesha) on March 25, 2026. The community is invited to this popular event which will celebrate these winners and education in Waukesha. Sponsorship opportunities and limited event tickets remain available. For more information, please visit https://wefefe26.givesmart.com, text wefefe26 to 76278 or call 262-970-1143.
Since its inception, WEF has awarded close to a million dollars to support projects and initiatives that directly benefit the students of the School District of Waukesha through their grant and scholarship programs. WEF relies on donations from the community to further the educational experiences of Waukesha students. More information can be found at their website: www.waukeshaeducationfoundation.org.