For Wisconsin’s State Legislative Director, Role is More Than a Title

Sometimes, SMART-TD members step back from their usual duties and take their passion for what they do into their communities.  
 
That’s exactly what Wisconsin State Safety & Legislative Director Andy Hauck did recently, and it was a special experience for one local man. 

A Lifetime Fan of Trains 

In August, SLD Hauck received an e-mail from the State Commissioner of Railroads about a resident at Azura Memory Care and Assisted Living in Verona, WI who’s in hospice care but has had a longtime love for trains.  
 
The staff wanted to throw him a train-themed party and was looking for a train conductor to attend.  
 
The commissioner’s office reached out to SLD Hauck and asked if he was interested.  
 
He didn’t need any convincing and was even joined by his girlfriend who ran a switch engine at a museum before they met.  
 
“We just went and talked railroads and told railroad stories, and they had residents there in chairs and we just sat up front by the fireplace,” he said. “He was always interested in trains. His daughters were there, and they mentioned that they used to go on trips and watch trains.”  
 
Azura turned the party into a facility-wide event, and SLD Hauck noted how there was no shortage of questions from the other residents in attendance.  
 
“There were a lot of retired schoolteachers in that group, and this was eye-opening to these people…that there’s only two people on every train. Some are three miles long, and they asked about some of the wrecks and things like that.” 

It’s More Than a Job. It’s a Calling

Serving as the Wisconsin SLD since 2019, Brother Hauck shared one of the first things that he told his Board when he got elected.

“Sometimes, this has got to be a service position, and we need to take care of people.”  
 
In some cases, that spills over to his legislative work when lawmakers see him at various events. 
 
“It keeps us on the radar,” he explained. “These legislators are surprised when they see you at these events. But it overlaps and then they see that we’re not always coming at them with something we need. We’re doing some public service, too.” 
 
For SLD Hauck, that’s what matters.  
 
“It’s not the big ‘me, me, me’ show,” he said. “It’s about service to other people. It’s about taking care of everybody else.”