Colleagues often are surprised when they find out Brenda Skelton can cook. After all, she’s the general manager of a professional soccer team, a savvy businesswoman who worked her way up the ranks to the level of senior vice president at Midwest Express before coming to the Milwaukee Wave.
But she also is a wife and a mother, and she makes a homemade chicken pot pie that her family loves.
Skelton, general manager of business operations for the Wave, Milwaukee’s Major Indoor Soccer League team, is proof that women can have a successful career and raise a family. But it takes hard work, determination and a set of priorities.
Skelton grew up on a farm near the Ozarks in Missouri, the youngest of 10 children. She credits her upbringing for helping her develop a strong work ethic and discipline. "My parents didn’t get to go to college, but they wanted to make sure my brothers and sisters and I all did," Skelton said. "We’re all overachievers."
After graduating from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and home economics, Skelton landed a job with Evansville, Ind.-based Mead Johnson & Co., a maker of baby formula. The job steered her toward marketing, and from there she moved to Michigan to take a job in marketing and product development for Amway Corp.
After five years with Amway, Skelton went to Memphis for a job as product manager for Maybelline. Then in 1984, she packed up, and without a job waiting for her, moved to Milwaukee with a former boyfriend.
It turned out to be a smart move. She got a job with Laughlin Constable as an account executive and, in 1987, Midwest Express hired her to be its director of marketing.
Skelton stayed at Midwest Express for 13 years, working her way up the ladder from director of marketing to vice president of marketing to senior vice president of marketing.
"It was a very exciting time in the company," Skelton said. "It was growing, and it went public while I was there." But after 13 years, it was time to take a break. So in June of 2000, Skelton left Midwest Express, and just took some time off to spend with her daughters, Julie, now 10 and Bethany, now 7.
About a year later, it was time for Skelton to get back into business. In July of 2001, she got the position of general manager of business operations for the Milwaukee Wave, a team which has been in Milwaukee for 18 years and leads the Major Indoor Soccer League in average attendance per game. "I thought it would be a fun industry to get into," Skelton said. "And it definitely has been. We won a championship last year, and we’re well on our way to winning another one this year."
Life can be a juggling act, but Skelton hasn’t dropped a ball, thanks in part to her husband Jim Bendtsen, whom she credits for supporting her and making their marriage a true partnership. "We’ve adjusted our routines to make it work," Skelton said. "Some spouses aren’t open to marriage being a true full partnership."
And the arrangement has been positive for her daughters. Ten-year-old Julie has taken an interest in her mom’s work and already is curious about college, Skelton said.
Both the airline industry and the sports industry are male-dominated, but while Skelton has had experiences in which she felt she was not taken seriously or given credibility because she was a woman, she believes women can excel in any industry through hard work. "If a woman has her act together and can clearly communicate her point of view, she can get her message across," Skelton said. "But women still have to do their homework even more than men to get where they need to be." Also, many women who have made it to the senior executive level either are single or have grown children, Skelton said. That’s changing, but slowly. "Employers don’t let men have flexibility for childcare and family needs," said Skelton, whose husband owns his own business. "It’s not as accepted in our culture to give men that flexibility."
To a woman just starting out in her career, Skelton advises to not expect things to happen overnight, and to get involved in the community. Community involvement is crucial for personal development, and it’s a good networking tool, Skelton said.
Most of all, hard work pays off, she said. "When I was a senior in college, my adviser told me that when she saw my SAT scores as a freshman, she didn’t think I would make it through college; I graduated with a 3.8," Skelton said.
Brenda Skelton Profile Snapshot
Name: Brenda Skelton
Position: general manager of business operations, Milwaukee Wave
Greatest business motivation: "I’m an overachiever. We were raised on a farm, and our parents didn’t get to go to college. I and my nine brothers and sisters all went to college, and we’re all overachievers."
Greatest business challenge for the upcoming year: the economy. "The rules were rewritten on Sept. 11. Everyone now is waiting to see how the economy will recover."
Greatest satisfaction from business: successful balancing of work and family.
Education: bachelor’s degree in journalism and home economics from the University of Missouri-Columbia
Home state: Missouri
Family: husband Jim Bendtsen; daughters Julie, 10, and Bethany, 7 Interests/hobbies: reading, cooking
Favorite vacation spot: "My deck at home overlooking Bass Bay in Muskego"
Favorite magazine: Midwest Living
Favorite charities: United Cerebral Palsy, United Performing Arts Fund
Favorite restaurant: King & I
April 12, 2002 Small Business Times, Milwaukee
