WHS Alumnus Inducted into Speaker Hall of Fame

Posted on: July 14, 2022

Mike Domitrz, WHS Class of 1988 and son of Whitewater residents, Joe and Joan Domitrz, was one of only five speakers to be inducted into the National Speakers Association Hall of Fame when he received the Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE) on the evening of Monday, July 11th at the Gaylord Opryland Resort in Nashville. At the event supporting Mike were his parents, his sister Cheri Zimdars (WHS 84) and her husband Eric, his sister Rita Hookstead and her husband Jeff (both WHS 82), his son Anthony and his girlfriend Jordan, his son Bryan, Mike’s son Steven and his wife Frida, and his wife, Karen.

In his acceptance speech, Mike focused on thanking his family, including being inspired by the strength and courage of his sister Cheri; his sister Rita working with him for 17 years with helping him reach more people across the globe; his parents setting the pathway as role models, his four sons’ support of his work, and how much his wife Karen has had a massive impact on his ability to make an impact in the world.

For the past three decades, Mike has been speaking on consent, bystander intervention, supporting survivors of sexual assault, and building a culture of respect. As an author of three books, he is brought to speak and provide training sessions and keynotes for middle schools, high schools, universities, military installations, associations, and corporations around the world. Mike has spoken in all 50 states and in 18 countries.

While Mike is the first speaker from Wisconsin to be inducted into the Hall of Fame since 1992, he is the first expert on respect, consent, healthy relationships, bystander intervention, and prevention to ever be inducted.

In addition to graduating from Whitewater High School, Mike and his wife, Karen, are also alumni of U.W.-Whitewater which is where Mike began his speaking path in 1991. WHS retired teacher, Judy Farrell, was the first teacher to have Mike share his message with students and encouraged him to pursue his mission full-time (which he did).

What is the CPAE? The National Speakers Association established the Council of Peers Award for Excellence (CPAE)® Speaker Hall of Fame to honor professional speakers who have reached the top echelon of platform excellence.

Admission into the CPAE Speaker Hall of Fame is a lifetime award for speaking excellence and professionalism. Inductees are evaluated by their peers through a rigorous and demanding process. Each candidate must excel in the following five categories: