Byline: Interviewed by Safi Khaleel
Name: Don Becker
City: Madison, since 1971. Born in Waukesha.
Family: Wife, Jo-Ann. Daughter Elisa. Son, Michael. Also, currently has an AFS son, Tom, from Germany
Education: Graduated from UW Law School in 1982
Occupation: Lawyer
Volunteer service: Doing philanthropy and fundraising for numerous causes. 'My wife and I have hosted a plant sale for the last 10 years and raised $80,000 over the course of 10 years and last year we raised $13,000. The focus of this is six different charities all of which feature a child component. The charities are Dane County Partners For Foster Care, Safe Harbor, Rainbow Project, Access Community Health Center, Porchlight, and also Second Harvest Food Bank.' Also does sponsorship for the Millennium Soccer Club and the UW-Women's Hockey team.
Why I am an attorney: It happened because of a couple of different reasons. 'As a kid I watched Perry Mason on TV. But there aren't many attorneys like Perry Mason who made people cry.' The more concrete reason was: 'Attorneys are problem solvers and I enjoy doing that. I enjoy helping people in my practice who are very stressed out by a system that doesn't work for them and helping (them) get financial and medical help through the system when the system isn't friendly enough to them.
Hobbies: Spectator at his kids' events. Philanthropy and cross-country skiing.
One choice of dinner companion, living or dead: Benjamin Franklin. 'He was an individual who lived during an interesting time. Both politically and scientifically he wasn't as narrowly focused as many people are now.'
My favorite thing about Madison: Memorial Union. Becker and his wife had their wedding reception their 32 years ago.
Ideal vacation: A place he could spend time with his family and go skiing. Also added, that it could only be 10 days because 'that's about as long as I can go without missing my job or missing my clients.'
Last movie I saw: 'I don't know. I go with my wife or my kids and I enjoy the escape. But at the end I pull the plug and I'm not even sure about what I saw.'
Know Your Madisonian features people in southern Wisconsin doing good works. To suggest someone, contact Joanne Huntley at jhuntley@madison.com or 608-252-6016.
CAPTION(S):
JOSEPH W. JACKSON III -- State Journal
Attorney Don Becker holds a plant sale every year to raise money for
charities.
