Mary Burke is an American businesswoman, philanthropist, and politician. She is the former Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin in 2014. Burke has had a distinguished career in both the public and private sectors. She has held leadership positions in organizations such as Trek Bicycle Corporation, the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, and the International Youth Foundation. Burke is also an active philanthropist who has provided significant financial support to organizations such as Madison Ballet, Monona Grove School District, United Way of Dane County, and many more.Mary Burke is a businesswoman and former Wisconsin politician. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. Her business career began at Trek Bicycle Corporation, where she served as the President of the company for ten years. During her tenure, Burke grew the company from $25 million to over $400 million in sales. Following her time at Trek, Burke served as Wisconsin’s Secretary of Commerce from 2005 to 2007 under Governor Jim Doyle. In 2014, Burke ran for Governor of Wisconsin but lost to incumbent Scott Walker. More recently, Burke has been working as an angel investor and mentor with startup companies in the Madison area.
Mary Burke – Political Experience
Mary Burke is a prominent Democratic Party leader from Wisconsin. She is well known for her leadership in business and politics. She has served as the Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, Chair of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, and as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Burke has also been active in advocating for women’s rights, education reform, and gun control.
Burke was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin and attended both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Harvard Business School. After graduating from Harvard she worked as an executive at Trek Bicycle Corporation for nearly a decade before entering public service.
In 2005, Burke was appointed by Governor Jim Doyle to serve as Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, a position she held until 2007. During her tenure she spearheaded numerous initiatives to promote economic development across the state. In 2006 she was tapped by Governor Doyle to serve as Chairperson of the newly created Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). She served in this role until 2011 when Governor Scott Walker took office and replaced her with his own appointee.
From 2013-2014 Burke served as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly representing Madison’s 78th District. During her time in office she sponsored a number of bills aimed at improving public education, increasing access to healthcare, protecting workers’ rights, and providing financial relief to small businesses.
In 2014 Burke ran for governor of Wisconsin against incumbent Republican Scott Walker but narrowly lost in November by just over 6%. Despite her loss she remains an influential leader in Wisconsin politics and continues to advocate on behalf issues that are important to her constituents including economic development, education reform, women’s rights, gun control, and environmental protection.
Mary Burke – Business Ventures and Achievements
Mary Burke is a businesswoman with an impressive background and range of achievements. She has been a successful entrepreneur, business executive, and venture capitalist. Burke began her career in the early 1990s, when she co-founded BDV Capital Partners, an early stage venture capital firm that invested in emerging technology companies. She also co-founded and served as CEO of Trek Bicycle Corporation, a global leader in the cycling industry.
Burke has since held various executive roles at companies such as Wausau Financial Systems, Stellarex Technologies, and Hiebing Group. In addition to her business ventures, she also served for six years on the board of directors for the Wisconsin State Senate. During her tenure there, she was instrumental in passing legislation that created more jobs and economic development opportunities in Wisconsin.
In addition to her business accomplishments, Burke is also well known for her philanthropic work. She has donated millions of dollars to various causes around the world, including environmental protection initiatives and educational opportunities for children in developing countries. Burke is a staunch supporter of women’s rights and is actively involved with organizations such as the Women’s Leadership Network and Women’s World Banking.
Overall, Mary Burke is an inspiring example of how one person can make a difference through their entrepreneurial spirit and philanthropic actions. From launching successful businesses to advocating for social change through charitable giving, she proves that anything is possible when you put your heart into it.
Mary Burke – Philanthropic Endeavors
Mary Burke is an American business executive and philanthropist. She is the former CEO of Trek Bicycle Corporation and the founder of Building Brave, an organization dedicated to advancing the leadership skills of girls and young women. Through her philanthropic endeavors, Mary has been an advocate for women’s rights and gender equality around the world.
In 2018, Mary founded Building Brave, an organization that works to empower young girls and women by providing them with the tools they need to become strong leaders. The organization provides leadership development programs, workshops, online courses, and mentorship opportunities to help young girls develop their skills. By building relationships between young women and mentors in their fields of interest, Building Brave helps them to develop their potential in a supportive environment.
In addition to her philanthropic work with Building Brave, Mary has also been involved in numerous other initiatives that promote gender equality. She serves on the board of directors for Equality Now, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting the rights of women around the world. She is also a member of Women Moving Millions, an organization that works to raise funds for initiatives that support female-led organizations across the globe.
Moreover, Mary has been a vocal advocate for closing the gender pay gap and ensuring equal pay for equal work. In 2015 she launched Equal Pay Day Wisconsin which is aimed at raising awareness about gender-based wage disparities in Wisconsin. The initiative works with employers across the state to promote pay equity among their employees regardless of gender or race.
Through her philanthropic endeavors Mary Burke has been a tireless champion for promoting gender equality around the world. Her work with Building Brave as well as other initiatives has enabled her to reach thousands of young girls and women who have benefited from her dedication towards creating a more equitable society.
Mary Burke – Legislative Initiatives
Mary Burke is a Wisconsin State Representative, who has dedicated her career to promoting and advocating for progressive legislative initiatives. She is a strong supporter of educational reform, environmental protection, economic development and job creation.
Burke has a long history of advocating for the rights of working families. She introduced the Living Wage Act, which was designed to ensure that employers pay their employees a living wage. Burke also sponsored legislation that provided for an increase in the minimum wage and the creation of a state-wide paid family leave program.
Burke has been an outspoken advocate for quality public education in Wisconsin. She has fought to ensure that every child in Wisconsin receives an excellent education, regardless of their economic background or zip code. Burke has sponsored legislation to provide more resources for public schools and funding for early childhood education programs.
Burke is also a strong supporter of environmental protection policies in Wisconsin. She believes that we must do our part to protect our environment and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Burke has sponsored numerous bills aimed at improving air quality and reducing carbon emissions throughout the state.
In addition to her legislative initiatives, Burke is an active member of her community and volunteers her time with numerous charitable organizations throughout the state of Wisconsin. Her dedication to social justice and progressive causes make her an ideal representative for all residents of Wisconsin.
Mary Burke – Policy Positions
Mary Burke is running for governor in Wisconsin and has made her policy positions clear. She supports a higher minimum wage, equal pay for women, creating jobs in the state, and expanding access to health care. Burke wants to invest in public education, making sure that all children have access to quality education regardless of their income level. She also supports a living wage for workers, raising the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour and providing tax relief for low-income families. In addition, she has proposed creating a statewide infrastructure bank to help finance large projects that will create jobs and economic development across Wisconsin.
Burke also wants to make Wisconsin a leader in clean energy production and use renewable energy sources like wind and solar power instead of fossil fuels. She is committed to protecting our natural resources by keeping our air and water clean and is opposed to fracking operations on state lands or waters. Burke believes the state should provide incentives for businesses that create green jobs and invest in clean energy technology. Additionally, she wants to ensure Wisconsinites have access to safe drinking water by increasing funding for local water authorities and investing in infrastructure upgrades.
Burke understands that providing quality healthcare is essential for the health of Wisconsinites. She supports expanding Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act so more people can access health care services at an affordable cost. Furthermore, she wants to reduce the cost of prescription drugs by allowing generic drug imports from Canada as well as negotiating better prices with pharmaceutical companies for all Wisconsinites. Finally, she believes that mental health services should be accessible across the state so everyone can get the help they need when they need it most.
Mary Burke – Campaign Platforms
Mary Burke is a Democratic candidate for Governor in Wisconsin. Her campaign focuses on creating jobs, improving education, and investing in Wisconsin’s future. She believes that by investing in quality public schools, increasing access to higher education, and providing job training opportunities to the state’s workers we can build a strong economy that works for all Wisconsinites.
Burke has outlined a comprehensive plan for creating jobs with her “Investing in Wisconsin’s Future” platform. This plan includes strengthening the manufacturing sector by providing tax incentives to employers who create jobs, increasing access to capital for entrepreneurs and small businesses, and developing an infrastructure plan that will attract more businesses to the state.
Additionally, Burke supports expanding access to higher education by increasing financial aid and making college more affordable for all students. Her plan also includes providing job training opportunities through apprenticeships and creating new pathways to well-paying careers.
Burke also proposed an “Education Investment Plan” which would invest $500 million over four years into public schools across the state. This would include funding for teacher training, reducing class sizes, expanding early childhood education programs, and expanding access to technology in classrooms. She also proposes increasing school choice options for parents and students who wish to explore other educational options outside of traditional public schools.
Finally, Burke believes that investing in transportation infrastructure is essential for creating economic opportunity throughout the state. She proposes investing $6 billion into roads, bridges, airports, transit systems, bike paths and other projects throughout the state in order to create jobs and spur economic growth.
Overall Mary Burke is focused on creating jobs through investments in quality public schools; improving access to higher education; providing job training opportunities; investing in transportation infrastructure; and expanding school choice options for parents and students alike. These proposals make up her comprehensive platform which she hopes will benefit all Wisconsinites by sparking economic growth throughout the state.
Mary Burke – Election Results
The results of the 2014 election for Wisconsin governor, in which Democratic candidate Mary Burke was defeated by incumbent Republican Governor Scott Walker, have been highly contested. Although it was a close race, Burke ultimately lost by a margin of 7 percentage points. The election results were also marked by a high level of voter turnout, with over three million votes being cast in the election.
Burke’s campaign focused on her business background and experience as a job creator, as well as her commitment to education and healthcare reform. She also attempted to tie Walker to the unpopular policies of his predecessor, former Governor Jim Doyle. Despite her efforts, she was unable to gain enough support from voters in the state to win the election.
While some have argued that Burke ran an ineffective campaign or that she was hampered by her lack of name recognition among voters, there is no doubt that Walker’s high-profile campaign and focus on fiscal issues resonated with Wisconsin voters. Despite Burke’s strong message and focus on jobs and education reform, Walker was able to mobilize his base and attract independent voters who had previously voted for him in 2010.
In the end, Mary Burke’s loss in the 2014 election highlights the difficulty Democrats face when running against an incumbent Republican governor in Wisconsin. With Walker still popular among many Wisconsinites and no clear Democratic challenger for 2018 yet emerged, it remains to be seen whether Democrats will be able to unseat him in upcoming elections.
Conclusion
Mary Burke has proven to be a successful politician and businesswoman throughout her career. She has been a leader in Wisconsin’s economic growth, and been an advocate for women’s rights, education reform and job creation. Her experience as a business executive has given her the unique skills to succeed in the public sector. She is an inspirational figure for young women looking to break into politics and business alike.
Mary Burke is committed to continuing her work in public life to ensure that all Wisconsinites have access to job opportunities and quality education. She will continue advocating for the rights of women, children, and minorities as she strives to make Wisconsin a better place for everyone regardless of race or gender.
Her legacy will be one of success, resilience, and dedication; Mary Burke truly embodies the spirit of what it means to be a leader in Wisconsin’s vibrant community.