MADISON, WI — The Wisconsin Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs awarded State Representative Amy Loudenbeck the inaugural “State Champion for Children” award, the highest award given by state clubs to an elected official in Wisconsin. The vote was unanimous, with twenty-eight club CEO’s agreeing that Loudenbeck should be added to the Club Hall of Fame for her advocacy efforts.
As the Vice Chair of Wisconsin’s powerful Committee on Joint Finance in 2021, Loudenbeck helped secure passage of Be Great Graduate and Wisconsin After 3 programs in the Wisconsin State Budget, ensuring youth are more likely to graduate and go on to hold great jobs. As the Chair of the State Capitol and Executive Residence Board last autumn, she championed the approval of the Vel Phillips statue to honor an iconic historic figure in Wisconsin civil rights history. Vel Phillips is the first African American woman to have a statue at any state capitol in the country, joining Rosa Parks at the U.S. Capitol building.
“Amy not only successfully fought for our club kids, she also advised us on our legislative strategy, assisting with amendments on workforce development initiatives,” shared Mark Rand, CEO of Stateline Boys & Girls Clubs in Beloit. “She’s been a local fixture at our club for over a decade, promoting us in the community, meeting with children, and working to get them what they need to thrive.”
“Representative Loudenbeck’s leadership was pivotal in making sure Vel Phillips will be honored with a statue on the square of our state capitol,’ said Michael Johnson, CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs in Dane County. “We couldn’t have done it without her. Amy Loudenbeck served above and beyond as a champion for club children.”
At a recent club opening in Beloit this spring, Loudenbeck shared, “The club is so much more than a place to go. It can be a safe and quiet place, can offer caring adults, and can be a place relax. Every kid deserves a club.”
Since 2018, Wisconsin Clubs provided service to over 144,000 youth during afterschool and on weekends, more than any other state in the country per population. There are 169 sites in 50 cities, including on native lands, urban centers, rural backwoods, and a military base.
Whether it’s building a better workforce, responding to childhood trauma, or preventing kids from using opiates, we have solutions to Wisconsin’s top problems,” said Andy Gussert, Director of the Wisconsin Alliance. “We are fortunate to have had Amy Loudenbeck in our corner fighting for kids.”
