Mayor Dave Cieslewicz announced Wednesday that Katherine Plominski will fill the city's alcohol policy coordinator position on Oct. 29, just after Madison's Halloween festivities.

The current alcohol policy coordinator, Joel Plant, has recently been named a mayoral aide.
Plominski will work in conjunction with the city of Madison and the University of Wisconsin to address issues and implement new plans related to alcohol.

"The alcohol policy coordinator has to work with a wide variety of people out in the community and on campus, and Katherine has demonstrated her ability to do just that," said George Twigg, communications director for Cieslewicz. "The goal is for the coordinator to bring people together and find creative ways to address alcohol-related issues."

Plominski, who is currently finishing her graduate degree at UW Law School, brings a unique perspective to the position, having worked as both a judicial intern on the Wisconsin Supreme Court and as a bartender. Plominski said her time in Madison has afforded her a familiarity and appreciation for the community.

"I think both my age and my experience will be an asset to this position, and I hope that students can relate to me," Plominski said. "As a former bartender, I also understand the issues and concerns facing bar owners and the Alcohol License Review Committee."

In addition, Plominski was recently involved in an internship with the Madison Police Department and the district attorney's office, working to develop a collaborative response to stalking on campus. Plominski said she plans to focus on campus safety issues, but will spend time fostering relationships first.

"I think the more people are involved, the more satisfied they'll be with the outcome," Plominski said. "If people feel they're being heard and their concerns are being considered, the happier they are with the end product."

Upon taking over the position, Plominski said she will begin planning out the logistics of the 2008 Halloween festivities, one of the most pressing issues on the agenda. Until then, Plominski will spend time getting to know the organization and individuals she will be working with before stepping into Plant's shoes.

According to Plant, it's a job that has its challenges as well as its rewards.

"The reality is that you're dealing with very long-term problems," Plant said. "The use and misuse of alcohol covers such a breadth of issues and options, and none of these problems will be disappearing anytime soon."

Despite what often seems like a slow process, Plant said he has found it rewarding to see gradual changes over his two years working as APC.

"I find it encouraging to look at the wide range of stakeholders — the police, students, policy workers — beginning to take hold of these issues and take responsibility," Plant said. "It's no magic bullet, but it's incremental progress."

Despite Plant's previous accomplishments, he said the job is in no way finished.

"There's still lots of work to be done," Plant said.