A Regional Response to Data Centers
A growing regional movement bringing together neighbors, communities, organizations & local leaders across the shared neighborhood of Western Wisconsin to help shape the future of the place we call home. We believe in transparency, public participation, and the power of neighbors working together.
Uniting West Wisconsin is a growing regional movement inspired by the belief that western Wisconsin communities are strongest when they work together instead of facing major challenges in isolation. What began as local conversations around hyperscale data centers has evolved into a broader call for regional collaboration, proactive planning, democratic participation, and protecting the values, landscapes, resources, and close-knit communities that define this place we call home.
Through public gatherings, relationship-building, shared learning, and cross-community cooperation, Uniting West Wisconsin aims to help residents and local leaders think less town-by-town and more like a connected neighborhood with a shared future.
Come meet your neighbors. Hear from community leaders. Be part of shaping our region's future.
Join neighbors, community leaders, and organizations from across Western Wisconsin for an evening of connection, conversation, and community. Together we'll explore what data center development means for our region and how we can shape that future together.
Hosted by: Uniting West Wisconsin, Great Lakes Neighbors United, GROWW, and Chippewa Valley Indivisible
Charlie Berens is a comedian, New York Times Best Selling Author, Emmy-winning journalist, and host of "The Manitowoc Minute."
Co-founders of folk/rock/Americana outfit Them Coulee Boys. Known for wild swings of emotion during sets, the band has garnered international attention with press in Americana UK, American Songwriter, and The Bluegrass Situation.
Born and raised in Boyceville, Wisconsin, Madilyn Bailey is one of our region's own. A RIAA Gold Certified artist, America's Got Talent semifinalist, and world touring musician with 9.6 million YouTube subscribers and over 1.6 billion total views. Simon Cowell gave her a standing ovation on national television. On June 13th, she returns to stand with her community at High Country.
Western Wisconsin is at a crossroads. As proposals for hyperscale data centers move into communities across the region, residents and local officials are wrestling with big questions about land use, water, energy, and who gets a voice in decisions that will shape their towns for generations.
The West Wisconsin Neighborhood Chautauqua is a gathering for neighbors who believe those decisions should be made together. Through conversation, shared meals, music, and community storytelling, we'll explore what regional cooperation could look like and how western Wisconsin communities can face these challenges not in isolation, but as connected neighbors with a shared future.
📍 Knappa Valley Map ↗ | knappavalley.com | Arrive 12 PM for Food & Fellowship, Neighborhood Chautauqua 1 PM to 4 PM
An Eau Claire, Wisconsin-based folk musician and world traveler. Known for his raw, authentic, and acoustic storytelling, he performs intimate singer-songwriter sets frequently featured at midwestern venues.
A writer, improvisor, hula hooper, and dog enthusiast. She wrote for A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor and has written shows at the Minnesota and New York International Fringe Festivals. Trained at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in New York City.
The 2020 to 2026 Eau Claire Writer in Residence and an English teacher at DeLong Middle School. Author of "Summertime Souvenirs," "Home Field Advantage," and "Sit Down and Stay Awhile: My Aunt Lil, a Small-Town Bar, and a Lifetime of Polkas."