40+ of Southeast Wisconsin

 40+ of Southeastern Wisconsin is a self-help support, resource and advocacy group for jobseekers from southeastern Wisconsin. There are no membership, initiation, or entrance fees because all money is raised from private donations. Please check the  Events page for a list of our past and upcoming events. We would love for you to join us at 40+ Wisconsin, where we are “Putting Experience To Work”.  

 Forty Plus supports the Dr. William C. Needler Job Forum, a Wednesday night program through which employment experts offer tips for the unemployed. Except for the day before Thanksgiving and the Wednesday between Christmas and New Year’s, the Needler Forum has met every week for more than 30 years. ^{[11] [12]}

The duration of 40+ and the Needler Forum, founded in 1976 is a testament to the fragile nature of employment – even among workers who went to college, played by the rules and worked their way up through organizations. In fact, for each of the last three years, there were more unemployed workers from professional and related occupations than from production occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. In 2004, 801,000 professionals were jobless on average each month, compared with 714,000 production workers.  

 Also, research from a number of labor economists suggests that statistically, older workers face longer periods without work after a job loss and suffer greater declines in wages when they work again – about twice the average wage loss of younger workers.

“Folks, this is a sales job,” the past executive director of 40 Plus Ron Mulvaney has told the Needler Forum. “And you only have to make one sale. You are the product.”

Dennis Cherne first met the trio of Bill Needler, Ron Kampwirth and Ron Mulvaney in 1987. Ron Mulvaney took over the Needler Forum in the late 1990s after its founder, a Milwaukee managing trainer, moved to California.  At first, Mulvaney ran the forum with Ron Kampwirth, a retired human resources professional. Kampwirth became ill and died in early 2004.  Ron Mulvaney retired as Executive Director after he had guided Dennis Cherne into the role of President.

The current board members offer a diverse expertise which supports many job seekers. ^[12]

^{[11]  Joel Dresang Milwaukee Journal; [12] Dennis R Cherne}