Newsie for life...

Starting in June 2025, I became a part of the "Journalism Focus Group" of the Intuit RPO Onsite Team.  Although I'm sure issues of "Beyond The Desk" may be retrievable, at least theoretically, but I'll track my contributions here for posterity.  Evidently, because of my choice of feature article for this first issue, I am now on the "Milwaukee Spots" beat for the rest of my run here... 

August 1, 2025

There’s nothing like the artificially cooled air of museum air conditioning to beat the summer heat.  And there’s no better price that you’ll find to enjoy that cool air (plus the loads of exceptional exhibits!) than FREE!  

So here’s your guide to some of the best that Milwaukee has to offer for the… frugal… visitor: 

The Milwaukee Public Museum (800 W Wells St.) - Free to visitors on the First Thursday of every month, thanks to Kohl’s. Enjoy some kitschy and classic exhibits of natural history and modern anthropology before the museum moves location in early 2027.

Milwaukee Art Museum (700 N Art Museum Dr.) - Every Thursday, museum admission is pay-what-you-wish from 4pm - 8pm. Classical and modern collections, I recommend the excellent collection of 20th Century Haitian Art, one of the best in the world.

Boerner Botanical Gardens (9400 Boerner Dr., Hales Corners) - Free admission on the last Thursday of the month through October 2025. Also enjoy the Wednesday Garden Walks for just $5, tours at 6pm led by a different local expert each week.

Wehr Nature Center (9701 W College Ave, Franklin) - No admission, but parking (normally $5) is free on the last Thursday of each month.

Admittedly, the AC at these last two is not great, but just a few ideas to get you started on some summer fun that won’t break the bank.

July 1, 2025

Hello, I’m Joel! I began working with the Intuit team about a year ago, but my connection with Manpower Group goes back a bit longer. I was placed in a temporary position by Manpower in 2007, and ended up spending over a decade with the boutique private staffing firm in downtown Milwaukee. I’m originally from a small town in Southern Wisconsin, and have lived mainly around the Midwest since then: Minneapolis, Omaha, Chicago, and now here! I’m a fan of horror genre everything (especially zombies!), games of all sorts, and Nottingham Forest. I’ll cover Team Building Efforts for the newsletter.

The Team Building Focus Group is organizing a PrideLuck Potluck on July 3rd at noon in the Connection Point to celebrate the culmination of Pride Month and the Fourth of July holiday! Sign-ups for dishes were distributed via email, and everyone is encouraged to to wear either your favorite (work appropriate) All-American or Pride Colors gear for the day. In other news, Roselyn Colon has taken over running the Intuit Movie Club. For July, they are currently taking suggestions for a “Summer Themed Movie”, so feel free to send your suggestions in for their meet up later in July.

Sanger House Gardens

Just a short eleven minute walk out the front door of MPG HQ sits Sanger House Gardens, a delightful summer afternoon walk break destination for anyone seeking a new spot to spend some time amongst beautifully curated flower and plant gardens. Across the Schlitz Park lot, and a block north of the Lonchera El Tapatio Taco Truck, at 1823 N. Palmer Street, the Sanger House Gardens are open to the public every day between 8:30am until 6:00pm, except when they are hosting a special event (which is rare on weekdays!). The gardens were designed and built by Steve Bialk and Angela Duckert over the past 25 years, and the property itself has a rich Milwaukee history, as the former home of a Milwaukee County Sheriff and a Milwaukee Mayor! In recent years, Sanger Gardens has also offered up their Carriage House as a unique airBnB, so if you are hosting out of town guests, they’ll be close to work! I highly recommend a visit - well worth the walk up Brewer’s Hill (besides, it’s downhill on the way back to HQ!)