Agrace News: February 2023

Volunteers Needed in Dane County

Volunteers are needed to assist customers, operate the cash register and sort donations at the Agrace Thrift Store; pack donated items in donors’ homes for the thrift stores’ Donation Transportation Service; or provide companionship to clients at the Agrace Adult Day Center.

Agrace will host orientation for new volunteers Tuesday, March 28, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at its Madison campus. Pre-registration is required. To register, call (608) 327-7163 or visit Agrace.org/Volunteer and fill out an application.

Agrace Offers Opportunities for Grief Support in March

In March, Agrace is offering one-on-one grief support, and professionally led grief support groups to anyone, even if the person who died did not have hospice care.

• Journey Through Grief is a six-week grief support group series for adults. It meets Wednesdays, March 1 to April 5, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Agrace Grief Support Center in Fitchburg.

• Bridges is for adults grieving the death of any loved one. Meetings are held every other Wednesday and pre-registration is required. In March, in-person meetings are March 1 and 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Virtual meetings are March 8 and 22, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

There is no fee for these programs if a participant’s family member was in hospice care in the past 12 months; fees for others can be lowered or waived, if needed. Call (608) 327-7118 with questions, to register or make an appointment.

Agrace Adult Day Center Offers Daytime Care

Do you care for or know an older adult who cannot—or chooses not to—stay alone all day? The Agrace Adult Day Center in Madison gives seniors the reassurance and comfort of having others with them throughout the day. It’s especially helpful for people who have dementia or trouble with their memory, and can be a welcome break for family caregivers, too. Learn more at (608) 327-7303 or Agrace.org/AdultDayCenter.

Savant Wealth Management Announces Two Strategic Hires in Support of Growth Goals

ROCKFORD, Ill. (Feb. 14, 2023) — Savant Wealth Management, a nationally recognized, fee-only registered investment adviser (RIA), announced that Myles Cavell has joined the firm as director of new partner optimization, and that Brad Felix, CFA®, has joined as director, Ideal Futures Platform.

Myles Cavell has more than 15 years of experience with strategic problem solving and building effective business processes. Most recently he served as Regional Director for M&A Integrations for Edelman Financial Engines where he led, planned and implemented business optimization processes and expanded sales integration for a number of newly acquired entities. In his role at Savant, Cavell will guide leaders from acquired firms through the transition and integration process post-acquisition. In addition, he will serve as an advocate to newly acquired partners, ensuring a positive integration experience and quick adoption of Savant resources and process to achieve optimal growth. Cavell will be a member of Savant’s Advisory Leadership Team, reporting to Chief Advisory Officer Chris A. Walters.

Brad Felix joins Savant after serving as director of innovation for Truepoint Wealth Counsel, a fee-only, fiduciary financial advisory firm in Cincinnati, OH. He is also the founder of Commas, a fee-only RIA in the Cincinnati area. At Savant, Felix will collaborate with Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer Rob Morrison, CFP® to develop and launch the firm’s Ideal Futures Platform, a fintech-based financial planning process designed to enhance client engagement and improve the overall client experience.

“In 2023, we are focused on growth and committed to making experiences more seamless and hassle-free, not only for clients, but also with the partner firms we acquire,” said Brent Brodeski, CPA, CFP®, CFA®, MBA. “Myles will be dedicated to smoothing the transition for firms partnering with Savant, from both an operational and cultural perspective. As director of our Ideal Futures Platform, Brad will be working to create a more impactful onboarding process and an easier way for clients to follow their progress toward their goals.”

Earlier this month, Savant announced that Patrick Lawlor, CFA®, CFP®, joined Savant as head of mergers and acquisitions, part of the firm’s efforts to expand its M&A activity in 2023. In 2021, Savant recapitalized to accelerate from incremental to exponential growth, and last year, it strengthened its advisory leadership team by naming Chris A. Walters to the position of chief advisory officer, hiring Jason R. English as director of growth, and naming John M. Hanley, CFA®, CAIA® as director of practice management.

About Savant Wealth Management

Savant Wealth Management is a leading independent, nationally recognized, fee-only firm serving clients for over 30 years with approximately $14 billion in assets under management and assets under advisement (as of 12/31/22). As a trusted advisor, 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.

Headquartered in Rockford, Illinois, Savant has offices in Bloomington, Chicago, Downers Grove, Freeport, Hoffman Estates, Lincolnshire, Naperville, Peoria, St. Charles, Sterling, and Wilmette, IL; Phoenix, AZ; Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, IA; Indianapolis, IN; Plymouth, MI; Santa Fe, NM; Doylestown, PA; Madison, Middleton, and Park Falls, WI; and Manassas, McLean, and Reston, VA.

Savant is a registered Investment advisor. Past performance may not be indicative of future results. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. Please read our Important Disclosures at savantwealth.com.

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Lake Ridge Bank Begins Operation as of February 13

Contacts:
Jim L. Tubbs
CEO
Lake Ridge Bank
608-798-3961

Paul Hoffmann
President
Lake Ridge Bank
608-223-2183

Lake Ridge Bank Begins Operation as of February 13
Merger of Equals Creates 7^th Largest Bank in Wisconsin 

(MADISON, Wis.) – On February 13, two of the largest independent community banks in South Central Wisconsin officially complete their merger to become Lake Ridge Bank. As of today, all Monona Bank and State Bank of Cross Plains locations begin operating under the new name. 

Lake Ridge Bank is now the seventh largest bank headquartered in the State of Wisconsin, with 23 branch locations and nearly 400 associates serving almost 40,000 households across 17 communities. The goal was to create a bank with resources and services that compete with regional or national institutions but still maintains the local focus, mission, and philosophy of a community bank. 

The new name is meant to reinforce the bank’s focus and priorities. With a nod to local geography, Lake Ridge Bank wants to help shape the communities within the bank’s service area in the same way the glaciers shaped the region’s lakes and landscape. 

With more than 95 percent of the bank’s 1,400+ shareholders living in Wisconsin – most within Dane and Rock counties – Lake Ridge Bank is both widely held and locally owned. Combining for total assets approaching $3 billion, Lake Ridge Bank is well-positioned to fulfill its commitment to support and invest in our local area. 

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For additional information, please contact Mark Schellpfeffer at mschellpfeffer@lakeridge.bank.  

WPS Health Solutions named a 2023 Top Workplaces USA award winner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com

WPS Health Solutions named a 2023 Top Workplaces USA award winner

MADISON, Wis.—Feb. 3, 2023—WPS Health Solutions has earned the 2023 Top Workplaces USA award issued by Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to build and brand Top Workplaces. The Top Workplaces program has a 15-year history of surveying more than 20 million employees and recognizing the top organizations across 60 markets for regional Top Workplaces awards.

“In a remote-first work environment, feeling seen over being seen is more important than ever.  We work daily to drive a culture of connectedness by showing appreciation, focusing on mental health and well-being, and fostering an inclusive and empowering employee experience,” said Moira Klos, WPS Chief People Officer. “Making health care easier for the people we serve is at the heart of what we do at WPS. When we take care of our people, they are able to take care of our customers and beneficiaries in meaningful ways.”

Top Workplaces USA celebrates organizations with 150 or more employees that have built great cultures. More than 42,000 organizations were invited to participate in the Top Workplaces USA survey. The award selection is based solely on employee feedback gathered through an employee engagement survey, issued by Energage.

Results are calculated by comparing the survey’s research-based statements, including 15 culture drivers proven to predict high performance against industry benchmarks.

“Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees,” Energage CEO Eric Rubino said. “That’s something to be proud of. In today’s market, leaders must ensure they’re allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That’s paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends.”

About WPS Health Solutions^® 

Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions), founded in 1946, is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. WPS Health Solutions serves active-duty and retired military personnel, seniors, individuals, and families in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world. WPS Health Solutions, headquartered in Madison, Wis., has more than 2,600 employees. Within the enterprise, there are three divisions: WPS Government Health Administrators, WPS Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.  

About Energage
Making the world a better place to work together.^™
Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 14 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com.

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New Promega Chemistry Will Enable Forensic DNA Labs to Solve More Challenging Cold Cases, Sexual Assault Cases

Eight-color STR multiplex system provides more information per casework sample

MADISON, Wis.–New chemistry for DNA analysis will empower forensic laboratories to overcome common challenges including degraded and contaminated samples. PowerPlex® 35GY System, launched today by Promega Corporation, is a first-of-its-kind eight-color DNA analysis kit that helps forensic laboratories get more information out of their most challenging samples. The kit works in tandem with Spectrum CE System, a capillary electrophoresis instrument launched by Promega in 2022.

“Together, PowerPlex® 35GY System used with Spectrum CE System provide the most advanced forensic analysis available,” says Rohaizah James, Senior Product Manager at Promega. “The eight-color chemistry used in PowerPlex® 35GY System gives more information per sample, even with degraded DNA.”

Next-generation eight-color STR kit

PowerPlex® 35GY System is the first of a series of next-generation eight-color STR kits that Promega is producing to take full advantage of the Spectrum CE System’s eight-color capability. The biotechnology manufacturer has been developing and providing products for DNA-based human identification for more than 25 years.

Short tandem repeat (STR) analysis is the most widely used tool in human identification efforts. Currently available kits rely on five or six colors of dyes to mark regions of DNA that can help identify a match. PowerPlex® 35GY System is the first STR multiplex to include eight dyes. This major improvement in chemistry is made possible by the Spectrum CE System, the first commercially available capillary electrophoresis instrument equipped for eight-color fragment analysis.

“Mini-STRs” for enhanced resolution

PowerPlex® 35GY System includes the amplicons of 15 loci that have been reduced in size to less than 250 base pairs in length. These “mini-STRs” are less likely to “drop out” or disappear during STR analysis, which helps ensure data is not lost. This is especially important in cold case samples where DNA may be degraded or where there may be a limited amount of sample to work with.

Y-STRs for sexual assault investigation and familial searching

PowerPlex® 35GY System is also ideal for working with sexual assault samples or for identifying unknown matches through familial searching. The kit includes 11 STR loci that are located on Y-chromosomes. These Y-STRs, along with the increased sensitivity of the kit, can help labs more easily determine how many individuals’ DNA are present in a sample.

Quality Indicators for Improved Efficiency

Finally, PowerPlex® 35GY System includes two Quality Indicators to help forensics labs work efficiently by quickly identifying sources of failure. These indicators let DNA analysts quickly determine if a sample is degraded or if there was a problem during their analysis. This information can help labs decide if they need to re-analyze samples or if they should move on to the next sample. By combining these Quality Indicators with the high-throughput capabilities of Spectrum CE System, PowerPlex® 35GY System can help forensics labs efficiently work through their sexual assault kit backlog, for example.

Learn more about PowerPlex® 35GY System at www.promega.com/Introducing35GY

About Promega Corporation

Promega Corporation is a global leader in providing high-quality solutions and technical support to the life science industry. Over its 44-year history, Promega has built a portfolio featuring more than 4,000 catalog and custom products supporting cellular and molecular biology. Today, bioluminescent and other technologies developed at Promega drive innovation in fields such as live cell analysis, drug discovery, molecular diagnostics and human identification and are used by scientists and technicians in labs for academic and government research, forensics, pharmaceuticals, clinical diagnostics and agricultural and environmental testing. Promega is headquartered in Madison, WI, USA with branches in 16 countries and over 50 global distributors. For more information, visit www.promega.com and connect with Promega on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and the Promega Connections blog.

Contacts

Penny Patterson
VP, Corporate Affairs
Promega Corporation
Phone: (608) 274-4330
E-mail: penny.patterson@promega.com