Former first lady to speak at Medical College dinner

Laura Bush, former First Lady, will be the keynote speaker for the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Center for Digestive Disease Healthcare 2011 Dinner that will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 8, at the Pfister Hotel’s grand ballroom.
Bush is a former teacher and librarian and has been a leader in promoting early reading and a lifelong love of learning. In 2001, she convened a summit on early childhood cognitive development, which provided a forum for educators to share research on the best ways to prepare children for lifelong learning. She was also launched the National Book Festival in partnership with the Library of Congress, an event that continues to grow. 
United States Representative Paul Ryan, congressman for Wisconsin’s first district will introduce the former first lady.
Michael Grebe, president and chief executive officer of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation will also be honored with the Warren P. Knowles Humanitarian Award. The award honors an individual or an organization from Wisconsin with a commitment to health-related issues and whose work reflects the dedication to public service of Governor Warren P. Knowles.
Grebe has a history of community involvement, and serves on the board of directors of the Oshkosh Corporation, the Church Mutual Insurance Company, the Philanthropy Roundtable, and the Charter School Growth Fund.  He is a former chairman of the Greater Milwaukee Committee and co-chairman of the seven-county M7 economic development project in southeastern Wisconsin.
The event is co-chaired by Mary Brown and Erika Zaiser. The reception will begin at 6 p.m. followed by dinner at 7 p.m. and the program at 8 p.m. The Medical College’s Digestive Disease Center Board, the host of the event, is a group of 50 community leaders who raise awareness of digestive diseases and funds for research. Individual tickets start at $500. For sponsorship opportunities, table reservations or tickets, call Amanda Seidel, 955-4701 or visit www.mcw.edu/healthcaredinner.