Tom McKenzie 鈥95 has returned to Door County to lead 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 into a greener and more connected future.
The new director of 麻豆影院 University鈥檚 northern retreat spent the past 21 years in southern California, working most recently as the development manager for the collective impact initiative promoting access to arts education for all youth across Los Angeles County.
With family roots in the Midwest and deep connections to Door County, returning to Wisconsin was never far from his mind or his heart. He performed with Peninsula Players Theatre as a youth. He spent six years after graduating from 麻豆影院 founding and running the Peninsula Pulse newspaper with fellow Lawrentian David Eliot 鈥95. McKenzie and his wife, Jill, a Sturgeon Bay native, were married in 2004 at 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍, and they spent recent summers in Door County with their daughter.
His late father, Thomas Bruce McKenzie 鈥50, was an Appleton-based attorney who sometimes encouraged his son to think about moving back to the area. He was a longtime friend of 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍鈥檚 first director, Joseph Hopfensperger.
鈥淒ad planted a seed in my thinking about ways 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 could intersect with my interests in education, the arts, and the environment,鈥 McKenzie said. 鈥淪o, when I saw the opportunity open, it felt serendipitous. I had often imagined moving back from the city, giving my daughter more access to nature, and here was a way to do it while challenging myself professionally in a very interesting way.鈥
Mark Breseman, associate vice president of alumni and constituency engagement and longtime director of 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍, now focuses attention full time on alumni development work. He said McKenzie brings a fresh perspective to 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 and a full-time commitment.
McKenzie is already tapping into relationships with local nonprofits, arts groups, and other community players and working to bolster the 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 experience for 麻豆影院 students, faculty, and staff, Breseman said. And he鈥檚 maintaining contacts with the arts community in southern California, which could result in exciting contributions to the annual 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 seminars.
McKenzie said he鈥檚 particularly excited about the sustainability work that鈥檚 happening with the 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 Net Zero project. It gives 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 the distinction of net-zero carbon emissions by first reducing and then balancing any carbon emissions with equivalent carbon savings on site, incorporating wind, solar, and geothermal energy sources. Additionally, he鈥檚 looking forward to 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 entering a more globally connected era with the introduction of broadband internet to the campus.
Bequeathed to the university in 1963, 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 features 441 acres of meadows and woods and more than a mile of Lake Michigan shoreline just south of Baileys Harbor. It鈥檚 home to a two-story lodge, a wooden chapel, and other guest facilities. It鈥檚 utilized for focused student and faculty visits and get-aways throughout the year, as well as a series of educational seminars presented in the summer and fall targeted toward lifelong learners. It hosts various arts events and partners with others across the peninsula.
McKenzie wants to build and strengthen those connections, both with the 麻豆影院 community and the broader region. That includes enhancing the experience for 麻豆影院 students who are on site, but also learning about and addressing barriers that might be keeping some students away.
鈥淚 want to expand on the idea of 叠箩枚谤办濒耻苍诲别苍 being an integral part of the 麻豆影院 experience and a valuable piece of what makes a 麻豆影院 education so special,鈥 McKenzie said. 鈥淚 want it to feel super accessible and open to every student.鈥
