Brigadier General Rob Palmer to be honored at promotion ceremony in Washington, D.C.

MADISON, Wis.—Jan. 8, 2020—Rob Palmer, Vice President of Government Relations at WPS Health Solutions, will be honored during an Air Force Reserve promotion ceremony in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 10. The U.S. Senate confirmed Palmer’s promotion to Brigadier General on Nov. 21.

In his military role, Palmer serves in the Pentagon as the Mobilization Assistant to the Air Force Director of Public Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force.

Palmer has attained the highest possible rank in the Air Force Reserve for a public affairs officer. He is responsible for providing public affairs policy and communications strategies to the Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and other senior leaders on critical issues like recruiting, readiness, operations, force structure, and personnel.

Speaking of his promotion, Palmer says, “It is both a tremendous honor and deeply humbling, and I know that I could have never done this without the help and mentorship of the unbelievable men and women with whom I’ve served.”

He typically spends 24 to 36 days a year at the Pentagon.

“I couldn’t be successful in the Air Force Reserve without the support of WPS Health Solutions President and CEO Mike Hamerlik and WPS Health Solutions as a civilian employer,” Palmer says.

“Balancing work, military, and home life is the greatest challenge any Reservist or Guardsman faces. For the civilian employer, the military, and the family, it requires a great deal of flexibility and understanding. For the Reservist, it requires a constant balancing effort.”

Since childhood, Palmer knew he wanted to serve in the military. “My dad was an Army Reservist when I was born,” he says. “I attended college on an Army ROTC scholarship and served in the Army National Guard until 2003 when I joined the Air Force Reserve.”

Palmer and his wife, Kim, live in Oregon, Wis., and have two sons. Grant is a theater student at DePaul University in Chicago. Andrew, a junior at Oregon High School, plans to apply for an appointment to the Air Force Academy.

“What has been really heartwarming for me is that Kim and the boys have been more excited about my promotion than I have,” Palmer says. “They should be, because it is as much theirs as it is mine.”

Palmer earned a master’s degree in international affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Massachusetts. He also earned a master’s degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina.

Palmer joined WPS Health Solutions in August 2015. He represents the company to the Wisconsin Legislature and the U.S. Congress, state and federal agencies, and military beneficiary associations.

About WPS Health Solutions

WPS Health Solutions is a nationally regarded government contractor and a leading Wisconsin not-for-profit health insurer. The WPS Health Insurance division offers affordable health plans and benefits administration. The WPS Government Health Administrators division administers Part A and B Medicare benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and the WPS Military and Veterans Health division serves millions more members who are active in the U.S. military, veterans and their families. In 2019, the international Ethisphere^® Institute named WPS one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies^® for the 10th straight year. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.

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Note to editors: Palmer’s military biography (with link to high-resolution photo) is online at https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/2038403/brigadier-general-robert-p-palmer/

Savant Capital Management Recognized as a Top RIA by InvestmentNews

MADISON, Wis. (January 6, 2020) – Savant Capital Management, a nationally recognized, fee-only wealth management firm headquartered in Rockford, IL, with additional locations in Madison and Park Falls, has been ranked by InvestmentNews as one of the Top 10 Registered Investment Advisors (RIAs) in the Midwest. The ranking was based on total assets under management (AUM), with Savant earning the No. 6 spot with $6.1 billion in AUM.

The InvestmentNews ranking is based on data reported to the Securities and Exchange Commission as of Nov. 1, 2019, and does not include asset management companies or firms with broker-dealer relationships or firms that receive commissions.

“Team Savant works every day to deliver on our mission to help build ideal futures for our clients,” said Brent Brodeski, CEO of Savant. “Recognitions like this are a reminder of the important work we do for so many individuals and families.”

Savant was also ranked by InvestmentNews in 2019 as one of the leading RIA firms of the year. The firm ranked #32 on the comprehensive list of more than 2,200 firms. The list was based on total AUM and is the 12th time Savant has been recognized on the nationwide list. To view the full list, click here.

About Savant Capital Management

Savant Capital Management is a leading independent, nationally recognized, fee-only firm serving clients for 30 years with more than $6 billion in assets under management. As a trusted advisor, Savant Capital 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 Capital Management is a Registered Investment Advisor. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. Savant’s marketing material and/or rankings by InvestmentNews should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that they will experience a certain level of results if Savant Capital Management is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services nor should it be construed as a current or past endorsement of Savant Capital Management by any of it clients. Savant did not pay to participate in InvestmentNews Top Registered Investment Advisors in the Midwest survey. Please see Important Disclosures at savantcapital.com.

Solar for Good Program Helps Fund 13 Solar Energy Projects for Wisconsin Nonprofits

RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good program will issue nearly $140,000 worth of solar panels to Wisconsin nonprofits as part of their fall 2019 funding cycle. These grants will go to 13 organizations across the state that together will install nearly 600 kilowatts of clean, renewable electricity. When completed, these solar projects will lead to over $1.2 million of solar investment in Wisconsin.

The following organizations have been offered Solar for Good grants to install new solar electric systems:

CAP Services, poverty alleviation, Stevens Point.

Camp Amnicon, outdoor retreat and spiritual worship, South Range.

Menīkānaehkem, Native American educational organization, Gresham.

Habitat for Humanity – La Crosse Area, affordable housing provider, La Crosse.

Jackson County Animal Shelter, safe haven for stray animals, Black River Falls.

Heartland Housing, affordable housing provider, Madison.

First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee, house of worship, Milwaukee.

Boys & Girls Club of Greater La Crosse, youth education, La Crosse.

Bethel Lutheran Church, house of worship, Madison.

Movin’ Out, alternative housing provider, Madison.

Zwingli United Church of Christ, house of worship, Verona.

Kathy’s House, alternative housing provider, Wauwatosa.

One organization has asked to remain anonymous at this time.

This round of Solar for Good funding features a diverse group of awardees from across

Wisconsin. The Boys and Girls Club of Greater La Crosse will use their solar installation to help educate members on renewable electricity and energy efficiency for their recently-renovated facility. Over 200 solar panels will be installed at Kathy’s House, a hospital guest-house in Wauwatosa. And the Indigenous-led organization Menīkānaehkem, will install solar to power several tiny homes being constructed on the Menominee Indian Reservation to house the community’s homeless population.

“We decided to go solar to reduce our energy bills and to focus more of our resources on programming,” said Guy Reiter of Menīkānaehkem. “We plan to use the array as a training center for community members interested in pursuing a career in solar. Thanks to the Solar for Good grant, we are moving closer to our goal of making the Menominee community energy-sovereign as a way to create jobs, restore hope, reduce carbon pollution, and mitigate climate change.”

This marks Solar for Good’s 5th funding cycle and the second-largest to date. Including the fall 2019 funding cycle, the program’s impact will total 74 Wisconsin nonprofits installing 88 new solar arrays throughout the state. The program will add 3.25 megawatts of clean, renewable power to Wisconsin’s electric mix, enough to power approximately 650 homes. In total, these 88 solar arrays will spur over $7 million in investments in renewable electricity.

About Solar for Good

RENEW Wisconsin’s Solar for Good initiative fosters the expansion of solar power among mission-based nonprofits and houses of worship in Wisconsin. Through a generous partnership with Couillard Solar Foundation, RENEW Wisconsin awards solar panels to nonprofit organizations, helping them switch to clean, renewable, solar energy.

About RENEW Wisconsin

RENEW Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization which promotes renewable energy in Wisconsin. We work on policies and programs that support solar power, wind power, biogas, local hydropower, geothermal energy, and electric vehicles. More information on RENEW’s website: www.renewwisconsin.org.

Marsha Lindsay, of Lindsay Foresight & Stratagem, to Speak at SXSW 2020

Two years after launching the insight and corporate training firm called Lindsay Foresight & Stratagem, CEO Marsha Lindsay has been invited to speak at SXSW 2020 which bills itself as the premier global destination on imagining the future.

Lindsay Foresight & Stratagem conducts research on the future, then consults and educates C-Suites, boards and marketers with presentations and workshops on what’s next, and strategically best, for competitive advantage, value creation and effective marketing.

Others who’ve engaged Lindsay since the firm’s 2017 founding include Columbia University’s MBA program, the IPA for London’s Marketing Effectiveness Week, the American Association of Advertising Agencies, the Indie Summit in Beijing, Becker’s Ambulatory Surgery Center Conference (on the future of health care), the Fortune 100 and VC infused start-ups.

Distinguishing the firm is its global think tank of advisors that inform and vet research findings and recommended playbooks. Also differentiating are the research method and teaching skills perfected by Lindsay in the 25 years she used them at Brandworks University®, the acclaimed annual conference produced by Lindsay Stone & Briggs, since renamed LSB. (In 2015 Lindsay turned over management of the firm which, for 38 years prior, she ran as CEO.)

Lindsay Foresight & Stratagem is appropriately headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, a national hub of innovation and discovery frequently described in the press as “ground level for the next big thing.”

More at www.LFandS.com.

Wegner CPAs Receives NASBA Certification for Live and Internet Based Courses

See attached press release: NASBA Certification 2