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June - July, 2008
Karen Reibetanz
Work is Love Made Visible
by Betty Banks
 Dr. Karen
Reibetanz is someone you notice when she walks into a room. Her
meticulous style always includes matching shoes and tasteful jewelry.
She is smart, well educated and the Executive Director and CEO for
FocusCorp, an organization that provides a variety of services for
people with disabilities, including, transportation, horticultural
therapy, pre-vocational skills, music therapy, and transitional
services for people returning to their communities, a service that
Karen is passionate about because this service allows people to live
in their home communities if they have the funding for proper
supports.
"That funding is shrinking, she says. "Some counties
do not have the money that will allow people to function on a daily
basis. Fewer resources tend to make parents fearful and they are
reluctant for their children to participate in these services", she
adds.
When disabled people come for services, they are met
with comfortable surroundings, people who really care about them and
opportunities to become part of the larger community. Karen
believes strongly in inclusion. It is interesting how this became a
value for her.
Her parents came here from Germany and settled in
Wisconsin. She talks about her father who believed in fairness and
reaching out to others. Karen was raised in Manitowoc which is a
mainly white environment and she never came into contact with people
of color until coming to the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The first African American woman to live in a
residence hall on this campus lived in Chadbourne Hall on the same
floor with Karen. "This was a bigger deal for parents than it was for
students. She and I soon realized what we had in common and we became
friends," she went on to say. Her commitment to inclusiveness carries
over in her leadership style. She works hard at this.
She also gives much credit to Milton Graham who is a
co-founder of Focuscorp and is in charge of personnel. "We want people
on our staff who will thrive in an environment of diversity," she
adds. And, when you walk into this agency, you are immediately struck
by the esthetics. Wall hangings and pictures that depict different
races and cultures are tastefully presented.
Her interest in disabilities became clear when she
pursued her education at the University of Wisconsin that took her all
the way to a doctorate in speech and language therapy and mental
retardation. "I knew I wanted to stay in this field after completing
an internship at St. Colletta's School, she goes on to say. The field
continues to benefit from her knowledge and passion.
Karen enjoys another role she plays in this community.
She is chair of the Town of Madison Community Services Committee, a
position that she got after serving on the Parks Commission for the
Town. "I was asked to look at funding requests that the Commission
received and after awhile I suggested that a separate committee be
formed and I became the chair," she said. Eventually, this committee
morphed into a five member group who make funding decisions for
agencies that provide activities for youth in the Town of Madison and
South Madison.
This particular group of people, under the capable
leadership of Reibetanz are thoughtful about the decisions they make.
She guides discussions that really get to the heart of what makes the
difference in the lives of youth. Committee member and NAACP President
Linda Hoskins, often says that she enjoys the work of this committee
because there is such open discussion and members respect all
opinions. This is echoed by others on the committee.
Karen surrounds herself with friends of many
persuasions. It is just how she lives her life. For many their
everyday lives do not include others who are different from them. This
is not so, for Dr. Karen Reibetanz. She lives her values and is
comfortable reaching out across many different boundaries. Focuscorp
and this community are beneficiaries of her lifelong commitment to her
vision for the inclusion of everyone who strive for a decent quality
of life.
A popular hangout spot last summer among community
members in the Madison area, the City of Madison’s first spray park is
back for another summer of wet and wild fun! As a way to revitalize
the Cypress/Magnolia neighborhood, the spray park’s success last
summer proved to be a stepping stone in bringing community members and
city officials together in order to push criminal activity out of the
neighborhood.
Because the facility is free and located in an area
with an abundance of families, the spray park has also functioned as
an alternative to the Goodman Pool. Although, there are scholarships
available to families, safe transportation to the pool remains an
issue. Many of the children who reside in this neighborhood may not
have a safe way to get to the pool due to Park Street’s constant
traffic flow.
This summer, patrons will notice two new features that
have been added to the park; last spring, the lively artwork of
Melanie Kehoss was welded on to the fences that border the park. The
artwork titled “1-2-3 Go!” features brightly orange silhouettes of
children and families in various forms of play. Kehoss was selected by
the Madison Arts Commission to head the project.
Also enhancing the beauty of the park is the
blossoming rain garden located in the southwest corner of the spray
park. According to City of Madison Landscape Architect Bill Bauer, the
success of the rain garden is due to the “heavy winter, and frequent
spring rains [along] with dozens of volunteer hours spent weeding and
mulching.”
This summer, stop by the Spray Park to get a glimpse
of the beautiful artwork, admire the flourishing garden, and of course
to cool off.
Cypress SprayPark
902 Magnolia Lane
Daily hours 11:00a.m.-7:00p.m
Free Admission
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