{"id":13544,"date":"2026-05-13T10:12:51","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T15:12:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/?post_type=campus_story&p=13544"},"modified":"2026-05-13T10:12:51","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T15:12:51","slug":"from-spring-break-service-to-city-hall-uw-oshkosh-shaped-neenahs-new-mayor","status":"publish","type":"campus_story","link":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/story\/from-spring-break-service-to-city-hall-uw-oshkosh-shaped-neenahs-new-mayor\/","title":{"rendered":"From spring break service to City Hall: UW-Oshkosh shaped Neenah\u2019s new mayor\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Photo:<\/a>
Brian Borchardt, a three-time UW-Oshkosh alumnus, celebrates his April 7 election as Neenah mayor with his wife, Lori (Zivkovich) Borchardt, left, a two-time UW-Oshkosh graduate. The couple first met as students at UW-Oshkosh, where Borchardt was a member of Delta Chi fraternity and Lori was part of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For Brian Borchardt, the path to becoming Neenah\u2019s next mayor did not begin in City Hall. It began on a spring break trip. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a UW-Oshkosh sophomore in the early 1990s, Borchardt joined a group traveling to Kentucky through the Newman Center for an alternative spring break. Instead of beaches and rest, the group spent their days working in some of the most impoverished communities in the Appalachian region, drywalling homes, pouring foundations and helping families with basic repairs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The experience left a lasting impression. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe just realized that I was this kid in college living a pretty privileged life,\u201d Borchardt said. \u201cAnd I went down and saw these people that had nothing, and we were able to help them. That really kind of set that ripple.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That ripple would shape the rest of his life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After nearly two decades in the classroom, UW-Oshkosh alumnus Brian Borchardt is leaving the teaching profession to serve as Neenah\u2019s mayor, following his April 7 election. He will be sworn in April 21 at Neenah City Hall.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, more than three decades later, Borchardt is preparing to be sworn in as mayor of Neenah on April 21. The next day, April 22, will mark his final day teaching at Neenah High School after 18 years in the district. On April 23, he officially begins his work at City Hall. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a rapid transition, one that reflects both excitement and sacrifice. Borchardt will leave his teaching post nearly a month before graduation, stepping away from students he has supported for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cGraduation is only a month away,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s what made it hard.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for Borchardt, the decision is rooted in something deeper than a career change. It reflects a long-standing commitment to serving others, a mindset shaped during his time at UWO and carried through his years in the classroom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think that Kentucky trip was probably the spark,\u201d he said. \u201cThe birthplace of my service mindset.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finding direction at UW-Oshkosh\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Borchardt arrived at UW-Oshkosh from Milwaukee in 1990, drawn largely by word of mouth. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy brother went to Madison, and a friend of his said Oshkosh was a cool school,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was it.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian Borchardt with now-retired UW-Oshkosh Distinguished Professor Emeritus Marguerite Penick of Literacy and Social Foundations at his 2019 graduation, where he earned his master\u2019s degree in Educational Leadership.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like many first-generation college students, his path was not linear. He began as a psychology major before shifting to communications, ultimately earning a bachelor\u2019s degree in speech and communication in 1995. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

He immersed himself in campus life, joining Delta Chi fraternity, getting involved in the Oshkosh Student Association and serving as speaker of the assembly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really embraced the social aspect at first,\u201d he said, laughing. \u201cThen I had to buckle down.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That balance proved formative. \u201cOnce you embrace everything Oshkosh has to offer, it really prepares you for what comes next,\u201d he said. \u201cThe relationships, the networking, the leadership opportunities, it all builds on itself.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

UW-Oshkosh also shaped his life in another lasting way. It is where he met his wife, Lori (Zivkovich) Borchardt, a 1995 graduate with degrees in English and speech who later earned her MBA from UW-Oshkosh in 2010. The two met in South Scott residence hall, where Borchardt worked as a night host. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI remember seeing her and hoping she\u2019d come up and sign in so I could learn her name,\u201d he said with a laugh. She did, and they have been together ever since. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, the couple has returned to UW-Oshkosh multiple times, with Borchardt earning additional degrees in education and educational leadership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey should probably name a wing after us,\u201d he joked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professors who made an impact\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the center of Borchardt\u2019s UW-Oshkosh experience were the professors who challenged him and helped him grow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cShe\u2019s on my Mt. Rushmore of UW-Oshkosh professors,\u201d Borchardt said of Marguerite Penick, who was Marguerite Penick-Parks during his time as a student. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through her Cultural Diversity course, he began to see teaching differently. \u201cShe helped me understand that teaching the whole child and meeting them where they are is key to making connections and building strong relationships,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those lessons carried directly into his work with at-risk students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI drew on the classes I took with Marguerite every day,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian Borchardt, left, with communication studies professor Tony Palmeri at his 1995 UW Oshkosh graduation.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tony Palmeri, professor of communication studies, also had a lasting impact, challenging Borchardt to think more critically and engage more deeply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe really opened my mindset and challenged me,\u201d Borchardt said. \u201cHe\u2019s the one that pushed me to take school more seriously.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Palmeri saw early signs of leadership in Borchardt. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the 1990s Brian took a number of classes with me including Classical Rhetoric and Modern Rhetorical Criticism,\u201d Palmeri said. \u201cHe had a dynamic personality, was super supportive of his peers, enjoyed being challenged academically and really loved learning. At the time Brian struck me as a natural born leader, so while I am thrilled that he is now the mayor of the great city of Neenah, I am not at all surprised.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A teacher first\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

After graduating, Borchardt spent five years in sales before a turning point changed his direction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI got fired,\u201d he said, rather candidly. \u201cAnd looking back, it was one of the most important moments of my life.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It forced him to rethink his path. He returned to UW-Oshkosh to earn his teaching degree, bringing his then-young daughter to campus and fully committing to the work. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That decision led to nearly two decades in education. At Neenah High School, Borchardt worked in alternative education, supporting at-risk students who often needed more than academic instruction. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For him, teaching was always about relationships. \u201cThey\u2019re not always going to remember the lesson,\u201d he said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to remember how you made them feel.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen a student comes back after being truant, it\u2019s not \u2018Where have you been?\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s \u2018I\u2019m really glad you\u2019re back. How can I help?\u2019\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As he prepared to leave the classroom for life as an elected official in a city of 27,000 people, Borchardt had difficult conversations with students he had worked with for years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat would you tell me to do?\u201d one student asked him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019d tell you to go do great things,\u201d Borchardt said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cExactly,\u201d the student replied. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian Borchardt, top center, with fellow UW Oshkosh students during an alternative spring break service trip to Kentucky in 1994. The experience helped shape his lifelong commitment to service. (Photo by Lori Borchardt)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From classroom to community leadership\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Borchardt\u2019s move into public service grew naturally out of his work as an educator. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While teaching social studies, he encouraged students to engage in civic life by attending city council meetings and connecting with elected officials. Eventually, he realized he needed to follow his own advice. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought, I\u2019m telling all these kids to do this, I should probably do it too,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2020, he was appointed to the Neenah Common Council and later served as council president. After an initial unsuccessful run for mayor, he continued building relationships in the community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love making mistakes,\u201d he said. \u201cSome of the greatest things come from those failures.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That mindset helped carry him to victory in this year\u2019s election. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A foundation that endures\u00a0<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As Borchardt steps into the mayor\u2019s office, he carries with him lessons shaped by decades of experience but grounded in moments that began at UW Oshkosh. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across every chapter of his journey, from a service trip in Kentucky to years in the classroom, Borchardt has remained grounded in service, relationships and helping others move forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll of those moments,\u201d he said, \u201cthey weave back to UW-Oshkosh.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Written by Grace Lim<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Link to original story: https:\/\/www.uwosh.edu\/today\/131111\/from-spring-break-service-to-city-hall-uw-oshkosh-shaped-neenahs-new-mayor\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For Brian Borchardt, the path to becoming Neenah\u2019s next mayor did not begin in City Hall. It began on a spring break trip.  As a UW-Oshkosh sophomore in the early 1990s, Borchardt joined a group traveling to Kentucky through the Newman Center for an alternative spring break. Instead of beaches and rest, the group spent […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":13545,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","institution":[94],"story_category":[147],"class_list":["post-13544","campus_story","type-campus_story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","institution-uw-oshkosh","story_category-community"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story\/13544","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/campus_story"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/campus_story"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13544"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13544"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"institution","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/institution?post=13544"},{"taxonomy":"story_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wisconsin.edu\/all-in-wisconsin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/story_category?post=13544"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}