Random Lake lawyer to feature in UW campaign

SHEBOYGAN - Come Sept. 5, a billboard featuring attorney John Hawley will be erected on 14th Street and Niagara Avenue in Sheboygan.

Under his name, the billboard will read in large letters, “Community Builder.”

A billboard is just one piece of the Boundless Together campaign recently launched by the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The campaign highlights one person from each county in Wisconsin who has a connection to the university and has contributed to the local community in big ways.

Hawley was selected to feature in the campaign for his work in Sheboygan County.

“I’m honored (to have been selected), as UW-Madison means a lot to me; it gave me a great foundation going out into the world,” Hawley said. “I’m very excited about this because I see the many contributions UW makes throughout the state. It is an important link to highlight.”

Kevin Check, senior director of campus relations, said the selection process for who would represent each county was multifaceted. From examining the feature stories on the university's website to looking through newsletters from different departments to seeking out recommendations from university partners living in specific counties, Check described the process as "taking bits and pieces from all over to create a whole."

After attending a Wisconsin football game as a senior in high school and being sold on Badger fans’ enthusiasm, Hawley went on to earn a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from UW-Madison.

He is a familiar face to those in Sheboygan after serving as a Sheboygan County assistant district attorney and special prosecutor for the City of Sheboygan, Sheboygan County and other municipalities.

Today, he runs a law firm with offices in Random Lake and Sheboygan, and he also serves as one of the prosecutors for the Village of Elkhart Lake and the Town of Lyndon.

While pursuing his law career, Hawley still found the time to be a proponent for students in the Random Lake School District.

He served on the Random Lake school board for 20 years. In addition, he was president of both the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) and the Wisconsin Association of School Boards. The National School Boards Association presented him with a distinguished service award.

Following his time on the school board, Hawley established the John Hawley Scholarship for graduating seniors of the Random Lake School District who plan to attend UW-Madison. If no one in the graduating class will attend the university, the award is split between the previous year’s winners.

In addition, Hawley regularly brings Random Lake high school students into his law office to work and learn, saying it has been exciting to watch high school freshmen who are a little unsure of themselves steadily blossom and go on to have distinguished careers all over the country.

“You would be very surprised at all the work the students do at my office,” Hawley said. “I’m very proud of Random Lake kids and their success, and I hope it is in part because of some of the decisions we made while on the school board.”

To read Hawley’s profile and learn more about the Boundless Together campaign, visit www.allwaysforward.org/wi.

Reach Leah Ulatowski at 920-453-5134, Lulatowski@sheboyganpress.com or @Leah_Bekah on Twitter.