Monona Goodwill Store Remains Open During Remodel

see attached news release

Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Madison Central Receives IHG 2016 Torchbearer Award

ATLANTA – The Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Madison Central received the IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) 2016 Torchbearer Award, IHG’s most prestigious award.

The Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Madison Central is ranked 55^th of 2,196 properties within all Holiday Inn Express and Holiday Inn Express and Suites. This award is given to IHG hotels that achieve the highest levels of excellence in all aspects of operation — from quality to customer satisfaction.

“It is my pleasure to award the Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Madison Central as one of the top-notch hotels in our industry,” said Elie Maalouf, Chief Executive Officer – IHG, The Americas. “This hotel embodies the heart of our brand promise and continues to make IHG properties known and admired throughout the world, continuing our mission to deliver on great brands and Great Hotels Guests Love.”

Neil Densmore, President of Great Lakes Management Group – Verona, WI congratulates General Manager “Jessica Johnson” and staff on this outstanding accomplishment. In addition, the Holiday Inn Express and Suites – Madison Central received the 2016 Great Lakes Management Group Outstanding Customer Service Award and the 2016 General Manager of the Year Award. This hotel is also recognized by Trip Advisor as the # 1 hotel in Madison, Wisconsin.

The 2016 Torchbearer trophy, IHG’s symbol of top excellence, will be on permanent display at the Holiday Inn Express & Suites – Madison Central. To learn more visit www.hiexpress.com/madisoncentral, www.glmghotels.com, www.tripadvisor.com, www.ihg.com

###

Chamber VP Named to DCI’s “40 Under 40” List Recognizing Economic Development Success

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Feb. 1, 2017)

Contact: Erik Greenfield, Communications Manager, 608-443-1952 (office), 608-669-7884 (cell)

MADISON – The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce announced today that Chamber Vice President Kevin Little has been named as one of the Development Counsellors International (DCI) “40 Under 40” for 2017. The list is comprised of 40 people from across North America who have achieved success in economic development before turning 40 years old.

Little is the third person from Wisconsin to make the biennial list, following then-City of Madison Alder Scott Resnick in 2013 for spearheading just the second open data ordinance in the nation and Kenosha Area Business Alliance President Todd Battle in 2015 for his role in bringing in 4,000 jobs, $800 million in capital investment, and seven million square feet of development to the Kenosha area within the prior two years.

“The people chosen by the selection committee represent a bright future for the economic development world,” said DCI President Andy Levine. “They are a new breed of results-driven place makers. We’re very pleased to see Kevin Little among the winners.”

“This honor shows the depth of talent we have in our organization and validates the work the Chamber is doing to drive economic growth in Greater Madison,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “From initiatives like Accelerate Madison and HealthTech Capitol to programming our annual Pressure Chamber pitch competition, Kevin has been a vital asset to the Chamber’s efforts to accelerate business growth for our members, attract world-class talent to our community and position Greater Madison for sustained success.”

In his role as Chamber Vice President, Little leads the Chamber’s external relations, including its political advocacy, economic development, communications, programming and events. He has also served as the Chamber’s Director of Public Policy and Managing Director of Economic Development.

“It is an honor to be named to this list, but the work being recognized is really a tribute to a lot of people – from our incredible Chamber staff to our leadership and community partners,” Little said. “There is an overused expression that economic development is a team sport, but it’s true. We have a lot of collaboration and momentum going on right now in our community, and I am proud to be a part of it.”

DCI officially announced the winners Monday night at an awards ceremony during the International Economic Development Council Leadership Summit in Jacksonville and will feature an in-depth profile of each on its website during 2017.

Considered the leader in marketing places, DCI specializes in economic development and tourism marketing.  The agency has worked for more than 400 cities, regions, states and countries since it was established in New York City in 1960. www.aboutdci.com

For more information on DCI’s 40 Under 40 winners, visit www.aboutdci.com/40under40.

About the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce:
The Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business with nearly 1,300 organizations – ranging from one-person shops to corporations with more than 10,000 employees – working to bring the Greater Madison area to its full potential. The Greater Madison region is a leader in innovation. From cutting-edge technologies to distinctive retail shops to inventive services and products, our members vary greatly but are united by the region’s entrepreneurial spirit. More information can be found at greatermadisonchamber.com.

###

Gretchen Flueckiger Joins M3 as Account Executive

Gretchen Flueckiger recently joined M3 Insurance as an Account Executive. Specializing in employee benefits, Gretchen oversees and manages benefit compliance, strategy, design, and implementation for employers of all sizes nationwide. Gretchen also specializes in Service Contract Act consulting and advising for government contractors including strategic planning and management oversight.

Gretchen is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Wisconsin. She holds her life and health insurance licenses in Illinois and Wisconsin. Gretchen also has her FINRA Series 6 and is currently enrolled in the Certified Employee Benefits Specialist program through the International Foundation and the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.  Gretchen volunteers at Camp HOPE for Kids and supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

________________________

About M3

M3 Insurance offers insight, advice and strategies to help clients manage risk, purchase insurance and provide employee benefits. We are committed to being experts in both the products we represent and the industries we serve. Our people advance M3’s competitive advantage in the marketplace, and our focus on community builds better places to live and work. M3 is consistently ranked a top 100 broker in America.

Visit www.m3ins.com for more information.

Bastian named Senior Associate at Strang

Mark Bastian, Vice President and Senior Project Director at Strang, was named Senior Associate in January.

In announcing the promotion, Strang President Larry Barton praised Mark for his leadership, performance and design skills. Larry also pointed to the great job Mark has done in managing Strang’s largest projects productively and on-time, within defined construction budgets.

“Mark has strong design awareness and has done a superb job mentoring the staff assigned to his projects. Client feedback has been equally positive. We feel he will bring added management strength to our board meetings and improve our overall leadership effectiveness,” Larry said.

A licensed architect in the State of Wisconsin, Mark has more than 20 years of experience working on a variety of corporate, cultural, education and residential projects throughout the nation and the world. Mark’s experiences range from the design of commercial interiors to construction oversight for multi-million dollar mixed-use projects.

In 2014, working as Project Architect for the Alliant Energy Center’s New Holland Pavilions in Madison, it was named one of the top projects of the year by the Daily Reporter.

He worked as Project Manager and Lead Designer on the restoration of the 109-year-old Delta Upsilon Chapter House on Frances Street in 2015, a project which was recognized with the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation’s Rehabilitation Award.

Currently, Mark is Senior Project Manager for several performing arts centers including the Confluence Center for the Arts in Eau Claire, American Player’s Theater in Spring Green, Northern Sky Theater in Door County, and the Hamel Music Center at the UW-Madison Mead Witter School of Music.

Mark has a Bachelor of Architecture Degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology and is a registered member of the American Institute of Architects.

Established in 1935, Strang is an award-winning integrated architecture, engineering, interior design and planning firm. This inclusive project approach allows us to provide exceptional design for the most unique and challenging projects within the science and technology, commercial, higher education and civic + cultural sectors.