Susan Lipp, President of Full Compass, Leads Development of the Partnership for Wisconsin's Economic Success (PWES)
May 30, 2008

Middleton, WI – Susan Lipp, President of Full Compass Systems, has been a leader and long-time advocate for keeping music and arts programs in schools by increasing awareness of the benefits to young people and ultimately the communities they live in. Her involvement has helped create new initiatives that will open doors of opportunity, giving more children a chance to expand their own creative skills and build strong foundations for their futures.

Recently, the Department of Public Instruction's Superintendent, Elizabeth Burmaster, asked Susan to participate in the creation of the Partnership for Wisconsin’s Economic Success (PWES) with the cooperation of 11 other statewide business and philanthropic leaders. The purpose of PWES is to raise awareness with Wisconsin business leaders about the importance of investing in quality early childhood development programs to ensure a healthy future Wisconsin economy. As one of the initial 12 members, Susan is committed to making PWES a success and is prepared to take on the challenge of bringing the topic of youth education to the forefront.

As a continuation of her efforts, Susan attended the 2008 Wisconsin Summit for Community Teams held at the Crowne Plaza in Madison, WI. Hosts of the event included The Committee for Economic Development, the Buffett Early Childhood Fund, and Partners for Wisconsin's Economic Success (PWES) as part of a national movement to elevate the importance of early childhood education by the Partnership for America's Economic Success (PAES). The teams participated in a number of engaging activities, including analysis of new evidence from state and local experts on the connection between early childhood and economic development and discussions noting examples of communities who have been successful to encourage business and community leaders to support early education. Conversations took place within and across teams as the groups worked to develop action plans for increasing overall community involvement in childhood programs.

The national Partnership for America's Economic Success (PAES) was established in 2006 as a collaborative community of experts in economics, early care and education, finance, and policy.

The leadership goal of PAES is to strengthen U.S. competitiveness and achieve fiscal sustainability through evidence-based investments in children, pre-natal through five years of age. PAES is an innovative initiative designed to address a critical problem in ways that will have profound effects on the long-term economic health of the United States.

The Partnership for Wisconsin's Economic Success (PWES) was created in 2008 as the first state affiliate committed to supporting the work of the national Partnership and was featured during the 2008 Summit. This organization resides under the leadership of Dennis Winters, Chief Economic Advisor for the State of Wisconsin, Department of Workforce Development. The Wisconsin Partnership is modeled on the Partnership for America's Economic Success (PAES).

Susan is excited to be a part of this progressive group and is motivated to take the necessary steps to make PWES a success.

For more information, visit http://www.wisbiz4kids.com/