73rd Annual Dinner
Welcome
Welcome to our 73ʳᵈ Annual Dinner.
Tonight, we celebrate how we got to now and look toward what’s next.
Greater Madison is more than a collection of places on a map. It’s the sum of the people, ideas, investments and decisions that have shaped us over time.
The balance of the equation is always changing. What we add or subtract today compounds over time.
Success tomorrow is never promised. To become greater then, we must redefine “greater than.”
Keynote Speaker
Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton
Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton is a world-renowned planetary scientist who serves as director of the Space Sciences Laboratory at UC Berkeley and the principal investigator of the NASA Psyche space mission.
Her research concerns the formation and evolution of rocky planets, and the art and science of creating effective teams and of future-facing educational practices.
She is the author of “A Portrait of the Scientist as a Young Woman” and, a new book, “Mission Ready: How to Build Teams That Perform Under Pressure. ”
Program & Sponsors
Date: Oct. 8, 2026
Time: 4:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Monona Terrace Community & Convention Center, One John Nolen Drive, Madison, WI 53703
Parking: The Monona Terrace Parking Ramp will be open as well as surrounding city lots.
There will be free parking available for Annual Dinner attendees at Block 89 at 10 E. Doty St. You will need to take a ticket to enter, but the gates will be up if you leave between 7:30 and 11:00 p.m.
The elevators at Block 89 will be in operation until 6:00 p.m., after which the lobbies will be locked. You can re-enter the ramp after the event through the main entrance on E. Doty St. or by using the stairs. View a map of the Block 89 location here. Find a photo of the ramp entrances here.
Timeline:
4:00-5:30 p.m. Networking – Madison Ballrooms, Level 4
5:30-6:00 p.m. Transition to Dinner Seating, Networking Continues – Exhibition Hall, Level 1
6:00-8:30 p.m. Continued Networking, Dinner and Event Program – Exhibition Hall, Level 1
Opal Ellyse Tomashevska
Emcee | Founder & Artist, OEM Publishing
Opal Ellyse Tomashevska is a published poet, emcee, bestselling author and podcast host. She is also the Director of Multicultural Business Strategy at TruStage. She holds a master’s degree in organizational development from Edgewood College and a bachelor’s in psychology from University of Wisconsin–Parkside. Tomashevska serves on several boards, including the Lussier Community Education Center, The Melanin Project and the AACUC Midwest Chapter.
Pablo Sanchez
Chair, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors | First Vice President of Community Engagement, Park Bank
Pablo Sanchez is First Vice President of Community Engagement at Park Bank and the chair of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. He began his career at Park Bank as a teller in 1994 and has held several key positions including Branch Manager, Business Lender and head of the Market Manager team. In addition to his role on the Chamber Board, Sanchez serves on the Board of UW Health Medical Foundation, The Rainbow Project and the Governors Financial Literacy Council.
Kim Sponem
CEO & President, Summit Credit Union
Kim Sponem is CEO and President of Summit Credit Union, Wisconsin’s largest credit union, and a recognized leader in the financial industry. Since 2002, she has guided Summit’s growth from $200 million in assets to over $8.7 billion serving more than 284,445 members. With over 35 years of financial sector experience, Sponem has been inducted into America’s Credit Union Museum, the CUES Hall of Fame and was named a Legend of the Movement by the Wisconsin Credit Union League Foundation. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and an MBA from Edgewood University.
PRESENTING SPONSOR
PLATINUM SPONSORS
GOLD SPONSORS
DESIGN SPONSOR
DESSERT SPONSOR
REGISTRATION SPONSOR
SILVER SPONSORS
Abbott (formerly Exact Sciences)
Dean Health Plan by Medica
Park Bank
Quarles & Brady
SSM Health – Wisconsin
TDS Telecommunications
The Little Potato Company
ENTERTAINMENT SPONSOR
Neider & Boucher, S.C.
DECOR SPONSOR
Event Essentials
BRONZE SPONSORS
Accuray
Fleetworthy
Gordon Flesch Company
KennedyC
SMALL AND EMERGING BUSINESS SPONSORS
6AM Marketing
Brain Balance
Culver’s-Todd Drive Madison
CG Schmidt
Harriet Gomez Agency-Country Financial
The Diamond Center
Vicki Wagener Agency, LLC – American Family Insurance
Toward Greater
Help us move toward greater by engaging with the Chamber’s work.
Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram so you don’t miss any updates on ongoing projects.
Book Purchase
You can purchase “Mission Ready” from our partners at Lake City Books.