By Robert Chappell, Neil Heinen and Brennan Nardi
Madison Magazine
Special To Channel 3000

Like every place, everywhere, Madison is full of the movers and shakers we get to know because we either run in those circles or because they are media darlings we see daily on TV and in print. And, like every other place, in Madison we can look behind every great (or not-so-great) leader and find the men and women who make things happen. They do it because of, or in spite of, their relative anonymity. And they do it because they love what they do.

The Gov's Right Hand: Susan Goodwin

There are those who believe that if they walked unannounced into Governor Jim Doyle's office, they'd find Susan Goodwin sitting at his desk. Doyle tapped his longtime campaign chief and policy aide as his chief of staff immediately upon election, and the two are certainly of like mind. She's earned her reputation as a first-class strategist and policy analyst, loyal and unflappable. Supporters respect the influence her close relationship with Doyle guarantees. Opponents don't want to mess with her. And her genuine preference for working behind the scenes is a chief executive's dream. When Doyle named longtime friend Steve Bablitch to replace Marc Marotta as head of DOA last summer, some wondered if the power structure had changed. Not a prayer. Goodwin's in charge. Bonus attribute: she and husband UW exec Al Fish were named one of Madison Magazine's top power couples.

The Eco-Executive: Sonya Newenhouse

There is something almost prophetic about the way the color green evokes in our minds both money and nature, industrialists and naturalists. It's as if, somehow, these two bold American archetypes (think Carnegie and Leopold) would inevitably find their way onto the same page of history, even the same spreadsheet. Here in Madison, think of the names Frautschi and Newenhouse. The corporate philanthropist (Frautschi) crossed the path of the environmental entrepreneur (Newenhouse) via J.H. Findorff & Son, which has so far recycled a whopping seventy-five percent of its waste during construction of Overture Center. Sonya Newenhouse, president of Madison Environmental Group, was the savvy consultant hired onto the Overture project by the waste reduction nonprofit, WasteCap Wisconsin, which she had founded years earlier. Dubbed an "emerging civic visionary" in an Isthmus article last year, the thirty-nine-year-old launcher of three downtown business ventures (her consulting group, a car-sharing company, and a commercial building purchase and renovation on the Square) is quietly and purposely making her earth-friendly mark. Her client roster includes Home Savings Bank, Culver's, UW, Alliant Energy, and several downtown developers. Newenhouse is also raising her profile nationally: she recently received a two-year fellowship with a prestigious U.S. environmental leadership program.

The Power Supply: Phyllis Wilhelm

A two-year stint as chairman of the board of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce ensured public recognition of Gary Wolter as president and CEO of Madison Gas and Electric Company. But visit a Downtown Madison, Inc., meeting, a TEMPO lunch, a Leadership Greater Madison class or any community discussion where economic development is on the agenda, and you'll find MG&E director for economic development Phyllis Wilhelm. With board service as broad as the South Central Wisconsin Workforce Development Board and the Fitchburg Community Economic Development Authority, Wilhelm is a highly respected and much-in-demand expert on regional and community growth and economic vitality. She serves MG&E admirably as an influential advocate for economic growth and healthy communities.

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