“Collaborations-r-us” is one of the ways Kimera Way, president of the UW-Eau Claire Foundation, refers to the organization she has worked for since 2001. When the needs of UW-Eau Claire converge with the needs of the greater community, as they are often wont to do, the Foundation is there and ready to bring a new project to life.

Way has been part of the leadership in projects such as Converge Radio, and, in all its copper-clad glory, the Pablo Center at the Confluence.

Way compares herself to Fiddler on the Roof’s matchmaker, Yenta. She connects people with the resources and contacts they need to complete their missions. “My job is to bring together great ideas and great projects with the resources to get them accomplished,” she said.

The university and the city were both exploring the idea of building a new arts center, and Way knew they should combine their resources to achieve it. “Why would we do two parallel facilities that basically have the same goal when by working together we could have significantly more together than we can on our own,” Way said.

“I think that has been the true mission of why the foundation working on behalf of the university has been an outreach to the community.” Way’s work continues with the development of the Haymarket Plaza and the planning of the Sonnentag Event and Recreation Complex.

Way wakes up every morning with 100 new ideas, she said, and over the course of the day she works with others to identify which are strong, which need work, and what ideas others have in mind. Sometimes none of her plans are right for her team or their project; being a leader means recognizing that, and having the grace to move on to the best course of action.

“You certainly have to be willing to bring a lot of people to the table, to listen to lots of different perspectives and points of view, and then try to seek out those people who understand that those different points of view make us stronger,” Way said.

Her strength comes from many places, including the knowledge that failure is not an option. When the stakes are high, Way knows that she absolutely must come through with a completed project. “This isn’t just where I work, this is where my friends are, it’s where my parents chose to move after we moved here,” Way said. “This is our home and we love this place.”

She believes that Eau Claire is a model for effective, cooperative community building. “I hope that our effort with this project in the Confluence at the Pablo Center and the Haymarket Landing was certainly a catalyst to creating a can-do attitude.”