Psychiatric ward attendant, emptying garbage cans among first jobs of Top Corporate Counsel winners

View Photos

Scott Paulus

Bryan Blankfield, Oshkosh Corp.
What was your first job? McDonald’s
Other profession you’d like to try? Fitness Instructor

Mark Kass

Editor-in-Chief- Milwaukee Business Journal

Email  |  Twitter  |  Facebook  |  Google+

The Milwaukee Business Journal's Top Corporate Counsel winners may be at the top of their lofty profession, but that doesn't mean they didn't start with some very unusual first jobs. Find out their first jobs and their dream professions in the attached slideshow, which also features photos of our winners shot by Milwaukee Business Journal photographer Scott Paulus.

In fact, two that stood out from our nine winners were Bruce Lindl of Regal Ware Inc., who said his first job was a "college summer job as an attendant on a psychiatric ward" or James Stern of A.O. Smith Corp., whose first job was "emptying garbage cans after school for Gilles Custard."

Or there was Joan Farrell of Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin, who starting her working career as sales clerk at a men's clothing store at Southridge Mall.

"I sold a lot of three-piece corduroy suits to my high school classmates during the homecoming season and flashy silk shirts to the slightly older, disco crowd," she said.

It seems like many of them still harbor of dreams of being professional athletes, especially Deric DuQuaine of Milk Source LLC, who, despite his being 43 years old, really wants to put on ice skates and the pads and suit up for an NHL team.

The Top Corporate Counsel award winners will be honored at an awards luncheon Nov. 21 at The Pfister Hotel in downtown Milwaukee. Watch for profiles of each of the winners in our Nov. 21 weekly edition. The awards program recognizes corporate attorneys and what they bring to the table for their companies and the community.

Watch for a second slideshow next week to learn more about our winners.

Mark Kass is the editor-in-chief of the Milwaukee Business Journal.