April 2020 Accelerate Magazine

APRIL 2020 MAGAZINE BILL STONE ANA SIMPSON Director, Business & Community Engagement, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority Group Senior Vice President, Wintrust Commercial Banking at Town Bank Hometown: Born in Spain, raised in New York City until middle school when my family relocated to Wisconsin because of my dad’s work in West Allis. I have lived in Waukesha for 5+ years. If you could tell someone why it’s important to be involved in the community in one sentence, what would you say? Communities are like a wheel. If the spokes are not concerned about the bearings the wheel doesn’t function properly. We all should lean in and care about the heart of our communities. In your opinion, what makes a great leader? A great leader is a person who has an ability to connect with others on a level that moves or motivates them into being a better version of themselves. They seek opportunities to lift others up through mentorship or sponsorship. Great leaders can gauge their impact not by their success but by the accomplishments of those who are part of their tribe. Favorite movie or book: Favorite movies – Star Wars. Something unique about you: An iconic baseball player, who was an incredible leader, is my third cousin. Until I was 12 I was convinced that I would be the first woman to play in the MLB. What was your first job? Hardees. Hometown: Brookfield, WI If you could tell someone why it’s important to be involved in the community in one sentence, what would you say? Building a sustainably great community is possible only through active involvement from its members at all levels of that community. In your opinion, what makes a great leader? A leader sets a clear vision for their community or organization, adheres to that vision with an unwavering set of moral principles to achieve that vision and is willing to put the greater good of the community or organization ahead of his/her own personal needs and well-being. The great leaders in history – Jesus, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Junior – each demonstrated these traits and achieved great and lasting changes in the world. Favorite movie or book: Movie – The Godfather. Book – Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell. Something unique about you: My dad is very active in researching the genealogy of our family. We have found that we are related to the one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence – Thomas Stone. What was your first job? First Job - Soccer Referee. First Real Job – Cashier at Elliott’s Ace Hardware. 21