Kaleth Wright, retired Air Force leader, joins WPS Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

Kaleth Wright, retired Air Force leader, joins WPS Board of Directors

MADISON, Wis.—Jan. 5, 2021—Kaleth O. Wright, a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force with extensive experience in human resources, project management, and leadership development, has been elected to the Board of Directors of Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation, doing business as WPS Health Solutions.

Wright currently is Chief Executive Officer of the Air Force Aid Society (AFAS), which is the official charity of the Air Force. AFAS provides emergency financial assistance, educational support, and community programs. He oversees an annual budget of $20 million and manages an endowment of more than $140 million.

Before retiring from the Air Force, Wright was the 18th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, serving as senior advisor to the Chief of Staff and Secretary of the Air Force on issues affecting more than 600,000 Total Force Airmen. Two of his highest priorities were Airmen resiliency and readiness. He enlisted in the Air Force in March 1989 and served in various dental roles early in his military career. His overseas deployments included Afghanistan, Germany, South Korea, and Japan.

Wright, who lives in Chantilly, Va., is a highly regarded executive coach and professional speaker, having delivered more than 200 keynote speeches around the globe. He has extensive experience in international leadership and development, including leadership programs for 17 partner nations. He also has experience in legislative affairs, working with Congress to enhance quality-of-life policies and programs for service members and their families.

Wright earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of Maryland (Global Campus) and a Master of Business of Administration degree from the University of Phoenix. He studied executive leadership at such distinguished programs as the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government’s Center for Public Leadership, Cornell University’s SC Johnson College of Business, Howard University’s School of Business, as well as the Center for Creative Leadership and the National Defense University.

“I look forward to my role on the WPS Board of Directors, especially because my experience looking out for the welfare of Airmen and their families intersects with WPS’ important work with the TRICARE program, serving military members, their families, and retirees,” Wright said.

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.

DeWitt Promotes J. Wesley Webendorfer to Partner

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 1, 2021

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

DeWitt Promotes J. Wesley Webendorfer to Partner

MADISON | MILWAUKEE | MINNEAPOLIS – DeWitt LLP today announced the promotion of attorney J. Wesley Webendorfer to Partner status.  Webendorfer joined the firm in 2013.

Webendorfer is a Partner in the environmental and government relations practice groups. His practice is dedicated to guiding manufacturers, developers and the food and agriculture industries through their interactions, negotiations, and disputes with the government to achieve successful outcomes. His practice has a particular emphasis on environmental remediation, local land use regulation and water issues.

At the state level, Webendorfer defends clients facing enforcement actions and litigates appeals for clients who receive adverse decisions from administrative agencies. Nationally, he works with manufacturers, landowners, the paper and pulp industry, and other businesses to enforce their rights under national environmental laws including CERCLA, RCRA, and the Clean Water Act.

Webendorfer earned his J.D., cum laude, from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Marquette University.   He is admitted to practice in Wisconsin and has been recognized as InBusiness Madison’s “Professional of the Week” (2019), as an “Up and Coming Lawyer” by the Wisconsin Law Journal (2018) and received a State Bar of Wisconsin Certificate of Commendation for Writing Excellence in its Wisconsin Lawyer publication (2017).

He is a resident of Madison, Wisconsin.

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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Friends of Governor Dodge State Park Receive Grant

MADISON – Friends of Governor Dodge State Park has been chosen to receive a $45,000 Recreational Trails Program (RTP) grant administered by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The funds will be used to develop an equestrian trail, camping facility, and other related amenities at the park.

Read press release here.

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.