Location: Osthoff Resort, Elkhart Lake
The WBA Summer Conference will be held June 14-15 the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. The annual golf outing will also be on June 14.
Registration deadline is May 30 and the hotel deadline is May 19.
Pricing:
One-Day (Member) (Members Only) – $99
Two-Day (Member) (Members Only) – $149
One-Day (Non-Member) – $125
Two-Day (Non-Member) – $225
One-Day (Student-Educator) – $25
Two-Day (Student-Educator) – $40
Keynote Luncheon Only – $75
Hall of Fame Only – $99
SEPARATE REGISTRATIONS
Media Technology Institute
Tuesday, June 13 – Thursday, June 15
This year, the Summer Conference Engineering Day has become the WBA Media Technology Institute, an all-inclusive source for summer technical professional development. It will include dynamic presenters in three primary emphasis areas:
Radio Frequency Transmission and Facilities: Need to know about RF? We have you covered from the microphone through the transmitter. We will take a complete look at the components, the technology, safety, and end to end signal flow. You will learn from some of the industry’s best including Jeff Welton, Eric Wandel, Scott Michaels, and more!
Data Networking Infrastructure and Information Security: Enjoy a hands-on networking session that covers everything from Layer 1 to AoIP and all points in between. We will look at how to set up an AoIP network. Representatives from DNAV will lead this session.
The Business of Broadcasting: Tom Walker from Mid-West Family will cover essential topics including: What industry are we actually in? How Do We Keep Score? CAPEX For Fun and Profit.


Golf Outing
Wednesday, June 14, 7:30 a.m.
The Bull in Sheboygan Falls
Play your own ball. Cash prizes for flag events, betting hole, and random drawings.

Wednesday, June 14
8 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. – Registration
Conference Sessions
10 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Nurturing Inclusive Cultures to Enhance Performance and Well-Being

President, NAB Leadership Foundation
Chief Diversity Officer, NAB

Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
Wisconsin School of Business
Our sense of belonging is integral to our ability to do our best work. People who do not feel a sense of belonging spend their time looking for affirmation instead of being able to focus their energy on their work. Building belonging for every individual begins with an inclusive culture. In this session, we will discuss how to create an inclusive culture to ensure belonging for each member of the organization.
11:30 p.m. – 1 p.m.
Lunch on your own
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
How to Identify and Recruit More Successful Local Talent

Steve will reveal the 14 traits inherent in breakthrough talent, busting many commonly held myths about what makes on-air talent truly break through. Plus, he’ll share strategies on how best to coach your on-air talent to help them be successful.
2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
EEO Session: You’re Looking in All the Wrong Places: How to Find Diverse Talent at Every Level

President, NAB Leadership Foundation
Chief Diversity Officer, NAB
You follow the EEO rules widely distributing each job, posting vacancies on job boards, participating in career fairs and recruitment events, and beyond, but diverse job seekers aren’t knocking down your door. In fact, they aren’t knocking at all. This session will explore ways to engage diverse job applicants, refine your hiring strategy, comply with FCC requirements and meet your goal to attract the best and brightest candidates.
3:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Legislative Update

Wilkinson, Barker, Knauer LLP

The Capitol Group

WBA President and CEO
and the WBA Legislative Committee
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Reception
7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Dinner
At the dinner we will recognize the 2023 WBA Young Professional of the Year
Dinner entertainment: Riley Haupt

Riley Haupt is a one-man band singer and guitar player who brings a captivating, high-energy act for all ages. His performances are explosively engaging ranging from upbeat songs to all-time ballads that audiences cannot get enough of. Riley emerged from his Midwest hometown of Manitowoc into the worldwide scene. Hailed as a worldwide cruise ship entertainer, Riley Haupt has more than 1,000 shows under his belt on seven major cruise liners around the world.
His unique brand of entertainment fuses acoustic guitar, looping pedal, and beat box sounds creating live beats that will make you want to sing along. He spices performances by having the crowd be a part of the show. The audience can select their favorite tune from a collection of more than 300 songs ranging from the Beatles to contemporary music. It’s not unusual for a fan to take the lead on percussion or impromptu sing-along.
8:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Bon Fire
Thursday, June 15
7:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Registration
8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.
Business Breakfast
10 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Economic Update – U.S. Bank

10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
Constraints, Controls and Curbs: How to Practice Press Freedom Despite Restrictions

Somewhere in Wisconsin, right now, a nameless, faceless, bureaucrat is trying to figure out how to deny a lawful and legitimate request for public records. A school board, or city council, or common council or a state legislative committee is denying the public access to a meeting that by law should be held in public. A police officer, sheriff’s deputy or state trooper is denying someone their constitutional right lawfully to record the activity of law enforcement. A public safety agency is encrypting its dispatch transmissions to keep the public in the dark about what’s happening in their neighborhoods. What can broadcast journalists do to serve the public by seeking and reporting the truth despite the obstacles? Get some answers from RTDNA President & CEO Dan Shelley.
10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
The Connected Car – The Opportunity for Radio?”

How listeners consume content in the vehicle is evolving rapidly! The user-experience is the focus for automakers and the opportunity for radio. The great news… Radio is still the No. 1 source of entertainment inside the vehicle! Remaining competitive and relevant is the biggest question for local radio. Join as we walk through how the connected car is evolving and discuss the opportunity for radio and how technology is changing the listener experience in the vehicle.
Bring your questions!
Noon – 2:30 p.m.
Keynote Lunch and Local Broadcast Legends Presentation
Keynote Presentation from WBA Hall of Famers and Packers radio broadcast team Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren


2:45 p.m. – 4 p.m.
The Path to Work-Life Harmony

Bill Plante Chair in Leadership and Media Integrity
Loyola University

Anchor, WISN-TV
WBA Hall of Fame members Jill Geisler and Joyce Garbaciak will share how they navigated the challenges of work and family life – Jill as a news director, Joyce as an anchor.
As an expert on newsroom leadership and culture, Jill maintains that the term “work-life balance” is self-defeating, but harmony is achievable, especially if newsroom leaders treat their teams as people, not just producers. As a top-rated anchor who stepped away from full-time work for a few years to raise her daughters, Joyce will provide insights into her decision, along with other options people have for making certain they lead full and rewarding lives, even in the 24/7 world of news.
This will be an interactive session, drawing on the questions and insights from everyone in the room.
5 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Hall of Fame Reception
6 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Hall of Fame Dinner
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Hall of Fame presentations
Masters of Ceremonies:

WBA President and CEO

Koser Radio Group

Register Here
UPDATE YOUR HEADSHOT
We are excited to announce a new addition this year; our WBA photographer, Debbie Borth with Camera Kisses, is offering professional studio headshots from 3-4 p.m. on Thursday, June 15. Sessions start at just $60, discounted from $200 (tax included).
Photos will be taken on a gray backdrop in just a few short minutes (see example image).
Reservation recommended: sign up at here by Monday, June 12. Photo day walk-ins are also welcome and will be accommodated as session time is available. Contact Debbie with questions at dborth@camerakisses.com.

Mark Consigny
U.S. Bank
As Managing Director of Portfolio Management in the Madison market, Mark leads a team of investment specialists who are responsible for providing clients with personalized service and sophisticated investment strategies. He uses his experience to establish an integrated investment approach, offering asset allocation strategies and recommendations based on short-and long-term financial objectives, financial status and risk profiles.
Mark has more than 30 years of financial industry experience. Prior to joining U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management in 2001, Mark worked for Fidelity Investments in Boston for ten years as an Investment Consultant for institutional retirement plans.
Michelle Duke
NAB, NAB Foundation
Michelle Duke has more than 30 years of experience in the media industry working as a journalist, a trade association and non-profit executive.
She is currently the President of the NAB Leadership Foundation (NABLF) formerly the National Association of Broadcasters Leadership Foundation and the Chief Diversity Officer for the National Association of Broadcasters.
Previously she served as the Vice President of the foundation and was responsible for managing the day-to-day operations as well as developing and managing NABLF’s leadership initiatives.
Michelle developed the concept for the NABLF continuum of programs and created several successful initiatives including: The Leadership Development Program, the Technology Apprenticeship Program and the Connections Mentoring Program. In 2007 she began managing the NABLF Broadcast Leadership Training program, designed to train executive broadcasters to purchase stations or more into more senior level executive positions.
Previously she held the position of Vice President of Diversity and Development at the NABLF where she was responsible for the setting the strategic direction of NABLF’s diversity agenda.
Before joining NABLF in January 2005, Michelle was the Director of Leadership Programs for the Newspaper Association of America. She started her media career as a reporter for the now defunct, afternoon daily The Nashville Banner, which was based in Nashville, TN.
Michelle has been listed on Radio Ink Magazine’s Most Influential Women in Radio since 2011. In 2018 she was inducted into the Wall of Fame at the School of Media and Entertainment at Middle Tennessee State University. She received the Star Award from the National Capital Area chapter of the Alliance for Women in Media in 2009 and served on the national board of the Alliance for Women in Media for six years.
Michelle also served as the board chair of the Washington Literacy Center and as a board director and as a volunteer for numerous organizations. She received her Bachelor of Science in journalism from Middle Tennessee State University.
Juan Galdamez
Xperi
As a strong supporter of radio’s future in connected platforms, Juan has spent the last decade working with broadcasters on the adoption of HD Radio, computer vision, connected devices, metadata and audio processing technologies.
Juan’s passion for radio began at WXTU-FM, and continues to this day with stops along the way at WIHT-FM, WMZQ-FM, and WASH-FM in Washington, DC. Throughout his tenure at Xperi, Juan has advocated for broadcasters to utilize technology that enhances the listener experience. His work has helped stations around the world to improve their in-vehicle, mobile, connected device, and metadata delivery, ensuring a competitive listening experience in challenging ecosystems.
Joyce Garbaciak
Anchor, WISN-TV
Joyce Garbaciak co-anchors the top-rated 6 and 10 o’clock weeknight newscasts for WISN-TV, Milwaukee’s ABC affiliate. Throughout her 34 years reporting and anchoring in Milwaukee at both WISN-TV and WITI-TV, the WBA has honored her work. An investigative series she reported led to a change in Wisconsin law regarding the posting of code violations at daycare centers. She is a seven-time Chicago regional Emmy Award winner, a Peabody Award winner, and the recipient of several Edward R. Murrow Awards. Joyce is a member of the WBA Hall of Fame, the Milwaukee Press Club Media Hall of Fame, and the Wisconsin Silver Circle, a lifetime achievement honor bestowed by the Chicago region of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.
Joyce knows all about striving for work/life harmony. In early 2005, she decided to leave WITI-TV after some 16 years as a primary news anchor and reporter to be more available to her three young daughters and to help care for her ailing mother. She joined WISN-TV in 2006 because the position allowed her to work part time on fulfilling, meaningful projects and still be more hands-on at home with her family. She resumed full-time at WISN-TV in 2015.
Joyce received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. She stays active with her alma mater, serving on Northwestern's Council of 100, an invitation-only alumnae organization dedicated to mentoring and helping students transition from college to employment.
Prior to coming to Milwaukee, Joyce worked as a reporter and anchor in Nashville, Tennessee (WTVF-TV) and Wausau (WSAW-TV). She and her husband, Bernard Bobber, live in Mequon and are incredibly proud of their daughters -- Caitlin, Meredith, and Grace.
Jill Geisler
Bill Plante Chair in Leadership and Media Integrity, Loyola University
Jill Geisler is the person newsrooms turn to when they want first-class leadership and healthy cultures. The veteran broadcast journalist holds the Bill Plante Chair in Leadership and Media Integrity at Loyola University Chicago. She is a proud inductee of the WBA’s Media Hall of Fame. She has also served as moderator for multiple WBA gubernatorial and U.S. Senate debates.
Jill’s background includes reporting, producing, and anchoring, which she did before becoming one of the country’s first female TV news directors of a major market affiliate at the age of 27.
After leading her award-winning team at WITI in Milwaukee for 25 years, she joined the faculty of the Poynter Institute, where she guided its leadership and management programs. She has taught in news organizations from Boston to the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Jill is known for the practicality, humanity, and humor she brings to her teaching and coaching. She’s the author of “Work Happy: What Great Bosses Know,” two related podcasts, plus management columns for the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the Columbia Journalism Review.
She served as the Freedom Forum’s Fellow in Women’s Leadership, heading its Power Shift Project – an industry-wide effort created in the wake of the #MeToo scandals in media. Her Workplace Integrity curriculum has become part of news organizations across the country. She serves on the advisory board of the UW Center for Journalism Ethics, the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics, and The Kneeland Project for Responsible Journalism. She has co-led the Emerging Leaders Institute for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for the News Leaders Association since 2012.
Jill holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s in leadership studies. She’s married to Neil Jaehnert, is the mom of sons Noah and MacNeil Jaehnert, and “Lovey” to her grandchildren Nolan, Hailie, and MacKenzie.
Riley Haupt
Riley Haupt is a one-man band singer and guitar player who brings a captivating, high-energy act for all ages. His performances are explosively engaging ranging from upbeat songs to all-time ballads that audiences cannot get enough of. Riley emerged from his Midwest hometown of Manitowoc into the worldwide scene. Hailed as a worldwide cruise ship entertainer, Riley Haupt has more than 1,000 shows under his belt on seven major cruise liners around the world.
His unique brand of entertainment fuses acoustic guitar, looping pedal, and beat box sounds creating live beats that will make you want to sing along. He spices performances by having the crowd be a part of the show. The audience can select their favorite tune from a collection of more than 300 songs ranging from the Beatles to contemporary music. It’s not unusual for a fan to take the lead on percussion or impromptu sing-along.
Wayne Larrivee
Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren enter their 24th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network in 2022. Though both are veteran broadcasters, the two were paired for the first time in 1999 to bring the color and excitement of Green Bay Packers football to fans throughout Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and four more states. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
Larrivee, who grew up as a fan of the Packers in his native Lee, Mass., enters his 45th consecutive year broadcasting NFL games, having joined Green Bay's broadcast team after 14 seasons as the radio voice of the Chicago Bears (1985-98) on WGN and WMAQ Radio in Chicago. Earlier, he had done play-by-play of Kansas City Chiefs games for seven years (1978-84) on KCMO Radio in Kansas City. Known for his thorough preparation and his moderated, yet enthusiastic, call of the action, Larrivee's more-recent credits also include play-by-play for Big Ten Conference football and basketball for the Big Ten Network and NCAA basketball for Westwood One.
Highly decorated, the 67-year-old Larrivee was named Illinois Sportscaster of the Year in 1997 and is a seven-time winner of the Silver Dome Award, presented by the Illinois Broadcasters Association, for best radio football play-by-play. He is also a four-time winner of a Midwest Emmy for Chicago Bulls basketball play-by-play. In May 2011, he was honored as Communicator of the Year by the Wisconsin Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. In June 2021, Larrivee was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
A 1977 graduate of Emerson College in Boston, he received the school's Alumni Achievement Award in June 2005 and was inducted into the Emerson College Hall of Fame in June 2018. In 2012, the college appointed him to its alumni association board of directors. Larrivee also has done play-by-play of Chicago Bulls basketball on WGN-TV from 1991-2008, Chicago Cubs baseball, University of Iowa football, Quad Cities (Iowa) Angels minor league baseball, University of Missouri basketball and Kansas City Kings basketball games.
Larry McCarren
Wayne Larrivee and Larry McCarren enter their 24th season of broadcasts together across the Packers Radio Network in 2022. Though both are veteran broadcasters, the two were paired for the first time in 1999 to bring the color and excitement of Green Bay Packers football to fans throughout Wisconsin, Upper Michigan and four more states. They surpassed Jim Irwin and Max McGee for the most regular-season and postseason games broadcast for the Packers with 313 at the 2018 season opener against Chicago.
McCarren first joined the team's broadcasts in 1995, working his first four seasons with Irwin and McGee. Inducted into the Packers Hall of Fame in 1992, he also is a favorite among television viewers in northeast Wisconsin. After 27 years, he retired from Green Bay television and joined the Green Bay Packers' digital department as their sports analyst. McCarren has been voted Wisconsin Sportscaster of the Year four times (1994, 1996, 2002, 2007) by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. In June 2016, McCarren was inducted into the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
An iron man at center for the Packers for 12 seasons (1973-84), McCarren played in 162 consecutive games – the sixth-longest streak in team history – helping him earn the nickname "Rock." He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 1982 and 1983. Earlier, he had been a co-captain at the University of Illinois as both a junior and senior. McCarren, 70, originally is from Park Forest, Ill.
Binnu Palta Hill
Binnu Palta Hill has spent the last 24 years in the UW System teaching, consulting, and designing programming that enhances inclusion through strategic leadership and organizational cultural dexterity. Since 2008, she has led The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Wisconsin School of Business where she works closely with the Dean to develop a DEI strategy to enhance inclusion, and diversity among students, faculty, and staff. A distinguishing factor in her approach is the combination of academic research and lived experience to dissect core issues related to identity differences. Ms. Hill teaches inclusive leadership in the Wisconsin MBA Program and Executive Education. She also serves as the director of DEI programs for the Center for Executive and Professional Development.
In May 2015, Ms. Hill represented WSB at the White House as Wisconsin became one of the first business schools to commit to best practices for increasing opportunities in business for women and preparing a culturally competent 21st century workforce. She has served on a number of advisory boards including the AACSB Diversity Board, Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism, and the Information Technology Academy. In recognition for her contributions to UW-Madison and the Madison community, she received the UW-Madison Outstanding Woman of Color award, Wisconsin Innovation Award, and the Wisconsin Alumni Association Leadership Award.
Ms. Hill has been a guest speaker at more than 150 conferences throughout the United States and Europe, including the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity (NCORE), Women and Leadership Symposium, and AACSB International Diversity Forum. She has been a consultant for more than 40 corporations including Cooper Robertson, Grant Thornton, and M3 Insurance. Her engagements range from one-hour keynotes to recurrent hands-on workshops to strategy development. She has been a featured speaker in National Broadcasting Association’s Leadership Lab series. Her work on ‘Building Inclusive Business Cultures” has also been featured in The Capital Times, Biz Education and NBC15 news.
Dan Shelley
President and CEO, RTDNA
Dan Shelley is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA), and President of the RTDNA Foundation. He is a longtime member of the Association, a former Chairman of the Board and served as Foundation Secretary/Treasurer before becoming RTDNA/RTDNF Executive Director in 2017. He assumed the title of President in 2022.
Previously, Dan was Senior Vice President of Digital Content Strategy for iHeartMedia. Prior to joining iHeartMedia, Dan was a Senior Vice President at Interactive One, part of the Radio One (now Urban One) family of companies.
Before joining Urban One, Dan was Director of Digital Media at WCBS-TV, New York, the flagship station of the CBS Television Stations Group. He also served as an executive producer for WCBS-TV News.
Dan’s career includes extensive additional experience in radio management. He was news director/assistant program director at WTMJ-AM in Milwaukee where he was in charge of news and special events coverage. He also helped oversee operations for WTMJ’s Green Bay Packers, Milwaukee Brewers and Milwaukee Bucks radio networks.
Prior to Milwaukee, Dan was news director at KTTS-AM/FM in his hometown of Springfield, Mo. He holds an Electronic Media Communications degree from Missouri State University. MSU honored him in 2018 with its Outstanding Alumnus of the Year Award. In 2019, he was inducted into the Milwaukee Press Club Hall of Fame.
Steve Wexler
Leadership Coach, Good Karma Brands
Owner, WEXL Coaching & Development, LLC
Steve Wexler created a make-believe radio station (“WEXL Radio”) in his bedroom when he was a kid and rode his bike to WTMJ-AM in Milwaukee when he was 17 years old and asked if he could be on the actual radio. That began a broadcast career that has taken him from the control room to the board room and included on-air work at WTMJ and WISN in Milwaukee before beginning his management journey, building talk stations in Milwaukee for Hearst (WISN-AM) and in Portland, Oregon for King Broadcasting (KGW-AM). He later programmed KING-AM, Seattle and returned home to WTMJ as program director in 1993 for Journal Communications. Journal promoted Steve to market manager positions in Tucson, Arizona and Omaha, Nebraska where he began overseeing TV and radio operations, including WTMJ-TV in Milwaukee as executive vice president.
In 2012, he was named head of the 36-station, 8-market Journal Radio Group, a position he continued through Journal’s merger with E.W. Scripps. In 2018, he led the sale of the radio group to four separate broadcast companies, including Good Karma Brands in Milwaukee, where remained as vice president and market manager until late 2022, when he launched his own leadership and content consultancy.
Good Karma Brands is WEXL Coaching & Development’s inaugural client, where he will provide coaching, workshops and training for GKB’s news, talk and sports brands across the country as their Leadership Coach. A 2022 Marconi Award Finalist for Legendary Manager of the Year, Steve has served on the board of directors of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Radio Advertising Bureau and is a past Chair of the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association.
Steve and his wife Amy live in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, and have two children and two grandchildren.
OSTHOFF RESORT
For online reservations, head to www.osthoff.com. From there, select “Reserve” in the upper right hand corner. Select the time frame they want to stay by season. Select the arrival and departure dates and hit Next at the bottom. Enter the name and email. This brings you to an info page and below the dates/accommodation/adults/children section your guests can place the group code in the “Group ID” box, #1180. This will link to “WI Broadcasters Assoc ‘23.”
You may also call 800-876-3399 and select prompt #1. Please reference the group “WI Broadcasters Assoc” to receive the group discount and to be placed in the WBA group block.
Hotel booking deadline is May 19.
NOTE: There is a shortage of rooms at the Osthoff for Thursday night, June 15. If you require reservations for that night, we have secured a block of rooms at the Super 8 in Sheboygan. You can call 920-458-8080 to book a room. Just mention that you want a room in the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association block. Rooms range from $62/night to $144/night depending on the night and room type. There are also rooms in the block available for Tuesday and Wednesday night. Super 8 is only available to book through the morning of May 19.
There are still rooms available at the Osthoff for Tuesday and Wednesday night.
WBA Partner