People of consequence

Thompson Newsmakers are usually people who don't care about being newsmakers.

They're not interested in making headlines, and they're not looking to see their names in lights. For some, a simple thank you gives their efforts worth. For others, gratitude isn't even necessary. They're just doing their jobs. Never mind that more often than not, they do their jobs better than anyone else.

Or maybe it's not even that their work is so superior to those around them. Maybe it has more to do with how they do the same work that everyone else is doing.

There's just something about how they talk to people or give just a little bit more when a little bit more is what's needed more than anything else.

But for them, it's simply a matter of going about their business, following their instincts, making the decisions that seem right to them. Maybe it's saying yes whenever asked or donning a Santa Claus outfit to listen to a child's dreams. Maybe it's rising above a devastating tragedy or sticking to a principle no matter what the cost.

Whatever it is, there's a beauty to it, something that shines in their actions, catching the eyes of those around them.

People don't forget a newsmaker when they meet one. They recognize whatever that quality is immediately, even if they can't exactly put it into words. It sticks with them as a general impression, and that's the way it might stay unless someone asks the right questions.

Wisconsin Builder and The Daily Reporting Publishing Co. asked the questions for our first Newsmakers of the Year magazine. We didn't take nominations, we didn't survey people, we just kept our eyes open and asked a few questions.

And that's really all it took for us to find our 10 Newsmakers of the Year. These people didn't have to stand on a rooftop yelling out their achievements, and we didn't have to dig too deep to find them.

They're people of consequence, people who bring out the best in other people. And while they didn't seek the recognition, it was our pleasure to give it to them anyway.

And now, it's also our pleasure to present them to you.