Literacy and access to education focus of fall gathering of community, education leaders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 15, 2023
Robyn Hallet ‘98 honored with UW-Green Bay Community Service Award;
Airbnb leader joins Council of Trustees
GREEN BAY, WI – Literacy and access to education were the focus of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay’s fall community dinner. New and long-term members of the community and UW-Green Bay alumni were highlighted for their efforts to support and strengthen education across the region.
UW-Green Bay alumna Robyn Hallet ’98 was awarded the UW-Green Bay Community Service Award for her work in literacy education and awareness in Northeast Wisconsin. Beginning as a volunteer for Literacy Green Bay, and ascending to serve as their executive director, Hallet increased the agency’s ability to help hundreds of adults gain important literacy skills needed to function effectively in the community and workplace. She is now embarking on a new role with Wisconsin Literacy as the Northeast Wisconsin Regional Literacy Consultant. “With today’s global economy, it becomes apparent to us in so many ways that each individual’s education can and does have a global impact. The way I have most readily witnessed this is through the immigrants I have walked alongside as they seek out literacy services right here in our own community,” said Hallet. “Through education these newcomers to our community can find a path forward for themselves and for their families, which makes our entire community and the world stronger.”
Joined by Green Bay Area Public School Superintendent, Claude J. Tiller, Chancellor Michael Alexander addressed the importance of UW-Green Bay’s access mission, making education available to everyone who wants to learn. “Our community and region expect our university to serve the needs of the people in our region. This means providing opportunity for anyone who wants to learn, giving individuals the ability to transform their workplace and solve problems. By creating access to education for anyone, whether it’s a “traditional” college path, or a training class or a certificate program, this not only benefits the individual, but the whole community.”
In addition, Abby Kiefer, ‘03 was welcomed as the newest member of UW-Green Bay’s Council of Trustees.
Abby Kiefer is the Director of Policy at Airbnb. Her connection to UW-Green Bay began when her parents enrolled her in the early childhood learning center at eighteen months old. From those formative years, this institution has continued to make its mark on her life, both professionally and personally. After becoming an alum in 2003 with a degree in Urban Studies & Environmental Policy, she pursued a master’s degree and subsequent career chapter in Urban Planning in Chicago and San Francisco. During her tenure in the Bay Area, Abby pivoted to the private sector, where she successfully founded and funded a product development startup that produced items that have been sold in thousands of stores across the country. Most recently, she’s a Director with Airbnb, enabling their political affairs team to engage with tens of thousands of governments around the globe. Abby and her husband, Kurt Kober (Business ‘01), split time between Wisconsin, Idaho, and California with their two doodles, Bucky and Bascom.
(Photo is available upon request.)
About the Council of Trustees
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Council of Trustees is a 35-member council consisting of community leaders, economic leaders and key alumni. The trustees act as key advisors to UW-Green Bay’s leadership team on strategy and act as community ambassadors for the University. Discover more about the Trustees.
About UW-Green Bay
Established in 1965, UW-Green Bay is a public institution serving more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and 67,500 continuing education learners each year. We educate students from pre-college through retirement and offer 200+ degrees, programs and certificates. UW-Green Bay graduates are resilient, inclusive, sustaining and engaged members of their communities, ready to rise to fearlessly face challenges, solve problems and embrace diverse ideas and people. With four campus locations, the University welcomes students from every corner of the world. In 2023, UW-Green Bay is the fastest-growing UW school in Wisconsin, and the third largest regional comprehensive in the state. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
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