Transition of Ramp Up Co-Chairs

Bill Pogge (right) reviews ramp
plans with Ray Nowaczyk

Ramp Up Marathon County has always intentionally involved a diversity of individuals in its leadership team, including two co-chairs, one representing an organization who provides referrals and the other who is a "private citizen" volunteer.

This summer saw a Ramp Up Marathon County leadership transition.

Bill Pogge, a volunteer who had served as co-chair with Erin Wells (Aging and Disability Resource Center Community Resources Manager) for the Ramp Up leadership team stepped down to focus on work with Faith in Action’s Senior Home Safety Program and other personal interests.

Bill was an instrumental part of conceptualizing and actualizing Ramp Up. He wrote much of the by-laws, headed the work with funders and fiscal partners, and helped on site at the project builds. We sincerely thank Bill for all of his hard work and wish him all the best.

Mike Sydow

Mike Sydow has stepped into Bill’s former position, with Wells continuing as co-chair.

After 26 years as Marathon County Register of Deeds, Mike retired in January of 2017. When Ray Nowaczyk, a longtime friend of Mike’s and member of the Ramp Up leadership team, learned that the co-chair position would be vacant by mid-summer, he suggested that Mike check it out.

“I was more than wanting to be involved for quite a while,” Mike recalled. “I didn’t expect to be co-chair right away, but it’s OK.”

An interest in building runs in Mike’s family. His dad was always remodeling something or other, one brother is a builder and another is a building inspector.

But Mike has a special understanding of the need for ramps. He has been using a wheelchair since 1975 when he suffered a broken neck during a water skiing accident.

According to Mike, “It’s important for anyone with a disability to be able to get in and out of their home for work, medical appointments and social activities.”

And that’s just what the work that Ramp Up Marathon County does by funding and building ramps and specialized stairs for lower income Marathon County residents.

For more information about Ramp Up Marathon County, go to www.RampUpMC.org.