2021 Emerging Leaders of Waukesha County

The Waukesha County Business Alliance has announced the five winners of its Emerging Leaders of Waukesha County awards program. These awards celebrate young professionals who live or work in Waukesha County and who have shown personal initiative, determination and commitment to their careers and their community. Tomorrow’s leaders are taking steps today to build a dynamic and meaningful path toward a better future for our community. They are taking strides to further themselves personally and professionally by showing initiative, determination and commitment.

Congratulations to the 2021 Emerging Leaders of Waukesha County!

Kyle Bartz
Owner / Operator, Chick-fil-A Pewaukee
Since the opening of his restaurant in March of 2018, Kyle Bartz, the Owner/Operator of Chick-fil-A Pewaukee, has poured his heart and soul into the betterment of the Greater Waukesha community. Before moving to Pewaukee, Kyle participated in Chick-fil-A’s Leadership Development Program for two years, during which time he traveled around the country assisting other Operators in opening their Chick-fil-A restaurants. This experience fueled in him a spirit of collaboration and teamwork, as well as a passion for leadership development, all of which have helped him to grow his current business and to forge impactful relationships in the local community. Since moving to Waukesha, Kyle has successfully built a business from scratch, hiring and training an entire staff who had little exposure to the Chick-fil-A brand. He has dedicated his time and energy into encouraging and empowering his employees to reach their maximum leadership potential.

Jackie Brajner
Chief Marketing Officer & Digital Marketing Consultant, TopLine Results
Jackie Brajner, CMO, TopLine Results Corporation, is truly an Emerging Leader of Waukesha County. She is a leader in every sense of the word: she inspires, has great vision, innovates, & challenges others to be their best. She is willing to challenge the status quo, if appropriate. Jackie is often the first person consulted by the CEO at TopLine. She initiates new ideas & was a key contributor to our successful “pivot” at the onset of the pandemic. She also helped our clients pivot by assisting them in virtual marketing efforts they may have never previously considered. Jackie gives back to the community – to non profits & local schools, including Carroll University & UW Parkside. She shares her love of marketing & inspires young students to envision a satisfying career in the field. Jackie is a team player. She is willing to show the way. She makes work fun & finds a way to share joy in her job. She also continuously pursues new knowledge & finds constructive ways to apply it.

Sara Clark
Director of Operations, Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha County
Sara Clark demonstrates the qualities of a leader every day. As the Director of Operations at Habitat for Humanity of Waukesha County, Sara has moved the organization forward through the COVID-19 pandemic when she stepped in as Acting CEO earlier this year following the resignation of the past CEO. In this position, Sara has proven to be a strong leader, bringing together a team of individuals that continued to complete construction on homes in the Waukesha area and provide affordable housing to Waukesha families. She successfully oversaw the closing of one property, continued construction of another, and groundbreaking of two additional homes, and continues to play a vital role in the organization as it moves forward towards building 6 additional homes on White Rock Avenue. Sara is a graduate of Leadership Waukesha County and now serves as a mentor for incoming students of this course. She is always willing to devote her time and skills to her community.

Jade Hendricks
Investor Relations Consultant, MLG Capital
Jade Hendricks is a woman on a mission to drive results as Investor Relations Associate at Brookfield’s MLG Capital and to help empower disenfranchised communities. At MLG, she manages investor relations operations, including systems integration, process development, technology and marketing. Shortly after joining the team (and amid a global pandemic!) she launched a new investor portal, offering a streamlined process, interactive elements and a vastly improved user experience. Outside of work, Jade uses her expertise at SecureFutures where she teaches financial literacy, provides weekly 1:1 mentoring, and offers college/scholarship coaching to dozens of students each year. She also volunteers with ArtWorks for Milwaukee and works on the “MLG Cares” volunteer committee, where she has helped raise more than $12,000 for Waukesha County and Milwaukee organizations. Jade is a second-to-none leader who goes above and beyond in every aspect of her job at MLG and community involvement.

Allie Kaufmann
Senior Manager Financial Planning & Analysis, Generac Power Systems
Allie is an Emerging Leader. She has been with Generac 4 years and taken on a new role every year. She has effectively made the transition from audit, which looks back, to planning and analysis which looks forward. She has made a positive impact by revamping management reporting statements while making it a more collaborative process and cross-training others. She has restructured the budget model and process which is saving her team hours of time. Her leadership style includes open communication, helping others learn and supporting her team so they understand the importance of the work they do. Allie expects to pass her CPA exam in 2021 and continues to seek out learning. She served as the membership chair of the Young Wish Makers for Make a Wish and enabled the team to exceed their membership and fundraising goals. Allie is an active alum of Marquette and was a mentor to a business student. Long-term, Allie wants to drive change to make the business better, and someday be a CEO.