with Peter Munoz by Nathan J. Comp By Nathan J. Comp Many nonprofits have become adept at doing more with less as the purse strings have tightened due to the increasingly bleak economic outlook. Centro Hispano of Dane County is no exception. Yet with a skeleton staff and light wallet, the agency, located on West Badger Road, has managed to increase its programming despite no significant increases in its annual operating budget. This, says executive director Peter Munoz, is just par for the course. Operating a n... MORE >>

with Brenda Gonzalez by Nathan J. Comp Immigrants in America face a variety of challenges with regard to their health and well-being. Aside from the language, social, and cultural barriers they must deal with, their stories and struggles often go unreported in the media, which helps foster an even greater sense of alienation from the mainstream and from other immigrant populations. But the creators of New Routes to Community Health, a local Web site with a national scope, hope to change that. The site, launched in early 20... MORE >>

Q&A with Sara Wagabaza by Nathan J. Comp   Sara Wagabaza is living the dream. At 26, the Madison native is well on her way to a prosperous career in the fast-paced world of high fashion. As a lingerie designer for the Los Angeles-based Dream Girls International, Wagabaza is making big bucks, trave... MORE >>

Q & A with Stan Davis    by Nathan J. Comp Stan Davis recognizes the importance of opportunity, and he should, because he's had many. At 37, Davis sits on 11 different prominent boards. Most recently, Gov. Jim Doyle — for whom Davis previously served as chief legal council — appointed him to the Wisconsi... MORE >>

Q&A with Theola Carter by Nathan J. Comp  L-r: Stephanie Johnson, St. Mary's; Gail Lobdell, St. Mary's; Theola Carter, Zeta hi Beta Sorority; Almeda Williams, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority; and Pamela Pfeffer, March of Dimes. Theola Carter, 42, is a making a big difference in the lives of young mothers t... MORE >>

Q&A with Ashok Kumar by Nathan J. Comp Over the last two years, Ashok Kumar, 23, has written and passed major pieces of legislation for the benefit of Dane County's most underprivileged residents. Because of his efforts and the coalitions he built, landlords can no longer discriminate a... MORE >>

Q&A with Scott Gray  Scott Gray by Nathan J. Comp It's a big year for the Urban League of Greater Madison (ULGM). First, there are a number of celebratory activities surrounding the group's 40th year in Madison. The ULGM will also break ground on a new 36,000 square foot multiuse facility on... MORE >>

Q&A with Vanessa Shirley by Nathan J. Comp  Vanessa Shirley This has been a year of firsts for Vanessa Shirley, the 28-year-old newswoman on WKOW Channel 27. Not only did she buy a winter coat fit for a Wisconsin winter, but she has used de-icer and shoveled snow for the first ti... MORE >>

Q&A with Sarah Vestlie   Sarah Vestlie by Nathan J. Comp After Jade Mountain — the bead store she managed for four years — closed last summer, 28-year-old Sarah Vestlie set out to open a bead store of her own. Getting things in order hasn't been easy, but last week Vestlie signed the lease for space... MORE >>

Q&A with Shiva Bidar-Sielaff by Nathan J. Comp Shiva Bidar-Sielaff has dedicated much of her career to helping non-English speakers navigate America's formidable health care system. Born in Spain, Bidar-Sielaff is fluent in three languages beyond her native Spanish: Farsi, English, and French. As manager of Interpreter Services and Minority Community Relations at UW Hospital and Clinics, Bidar-Sielaff connects patients to interpreters, covering more than 100 languages. She is also the vice chair of the Latino Health Cou... MORE >>

Q&A with Art Shegonee By Nathan J. Comp Art Shegonee, 48, has spent much of his life teaching young people about Native American culture. Though funding cuts in recent years have forced him to scale back his presentations, Shegon... MORE >>

Q&A with Wil Williams      Wil Williams doesn't think it's wise for the Madison Metropolitan  School District to allow the United States military to advertise on school  property. As a member of Truth and Alternatives to Military Education  (... MORE >>

Q&A with Anthony Lamarr  By Nathan J. Comp Anthony Lamarr is among the small handful of African Americans involved in community theater in and around Madison. Last year, Lamarr landed the leading role in The Music Man, playing Harold Hill, a role traditionally played by a White man. It was a defining moment for Lamarr, 24, who has been acting for nearly a decade. Not only was it his first leading role, but it also showed him how an imaginative director can stretch the boundaries while cre... MORE >>

Q&A with Jose Sentmanat by Nathan Comp  Jose Sentmanat is a busy man. As executive assistant to Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, Sentmanat overse... MORE >>

Q&A with Geraldine Walker     By Nathan J. Comp In March 2000, Geraldine Walker was hit by a car while crossing a  Chicago stre... MORE >>

Q & A with Enis Ragland By Nathan J. Comp Over the last 17 years, Enis Ragland has worked for the city of Madison under three mayors, including 14 years as a liaison to community services. His recent appointment by Mayor Dave Cieslewicz as interim director of the Office of Community Services has been widely applauded by bloggers, editorial writers, and civic leaders. He joined Cieslewicz’s staff in 2005. Ragland recently spoke with The Madison Times about what the Office o... MORE >>

Q and A with Rob Dz By Nathan J. Comp   Since he returned to Madison five months ago, hip-hop artist Rob Dz has been ... MORE >>

Q and A with Alfonso Zepeda-Capistrán ... MORE >>

Q and A with Dave Mahoney ... MORE >>

Q and A with Shelia Stubbs By Nathan J. Comp Shelia Stubbs is a woman with a lot to say. Since being elected to the county board in April 2006, the former parole agent has become a new kind of voice for Madison’s south side: One that is heard. She has fought attempts to build a new jail in her district and has been a tireless advocate for inmates. This summer, Stubbs, 36, co-sponsored an ordinance that would prohibit the county from profiting on inmates’ phone calls. Stubbs, wh... MORE >>

Q and A with Lucia Nunez By Nathan J. Comp It's been just over a year since Lucia Nuñez became the first head of the Department of Civil Rights, a controversial hybrid of the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Affirmative Action Department; and the 47-year-old Cuban native has big plans for year two. While she spent the first year getting to understand the bureaucratic cultures of the two agencies, Nuñez promises that when they come together in their new location — Nuñez currently divides her time between the ... MORE >>

Q and A with Art Rainwater by Nathan J. Comp Over the last nine years, Madison Metropolitan School District superintendent Art Rainwater has butted heads with everyone from school board members to the teachers union, from state legislators to irate parents. Such are the woes of a guy who oversees a 53-school district with 25,000 students, 6,500 employees and an annual operating budget of $331 million. But then again, no one can please everyone all of the time. During his time as superintenden... MORE >>

Q and A with Paul Barrows By Nathan J. Comp Paul Barrows, the former chancellor for Student Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, knows his reputation is ruined forever, but that isn't stopping him from trying to hold accountable those he blames for its ruination. For three years, Barrows has fended off accusations that he had an improper relationship with a student, that he lied during the ensuing investigation, that he sexually harassed at least two women, and that he was no longer effective in his $191,00... MORE >>