Mary Burke

Mary Patricia Burke (born April 30, 1959) is an American businesswoman. She was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Wisconsin in the 2014 election. She served as a member of the Madison, Wisconsin school board from April 30, 2012 until July 5, 2019.[1] Burke is a former executive at Trek Bicycle Corporation; she also served as the Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce from January 2005 to November 2007. She is the daughter of Trek Bicycle Corporation founder Richard Burke.[2]

For other people named Mary Burke, see Mary Burke (disambiguation).
Mary Burke
Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce
In office
February 7, 2005 – November 1, 2007
GovernorJim Doyle
Preceded byCory Nettles
Succeeded byJack Fischer
Personal details
Born
Mary Patricia Burke

(1959-04-30) April 30, 1959
Madison, Wisconsin, US
Political partyDemocratic
EducationGeorgetown University (BA)
London School of Economics
Harvard University (MBA)

Early life and education

Mary Burke is the second oldest of the five children of Richard Burke, founder of Trek Bicycle Corporation. She grew up in Hartland, Wisconsin.[3]

She graduated magna cum laude from Georgetown University, where she received a degree in business administration. She then attended Harvard Business School, where she earned a master's of business administration degree in 1985. She also attended the London School of Economics.[4][5]

Career

Burke began her career as a consultant in New York and Washington, D.C., working for McKinsey & Company and briefly starting her own firm.[6] Burke returned to Wisconsin to work for Trek, working as head of European operations and, later, as director of strategic planning.[6] In 2005, Burke was appointed Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce by Governor Jim Doyle.[7]

She left the post on November 1, 2007 to spend more time on family interests and non-profit work, particularly the Boys & Girls Club of Dane County.[6][8] In 2008, Burke led a study on the financial troubles facing Milwaukee schools.[9] In 2012, she was elected to a seat on the Madison school board[10] after spending $128,000 of her own money on her campaign.[11]

During Burke's gubernatorial campaign, two former Trek executives alleged that Burke had been forced out of her position in the European division at Trek due to financial losses and issues with her management style. Burke and her brother John, the CEO of Trek, denied the allegations. It was also later discovered that the individuals making those allegations had themselves been let go, one of whom was himself fired for "incompetence".[12][13][14][15]

After Burke left Trek, she went on a two-year break, including a four-month snowboarding trip in Argentina and Colorado. She subsequently returned to a different position at her family's company.[16][17][18][19]

In July 2019, Burke resigned from the Madison school board to focus on Building Brave, a nonprofit she founded with a goal of empowering women.[1]

2014 gubernatorial election
Main article: 2014 Wisconsin gubernatorial election

On October 7, 2013, Burke announced[20] her candidacy for the Democratic nomination to challenge Republican Governor Scott Walker in the 2014 Wisconsin gubernatorial election. According to Politico, she had campaigned as a moderate. In August 2014, she was tied with Walker in the polls.[21]

In September 2014, Burke acknowledged that portions of her jobs plan, "Invest for Success", were copied from previous proposals by other Democratic gubernatorial candidates in other states.[22][23] The Burke campaign fired consultant Eric Schnurer, who had worked on those campaigns, for the unacknowledged copying.[24]

On November 4, 2014, Burke lost the election to Governor Walker, who won with slightly more than 52% of the vote, virtually the same as his first gubernatorial win.[25]

Personal life

Burke is active in her community, giving time and resources. She sits on several non-profit boards, and has volunteered regularly at Frank Allis Elementary, mentored a high school sophomore, and assisted a teenage mother coming out of foster care. Through a program at Porchlight Inc., she befriended a formerly homeless diabetic man. She donated $450,000 to Road Home, a nonprofit agency serving homeless families in Dane County. She has also supported the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County and Madison Prep, a charter school.[26]

Burke joined with teacher Kate Brien to found AVID/TOPS, a non-profit dedicated to help kids striving to be the first in their family to attend college. Burke began volunteering as a teen, teaching tennis in inner-city Milwaukee playgrounds.[27] In 2011, Madison Magazine named Burke one of their "People of the Year".[28] Burke has never married and has no children. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin.[29]

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References
  1. Wroge, Logan (July 6, 2019). "Mary Burke leaves Madison School Board after seven years". madison.com. Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved 2019-11-30.
  2. Marley, Patrick (July 6, 2013). "Could former Trek executive Mary Burke unseat Scott Walker?". Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  3. Troller, Susan (October 6, 2011). "Q&A with Mary Burke: Making sure minority students have full chance to excel". The Capital Times. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  4. Emmons, Gary. "A Commitment to Education". Harvard Business School. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  5. "Mary Burke Resume" (PDF). jrn.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 30, 2014. Retrieved October 26, 2014.
  6. Catanese, David (October 9, 2014). "Wisconsin's Amazing Race". US News and World Report. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  7. "Governor Doyle Names Mary Burke Secretary of Commerce". Wisconsin Department of Commerce. February 2012. Retrieved 2015-02-27.
  8. Comp, Nathan J. (October 12, 2007). "Governor Doyle Announces Secretary Mary Burke to Leave Department of Commerce". commerce.state.wi.us. Archived from the original on November 1, 2013. Retrieved October 30, 2013.
  9. Comp, Nathan J. (December 22, 2011). "Philanthropist Mary Burke believes everybody deserves a chance to be successful". Isthmus. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  10. Davidoff, Judith (April 4, 2012). "Achievement gap dominated Madison school board races that netted wins for Arlene Silveira, Mary Burke". Isthmus. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  11. DeFour, Matthew (November 8, 2014). "Madison School Board member Burke spent $128,000 to win seat". www.madison.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2012.
  12. "Dem candidate for Wisconsin governor denies claims she was fired from family business". Fox News. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  13. Matthew DeFour. "Former Trek executive says Mary Burke was forced out in mid-1990s". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  14. Jason Stein. "Ex-Trek execs with conservative ties say Mary Burke was forced out". Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  15. "Former Trek President and CEO Confirms Mary Burke was Fired". News/Talk 1130 WISN. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  16. "Mary Burke Says She Was Not Fired By Trek". The Huffington Post. October 30, 2014. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  17. Nathan J. Comp (December 22, 2011). "Philanthropist Mary Burke believes everybody deserves a chance to be successful". TheDailyPage. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  18. "Dem Doubted She Wanted to Be Part of 'Full-Time Work Force'". Washington Free Beacon. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  19. "Daniel Bice: Mary Burke scrutinized for 2-year hiatus, 'snowboarding sabbatical'". Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  20. Stein, Jason (October 7, 2013). "Mary Burke announces candidacy to challenge Scott Walker for governor". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved October 7, 2013.
  21. Hohmann, James. "The woman who could beat Scott Walker". www.politico.com. Politico. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
  22. Mary Spicuzza. "Mary Burke's jobs plan copied portions from other Democratic candidates". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  23. Kaczynski, Andrew (September 18, 2014). "Wisconsin Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Fires Campaign Consultant For Large Portions Of Copied Jobs Plan". www.buzzfeed.com. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  24. "Our View - Governor's Race - Mary Burke's jobs plan and when borrowing ideas goes too far". Retrieved October 30, 2014.
  25. "Scott Walker bests Democrat Mary Burke in Wisconsin's tight governor's race". November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  26. [Philanthropist Mary Burke believes everybody deserves a chance to be successful, by Nathan J. Comp, Isthmus, December 22, 2011, retrieved June 24, 2020]
  27. Troller, Susan (October 6, 2011). "Q&A with Mary Burke: Making sure minority students have full chance to excel". The Capital Times. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  28. Nardi, Brennan. "People of the Year". Madison Magazine. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
  29. "Who Is Mary Burke?". Urban Milwaukee. March 18, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
Party political offices
Preceded by
Tom Barrett		 Democratic nominee for Governor of Wisconsin
2014		 Succeeded by
Tony Evers
Political offices
Preceded by
Lucy Mathiak		 Member, Madison Metropolitan School Board, Seat 2
2012-2018		 Succeeded by
Savion Castro


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