Sheboygan is a city of about 50,000 residents. We are known as the “Malibu of the Midwest” thanks to the surfing scene here on the shores of Lake Michigan. It has been referenced in the movie Surf's Up, where the character Chicken Joe is based on a Sheboygan resident who helped popularize surfing in the cold Lake Michigan waters.

Sheboygan has miles of beautiful beaches and a riverfront lined with small businesses and restaurants. Sheboygan is home to a vibrant community of local artists and musicians. Sheboygan’s food scene makes it an attractive destination for visitors coming to the area to see races at Road America. It also boasts a diverse farmers market and the Kohler Midsummer Festival of the Arts, where artists from all over the Midwest showcase their work for sale.

While there is always room for improvement, Sheboygan has a very walkable and bikeable downtown. No matter the weather or the season, pedestrians and bicyclists can usually be seen enjoying views of the lakeshore or traveling to one of downtown Sheboygan’s many welcoming third spaces.

Kate, the owner of the coffee shop Paradigm, along with Heather Cleveland and Braden Schmidt, noticed there was nowhere in Sheboygan to go to talk about walking and biking safety. They founded the group Sheboygan Active Transportation with the hope that it could eventually turn into a formal committee. While this never happened, it eventually turned into a Strong Towns Local Conversation.

One of my favorite projects that this group started was the creation of a parklet, which closed down a portion of a street entirely. Benches and trees are installed when the weather is warm, creating a small park that acts as a great outdoor dining and hangout spot. This Uptown Parklet is where several events are hosted during the year and is the starting and ending point of the Critical Mass bike rides in Sheboygan.

St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Sheboygan hosts a warming center. The pastor, Ruth, noticed that the unsheltered population had difficulty finding a place to use the restroom because public facilities close over the winter. She found out she could rent a portable toilet for under $200 per month, so she installed one near the church to address a small need she noticed right away.

Another example is Rebike. The group wants to give people access to transportation and the knowledge to fix a bike. Before COVID-19, they created a workshop program where volunteers would take donated bikes and teach participants how to repair them, and the participants would keep the bike they worked on. After COVID-19, Rebike shifted to doing bike giveaways. Volunteers repair donated bikes and then host events where they give away the bikes to anyone who needs one. At times, this can mean someone’s only form of transportation.

Through becoming more connected to different communities in Sheboygan, I am consistently surprised by the generosity of its residents. There are many leaders in our community who are doing great work every day. As you get to know more people in Sheboygan, you learn about even more inspiring individuals doing meaningful work in their niche passions.

Working with these people has inspired me to take on a leadership position in our Strong Towns Local Conversation, lead my neighborhood association and most recently, run for a position on our Common Council.