July 22, 2026

By Lane Kimble

MAUSTON — Before digging into the dirt and dust of the ATV trails around central Wisconsin for some teambuilding, the WTBA of Tomorrow dug into what’s become a messy primary campaign for governor.

The council’s annual Summer Meeting and Retreat kicked off with a fascinating Q&A session with WTBA Contract Lobbyist Eric Petersen.

Petersen walked attendees through the latest in a whirlwind of changes to the Democrat primary, which included Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez suspending her campaign due to severe finance issues, David Crowley rejoining the race, and Gov. Tony Evers endorsing Crowley as Francesca Hong gains momentum.

Council members tapped into Petersen and Director of Government Affairs Elise Nelson’s understanding of where various candidates stand on transportation funding and what a race between Trump-endorsed Congressman Tom Tiffany and several of those candidates could look like.

The meeting also included an update from Director of Communications Lane Kimble on upgrades to this year’s WTBA Scholarship applications and judging criteria.

The group rounded out their discussion by laying some groundwork for Scholarship Auction donations and new ideas for big-ticket items.

Then, it was time for some fun.

Eight of the attendees joined Nelson and Kimble for a 42-mile ride on the roads and trails winding around the scenic Castle Rock Lake in Juneau County.

Special thanks to Adrenaline Rush Sports in New Lisbon for the ATV rentals and fantastic guide service.

The WTBA of Tomorrow is made up of 17 rising stars in transportation construction who learn about the inner workings of state, local, and federal government and their roles in advocating for our industry.

The next WTBA of Tomorrow meeting will be in November to review scholarship applicants and choose winners.