Lean Focus CEO Damon Baker Named In Business 2021 Executive of the Year

MADISON, Wisc., Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Milwaukee native Damon Baker has just been named an In Business 2021 Executive of the Year. The awards program recognizes exemplary business executives based on leadership, innovation, and company success. And, in a year rife with economic challenges, it was Damon’s innovative leadership and challenger thinking that enabled his company, Lean Focus®—a Madison-based consulting, training, and talent solutions firm—to not only meet their growth projections for 2020, but exceed them.

“Like many companies, the pandemic has had a significant impact on our ability to execute our plans,” said Damon. “But that didn’t stop us from helping our clients transform their businesses—in fact, it inspired us to reimagine the way we deliver our services to the markets we serve. Our team worked diligently to develop virtual offerings such as remote consulting and learning, as well as expand into new service areas that reduced our reliance on the traditional in-person consulting model. This pivot enabled us to return to a double-digit level of growth, without sacrificing value in the eyes of our clients.”

Lean Focus’s clientele represents a “who’s who” of global leaders in every industry, including some of the world’s most respected brands and several members of the Fortune 1000. And sacrifice value they did not—under Damon’s leadership, Lean Focus’s clients were able to adapt to this new economic landscape without missing a beat.

But while this past year was unique in the challenges it presented, Damon says their tried-and-true methodology remained the same: the Lean Focus Business System™. Applied by Lean Focus’s team of senior-level practitioners, the system utilizes 5 Key Elements to build the lasting organizational and cultural infrastructure it takes to overcome their client’s biggest challenges, and transform their business for good.

To learn more about the services and solutions Lean Focus offers, visit www.leanfocus.com.

About Lean Focus:

Lean Focus helps businesses overcome their biggest challenges by transforming them for the better, and for the long-term. Applied with our proven, hands-on approach, the Lean Focus Business System™ utilizes 5 Key Elements—Growth, Lean, Leadership, Foundation, and Guiding Principles—to build the lasting organizational and cultural infrastructure it takes to achieve real results.

Lean Focus® | Transforming Businesses for Good

Contact:
April Lee
Managing Director
Phone: 630.800.8519
Email: info@leanfocus.com

About In Business:

In Business is the premier business-to-business publication in the Greater Madison region, celebrating more than 43 years of editorial excellence. Our nationally acclaimed editorial department covers the companies and people shaping the business community through readership news, analysis, and in-depth profiles – both online and in print for the Greater Madison region.  We provide interview-style reporting on best industry business practices. We also profile new businesses in the marketplace and honor the stakeholders who built the business community with awards programs and special events.

To contact In Business magazine, click here.

Wisconsin Union Team Debuts Winter Wonderland, A New Winter Activities Event Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 30, 2020

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

WISCONSIN UNION TEAM DEBUTS WINTER WONDERLAND, A NEW WINTER ACTIVITIES EVENT SERIES

MADISON – The Wisconsin Union team will hold wintertime activities during a new event series, called Winter Wonderland, Jan. 5-Feb. 14.

The Festival will include one-hour night hikes with Outdoor UW, the Wisconsin Union’s outlet to the outdoors, on Jan. 5, 12, and 19. The team will hold this safe, physically distanced hike at 5 p.m. with a start on Lakeshore Path near the entrance to Outdoor UW’s office at Memorial Union. Registrants will travel west along the Path. The Jan. 19 hike will include trivia questions and the chance to win a prize. Participants must register in advance.   

On Jan. 9 from noon to 2 p.m., dogs can join in on hiking fun with a Hound Hike. The hike will begin in front of Memorial Union. There, participants and their dogs will check-in, collect a free bandana and have a free, professional photo opportunity. Guests can choose between a route up State Street to Lisa Link Peace Park or a scenic route around campus.

At Peace Park, the Madison’s Central Business Improvement District (BID) will provide a giveaway and host an Instagram wall near the recently painted Downtown Visitor Center at 452 State Street adjacent to Peace Park. The organization has partnered with OhYa Studio to have a backdrop with cutouts for a photo opportunity. Those who take a photo using the cutouts will receive a prize and will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift card for shopping in downtown Madison. This event is presented by the Wisconsin Union and made possible with support from Madison’s Central BID. Guests must pre-register to participate here.

People can also enjoy the outdoors through the Union’s Winter Scavenger Hunt, which will take place Jan. 16-Feb. 14 around Memorial Union and East Campus Mall. Participants can complete the scavenger hunt, which includes 15 questions, any time between Jan. 16 and Feb. 14. Those who answer all 15 questions will have a chance to win Wisconsin Union gift cards ranging in value from $5-$25. The drawing will take place Feb. 15. Guests can learn more about how to participate here.

The Union’s Take-To-Make Snowman Project Kit will allow participants to build a snowman in the comfort of their own homes. To take part, people can register to pick up a snowman luminary or snowman letter writing kit. Pick-up will occur at the North Park Street turnaround by the doors to Memorial Union on Jan. 23 between 1-3 p.m.

“We created Winter Wonderland to help people feel connected and to help them enjoy outdoor recreation opportunities safely,” said Heidi Lang, Wisconsin Union assistant director for program and leadership development. “We also want to be of service to our amazing community.”

The Union team encourages participants to share their Winter Wonderland experiences with the team by tagging the Wisconsin Union on social media and by using the hashtag #WIUnionWonderland.

All members of the community, including UW-Madison staff, faculty and students as well as Wisconsin Union members and guests are invited to experience Winter Wonderland.

Masks are required at all events. Guests must practice physical distancing whenever possible during Winter Wonderland. The Union team greatly appreciates participants’ help in creating safe, enjoyable experiences.

The Wisconsin Union team still aims to hold its annual outdoor recreation event series, called Winter Carnival, later in 2021, but continues to monitor health and safety guidelines and their impact on events’ feasibility. The team will make details about this historic tradition, which has been held since 1940, available in the near future.

For more information about Winter Wonderland, visit union.wisc.edu/winter-wonderland. 

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About the Wisconsin Union

The Wisconsin Union enhances the lives of members and visitors through recreational, cultural, educational and social opportunities. Formed in 1907, the Wisconsin Union is a membership organization that blends study and leisure to create unique out-of-classroom opportunities. Learn more about the Union and its tradition of providing experiences for a lifetime: union.wisc.edu.

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/winter-wonderland.

NGL corporate and employee gifts total $140,000 for United Way of Dane County

National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is pleased to announce that its corporate gift combined with employees’ personal pledges and donations totaled $140,000 to support United Way of Dane County in 2020.

“United Way of Dane County is an integral member of our community and an organization NGL is proud to support. Through its strategic partnerships and collaborative efforts, United Way is connecting people to valuable resources, which strengthens our community and leads to better outcomes for everyone,” said Knut Olson, NGL President & CEO.

For more than 70 years NGL has proudly partnered with and supported United Way of Dane County. Funding to United Way of Dane County is focused on the areas of education, income and health with the goals to help build a community where everyone can succeed in school, work and life.

In addition to NGL’s corporate donation of $70,000 and employee payroll deductions, employees generously donate through fundraising events. Each year, the NGL employee campaign incorporates a variety of activities to donate to and participate in. This year we had to create virtual employee fundraisers, including bingo, paint night, trivia nights, blind auction and a fitness challenge.

“This has been a challenging and unpredictable year for everyone. It is so inspiring to witness our team members come together, virtually, to give back and make a difference in our communities. Each person who donated, volunteered and participated in the activities we offered helped to make our campaign so successful. I’m honored to work with compassionate people who treat others with care and kindness, especially during these difficult times,” said Jessica Grann, NGL Vice President, Chief Culture and Communications Officer. “I would also like to extend our deep appreciation to United Way for helping us organize and coordinate our annual campaign. Their ideas and guidance made it easy for us to transition to a virtual campaign.”

About United Way of Dane County

United Way of Dane County engages the community, mobilizes volunteers and strengthens local nonprofits to achieve measurable results and change lives. To learn more, visit UnitedWayDaneCounty.org.

About NGL

Established in 1909 National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is an insurance company headquartered in Madison, Wis. Licensed to do business in 49 states and the District of Columbia, NGL markets preneed and individual life and annuities, as well as group markets products. Information about NGL can be found at www.nglic.com; Facebook: Facebook.com/NGLIC and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-guardian-life-insurance-company.

National Guardian Life Insurance Company is not affiliated with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America a/k/a The Guardian or Guardian Life.

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Kraus-Anderson’s Scheels store wins two awards for outstanding projects in retail real estate and development

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (December 2020) – Scheels retail sporting goods store has been recognized with two STARR Awards for outstanding projects in retail real estate and development from the Minnesota Shopping Center Association (MSCA).

The 250,000-square-foot located at the Eden Prairie Center in Eden Prairie, Minn. was honored in two categories: New Retail Construction over 20,000 square feet; and Retail Redevelopment over 10,000 square feet.

Built by the Madison office of Kraus-Anderson and designed by R.L. Engebretson Architecture, the $58 million store consists of two main stories of retail space with a 16,000-gallon saltwater aquarium, 45-foot-tall Ferris Wheel, wildlife taxidermy mountain, as well as a restaurant, candy shop and offices.

The new store also features a world-class golf shop, bike shop, ski shop, canoe and kayak shop, fishing shop, and gun and hunting shops. Ginna’s Café and Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory will serve gourmet soups and sandwiches, coffee and specialty drinks, and 24 flavors of homemade fudge.

About Kraus-Anderson

Established in 1897, Kraus-Anderson® Construction Company (www.krausanderson.com) is one of the nation’s premier commercial general contractors and construction managers. Kraus-Anderson, an Affirmative Action, Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, is headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and has regional offices in Madison, Wis., Bismarck, N.D., and Duluth, Bemidji and Rochester Minn.

DeWitt Elects Scherer to its Executive Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 28, 2020

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Michelle M. Friedman
mmf@dewittllp.com / 262-754-2877

DeWitt Elects Scherer to its Executive Committee

MADISON | MILWAUKEE | MINNEAPOLIS – DeWitt LLP announced it has elected Christopher M. Scherer to its Executive Committee effective January 1, 2021.  The role of DeWitt’s Executive Committee is to oversee and hold accountable the firm’s management team, including the President and Managing Partner.   This includes providing feedback and opinions about the management team’s sustainability and growth strategies, operational plans, budgets, financial performance, and risk assessments. 

About Scherer

Scherer, who joined DeWitt in 2016, is the Co-Chair of DeWitt’s IP Group. His domestic and international practice involves all facets of IP law, especially patent and trademark prosecution. In particular, he is skilled in electrical and electronic circuits and systems, computer software, medical devices, medical patient monitoring and treatment technology, device fabrication, optical devices and systems, and mechanical devices. Scherer also serves as In-House Corporate Counsel for a Kenosha-based manufacturing company.

His clients include universities, small and large corporations, privately held businesses, and foreign law firms. He is actively involved in the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) and serves on its International Standing Committee on the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).  He is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the IP and Technology Law Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin, and is a past President of the Wisconsin IP Law Association (WIPLA).  He is also a member of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA), and the American Bar Association (ABA). 

Scherer, who earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois – Chicago’s John Marshall Law School, and his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University, is a prolific speaker having given dozens of presentations to a variety of groups on the topic of IP law, and served as an adjunct professor in the Marquette University College of Engineering, where he created and taught an IP management course for graduate students. He has been recognized as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation and in the international IP publications IAM1000 and IP Stars.  He is admitted to practice in Wisconsin and Illinois.  Scherer is a resident of Muskego.

About DeWitt

DeWitt LLP was founded in 1903 and is one of the ten largest law firms based in Wisconsin, with an additional presence in Minnesota. It has nearly 140 attorneys practicing in Madison and Metropolitan Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a variety of legal areas and has the experience to service clients of all scopes and sizes. The firm is known for its work in several areas, including intellectual property, patents, trademarks and copyright law, construction litigation, corporate law, employment, environmental, employee benefits, estate planning, family business, family law, government relations, health care, litigation, real estate, and tax law.  More information is available at dewittllp.com.

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