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Bill Bathke: A win-win (win) kind of guy

One evening, while having dinner with my husband and a small group of friends at a restaurant, I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Bill Bathke standing there with a big smile on his face. Part of a group attending a political function on the grounds of the establishment, he had noticed me enter the restaurant, and so he stepped inside to say hi.

“And if I could borrow you for just a moment,” Bill whispered, “I’d like to have you join me for an introduction to Tommy Thompson.” He quickly added that it would be his pleasure to have Tommy get the opportunity to see me (rather than to imply that he was throwing me a professional bone).

The truth is, I’d already been introduced to ex-governor Tommy Thompson on more than one occasion, but Tommy certainly wouldn’t [and obviously didn’t] remember meeting me, so I was happy to go in Bill’s shadow – someone he does recognize – and shake hands with The Great One again.

(I did it mostly to impress my husband.)

Anyway, this is a long introduction to a simple message: If Bill Bathke is involved in anything, he will make it a win-win kind of feeling for everyone he can. He will be the conduit for introductions, and he will make you feel like you’re the special one.

Many of you might know Bill as chief operating officer and Sr. VP of Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corp. (WPS), a nonprofit service insurance business offering commercial health insurance products in Wisconsin. It provides insurance claims processing services under various U.S. Government contracts, and has subsidiaries in the life insurance, temporary staffing, and technology consulting lines of business.

I think I first met Bill in his role as the chair of the Salvation Army Advisory Board. After every meeting, he thanks the members for their service, and he sends personal notes in his Christmas cards. He’s soft spoken but runs an efficient meeting. Good combo.

I’ve since invited him to be a panelist for a couple of In Business roundtables. He’s not included in this present health care one, but he’ll be invited back because he’s a thoughtful analyst with lots of ideas.

Yes, you can see by now that he’s someone I admire. We’re not officially personal friends (versus professional), and yet I feel we are. And I’d guess most of his professional acquaintances have that instinct, too.

You can perhaps imagine my joy, then, when I learned that in recognition of his incredible leadership role with the Dane County Salvation Army, Bill is being given the first (annual) Reuben Lorenz Memorial Award, created to honor those who exemplify the civic-minded leadership and generosity of spirit, time, treasures, and talents – which Lorenz shared with The Salvation Army and numerous organizations in our community.

Like Lorenz, Bill’s community service beyond the SA is extensive and includes – to name only a few roles – serving as president of the Monona Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Dane County Immunization Coalition, and honorary 2008 chair of the South Central Wisconsin 2008 Dane County Memory Walk (September 27) to end Alzheimer’s.

Bill has no inkling that I’m writing about him, so I can’t resist saying: “Bill, I’d like to re-introduce you to our readership; they would be most fortunate to know you.”

And if you want to get to know him better, join me in congratulating Bill when he receives the Reuben Lorenz Memorial Award at the Salvation Army’s Tin Cup Lunch on September 15 at the Concourse Hotel. (Call 250-2248 or 345-0191 for more info).
He truly is a great guy to meet – and to know.

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