Ginger Alden

What is your connection to Wisconsin? Did you grow up here and how long have you lived here?

Yes, I did grow up in Wisconsin.  I was born and grew up in Milwaukee and lived in that part of the state until I left for college.  Following college, I got a job, got married, and was out of Wisconsin for 15 years. I moved back to Wisconsin with my husband in 1984, when he joined a surgical practice in Wausau. We raised our two children here.

 What college did you go to?

I started college at Dickinson College, a small, liberal-arts college in Pennsylvania. My older brother and sister both went to schools in Pennsylvania and probably for that reason I did too.  I started at Dickinson, but graduated from the University of Utah, out west, in the mountains in Salt Lake City.

What are some key memories that you have from growing up and living in Wisconsin?

Sunny summers and snowy winters! Our childhood, I mean people growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, spent a lot of time outside.  We made our fun out of very little.  We played games outside like jacks, squares, hide-and-go-seek, red light green light, kick ball, hopscotch, jump rope, and kick the can.  We rode our bikes and played in each other’s yards until our mothers and fathers called us at dark. In the winter we skated at the local rink, went sledding or rode flying saucers on even the tiniest hill, made forts and threw snowballs. Although I was a “tom-boy”, I also liked all the traditional girl things, dolls, dressing up in Mom’s high heels, and playing house as we called it. We had a great neighborhood and plenty of kids to play with.   Our house was on a large lot that backed up to a woodsy ravine. If you followed the stream at the bottom of the ravine, it led to the beach on Lake Michigan.  So, from my backyard I could follow the ravine and end up at the shores of Lake Michigan. When I was older I could take the bus to the movie theater.  With the connecting backyards, the ravine, the bicycles, the bus and the sidewalk, I felt that I had a lot of freedom. 

  How much was the bus back then?

Maybe a dime.  The bus stop wasn’t far from my house. I could just cross the street and walk there in a couple of minutes. The world was a lot safer back then.  Your mom didn’t worry about you as much as moms do now.

 Do you have any specific memory that stands out?

I had one brother and two sisters, and, for some reason, one day we all got in a lot of trouble at home.  I don’t remember what we did, but my mom got really angry and brought out a suitcase for each of us.  She said, ok kids, you kids are leaving. I’m going to take you to the bus stop and you are going to go somewhere because you have to leave home.  We panicked, but we thought we better do it, so we each packed up a suitcase.  She took us to the bus stop with her station wagon car.  She unloaded us, gave us bus money, and drove away.  I imagine we were crying and asking my older brother what was happening. And as you probably have guessed, not too long after that, she drove back and we were immensely relieved to get back in the car and go home.  That memory definitely stands out. It also stands out that we had an unusual home and yard.  We had a swimming pool and tennis court, a swing set, an electric merry-go-round, and a big sandbox.  Everything was kind of crumbling, but worked.  We had all kinds of fun and adventure in that backyard. 

 Did many people have swimming pools in your area?

No, no other family had a pool and our swimming pool was a popular spot. We had jobs skimming the water, brushing the bottom, keeping the drains clean and, every year, repainting.  Repainting was a big project. My dad would drain the swimming pool and when it was empty we would get in there with big cans of paint. I can practically smell that paint.  It was a really pretty blue color.  We’d get in there and spend all day repainting the swimming pool.  When the paint dried, we filled the pool with the garden hose and it was very cold. In later years the pool was heated and the water was much warmer.  Even then we would stay in the pool too long until we’d be shivering with blue lips. The way to warm up was to lie down on the sun warmed cement sidewalk that surrounded the pool. 

What path has your career taken over the years?

Things have changed for women since the 50s and 60s. Most women back then didn’t have jobs. My mom didn’t work outside of the home, yet she was most definite in telling me and my sisters that we must have a career “to fall back on” if something happened to our husbands. Neither of my parents finished college, but I followed the path of my older brother and sister, went to college, and graduated with a degree in economics. After college I was hired into a management training program working as an underwriter for a large insurance company in Minneapolis where my future husband was going to medical school. From there I went to General Mills to manage employee life and dental insurance benefits.  Because of my husband’s medical education and surgical training career, my career path soon took a major detour. We moved to a different city to advance his training as a surgeon. There weren’t any career advancing jobs there for me. Instead I did what I could, taught tennis and skiing and wrote training manuals for a hotel chain. During that time we had our first baby which initiated my ” job” as a mom.

  Because of our practical decision to make my husband’s work our family’s priority my “career” path has been a crooked one. In Wausau it has included working as a paralegal, raising money for a large non-profit project, managing a small business, and now working at River Valley Bank. Along the way, an extremely important part of my life has been being a Mom. 

Are there any other jobs that you have done throughout your life?

Well, I got my first job at age 14 working in the junior department of the Boston Store and modeling at fashion shows in Milwaukee as part of something called the “teen board”. That was a really cool job at the time for a teenage girl. Later in High School I was a salad girl in a restaurant kitchen, cleaning lettuce and making onion rings and salad dressings. In college I had a lot of jobs, some fairly odd jobs! I sold circus tickets, cleaned carrots in a canning factory, worked in the college cafeteria, taught skiing, worked in a department store, worked at a gas station, worked as a waitress, a hostess, a bartender. After moving to Wausau, I got involved with local politics. I served on the town board at Rib Mountain for 8 years, and on the Marathon County Board of Supervisors for 14 years. 

What are some key opportunities that you were provided with that got you where you are today?

The key opportunity for women in my generation, including me, was the Women’s Rights Movement itself. We drove the movement by assuming and demanding that women have the same opportunities as men, and, simultaneously benefitted from it by enjoying those opportunities as they opened up. On college campuses women took their place proving themselves capable of achievement in non-traditional fields (including mine, Economics.) Supportive professors smoothed the path. Officially, the federal legislation, Title IX, prohibited sexual discrimination. One of its effects brought unexpected benefits for me. I was on the University of Utah’s tennis team when Title IX passed. Part of the bill required comparable funding of men’s and women’s athletics. Suddenly some of our team trips to tennis meets were made by airplane instead of school bus! We ate steak dinners! It was great! In the job market, there developed in the seventies a certain pride among men and women and employers that capable women were now part of the scene. Many companies, including the first two that I worked for, made women feel valued and promotable. I think some senior management (mostly men in those days) wanted to be part of the change that was taking place. It was not only just and fair, but also kind of cool.

This has nothing to do with the Women’s Movement, but here in Wausau, in the late 1990’s I was given a very special opportunity when I was hired to direct the campaign to raise the money to renovate the Grand Theater, know as ArtsBlock. I am proud of the success of the campaign and of what the project contributes to the vibrancy of downtown Wausau. It took four years, and although I lost a lot of sleep, it was a tremendous experience and “key opportunity” that I will always cherish.

  Are there any dislikes or likes that you have about your job?

I like the fact that the bank is a family-owned business and has a unique atmosphere. We try to do a good job for each other, for the owners, for customers and for the community. An enjoyable part of my job is to make sure that our bank is generous to its communities and encourages employees to volunteer. What I don’t much like is sitting in a chair in front of a computer.

  How has being a woman influenced or affected your career?

It is likely that, were I a man, I would have had a much more consistent career, more successful by traditional measures of money and job title. I probably would have completed an advanced degree in law or business. I may well have shared in inheriting my family’s construction business which was only made available to my brother. Instead I made compromises to have a family and to benefit my husband’s career, and participated instead in a blend of traditional wife and Mom, along with a “career” that proceeded in fits and starts and reinvented itself more than a few times! I see this pattern as very common among women my age.

  Over the years there have been attitudes to overcome in the community and the workforce. Sometimes it’s a hurdle just to be taken seriously. I have had the experience of suggesting an idea in a committee meeting only to have it ignored until it was repeated later by a man. I was the first woman elected to the Rib Mountain Town Board, and felt that the male board members nearly viewed me as an alien from another planet, I didn’t have gray hair and I was female! On the Marathon County Board I was on several committees on which I was the only woman. I remember one time in particular on the Forestry and Zoning Committee. It was the meeting at which we were to elect committee officers. I was nominated as secretary. I asked the man who nominated me “why would I want to be secretary?” and, I knew was coming. The fellow said, “Well, you’re a woman”. I asked him what they did before a woman was on the committee. It made me laugh, but it hurt a little bit. I felt that I had to correct this person by saying I might like to be chairman too, and should not be stereotyped.

  What sports did you play in college?

 I played field hockey and tennis on collegiate teams. I loved it. I played college women’s club ice hockey as well before any colleges had women’s teams. Outside of collegiate sports, I taught downhill skiing and spent a fair amount of time out on the slopes.

  What have been some of your biggest struggles throughout your career?

Clearly, balancing work and family was one of my biggest struggles. You want to be a good mom and wife, but you also want or need a job to use other skills or talents and pursue interests, all the while setting a good example for your kids. No offense to men, but women usually end up with the bigger burden of things to do around the house. So, that’s a tough balancing act which you guys (young male interviewers) will probably face with your families some day.

  Do you think there is more equality in employment opportunities for women today? Have salaries become equal?

Today, the fact is that women earn 77 cents for every dollar earned by men. Women are half of the workforce and the wage gap means lower lifetime earnings for women and their families. There are still complex attitudes in the workplace, some of them belonging to women themselves that create what is referred to as a “glass ceiling”. Those attitudes are unfortunate for both women and men and vary by region and industry, even within companies and families. 

Have you observed any discrimination against women? Have you seen an improvement in the way women are treated in the workplace? 

Today, many, perhaps most workplaces have a healthy culture, accepting each person for their uniqueness. Capable women have taken their rightful place. However, although I can’t call it discrimination on its face, it is odd that in the United States in 2010, most top executives, corporate board members, key leaders and politicians are men. And, while outward attitudes from men have become less patronizing some still display a subtly demeaning attitude toward women. For example, words such as “Let me help you with that, dear.” or “Just exactly what is your objection, ladies?” can be felt to emphasize gender difference and can imply a difference in stature and competency.

  As a county official I was part of confidential deliberations in response to complaints against male employees who harassed female employees. These behaviors exist. I have also been aware of clear sexual harassment where the harassed female employee refused to bring charges against her superior. She described numerous incidents, but chose to quit her job rather than rock the boat.

  Is it like since you’re a woman, you should be treated like a woman?

Yes, as a female person, a woman, not a “girl”.  Those of us who experienced the women’s movement are sensitive to cues that suggest inferiority. For example, I do not think that a male would call his male coworker “dear” or “honey” or “boy”. There is still work to be done, especially in workplaces where are traditional patterns where women have one set of jobs and men a different set.

  How did the balance of work and your family change over time?

Our family is a little unique because my husband is a physician. His career is very demanding and often unpredictable in terms of hours. One of us had to assume primary responsibility for children and home. That person was me. While I tried to keep my hat in the ring as far as working and volunteering in the community, it was a challenge. When both children were in school, I could do more, and much more when they got their driver’s licenses. Today they have launched their own careers and I have more time for my own pursuits. The balance at home has also shifted with my husband contributing more toward grocery shopping, laundry and meal prep.

  How many children do you have?  

I have 2. My son is 28 and my daughter is 25.

  Is there anything you wish you had done differently in your career? Are there any job opportunities or careers you would have liked to explore?          

I wish I could have finished law school so that I would have more tools and flexibility with which to leave the world a better place. Education is power.

  Is there any specific job you would have wished doing as a kid or an adult?

As a kid, I said that I wanted to be a nurse. You know how it is when you are a kid. Adults always ask you what you want to be when you grow up. I said I wanted to be a nurse, a traditional woman’s job. My sister said that she wanted to be a teacher, also traditional job for a woman. Even before I got to college I knew that I had no interest in being a nurse. I’m just not the nurse type. The closest I got is marrying a doctor! At some point I took an interest inventory which told me I should be a police officer or an actress! I would have loved a career in acting. I was in lots of plays through grade school and High School. At this point I understand that it isn’t the job title that matters. It’s how you feel about going to work every day.

  Is there anything in your life you wished you could have done over?

Other than climbing Mount Everest, I’m going to have to say no. Though you don’t have success in everything you do, you appreciate the things that do go right. I’m incredibly lucky that I have a great family, a great husband; I live in a great community. No regrets.

    What are some important life lessons that you would like younger generations of women to be aware of?

Do not rule out anything based on your gender. Education is the key to finding rewarding work.  Balancing your career and family will be a challenge and involve compromise. Have dreams, set goals. Never take the back seat because of your gender.

             Who has inspired you throughout your life?

Above all, my husband has inspired me through his encouragement and emotional support. Beyond that my mom, my mother-in-law, my grandmother are inspiring models of decency and compassion; also women community members who have quietly devoted themselves to bettering our community and world; women sports champions, such as Chris Evert, because of their sportsmanship and all-out 100% physical and emotional effort; and all men and women who respect the natural world, and are bright and curious, and humble.

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