Chair of Board of Directors for Special Olympics Wisconsin Receives Madison Civics Club Award

George Whitely, president of Stephan & Brady, Inc. in Madison, WI was recently selected to be honored by the Madison Civics Club.  Recipients of this honor are community members who show “outstanding, unselfish service to their community.” Whitely is the current Chair of the Board of Directors for Special Olympics Wisconsin.  For more than 17 years, he has served in a variety of leadership positions on and off the Board.  The award was presented at the Monona Terrace on Saturday, Nov. 7.

Whitely first stepped into the world of Special Olympics Wisconsin in 1990, as he presented a plan to do some pro-bono work for the organization on Stephan & Brady’s behalf. “I was hooked ever since,” he said, and within a couple years, the organization put a call out for a position on the board and Whitely stepped up.

“I had the chance to meet athletes and observe the wonderful things the staff and volunteers were doing for our athletes,” said Whitely. “It’s always nice to be recognized for work you do, but I get a lot more out of what I do by just watching the athletes and the positive impact that Special Olympics has on their life. That makes it all worth it.”

Because of George’s relationship with SOWI, Stephan and Brady developed the polar bear logo and ‘freezin for a reason’ tagline for the Polar Plunge, Special Olympics Wisconsin’s largest fundraiser. Both the logo and the tagline are used by Special Olympics programs all over the country, and have been trademarked by Special Olympics, Inc.  

Whitely has had the opportunity to travel to the 1999 Special Olympics World Summer Games in Raleigh, NC as well as the 2001 World Winter Games in Anchorage, AK “It was an unbelievable spectacle,” said Whitely as  he escorted Team Wisconsin’s athletes into the Opening Ceremony for the USA delegation.

The Civics Club honors outstanding citizens and youth groups, like Whitely, who have given of themselves over many years to benefit the needs of others and mirror their 2009 theme, "Defying the Odds: When They Said it Couldn't Be Done." Whitely has done just that since he not only has served alongside Special Olympics Wisconsin, but his tenure with Stephan & Brady began in 1979 with 30 employees, now growing to 44, making the jump from a $10million company to $40 million. The company serves approximately 20 clients including the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, MillerCoors, Church Mutual Insurance, Wilderness at the Smokey’s Resort and Lifeline.

The Madison Civics Club was formed in 1912 to encourage civic engagement and thoughtful discussion of the social issues of the day. The organization offers a lecture-luncheon series of five annual meetings highlighting inspiring national and local speakers to more than 550 members. For more information on the Civics Club, visit madisoncivicsclub.org or for additional information on Whitely’s work with Special Olympics Wisconsin, visit SpecialOlympicsWisconsin.org or StephanBrady.com