February 25, 2014 | Judith Berger for Wisconsin Woman 

In the February issue of Wisconsin Woman, Peggy Williams-Smith, Corporate Vice President, Food and Beverage, was featured in a cover story for her leadership role with TEMPO Milwaukee. To view the print article, click here: [wpdm_file id=50]In 2015, TEMPO Milwaukee will celebrate 40 years of bringing together women in leadership positions, providing opportunities not available to them in their professional worlds. In 1975, women in professional leadership roles were scarce. “There were no opportunities to network, gain support or share information with other women across backgrounds or industries,” said Peggy Williams-Smith, president of the board of TEMPO Milwaukee.

Forty years later, men continue to occupy the lion’s share of leadership roles, but women have made great strides. Locally, TEMPO organizations can take some credit for those advancements.

Two women, Peggy Williams-Smith and Peggy Stoops, president of the board of TEMPO Waukesha, have more than their first names in common. They went to school for careers that never happened, were quickly recognized on the job for their talent and intellect and have a strong connection to service. The two women are now in position to carry on and strengthen the legacy entrusted to them as head of their respective boards of TEMPO.

Peggy Williams-Smith, Vice President of Food and Beverage

At 43, Williams-Smith is the vice president of food and beverage for Marcus Hotels and Resorts. She joined TEMPO Milwaukee in 2005, recruited to launch the organization’s first leadership event. “I was co-chair with Amy Rislov,” Williams-Smith said. The first year they obtained five sponsors and drew a crowd of 200. It is now TEMPO’s largest event drawing sellout crowds with revenues that have quadrupled in 8 years.

For Williams-Smith, planning events is a practiced skill. She worked her way through the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee by waitressing and tending bar at Muskego Lakes Country Club. She earned a broadcast journalism degree. It wasn’t long before she was director of catering at the country club. “I quit for three months and took a job in human resources. I wanted to try working regular hours,” she recalled. She soon missed the fast pace of the hospitality industry.

Williams-Smith received a call from a headhunter who was acting on a reference from her former boss, Nancy Hernandez. It was for a position at the Hilton Hotel directing weddings and catered events. Williams-Smith took the job and again was promoted through the ranks. Around the time Williams-Smith was director of catering, she and Tim Smith, director of sales for the Hilton, began to date. “We thought one of us should leave the company,” she said. But the company was not so keen on losing valuable employees and moved Williams-Smith to director of catering at the Pfister Hotel. “The Pfister is our crown jewel and the epicenter of hospitality in Milwaukee.” In 2005, Williams-Smith was promoted to assistant general manager of the hotel.

“Nancy kept telling me to do something for myself — to do something to grow my career,” Williams-Smith said of Hernandez. “But I kept putting her off.” Williams-Smith’s career was going very well. After the Marcus Corporation acquired Brynwood Country Club, it was put in Williams-Smith’s charge. She was again promoted to corporate director of catering and events for the Marcus Corporation.

TEMPO members Hernandez and Christy Garcia-Thomas recognized the potential asset for the organization in Williams-Smith and were persistent. Williams-Smith became a member in 2005. Her term as TEMPO president of the board will end in May 2014.