Wisconsin Union: University Club Will Reopen on Jan. 23 With New, Casual Dining Service Called Union Commons

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 10, 2023

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

READ RELEASE ONLINE: union.wisc.edu/about/news/university-club-reopening

UNIVERSITY CLUB WILL REOPEN ON JAN. 23 WITH NEW, CASUAL DINING SERVICE CALLED UNION COMMONS

MADISON – The historic campus dining venue the University Club will reopen Jan. 23 with a new, casual dining concept, called Union Commons, and seating under the management of the Wisconsin Union, the nonprofit organization that also manages Memorial Union, Union South, the Memorial Union Terrace, and markets and cafes throughout campus.

The University Club, a Madison destination that previously offered dining service and event spaces, closed temporarily beginning in March 2020 due to COVID-19. After the club experienced financial loss during the pandemic, the University Club board of directors voted to dissolve the club as an incorporated social organization, to integrate the club fully into the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and to have the Wisconsin Union assume management of the club.      

Under Wisconsin Union management, the University Club gained the support of more than 400 full-time Wisconsin Union staff and many student team members in creating a dining experience and in providing operational support.

At the soon-to-open Union Commons at the University Club, the Wisconsin Union team will serve a variety of beverages, including Rooted Grounds coffee and espresso drinks, tea, and wine; bakery items; house-made soups; and toasted sandwiches, including a pesto chicken sandwich and a vegetarian Caprese sandwich.

The Union team welcomes patrons to study, socialize, and enjoy Union Commons menu items on the club’s porch seasonally and in seating on the first floor of the club throughout the year.

UW–Madison students with valid Wiscards are eligible for a 10% discount on most food and beverages at Union Commons as well as other Wisconsin Union-run dining locations when they make purchases using their Wiscard account.

While the club’s spaces are not currently available for event reservations, the Wisconsin Union team continues to work to determine future event space availability at the club. The Union team currently offers event space reservations in other buildings, such as Memorial Union and Union South, for UW–Madison registered student organizations, UW–Madison departments, government agencies, Wisconsin Union lifetime and annual members, and groups with a UW–Madison department sponsorship.

The University Club was founded in 1907 as a members-only social club to promote fellowship in the campus community. From the time it opened until its unanticipated closure in 2020, it had evolved into a place for the public to dine and for its members to host educational, cultural and social events that promote the social and intellectual life of campus and the community.

“We, at the Wisconsin Union, look forward to continuing the University Club’s more than 100-year tradition of serving as a hospitality destination that provides dining and promotes social and cultural diversity and intellectual exchange,” said Mark Guthier, Wisconsin Union director and associate vice chancellor for Student Affairs.

While the club was closed, the Wisconsin Union team worked to prepare the building for patrons, including cleaning, painting, updating signage, purchasing new furniture, and creating café space. From September 2021 to May 2022, the University Club served as a temporary COVID-19 testing site. The Union team continues to plan how the facilities can best serve patrons moving forward.

Patrons can visit union.wisc.edu/unioncommons for more information about Union Commons at the University Club.

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About the Wisconsin Union

Formed in 1907, the Wisconsin Union enhances the lives of members, University of Wisconsin–Madison students, and visitors through recreational, cultural, educational, leadership, campus involvement and social opportunities. Learn more about the Union: union.wisc.edu.  

WPS Health Solutions: Navy Lt. VanAnh McCormick saluted for Operation Fan Mail

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Navy Lt. VanAnh McCormick saluted for Operation Fan Mail
Program is sponsored by WPS Health Solutions and the Green Bay Packers

MADISON, Wis.—Jan. 9, 2023—The Green Bay Packers and WPS Health Solutions paid special tribute this week to Navy Lt. VanAnh McCormick in conjunction with the Jan. 8 game against the Detroit Lions. Operation Fan Mail, the program that recognizes military families and veterans at each Packers home game, marks its 16th season in 2022.

Born in Chicago, then living in Ohio, then in Florida, McCormick followed her immigrant father’s lead in supporting the Packers. Her father came to Wisconsin from Vietnam in the 1980s to attend college. He quickly became an American football fan and began rooting for the home team.

McCormick took part in the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps while in high school in Florida. Upon graduation in 2009, she received an ROTC scholarship to attend Loyola University in Chicago. She joined the Navy in 2013 when she graduated from Loyola University. She then served on the USS Jason Dunham, a destroyer based in Norfolk, Va. In 2015, she was selected for nuclear training and went to Charleston, S.C. She was then assigned to the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in Norfolk in 2016. Following a three-month deployment, McCormick went to Naval Reactors Headquarters in Washington, D.C. for shore duty, where she trained prospective officers for all the aircraft carriers. In 2020, she attended department head school in Newport, R.I. Following that, she was selected to be a weapons officer and is now assigned to the USS Forrest Sherman in Norfolk. She has been awarded one Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal and three Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals.

McCormick attended the game with her husband, Dr. Michael McCormick, who was born and raised in Appleton, Wis. The two are celebrating their birthdays as well as their seventh wedding anniversary. Also in attendance were McCormick’s aunt, Julie Maxwell, and Julie’s husband, Jereme Maxwell.

As the honoree for Operation Fan Mail this week, McCormick also received four tickets to the game and a $150 Packers Pro Shop gift card, courtesy of WPS.

The program, which debuted in 2007, is designed to honor families with a member who is on active duty or a member who is a veteran. The Packers and WPS Health Solutions will host a family at each 2022 season home game and recognize the members on the video boards during pregame activities. A total of 157 individuals, families, or groups have been recognized through the program since it began.

The Packers and WPS Health Solutions invite interested families, or friends of eligible families, to submit an essay, 500 words or less, on why a particular family should be saluted this year. Families intended for recognition are those that have a member serving on active duty, or a member who is a veteran. The family member can be a spouse, mother, father, son, daughter, or sibling.

Essays can be sent to Operation Fan Mail, P.O. Box 10628, Green Bay, WI, 54307-0628 or online at operationfanmail.com.

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 3,100 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.

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Brendon O’Shea Joins Capitol Bank Mortgage Team

Madison, WI (January 2023): Ken Thompson, CEO of Capitol Bank, is pleased to announce that
Brendon O’Shea has joined the Capitol Bank team as Mortgage Loan Originator.

Read more here

Dane Buy Local Research

January 3, 2023

IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Colin Murray, Executive Director, Dane Buy Local

(608) 729-7342/office • (608) 712-3440/cell • colin@danebuylocal.com • danebuylocal.com

Madison, WI – Dane Buy Local solicited the help of Civic Economics, an economic analysis and strategic planning consultint firm, to analyze data and provide a report on the local economic effects of dollars spent at locally owned businesses versus national chains in Dane County, Wisconsin.

Dane Buy Local surveyed both local retailers and restaurants about their business practices with regard to revenue recirculation. The results showed collectively, the retail businesses return 47.4% and the restaurants return 60.7% of their generated revenue to the Dane County, Wisconsin, economy.

For comparison purposes, Civic Economics analyzed the annual reports of major national retail chains finding the stores return an average of 13.6% of their generated revenue to the local markets which host their stores. Additionally, the annual reports of three major national restaurant chains were analyzed, finding they averaged 30.4%.

Civic Economics presented the results of the surveys and annual report analyses to Dane Buy Local, the City of Madison, the City of Sun Prairie, the City of Middleton, and Dane County, in addition to the Indie Impact Study Series. The information they provided details the economic impact of independent retailers and restaurants versus national chains on the Dane County, Wisconsin, economy.

For the complete report with graphics, go to https://danebuylocal.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Dane-County-Indie-Impact-2022.pdf

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Sustain Dane is Hiring a Full-Time Program Coordinator

You can play a critical role in helping Sustain Dane achieve our vision of a thriving and connected community with a sustainable environment and economy we are proud to pass on to future generations.

Overview:

• Title: Program Coordinator
• Full-Time salary of $45,000
• Competitive benefits including paid time off, health and dental insurance, short-& long-term disability, and 401K
• Reports to Lucia Hunt, Sustain Dane Development & Partnerships Manager

Submission: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting Tuesday, January 31 until the position is filled. Anticipated start date of March 1, 2023. To apply, email your resume and cover letter to Lucia Hunt at lucia@sustaindane.org. Please include your name and “Program Coordinator” in the subject line and your name in the title of attached documents.

Job Description: Passionate people and resources fuel our work. In this job, you will assist with program and event coordination and implementation. You will also support fund development through partnership and sponsorship/membership growth. In this collaborative position, you’ll work with the Sustain Dane staff team and Board of Directors, as well as be able to execute projects and strategies independently.

Read the full position description here