Bestselling Author James Bradley Will Keynote Annual Library Awards Lunch

From the Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation:

Bestselling author James Bradley will provide the keynote address for the Wauwatosa Public Library Leadership Luncheon at the in Wauwatosa at noon on April 19.

In addition, Joe and Jennifer Bartolotta have been named the 2012 Arthur B. Kohasky Leadership Award recipients.   

This 10th annual event celebrates the important role the library plays in the community while honoring area high school students and adults whose leadership has had a positive impact on our community.

Past Leadership Award winners include: Chris Foley, Don Layden, Ray Perry, Peggy Rosenzweig, Tim Winn, Ann and Craig Larson, Jon Vice, Mary Ellen Stanek, and Denise Lindberg.

Receiving the Student Leadership Awards are: Aubrey Murtha, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School; John McNabb, Marquette University High School; Elisabeth Hallanger-Bernstein, ; Gretchen Klein, Pius IX High School; Michael Morgan, ; and Alyssa Mariscal, Wisconsin Lutheran High School.

James Bradley is the bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers, Flyboys and The Imperial Cruise. Flags of Our Fathers was released as a movie in 2007 and is a companion film to the Academy Award nominated Letters from Iwo Jima. In addition to being a writer and corporate

leader, he is president of the James Bradley Peace Foundation, which is dedicated to fostering understanding between America and Asia through student exchange. Bradley is a Wisconsin native and graduated from the University of Wisconsin.

Joe Bartolotta is the president and owner of The Bartolotta Restaurants and his wife, Jennifer Bartolotta, is the director of strategic partnerships for the group.

Together, they founded the company's philanthropic arm, Care-a-lottas, which provides direct and in-kind donations to organizations throughout the Milwaukee area.

Jennifer is an executive board member for the Wisconsin Humane Society, TEMPO Milwaukee and Schools that Can Milwaukee. She received the 2011 TEMPO Mentor Award and the 2009 Business Journal Women of Influence Award.

Joe currently sits on the boards of many local organizations and actively supports Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and St. Marcus School.

The presenting sponsor for this event is . Corporate Sponsors include American Transmission Company (ATC), BMO Harris Bank, Paul Davis Restoration and Remodeling, PyraMax Bank; Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc., Fund Development Corporation and The Lowe Group.  Book Sponsors include Beth Jaworski, Shorewest Realtors and Dr. Charles Klein and Dr. Susan Freundl-Klein.

Registration begins at 11 a.m. For ticket information, call (414) 471-8487. 

About the Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation

The Wauwatosa Public Library Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that supports the . The group’s board of directors includes Maureen Badding, Sharon deGuzman, Elizabeth DuCanto, Nora Gierke, Michael Hodan, Scott Krahn, Jody Lowe, Elizabeth Meyer, Tom Miller, Carolyn Rauen, Nancy Schrap and Matt Stockinger.