Brookfield Resident, Navy Reservist Seeking Leukemia & Lymphoma "Man of the Year" Award

Brookfield, Wis. – Ed Harder, a Brookfield resident and U.S. Navy reservist, is competing for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s “Man of the Year” award, an election where everyone wins.

Harder, who has served in the Navy since 1995, hopes to raise $25,000 in his campaign for the honorary title. He is competing against nine other Milwaukee-area candidates.

Harder, a financial representative with Northwestern Mutual, became a Navy reservist in 2010 after 15 years of active duty. He serves as the Officer in Charge of Military Exercises for Naval Reserve Expeditionary Strike Unit Seven, based in Naval Operational Support Center St. Louis.

Every dollar donated to Harder for his “Man of the Year” campaign counts as a vote. All donations are tax deductible, and greatly help the fight against blood cancers. Advancements in research and treatment, supported by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, have added to the lifespans of countless blood cancer patients. Many LLS-supported therapies also treat patients suffering from several other forms of cancer.

“I greatly appreciate all the generosity and support that friends, family and the entire community have shown for my campaign,” Harder said. “Regardless of who is named Man of the Year, the money we raise will make a huge difference in the lives of people suffering from these terrible diseases. Everyone wins when cancer loses.”

Donations to Harder’s campaign can be made at http://www.thedollardifference.org.

Harder, who holds the Navy rank of LCDR (Lieutenant Commander), is responsible for filling multiple positions inside of military exercises across southeast Asia. He has also served as an planner for exercises in Thailand and the Philippines.

Harder’s military career has seen many phases. After initially serving for three years, he was awarded an NROTC scholarship to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a B.B.A. in marketing in 2002. He received his officer commission and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fla.

Following completion of flight school training, he joined VQ-4 in Oklahoma City as a naval officer flying on the E-6B, a Boeing 707 communications plane. He returned to Madison in 2007, and worked as Assistant Professor of Naval Science at the UW-Madison NROTC unit.

Harder has been with Northwestern Mutual since 2014. He also owns Granicrete Wisconsin, the exclusive distributor for a decorative concrete product used in resurfacing existing surfaces so that they resemble real stone. Granicrete can be used on countertops, flooring, showers and many other surfaces.