Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced Wednesday the hiring of a new alcohol policy coordinator to help address alcohol-related problems on the UW-Madison campus and in the city.
Katherine Plominski, 25, was named the city's new alcohol policy coordinator - a position jointly funded by the city and university. She is a third-year UW-Madison Law School student and has worked with Madison police, the Dane County district attorney's office and as a judicial intern for the state Supreme Court. She replaces Joel Plant, who previously held the position. Plant is now a mayoral aide.
Plominski beat out 47 other applicants and will begin working Oct. 29. With that, she steps into one of the most unique jobs in the country. According to Plant, only one other alcohol policy coordinator exists in the country, and that person works for the University of Pennsylvania. Plant was responsible for the creation of the alcohol density plan, a controversial ordinance passed by the City Council.
However, with Plant moving on, Plominski takes on the responsibility of steering and fostering the density plan. She said she shares a vested interest in downtown, but because the plan is new it will take time to grow relationships with the Alcohol License Review Committee and bar owners.
Plominski will also have to shoulder other pressures that come with the title.
One of the challenges will be to build on [the alcohol density plan] and start to look at some of the other kinds of drinking issues,"" said Susan Crowley, UW-Madison's director of prevention services. ""I call them the unlicensed taverns - house parties - and looking for some more specific ways of reducing high-risk drinking.""
Plominski said she has been actively involved with downtown stakeholders for some time and hopes her age can help bridge a productive relationship with UW-Madison students.
""I really hope that my age can be a good thing in this and that I can relate to students,"" Plominski said, adding that she was a Hayes Intern, which is a program sponsored by the law school that brings together police and prosecutors. As an intern, she helped address the issue of stalking on campus.
