MADISON, Wis.— Today Vote Yes to Invest, the campaign leading the coalition to support the Madison Metropolitan School District referenda, announced the addition of Sandy Morales, CEO of Big Brothers Big Sister of Dane County, and Zach Brandon, President of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, as campaign co-chairs. Morales and Brandon join previously announced co-chairs Julianna Baldo, Dave Branson, Alder Sheri Carter, Julie Underwood, and Gary Wolter in supporting the effort.
“Sandy and Zach have been transformative leaders for our Madison community and we are grateful to them for stepping up and showing their support for Yes 2 Invest,” said Melinda Heinritz, Executive Director of Schools Make Madison Advocacy. “Their commitment to this campaign demonstrates the multiformity and reach of our efforts and acknowledges the incredibly important roles that both nonprofits and the business community play in support of our public schools.”
“Our public schools are the fabric of our community and the stakes could not be higher for the children and families we collectively serve,” said Morales. “While COVID-19 has laid bare many of the inequities and gaps that previously existed in our public schools, the MMSD referenda presents a generational opportunity to make an impactful investment in our children’s future by providing the much-needed mental, social, and emotional support resources during this unprecedented time. I’m proud to lend my support as a co-chair of this campaign and encourage others to get involved as we work to build a more inclusive and equitable Madison.”
“These referenda represent a much-needed strategic investment in Madison’s public schools and our students. Putting resources into facilities, technology and programming now will help address pervasive disparities exacerbated by the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Brandon. “We need strong public schools to develop, retain and attract a talented workforce and maintain our economic competitiveness. This investment is important to our students and to ensure Madison as a community is future-ready. I am grateful for the opportunity to co-chair this campaign, and the Chamber is proud to lend its organizational support.”
Since launching the campaign in late July, Vote Yes 2 Invest has received dozens of endorsements from community leaders and organizations alike. Currently, Vote Yes 2 Invest is the only organization that has registered either for or against the referenda with MMSD.
