Gail Selk: A Woman for All Seasons

(This is one of a series of “Webbies” profiling past presidents of TEMPO Madison.)

By Genie Campbell

Since joining TEMPO Madison shortly after the organization was founded, Gail Selk has always been a prime component of the glue that binds the organization’s circle of friendship, influence and networking.

Where Selk is concerned, add adventure, too.

The entrepreneur set the bar in newspaper advertising, both in service and sales; bought and revamped a monthly magazine into the successful Madison Magazine (which was sold in 1996), serving as its publisher for 18 years; and currently works as a commercial real-estate broker under her own tutelage—The Selk Company, LLC. The firm specializes in finding office space and property for companies of all sizes.

Over the past 25 years, Selk, because of her honed fund-raising skills, has gladly served on just about every community board in Madison—from The Rep to Downtown Madison, Inc.—and helped, in the process, to create some of the city’s prime events, including the annual Frostiball. She is currently on the board of St. Mary’s Foundation, Edgewood College Board of Visitors and Madison Parks Foundation.

More unusual (but only if you don’t already know Gail) is the fact that she spent many a happy weekend skippering for the MSCR Boat program. She took along TEMPO member Maureen Torphy to serve as first mate.

Having won distinguished achievement awards from Downtown Madison Inc (Salute Award)., Madison Advertising Federation (Silver Medal Award) and YWCA (Woman of Distinction), and tapped as the first woman president of the Madison Club, the one question unanswered might be: Why did it take so long for Gail to serve as president of TEMPO Madison? That reign occurred appropriately in 2005-06, as the organization was preparing for its 25^th anniversary.

“I have made so many friends and connections because of TEMPO,” says Selk, who was born and raised in Rice Lake and attended college at Macalester in St. Paul, Minn.

TEMPO Madison has been a prominent thread running through Selk’s social and business circles, but no time was that more evident than in the fall of 2005, when Gail sustained life-threatening injuries in an automobile accident.

It was TEMPO members who rallied to her side, providing nightly meals for more than a month and filling in to help wherever it was needed – from overseeing TEMPO board meetings to fulfilling her business obligations.

Selk is fully recovered and back to enjoying leisurely pursuits—travel, biking, boating and visiting her daughter, Michelle and two grandchildren, 18 and 15, where they live, on an island in the Boston Bay.  Last winter, as well as the winter in 2004, before her accident, she and special friend Mike Franzen spent six weeks in New Zealand.

Optimistic is Selk’s middle name.

 Having grown up dyslexic, before dyslexia was given a label, Selk knew she always had to work harder to achieve success.

“It spurred me on to prove there wasn’t really anything wrong with me,” she says matter-of-factly.

Benefiting the most from that can-do attitude has been Madison. 

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Genie Campbell is a long-time member of TEMPO and a free-lance writer based in Madison.

Charter member of TEMPO puts community and family first

By Genie Campbell

A recent story in the international magazine, Mobility, sums up the role Joni Jaeger has played in the Madison community since moving here in 1966.

“One would be hard-pressed to find a charitable activity in which Joni Jaeger has not participated. Has she helped build a house? Sure. Jaeger was quick to toss on a hardhat and wield a hammer for Habitat for Humanity. Donate blood? How much do you want? Jaeger regularly pulls up her sleeve to donate a pint and has volunteered for American Red Cross.”

Over the years, Jaeger has also contributed to the Covenant Presbyterian Church, the Salvation Army,  Attic Angels, the American Cancer Society, numerous arts groups, (from children’s theater to opera) and, of course, TEMPO of Madison.

Jaeger was a charter member of TEMPO and became the organization’s fourth president in 1984.

“It was the only show in town! Women banding together to share info, promoting each other, educating the business community as to the quality and stature of the women members.  Do I think this kind of an organization is important today? Absolutely! There is much to learn from each other. The networking is the best in town and there needs to be a platform for the younger professional women. Of course, younger would be anyone under 72 !!!”

A licensed real-estate broker, Jaeger wrote the book on relocation services. This past January, after a successful two-decade career in real-estate, she retired as Director of
Relocation for the Stark Company Realtors, but not before receiving the 2006 Paul E. Stark Award for “excelling in both real estate and service to the community.”  She is a former president and chairman of the national Relocation Directors Council and, just this spring, received the Presidents’ Service Award from the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (a network of 750 leading real-estate companies from around the world) in appreciation of  her contributions and education to the relocation industry.

Prior to joining Stark, Jaeger spent more than 35 years in leadership roles in communications, marketing and public relations for the banking and insurance industries.

Whatever Jaeger decides to do, she does well. So, it is not surprising that the Eastern Seaboard native, who happened to be born on Fifth Avenue in New York City, was a finalist in the 1954 Miss America Pageant. She represented the State of New Jersey.

“It paid for the rest of my college (William and Mary); that was the good thing,” she says, matter-of-factly.

Joni is married to Stretch Jaeger, a real-estate agent with Stark Company. The two live on Madison’s West Side and enjoy spending time with their blended family of six children and 14 grandchildren.

Since only one of those six children lives in the Madison area, Jaeger is making the most of her retirement by traveling around the country to visit the kids who don’t.

“The welcome mat is out and we plan to take advantage of that. I so enjoy the sense of expectancy and spontaneity that each day offers. Maya Angelou said, ‘Sometimes you just have to take the leap and build your wings on the way down.’ ”

Jaeger feels blessed, knowing that her children—grandchildren, too—are pursing their own community-service ideals.

“It is an achievement to instill in your family the need to exercise the opportunity to serve,” she says. “You always give little in comparison to what comes back to you.”

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Genie Campbell is a free-lance writer/editor whose byline appears in the Wisconsin State Journal and Anew Magazine. She has been a member of TEMPO since the early ‘80s and is serving her second term on the board.