by: Milwaukee Business Journal
Patricia Contreras of Rockwell Automation Inc., Dustin Godsey of the Milwaukee Bucks and Megan Mares of MillerCoors LLC have been selected to a national list of influential young executives.
The Business Journals’ Influencers: Rising Stars spotlights 100 people in business across the country who are having an impact relatively early in their careers on their companies and their communities. And, because they’re still early in their careers, these executives could be shaping how business gets done in cities across the country for years to come.
Contreras’ passion is youth, especially socioeconomically disadvantaged students, and removing barriers as they seek education and employment. That passion has led Contreras, as director of global community relations for Rockwell Automation Inc. in Milwaukee, to lead Rockwell’s efforts to grow the STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering and math — in Milwaukee Public Schools, and her advocacy in Project Lead the Way programs and FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology).
Mares stands out as a woman in the male-dominated beer industry, but it’s her knowledge and educational expertise in her role as trade brewer for MillerCoors LLC’s Great Lakes region that’s the real reason she’s making an impression. Mares takes part in every step of the beer-making process, from performing cell culture and assisting with yeast propagation, to leading new product and packaging innovation teams. She’s also conveying her knowledge to a new generation of girls, teaching home-brewing courses and handling lectures at places like Pink Boots Brewing Society and Girls Pint Out that work to get more females involved in the industry.
Contreras, Godsey, Mares and the rest of the Influencers: Rising Stars were identified in conjunction with editors and staff writers across The Business Journals’ network of more than 40 publications, including the Milwaukee Business Journal. The first-of-its kind list draws in large part from the various Forty Under 40 profiles and similar efforts produced by The Business Journals publications over the past year.
From that initial pool of well more than 1,000 executives who’ve been profiled locally over the past 12 months, the field was narrowed to ultimately spotlight the 100 executives featured for Rising Stars.
This list follows production of three industry-specific Influencers lists earlier this year:
