Total Administrative Services Corporation Presents a Major Donation to Habitat for Humanity

Madison, WI – September 18, 2019 – Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC), a leading provider of account-based benefit plans, compliance solutions, trust-funded healthcare savings, and reimbursement program solutions, has donated $10,000 to the Habitat for Humanity of Dane County. It was announced today at a double home dedication in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The home dedications took place at 1112 and 1116 Chicory Way.

The homes, sponsored by TASC (Total Administrative Services Corporation), will mark the 290th and 291st Habitat homes build in Dane County and the 39th and 40th homes built in Sun Prairie. An additional nine homes are planned over the course of the next two years in the Vandenburg Heights neighborhood.

Prior to breaking ground on both homes, staff from TASC built the home frames in the parking lot of Warner Park in partnership with the United Way Seasons of Caring Kick-Off event. The frames were then moved to their permanent locations in Sun Prairie.

“TASC has been committed to the good work of the Habitat for Humanity of Dane County for some time now, helping build several houses in our parking lot,” said Cliff Mason, TASC for President. “I was proud today to deepen that relationship by making this donation. I hope it helps build more homes for deserving families in Dane County.”

About TASC
For over four decades, TASC has specialized in on-demand, account-based benefit plans, trust-funded healthcare savings, reimbursement programs and compliance solutions to brokers, consultants, financial service firms, health plans, and employers.  TASC’s Universal Benefit Account^® provides a unified view of all TASC products and services including healthcare, fringe and education benefits. Access to Universal Benefit Account is offered on a monthly subscription basis under an on-demand software delivery model to help organizations mitigate escalating health care costs and obligations. With offices across North America, TASC services over 75,000 public and private sector clients. For more information visit www.tasconline.com or call toll free 1-800-422-4661.

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For more information contact:

Bruce Stein
TASC
Tel: 608-268-8807
Email: bruce.stein@tasconline.com

Impact Investment Thought Leader, Innovator and Author Jean Case Announced as Chamber’s Annual Dinner Speaker

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Sept. 19, 2019)

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

MADISON – Jean Case, a world-renowned impact investment thought leader, innovator and best-selling author who serves as Chair of the National Geographic Society and CEO of the Case Foundation, was announced today as the keynote speaker for the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce’s 67^th Annual Dinner on Oct. 1 at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center. Her new book, Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose, provides a roadmap for seeking transformational breakthroughs in life and work.

“We are fortunate to welcome a world-class changemaker in Jean Case to our largest Annual Dinner ever to help us turn the page from ME-centric participation to WE-centric collaboration,” said Chamber President Zach Brandon. “Changemaking is about more than being; it is about doing, and Jean’s entire career has been about pushing boundaries and overcoming fear to discover the edges of what is possible.”

Case’s career in the private sector, including as a senior executive at AOL, spanned nearly two decades before she co-founded the Case Foundation in 1997. The Case Foundation has been recognized for its innovative efforts to address significant social challenges, harnessing the best impulses of entrepreneurship, technology and collaboration to drive exponential impact. Case also serves on the boards or advisory boards of organizations including the White House Historical Association, Brain Trust Accelerator Fund and Georgetown University’s Beeck Center for Social Impact and Innovation.

Presented by Total Administrative Services Corporation (TASC), the Chamber’s 67^th Annual Dinner will bring together more than 1,100 business and community leaders for an engaging program featuring speakers, networking, music and more. Due to unprecedented demand, the Chamber has worked with Monona Terrace to reconfigure the seats. To secure one of the final spots, visit here: madisonbiz.com/annual-dinner

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 madisonbiz.com.

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Wisconsin Union Theater Accepting Sign-Ups for First-Ever Open Piano Day

Contact Information: Shauna Breneman, Communications Director
Office: (608) 262-8862
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu

WISCONSIN UNION THEATER ACCEPTING SIGN-UPS FOR FIRST-EVER OPEN PIANO DAY

MADISON – Pianists may now sign-up to play the Wisconsin Union Theater’s historic Steinway Concert Grand Piano during the Theater’s Open Piano Day on Sept. 22 from 1-4 p.m. in Memorial Union’s Shannon Hall.

Purchased in 1991, each pianist in the Wisconsin Union Theater’s Concert Series has been offered the opportunity to sign the Steinway. The tradition of signing the Theater’s Steinway Concert Grand Pianos began in 1950 at the suggestion of Richard P. Leach, the then-director of the Metropolitan Opera Guild.

The Concert Series’s 100^th season will begin Oct. 6  and continue through May 2, 2020, with performances by some of the world’s most renowned classical musicians and ensembles, such as Emanuel Ax, who will play the Theater’s Concert Grand Piano on Nov. 2.

The Steinway that pianists will play Sept. 22 is the fourth Concert Grand Piano featured in the Wisconsin Union Theater’s programming history. The piano has been played by dozens of musicians, including Lise de la Salle, Richard Goode and Joyce Yang, all of whom were invited to sign the piano.

“We are allowing the public to connect up close with our Steinway Concert Grand Piano for the first time on Open Piano Day,” Concert Series Coordinator Amanda Venske said. “Guests will have ability to play the piano on the Shannon Hall stage and view the collection of pianists’ signatures up close. Open Piano Day puts a twist on our more than 50-year tradition.”

The event will also include a cardboard cut-out image of the piano, which Open Piano Day attendees can sign.

Open Piano Day is presented by the Wisconsin Union Theater in collaboration with the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee.

For more information about this event, including how to sign-up to perform, visit union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/open-piano-day.

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About the Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee

The Wisconsin Union Directorate Performing Arts Committee plans and promotes events for the historic Wisconsin Union Theater stages. The student-led committee programs a variety of events to provide a diverse and cultural experience for students, faculty, alumni, community members and visitors. Learn more: union.wisc.edu/get-involved/wud/performing-arts.

About the Wisconsin Union Theater

For more than 75 years, the Wisconsin Union Theater has served as a center for cultural activity in the heart of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The Theater hosts performances in multiple locations, including Memorial Union, and has an expansive history of remarkable performances. The Wisconsin Union Theater is part of the Wisconsin Union, a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Theater: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-union-theater.

[Note to the editor: Click here to download a photo of our Steinway Concert Grand Piano on the stage in Shannon Hall. Photo provided by the Wisconsin Union.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/open-piano-day, 

CG Schmidt Purchases Building for New Office

Madison, WI – CG Schmidt, a Milwaukee-based construction management and general contracting firm, announced today the purchase of the office building located at 433 West Washington Avenue in Madison. This building will serve as CG Schmidt’s permanent Madison office, replacing the current office space the firm occupies on the fourth floor of 10 West Mifflin Street on the Capitol Square. CG Schmidt has been building in the Madison area for more than 40 years, with a dedicated Madison office since 2006. 2020 marks the construction company’s 100-yearanniversary.

“This move has been in the works since we first established a Madison office thirteen years ago. We want to make the statement to our clients, partners and the community as a whole that we are committed to being a Madison construction firm, being a Madison taxpayer, and that we are putting down permanent roots in Wisconsin’s Capitol City,” said CG Schmidt, Senior Vice President and Owner, Eric Schmidt. “It has taken our family a while to find the right location that meets our needs as a growing office and to define collaborative spaces that help us to serve our clients more efficiently. We now have that with this new building.”

The five-story, 34,255 square-foot commercial office building was purchased from Keller Real Estate Group and will be completely remodeled with a modern design and features, and updated for efficiency and sustainability. The design for the building was created by Kahler Slater Architects. Construction has begun and it is slated for completion in July of 2020. CG Schmidt will occupy three floors, with two floors available for commercial and retail lease.

CG Schmidt is a family-owned and operated construction management and general contracting firm, headquartered in Milwaukee, specializing in community, commercial, industrial, healthcare and educational facility construction throughout Wisconsin. 2020 marks the firm’s 100^th year in business. Several of the firm’s notable Madison projects include UW-Madison Union South, St. Paul University Catholic Center, Hovde Properties 316 West Washington Avenue Building, and the new Madison Youth Arts Center, which is currently under construction.

For more information, please contact Sarah Dunn, Vice President, at (608) 960-4102 or sarah.dunn@cgschmidt.com.

Attachment: Exterior Building Rendering (View from the North on West Washington Avenue)

Broker-Led Investor Group Launches BrokerTech Ventures

Contact: Kacie Conroy, Director of Information Technology, M3 Insurance
kacie.conroy@m3ins.com, 608-288-2795

M3 Insurance, along with Holmes Murphy, PayneWest Insurance, ABD Insurance & Financial Services, and Conner Strong & Buckelew, are pleased to announce the launch of BrokerTech Ventures, the first program specifically for investors and innovators building the next generation of tech solutions for insurance agencies and brokerages.

BrokerTech Ventures will deploy a highly intentional accelerator curriculum, as well as a veteran mentoring network, seed funding for a portion of the chosen startups’ research and testing, and a distribution platform to deploy the technologies. Startup companies can apply for a spot in the first BrokerTech Ventures cohort starting in late October 2019, with program launch planned for February 2020.

“The idea behind the alignment of BrokerTech Ventures as both an accelerator and an investment vehicle is that we have an opportunity to shape a product or solution alongside the startup,” said Mike Victorson, president and CEO of M3 Insurance and co-founder of BrokerTech Ventures alongside Holmes Murphy. “We intend on being active participants in the insurance technology space and offering a testing ground to benefit our clients.”

Dan Keough, chairman and CEO of Holmes Murphy added, “BrokerTech Ventures will alleviate some technology-related pain points by creating an ‘innovation hub’ for startups to test broker-centric ideas and products while bringing new and innovative ideas and solutions to our customers.”

In further building the resources available through BrokerTech Ventures, the owner agencies plan to partner with additional privately held, like-minded, and geographically-diverse insurance agencies and brokerages. A targeted, executive search is in progress for the organization’s first managing director, and Brian Hemesath, former managing director of the Global Insurance Accelerator (GIA) and a noted InsurTech leader, will provide guidance and counseling on the initiative as the architecture and curriculum for BrokerTech Ventures are built.

About M3
M3 is the largest insurance broker and risk management firm in the state of Wisconsin. As a top 50 broker in America, we’re leaders in the products we represent and the industries we serve. M3’s people are an extension of your team, providing world-class resources to help you manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide employee benefits. And our focus on community builds better places to live and work. For more information on M3, visit www.m3ins.com.

About BrokerTech Ventures
Based in the insurance nucleus of Des Moines, Iowa, BrokerTech Ventures is the first broker-led investor group and accelerator program focused on delivering innovation to the insurance agent-broker industry. Founded in 2019, BrokerTech Ventures provides a venue for the best minds in insurance and technology to collaborate and bring to market leading-edge ideas and solutions. BrokerTech Ventures invests in the research and testing for each of the chosen startups, provides access to veteran industry mentors, and helps scale the technology to market through broker distribution channels.