Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools: MMSD Delivers on Community Promise with Full-Day 4K Pilot Program

For Immediate Release
March 26, 2021

Contact:
Melinda Heinritz
mheinritz@fmps.org

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Madison, Wis. – Today the Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools released the following statement after the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) Board of Education approved a motion to provide an increase of $1,300,000 to both 2021-22 elementary and Early Childhood Program staffing budgets and non-personnel budget.

Melinda Heinritz, Executive Director of the Foundation and its affiliate, Schools Make Madison Advocates:

“The district is delivering on their promise to our community with this historic action that will enable the launch of a pilot to evaluate the effectiveness of the district’s first full-day 4K program. Full day-4K was a critical element of the successful fall referenda and is an essential component of the district’s equity strategy. We look forward to our continued partnership with MMSD as they work to implement this pilot program.”

MMSD currently offers partial-day 4K at 26 elementary schools and 27 Early Care and Education (ECE) sites. Thanks to an overwhelming passing of the operating referenda on November 3rd, 2020, MMSD is now able to offer pilot programs for full-day 4K at Leopold, Mendota, and Sandburg Elementary schools. The Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools advocacy arm, Schools Make Madison Advocates, was proud to lead the Vote Yes 2 Invest campaign that championed the passing of both the operating and facilities referenda.

A significant body of research suggests that early learning opportunities for young children can impact their developmental trajectory throughout their life, as well as have a positive impact on families, communities and society. Research also indicates that providing full day 4K programming will increase academic gains to close achievement gaps for our most vulnerable student populations.

Schools selected for the pilot were based on need and those who have systems in place that would support successful testing of a full-day 4K pilot. Leopold and Mendota are Community Schools (schools that offer a range of services in addition to educational services) and Sandburg offers bilingual programming for native Spanish speaking families.

Read more about MMSD plans for the full-day pilot.

For more on the Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools: SchoolsMakeMadison.org

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Savant Wealth Management Reaches $10 Billion Milestone

MADISON, Wis. (March 9, 2021) – Savant Wealth Management, a nationally recognized, fee-only wealth management firm headquartered in Rockford, IL, with locations also in Madison and Park Falls, has hit a major milestone in its 35-year history. The firm has reached $10 billion in assets under management (AUM).

The milestone can be attributed to Savant’s long-term growth strategy and its client-centric model offering comprehensive wealth management services with a deep bench of professionals to support its services.

From 1993, when Savant began managing money, until 2011, Savant grew to nearly $2 billion in AUM entirely through organic growth. The firm made its first acquisition in 2012 and has since closed seven additional partnerships to expand its presence in the greater Chicagoland region and in new markets like Santa Fe, NM and Bloomington, IL.  In addition, the firm recently opened an office in Arizona.

“This milestone is a direct result of Team Savant and the relationships developed throughout our 35 years in business,” said Brent Brodeski, CEO and co-founder of Savant. “Despite the challenges and other curve balls we’ve faced along the way, Savant stands ready to serve, adapt, and inspire.  We remain persistent in our long-term growth strategy and commitment to providing clients wise counsel to help build ideal futures for our clients, our team, and the communities we serve.”

Savant aspires to continued growth and success in the future with an overarching goal within the next 25 years to improve more than 1 million lives.

Savant employs more than 200 team members and serves 6,500 families, over 150 companies and over 5,000 retirement plan participants.  For more information about Savant Wealth Management, visit savantwealth.com.

About Savant Wealth Management

Savant Wealth Management, formerly known as Savant Capital Management, is a leading independent, fee-only firm serving clients for 30 years with $10 billion in assets under management. Savant Wealth Management offers investment management, financial planning, retirement plan, and family office services to financially established individuals and institutions. Savant also offers corporate accounting, tax preparation, payroll and consulting through its affiliate, Savant Tax & Consulting.

Savant is headquartered in Rockford, IL, with locations in Bloomington, Chicago, Downers Grove, Freeport, Hoffman Estates, Lincolnshire, Naperville, Peoria, St. Charles, Sterling, and Wilmette, IL; Phoenix, AZ; Santa Fe, NM; Madison and Park Falls, WI; and McLean, VA. Please see Important Disclosures at savantwealth.com.

Savant Wealth Management (“Savant”) is an SEC registered investment adviser headquartered in Rockford, Illinois. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk.

As of 3/3/21. Includes both assets under management and assets under advisement. Assets under management represent the aggregate fair value of all discretionary and non-discretionary portfolios. Assets under advisement represent advisory-only assets where Savant does not have trading authority over the portfolio.

Dane County companies boosted through Madison Development Corporation loans

For Immediate Release
March 8, 2021

Dane County companies boosted through Madison Development Corporation loans

Firms on the upswing receive $1.6 million infusion

MADISON, WI — Five growing Dane County businesses have received a capital infusion of $1.6 million through Venture Debt Fund loans from the Madison Development Corporation (MDC).

Among the enterprises receiving 2020 loans through MDC’s Venture Debt fund are: 

• Image Mover: $250,000 for development of an app that allows images to be uploaded directly to the Epic Systems platform without breaking HIPPA rules. 
• StartingBlock Madison: $250,000 for space for start-up and early-stage companies located in American Family Insurance’s SPARK building on East Washington Avenue.
• Simple Machines: $400,000 to develop a chip technology that provides software-controlled hardware that is fast, power-efficient, and area-efficient.
• Mobile22: $250,000 for development of Transport-as-a-Service technology platform that manages and optimizes mobility. It’s designed to help organizations manage their fleets, drivers, demand and fulfillment.  
• SmartUQ: $400,000 for a predictive analytics and uncertainty quantification software tool that incorporates real world variables.

“This loan through MDC will help us leverage resources in creating software solutions that will improve the patient experience and make life more convenient,” said Kevin Houlihan, Chief Executive Officer of Image Mover. “Having access to a local entity like MDC focused on helping businesses grow and create jobs is a real plus for the Madison business community.”

Since the Venture Debt Fund was founded in 2004 by MDC and over a dozen institutional investors (including local banks, MGE, and area Economic Development Corporations), the Fund has made 67 loans totaling $19.6 million to 56 Madison companies. In 2020, investment from the Fund helped create 329 new jobs. Since inception, fund loans have helped create over 2,000 jobs in Dane County. The average loan size is $350,000. 

“Our Venture Debt Fund has assisted entrepreneurial companies grow and invest in talented people who live and work here,” said Lorrie Heinemann, MDC president and chief executive officer. “In turn, these enterprises are driving innovation and further solidifying Madison as an entrepreneurial, high-tech growth hub.”

Fostering creative start-up businesses and creating high quality jobs in Dane County is key for the community banks and local institutional investors who participate in the Venture Debt Fund.

“Our community benefits when local companies innovate, grow and hire new employees,” said John Drury, Senior Business Development Manager at Madison Gas and Electric, a lead investor in the Fund. “We’re proud to invest in our community through the Venture Debt Fund, which gives promising businesses resources at pivotal times so they can grow and thrive.”

The Venture Debt Fund draws collaborative funding from local organizations including: Bank of Sun Prairie, Capitol Bank, City of Fitchburg, First Business Bank, Madison Gas and Electric, Middleton Area Development Corp, Monona Bank, Oak Bank, Old National Bank, One Community Bank, Park Bank, River Valley Bank, Settlers Bank, Starion Financial, State Bank of Cross Plains, and Town Bank. The Fund also just received a $300,000 Capital Catalyst investment from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation.

“These are challenging and exciting times for companies driving change,” Fund Chair Mary Strickland said. “The MDC Venture Debt Fund is proud to partner with visionary leaders who are growing their companies here in Dane County.”

Madison Development Corporation is a non-profit organization that owns and manages 348 affordable workforce housing units in the Madison area and provides financing for hard-to-finance businesses in Dane County. Since 1977, MDC has provided loans to more than 450 businesses totaling over $35 million, which helped them create over 5,000 quality jobs in Dane County.

WPS Health Solutions joins movement to improve diversity and inclusion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-977-7343
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com

WPS Health Solutions joins movement to improve diversity and inclusion

MADISON, Wis.—March 1, 2021—Mike Hamerlik of WPS Health Solutions joins more than 1,600 Chief Executive Officers and Presidents across the nation to pledge action on supporting a more inclusive workplace for employees, communities, and society at large.

CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace.

“My commitment is driven by the understanding that meaningful change around diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) starts at the executive level. This pledge offers me the opportunity to lead by example,” Hamerlik said. “Signing the pledge signifies a symbolic step on our DEI journey. We now join more than 13 million other employees within 85 industries around the nation to advance inclusion at work.”

In signing the pledge, WPS commits to:

• Cultivate a workplace that supports open dialogue on complex and sometimes difficult conversations about diversity and inclusion.
• Implement and expand unconscious bias education.
• Share best practices.
• Create and share strategic inclusion and diversity plans with the WPS Board of Directors.

Click here to view a list of companies that have signed the pledge.

About WPS Health Solutions

Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation utilizes “WPS Health Solutions” to refer to our entire enterprise. Within our enterprise, there are three divisions, including Government Health Administrators, Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. WPS Government Health Administrators manages Medicare Part A and Part B benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and WPS Military and Veterans Health serves millions of members of the U.S. military and their families through TRICARE and Veterans Affairs programs. Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation has been based in Madison, Wis., for nearly 75 years. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.

JP Cullen Ends 2020 As Safest Year in Firm’s 129-Year History

In a year where safety has become the top priority for most worldwide, ending the year as the safest on record for the firm is a feat JP Cullen is ecstatic to share with its staff and clients. There are two metrics used for safety:

• Incident Rate or IR: a measure of how often a recordable injury or illness occurs over a specified period of time, typically one year
• Days Away, Restricted or Transferred or DART: metric to measure how many workplace injuries and illnesses required employees to miss work, perform restricted work activities or transfer to another job within a calendar year

With over 1,000,000 hours worked, JP Cullen finished the year with a 1.59 IR which is almost half of the national average of 3.0 and a DART of .20 far below the national average of 1.80.

“2020 was a year filled with many ups and downs. Safety is not a spectator sport and it takes a team effort to be able to accomplish what we did in 2020,” says George Cullen, Co-President. “Thank you to everyone for looking out for your fellow workers and keeping our job sites safe for our clients.”

LINKS

JP Cullen Website: www.jpcullen.com

JP Cullen Social Media: Blog | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

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JP Cullen is a fifth-generation family-owned business. Since 1892, we have taken on the most challenging government, education, healthcare, commerce, industrial, arts & entertainment and historic restoration projects across Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa. Today we are a $400+ million full-service preconstruction and construction company with 800 employees, managing projects from $1,000 to over $100 million in size – from new construction (office buildings, university buildings, residence halls, healthcare clinics, chemical, food and beverage, manufacturing, and power plants) to additions and renovations (healthcare facilities, K-12 schools, chemical, food and beverage, manufacturing, and power plants) to specialized work (e.g. steel erection, masonry, carpentry, historical restoration, equipment installation).