It was just a few months after being appointed to the Sheboygan, Wis., County Board in 2017, and Curt Brauer wasn't feeling well. He was sluggish and tired.

No one would have blamed him if he felt like he was pushing himself too much, considering that he was already a business agent for Milwaukee Local 494 and immersed in numerous community organizations.

Even after bypass surgery that December, Brauer wasn't backing down.

"I've never walked away from a challenge," he said. "I think that is something that is ingrained in us as electricians during our apprenticeship. We're problem solvers. We don't walk away from a fight."

Brauer, who was appointed to the board after a previous member died, won his election in 2018 with 67% of the vote. He's been reelected thrice since without opposition and now serves as vice chairman of the 25-member board. It oversees about 850 employees and 19 departments in Sheboygan County, which has about 120,000 residents and is about 55 miles north of Milwaukee.

"Curt is the kind of guy that you know you can talk to him and have a great time," former Local 494 business manager and current Sixth District International Representative Dean Warsh said. "It's just such a welcoming personality."

Brauer's health is fine now, and he's loved sitting on the nonpartisan board, comparing it to the teamwork and camaraderie found in a successful local union. Like any government body, the board benefits from having an IBEW member's perspective. Brauer has found that especially true since he moved into the vice chairman position.

"It's been very interesting to have department heads or fellow supervisors say: 'Hey, you're a union guy. What would you do in this situation?" he said. "I get that a lot when it comes to working with developers, and that's one of the things I really appreciate about being on the board."

Brauer also serves as chairman of the board's Health and Human Services Committee, giving him a voice on important health issues in the area, including opioid addiction. He was one of a handful of local leaders to meet with Wisconsin Sen. Tammy Baldwin on the issue earlier this year.

John Zapfel, an international representative in government affairs, is a Local 494 member and was serving as its political director when Brauer ran for office.

He was an outstanding candidate because he was well known in the community and was interested in working on issues, not being a showman, Zapfel said.

"Curt just wants to get things done and sees the value of working with others, not just trying to sail through and not get anything done," he said.

Brauer is a lifelong Sheboygan resident and a second-generation Local 494 member. His son, Alex, is now going through his apprenticeship.

He's long been active in the community, and he took on additional roles when he was named a business agent in 2013, wanting to show how Local 494 and the IBEW are increasingly a force for good. He sits on the board of directors of the local Habitat for Humanity chapter and Lakeshore Technical College, from which he graduated.

Thus, he was an ideal candidate when local officials approached him about filling the unexpired term. He remembers asking Warsh — who was the Local 494 business manager at the time — for some advice.

It took about one second for Warsh to answer.

"Do it," he said.

"He was perfect for it because everyone in the community knows him and all the activities he was doing," Warsh said. "But I'm a big believer in that everyone should be involved in something."

Indeed, Warsh can list numerous Local 494 members involved with government bodies around the state. It ensures that the union voice is part of decision-making and has helped Local 494 successfully advocate for members with government officials from all levels.

"That's where everything starts," he said. "That's where everyone runs for the school board or something local, and that's how they move up. The more members we get into higher positions of government, the more power we have."

IBEW members routinely donate time to their communities. It's one of the tenets of membership. Making the jump to running for office can be daunting, however, starting with the amount of time it takes and reaching out to people asking for their vote.

Brauer understands. He wondered whether it was right for him. So he suggests keeping it simple.

First, attend meetings of bodies you are interested in and get informed on the issues. Second, if an election seems overwhelming, search out a position on an appointed board.

"Don't be afraid to try it out," he said. "You don't have do it forever. But once you do it and see the effect you can create on people's lives, that's huge."

When getting involved, do so with a "mindset of collaboration," Brauer said. He said that is easier to develop on a nonpartisan board, like the one he serves on in Sheboygan, but he's convinced it can be done in all government bodies.

"Our country administrator recently retired after 24 years, and he's been a friend and mentor to me. He always told me to never be the biggest person in the room. Good leaders always lead by putting the right people in the right spot at the right time."

That's an approach that IBEW members develop on the job, no matter the branch.

Having members serving in political and policy positions also requires a commitment from the business manager and other leaders in local unions, Warsh said.

He sometimes would reschedule meetings to accommodate Brauer's and other members' responsibilities on government boards and legislative bodies. But the payoff was worth it.

"It all starts with the business manager being accepting," he said.

Zapfel said he gives the same advice to members considering a run for public office that Brauer used.

"If there's any hesitancy, look at the different boards and commissions in their communities, whether it's a planning commission or architectural commission or whatever," he said. "Get on a board and apply yourself. If you like it, run for office. That's institutional knowledge will provide great insight not just for yourself, but the IBEW in the future.

"As the late [International President Edwin D. Hill] would say, if you don't have a seat at the table, you're probably on the menu," Zapfel added. "Why not get engaged and show the IBEW agenda on that stage?"

Brauer said he has no plans to run for another office, such as the Wisconsin Legislature. He appreciates the collaborative nature of the board. Partisan politics seldom come up. Conversation almost always centers on what is best for the community, he said.

"It is relieving to know you don't have to pander to one side or the other," he said.

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