At Wade Design & Construction, being part of the community has always meant more than simply doing business here. It means showing up, getting involved, building relationships, and helping create a community where people and local businesses can thrive.
That is why we are incredibly proud to celebrate Emma Wade, our Brand & Engagement Manager, who has received the Next Generation Leader Award from the Mequon-Thiensville Chamber of Commerce.
The award recognizes something that has become an important part of Emma’s story. While she continues to grow her role within her family’s business, she is also investing her time and energy into the community around her.
For Emma, local leadership is not simply about what happens at work. It is about contributing to the place she calls home.
Continuing a Family Legacy
As part of the next generation at Wade Design & Construction, Emma has the unique opportunity to help carry a family-owned business forward.
For more than 25 years, Wade has remodeled homes throughout Mequon, Thiensville, Cedarburg, Whitefish Bay, Fox Point, Bayside, River Hills, Milwaukee, and surrounding communities. Throughout that time, relationships have remained at the center of the business.
Emma is helping continue that philosophy while bringing her own perspective to what the next generation of Wade can look like.
Working within a family business means learning from the experience and values that have shaped the company while also looking ahead. It is about honoring what has been built and finding new ways to strengthen connections with clients, partners, and the community.
That same balance between tradition and progress can be seen in Emma’s involvement outside of the company.
Helping Reimagine Thiensville Village Park
Emma serves on the Thiensville Village Park ReImagined Committee, an initiative focused on the future of one of the community’s most important gathering places.
Her involvement has given her another opportunity to contribute to a place where families, neighbors, and friends come together.
Most recently, Emma helped organize the 2026 Thiensville Village Park Pickleball Classic, held on August 2, 2026. Working alongside fellow committee members and the Thiensville-Mequon Pickleball Association board, she helped bring together the many details required to make the event possible.
Events like the Pickleball Classic are about more than what happens on the court. They create opportunities for people to connect, enjoy shared community spaces, and build the relationships that make Thiensville such a special place to live.
Supporting a Vibrant Downtown Thiensville
Emma also serves on the Downtown Thiensville board, where she helps plan and organize events in Thiensville throughout the year.
These events give residents a reason to come together while welcoming visitors and supporting the businesses and organizations that contribute to the character of the village.
It is an effort Wade Design & Construction is proud to support as well. The company sponsors many local events throughout the year as part of its continued commitment to the communities its team lives and works in.
For Emma, serving on the board offers an opportunity to be involved behind the scenes. From planning and organizing to collaborating with other community members, the work helps create experiences that strengthen connections throughout Thiensville.
What the Next Generation of Leadership Looks Like
Leadership does not always mean being the loudest voice in the room. Often, it looks like being willing to participate, collaborate, listen, and put in the work required to turn ideas into something meaningful.
Emma’s involvement reflects that kind of leadership.
She is building her career within a long-standing family business while also choosing to invest in the future of her community. Whether helping plan an event, supporting improvements to a local park, or contributing to the Downtown Thiensville board, she is finding ways to make a difference close to home.
That combination makes the Next Generation Leader Award especially meaningful.
It celebrates what Emma has already contributed, but it also represents something bigger: a new generation stepping forward to support the businesses, organizations, public spaces, and traditions that make our local communities strong.
Building More Than Beautiful Spaces
At Wade Design & Construction, we spend our days thinking about what makes a house feel like home. Yet a great place to call home extends beyond four walls.
It is also the parks where families spend their weekends, the downtown businesses people support, the events neighbors look forward to each year, and the people willing to invest their time in making their community better.
We are incredibly proud of Emma for receiving the Mequon-Thiensville Chamber of Commerce Next Generation Leader Award and even more proud of the commitment to local leadership that it represents.
Congratulations, Emma. We cannot wait to see what comes next.