[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 17 (Thursday, January 28, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Page S194]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         TRIBUTE TO NEIL HEINEN

  Ms. BALDWIN. Mr. President, today I rise to honor Neil Heinen, 
editorial director for WISC-TV and Madison Magazine, on his retirement. 
Throughout his remarkable career, Neil has been steadfast in his 
commitment to fair and honest reporting, clear-headed editorials and 
fascinating stories about the community he loves.
  Born in Milwaukee, WI as the oldest of 11 children, Neil first 
attended St. Norbert College in Green Bay in 1969. He dropped out to 
spend 4 years working in a mental hospital, where he said he received 
his real education. He worked as a bartender and actor in Madison 
before deciding to study journalism at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison. He began his career at WIBA radio station, spending 10 years 
on the air before joining the team at WISC-TV News as a news assignment 
editor.
  It was there that Neil worked with longtime station manager Tom Bier 
to create an editorial director job just as most stations were 
eliminating their editorial departments. Neil delivered more than 7,400 
on-air editorials since he first conveyed the station's views in April 
of 1992. He also hosted a Sunday morning public affairs program, ``For 
the Record,'' that ran 1,500 episodes over 30 years.
  Perhaps Neil's greatest legacy is his leadership in guiding the 
growth and creativity of Madison Magazine, which won countless awards 
for providing its nearly 170,000 readers with interesting coverage of 
local people, entertainment, and issues. Neil's contributions included 
monthly columns on issues of importance to Madisonians and a monthly 
food column he coauthored with his wife, Nancy Christy. Madison readers 
particularly enjoyed his cover stories focused on leadership and 
visions for Madison's future.
  Neil has been a familiar and trusted voice in many of Madison's most 
important events and controversial issues for the past 30 years. He is 
known for his support of major community projects such as the Monona 
Terrace Convention Center, the UW-Madison Kohl Center and Overture 
Center for the Arts. He helped launch We the People/Wisconsin, one of 
the most successful civic journalism projects in the country in the 
1990s, and worked to start Schools of Hope, an initiative to help close 
the achievement gap in Madison schools.
  While Neil's last day of work was this past September 15, I know he 
will remain active in the community for many years to come, lending his 
voice to complex community conversations and championing causes that 
bring us together. I will be forever grateful for Neil's commitment to 
the Madison community and for offering his wise perspective in critical 
times.

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