I had the pleasure of meeting Paige Brunclik during my tenure as the Vice Commodore for Labelle Yacht Club. Since the Community Center is on Lac Labelle, it has become the LYC home for many events. As the Vice Commodore, it was my job to plan and manage the regattas, which brought me to Paige. What a charming, polished, and down to earth woman she is. I spent an entire year working with her on the various regattas that we hosted, and then again the following year, as Commodore, when I chose that location to host my Commodore’s Ball.
Paige always has a smile on her face, is warm and friendly, and has a quality about her that puts the most frantic “event planners” at ease. I’m no longer in that planning role with the LYC, but whenever I stop in at the Community Center for an event of one kind or another, she always takes the time to step away from her desk to say hi, to ask how things are going, and to spread some of her “Lake Country Charm”. She’s the perfect ambassador for the City of Oconomowoc Parks and Rec Department! New Mexico’s loss is Oconomowoc’s gain!
Presenting, Paige Brunclik!
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
A native New Mexican, I have put my roots down here in Wisconsin. I have the amazing people I have met here in all walks of life to thank! My husband, Bryan, and I met in New Mexico more than 20 years ago. I was a server at his birthday dinner he was attending with his parents, when his mother embarrassed him by asking me if I had a boyfriend. We were both teenagers. The long story short is that we did hit it off and started dating. He had been living in NM at that time, but later moved back to Wisconsin. Bryan grew up in Wales, and went to Kettle Moraine High School, and he always talked about how special the Lake Country area is.
We joke with our kids that there was no text or snapchat to stay in touch, it was a landline. We dated off and on for many years, but I finally took the leap of faith and moved here to start a life with him and it was the best decision I’ve ever made! My husband Bryan and I have been happily married 13 years. We have two boys, ages 7 and 11, who keep us on our toes, between the highs and lows of raising boys, to all the sports they love to stay involved in. Bryan has family up here we are close with. All of my family is back in NM, but it’s only a FaceTime chat or plane ride away and we keep that a priority when we can.
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
Journalism is my background. I loved it from a young age, and love writing. My degree is in Journalism and Mass Communications and I entered the print world after graduating college. However, as we all know, that world has changed… so much.
I was very fortunate to connect with Lake Country communities as part of my work as a newspaper editor and reporter that landed me my current job here with the City of Oconomowoc. I LOVE this job because, like journalism, you get to work with people a lot, and I thank God for this job everyday. It was a brand new position that works within the City Parks and Tourism departments – all the fun things! I see myself staying at this job for now. It’s such an amazing fit in so many ways.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
Got to go with Lucky Chucky’s and China One. Can’t beat their takeout!
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
We purchased our first home in Oconomowoc in 2014 while I was pregnant with my second son. We are so fortunate finding this home. It’s 1.5 miles from downtown. I’ve worked here since 2014 as well!
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
That is such an incredibly tough question to answer. Oconomowoc is literally a well of amazing people! So, I’m going to be selfish and name more than one. Kevin Pehler, Mary Steinke, Maribeth Bush, Maureen Stapleton, the list goes on and on!
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
The only thing I actually make time to watch is the Packers, and when that became unbearable this season, I found streaming shows saved me. Check out the Worlds Most Extraordinary Homes on Netflix. I can dive in that for hours. Not only the homes but the people who create them are fascinating!
Q: What advice would you give to people?
I know it’s cliche, but just Be Kind. It can be harder than you think. Be nice, be helpful. We are all beautiful children of God. Let’s stay united and make our lives a blessing each day.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
I kind of want to say Fiesta Cancun. Maybe because it serves dang good TexMex which is the style of Mexican food where I’m from. Maybe it’s lots of good memories with friends and margaritas but it’s amazing. Also, I “love me” some Whelan’s, and when my Dad comes to visit, we have a tradition of eating cheese curds from Crafty Cow. If you haven’t done this, do it now.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
Jordan Peterson hands down. What a great mind! It would be amazing just to have a live conversation with him about anything. I think Jordan would be cozy in a place like Sobie’s.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
Like I said, the people. It is just unbelievable the fabric of this community. I did not visit Oconomowoc until I had been in this area and worked for the paper for at least two years. It felt like home. It’s a true hometown. Every time a new challenge comes up, the people are there. They care so much. That’s rare today. I believe/pray it will never change.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
The hope is to be right where I’m at. We might look for a home with some more land, but we love Oconomowoc and our kids are very connected here so we want it to stay that way for now.
Q: What is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I’m honestly not that interesting. I’m pretty shy about it but I do have a decent singing voice I inherited from my mom who used to be a professional singer. I could never prove that on the spot!
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Writing this right now Jan. 25, 2023 after days and days and days of clouds, I’d say a nice sunny day! Lol. You forget how nourishing sunshine and being outdoors in it is until you don’t have it.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
My husband. Truly. We have so many differences yet through our marriage, other than my faith in Jesus, I have grown the most watching how he handles things in our lives. And he truly does that not so much from examples he had growing up, but because of his amazing mind, heart and character.
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
If we’re talking my hometown of Cloudcroft, NM -google it- Mountains, Sunsets, Forest; Oconomowoc, Wisc.- Lakes, Events, Special People.
