April 1, 2026
By Lane Kimble
It’s the political equivalent of a lifelong asphalt paver sitting next to a diehard concrete guy.
Oil and water, right?
No, if WTBA has taught us anything: two opposite sides can still find plenty of common ground and collegiality. Such was the case Tuesday with the WTBA of Tomorrow’s educational portion of their first 2026 meeting.
Keith Gilkes and Tanya Bjork laughed and joked with each other–two longtime political foes but friends outside the arena–giving the group their thoughts on Wisconsin’s wide open gubernatorial race, a potential seachange in the state Legislature, and what to watch and listen for from candidates as they visit member worksites this summer.
Gilkes served as Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s first chief of staff and later helped Walker successfully beat a recall campaign in 2012. Bjork was chief of staff for a Democratic state senator and worked on Mary Burke’s failed bid to unseat Walker in 2014, as well as running in-state campaigns for Obama, Clinton and Biden presidential races.
Gilkes and Bjork took questions from the group and WTBA Director of Government Affairs Elise Nelson, who oversees the WTBA of Tomorrow.
The council is made up of more than a dozen rising stars from across all areas of the transportation construction industry.
They learn about the importance of WTBA’s lobbying efforts, the two-year state budget cycle, and how the association’s involvement with lawmakers helps them understand the need for consistent, long-term transportation funding.
WTBA of Tomorrow Chairman Jordan Swanson (Edgerton Contractors) also guided the group through discussions on their work to collect nearly 100 items for the annual WTBA/TEF Scholarship Auction and how to improve scholarship award scoring and selection.
The group will now develop a list of sites to host Nelson and local lawmakers on project tours during the 2026 season. Last year, WTBA visited six such projects ranging from Crandon to Stoughton and many places in between.
WTBA of Tomorrow will next meet this summer.
(Special thanks to council member Brooklyn Hilton and M3 Insurance for hosting us in their Madison offices!)
