A look at the SWTC career of Sherry Kane Johnsrud
Sep 18, 2026, 2:42 PM ET
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In 1989, Fennimore native Sherry Kane Johnsrud took a pivotal step toward shaping her future when she enrolled at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College. Seeking a transition from manufacturing work, she completed the college’s Word Processor Specialist program in 1990. Driven by a commitment to ongoing learning, she later earned an associate degree in Marketing in 2005. Her professional journey with Southwest Tech formally began in 1991 as a part-time alternative delivery secretary in the campus media center, a role she balanced alongside duties with Grant County Economic Development. Recognizing her keen artistic eye and dedication, the college appointed her as a full-time designer in 1992, launching a dynamic 35-year career focused on elevating Southwest Tech's visual identity.
Over three and a half decades, Kane Johnsrud navigated profound shifts in graphic design standards and production workflows. In her early design days, creating visual materials required painstaking hands-on assembly, including cutting and pasting design components onto physical pasteboards, developing photographs, reviewing film contact sheets, and mailing physical proofs to commercial printing partners. As digital software transformed the communications landscape, she fluidly mastered new industry standards, progressing from early desktop publishing programs like PageMaker to modern digital workflows powered by Adobe InDesign and the Creative Cloud suite. Her continuous adaptability ensured that Southwest Tech’s marketing and institutional messaging remained vibrant, modern, and effective.
Throughout her tenure, Kane Johnsrud consistently found ways to connect her creative talents to the broader student community. In 2023, she designed customized GED/HSED gift boxes, giving outreach centers across the campus system a standardized, meaningful way to celebrate student achievements. Equally important to her legacy is her ongoing work with student graphic design interns. She views these working relationships as mutually beneficial exchanges where classroom instruction meets decades of practical field experience. For Kane Johnsrud, the campus community, inspiring student success stories, and the joy of daily problem-solving remain the true highlights of her remarkable 35-year tenure at Southwest Tech.
Todd Coppernoll oversees local news for WRCO and WRCE radio in Richland Center. Having served Richland Center as Mayor for three terms, Todd brings a unique perspective, and a familiar voice to the news. The focus is local, and so is the reporter.
Adam Hess has been involved in radio broadcasting since 1990, with many of those years spent on the air at WRCO FM in Richland Center. Currently, Adam hosts the Weekend Wake-up and Prime Mover Saturdays on WRCO FM, jumps in and helps out with news duties, handles Social Media duties for WRCO and WRCE, and is the Director of Technology at a Southwest Wisconsin School District. Reach him at adam.hess@civicmedia.us.
