DeWitt’s Wisconsin Super Lawyers & Rising Stars Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                     
November 15, 2019        

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

DEWITT’S WISCONSIN SUPER LAWYERS & RISING STARS ANNOUNCED

MADISON | MILWAUKEE | MINNEAPOLIS – DeWitt LLP announced today 11 of its attorneys were named by Wisconsin Super Lawyers® as top attorneys in Wisconsin for 2019. Additionally, 8 attorneys were recognized as Rising Stars®.

Attorneys selected for inclusion in 2019 Wisconsin Super Lawyers and Rising Stars are:

Super Lawyers:

• Shannon A. Allen – Business Litigation
• Jon P. Axelrod – Business Litigation
• Stephen A. DiTullio – Employment & Labor
• Eric A. Farnsworth – PI Plaintiff
• Douglas H. Frazer – Tax
• David J. Hase – Business Litigation
• Paul R. Hoefle – Business Litigation
• Ronald R. Ragatz – Insurance Coverage
• Joseph A. Ranney, III – Business Litigation
• Brian R. Smigelski – Business Litigation
• Michael W. Wilcox – Estate & Probate

Rising Stars:

• Matthew J. Hills – Business/Corporate
• Chase A. Horne – Civil Litigation – Defense
• Oliva M. Kelley – General Litigation
• Michael R. Kruse – Civil Litigation – Plaintiff
• Deborah H. Meiners – Business Litigation
• Scott M. Paler – Employment & Labor
• Brody C. Richter – Business/Corporate
• Barret V. Van Sicklen – Employment & Labor

The selections for Super Lawyers are made by the research team at Super Lawyers, which is a service of the Thomson Reuters legal division based in Eagan, Minnesota. Each year the team conducts a thorough selection process that includes a statewide survey of lawyers, independent evaluation of candidates by the attorney-led research staff, a peer review of candidates by practice area and a good-standing and disciplinary check.

The final list of Wisconsin Super Lawyers features the top five percent of attorneys in more than 60 practice areas. Lawyers featured on the Rising Stars list are selected based upon similar criteria as Super Lawyers; however, a candidate must either be under 40 years of age or in practice for 10 years or less, and a peer evaluation is not conducted.

About DeWitt

DeWitt LLP 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, civil rights litigation, construction litigation, corporate law, employment, environmental, employee benefits, estate planning, family law, government relations, health care, litigation, real estate, and tax law.  More information is available at dewittllp.com.

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Nolin Joins Alliance Board

Contact: Peggy Rynearson, Sr. Public Relations and Events Specialist

608.210.6658; prynearson@the-alliance.org, www.the-alliance.org/news-and-press

NOLIN JOINS ALLIANCE BOARD

MADISON, Wis. (November 13, 2019) ─ Jake Nolin, Director of Human Resources at Rice Lake Weighing Systems, has been appointed to The Alliance Board of Directors effective January 1, 2020.

Among his many duties at Rice Lake Weighing Systems, Jake is leading the charge to provide high-value health care at his company. He said, “Six years ago it became clear that the cost of fully insured health plans is unsustainable for our business, employees and their families. Since then, we have been able to offer better healthcare benefits at a lower cost.” Rice Lake Weighing Systems credits much of its success to its like-minded partners at The Alliance for access to contracted care, Alithias for healthcare pricing transparency and advocacy, and Neopath Health to run Cedar Ridge, a no-cost direct primary care Health Center for their members. Jake says, “once we had the basic tools in place, the most important part became educating and incentivizing our Take Control of Your Health Plan members to be smart healthcare consumers.”

Prior to joining Rice Lake Weighing Systems in 2011, Nolin held human resources leadership positions at Fortune Brands, Newell-Rubbermaid, and GKN. Jake was also a partner at Competitive Dynamics International and a Project Director at The Pacific Institute.

Jake graduated Magna Cum Laude from Northern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management. Jake earned an M.B.A. in Human Resource Management and a master’s degree in Business Law with honors from the University of Miami, Florida. Jake is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, a Master Trainer for Mission Directed Work Teams, and a Master Facilitator for Investment In Excellence and Thought Patterns for High Performance.

The Alliance board also includes:

• Richard Campbell, head of human resources, ABS Global, a division of Genus PLC
• Diana Clark, benefits manager, Promega Corporation, Madison, Wis.
• Wendy Culver, chief human resources officer, Mead & Hunt, Madison, Wis.
• Mick Gronewold, owner, Fehr Graham, Rockford, Ill.
• Lisa Henke, risk/benefits manager, County of Walworth, Elkhorn, Wis.
• Brad Olm, vice president of human resources, Gordon Flesch Company, Inc., Madison, Wis.
• Craig Parsons, president, Palmer Johnson Power Systems, Sun Prairie, Wis.
• Kyle Reading, president, Spuncast, Watertown, Wis.
• Larry Pribyl, chief financial officer, Trachte Building Systems, Sun Prairie, Wis.
• Shirley Reif, secretary-treasurer, Crest Foods Company, Inc., Ashton, Ill.

The Alliance Board of Directors works together with staff to set the direction for The Alliance. The Alliance is a not-for-profit cooperative that moves health care forward by controlling costs, improving quality, and engaging individuals in their health. Members include more than 250 self-funded employers, and multiemployer plans in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa.

To learn more about The Alliance Board, including biographies, visit: https://the-alliance.org/about-the-alliance/board-of-directors

Infosec thanks military scholarship winners for their service

MADISON, Wis., Nov. 11, 2019 – In recognition of Veteran’s Day and as thanks for their service, Infosec and CompTIA today announced the military and veteran recipients for the 2019 Infosec Scholarship Program. The program provides scholarships intended for cybersecurity students and aspiring information security professionals. 

“I’m humbled by the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active-duty military,” said Jack Koziol, Infosec CEO and founder. “Our military has been on the front lines of the war on cybercrime here and internationally. We are indebted to them for helping to keep us safe and secure. 

“Those still serving and others transitioning out of the military can build exceptional cybersecurity careers because of skills learned in the service. Problem-solving, teamwork, making fast and accurate decisions, and adaptability are all skills many organizations seek in security professionals,” Koziol added.

Each scholarship is valued at $13,000 and gives recipients the skills, credentials and experience needed to secure a professional-level, cybersecurity position. The scholarship winners are: 

Military and Veteran Scholarship Recipients

• Alex Hardy — Madison (U.S. Army Reserves)
• Gary Henderson — Bowie, Maryland (Army)
• Jennifer Pack — Spotsylvania, Virginia (Army)

Nine women, minority and undergraduate cybersecurity Infosec scholarship recipients were recognized Sept. 30, 2019.

The scholarship recipients receive three award-winning cybersecurity training courses and certification vouchers thanks to a partnership with CompTIA, the world’s leading provider of IT certifications.

• CompTIA Network+ Flex Pro boot camp plus voucher
• CompTIA Security+ Flex Pro boot camp plus voucher
• Specialization course (student’s choice of online courses)

Security certifications like CompTIA’s Security+ and CompTIA’s Network+ are common requirements for many information-security roles. The Infosec 2019 Scholarship Program aims to bring awareness to workforce diversity challenges, while proactively working to reduce the number of open jobs in the cybersecurity industry.

The cybersecurity skills shortage is a growing crisis facing organizations. From September 2017 through August 2018 employers across the United States posted job openings for more than 313,000 cybersecurity-related positions, according to CyberSeek, a free resource on the nation’s cybersecurity workforce, job market and career opportunities.

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About InfoSec Institute

Infosec has been fighting cybercrime since 2004. Thousands of organizations and over 2.68 million learners trust the wide range of security-specific classes and enterprise security awareness and phishing training to stay a step ahead of the bad guys. Infosec IQ, Infosec Flex and Infosec Skills provide the most advanced and comprehensive education and training platforms. In 2019, Infosec was named a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Security Awareness Computer-Based Training. Founded by CEO Jack Koziol, Infosec is based in Madison, with offices in Chicago and Dulles, Virginia. infosecinstitute.com

About CompTIA

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the more than 50 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world’s economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. To learn more visit comptia.org

Contact:

Jeff McCollum

Infosec Media & PR Manager

608.509.9804

309.824.6387 mobile

jeff.mccollum@infosecinstitute.com

Beth Dettman Joins M3 Insurance as Chief Financial Officer

Stacy Paré, Marketing Communications Specialist, M3 Insurance
608.288.2779, stacy.pare@m3ins.com

Madison, WI – Beth Dettman has joined M3 Insurance as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and a member of M3’s Executive Operating Committee.  In this role, Beth is responsible for developing initiatives to achieve strategic organizational plans with an emphasis in areas of finance, tax, mergers & acquisitions, and stakeholder alignment. She is committed to fostering key client, community, and professional services relationships on behalf of M3.

Beth has extensive experience in senior management and strategic visioning. Prior to joining M3, she served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Madison Investment Advisors, based in Madison, WI, leading operations, information technology, and cyber security as well as equity and compensation incentive programs. She was with the firm for 23 years, serving as CFO prior to transitioning to COO in 2018.  Beth is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a BA in Accounting from Valparaiso University.

“M3’s vibrant history, culture, and community involvement resonate with me professionally and personally,” Beth said. “I look forward to actively participating in the agency’s vision for exemplary client experiences, company growth, and making an impact on our communities.”

M3’s president and CEO, Mike Victorson said, “Beth’s experience, smarts, personality and culture fit make her the ideal person to step into this role. She will be integral to M3’s growth and ability to be a top private and independent agency in the country.”

Beth is an active member of the Madison CFO Roundtable, Middleton Outreach Ministries Resource Development Committee, Food Fight Inc. Board, and Madison Symphony Orchestra Foundation Board. She is a member of the United Way of Dane County’s Women United and Key Club and enjoys volunteering at her church.

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About M3

M3 is the largest insurance broker and risk management firm in the state of Wisconsin. As a top 50 broker in America, we’re leaders in the products we represent and the industries we serve. M3’s people are an extension of your team, providing world-class resources to help you manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide employee benefits. And our focus on community builds better places to live and work.

Largest Ski Swap in Midwest to Take Place Dec. 7-8 in Madison

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

LARGEST SKI SWAP IN MIDWEST TO TAKE PLACE DEC. 7-8 IN MADISON

Hoofer Ski and Snowboard Resale will feature discounted new, used winter sports gear 

MADISON – The 56th Annual Hoofer Ski and Snowboard Resale will take place Dec. 7 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Dec. 8 from 8 a.m.-noon at Union South’s Varsity Hall and will feature local and national vendors with discounted new and used winter sports gear for the entire family. 

Resale customers can expect items to include downhill and cross-country skis, snowboards, winter recreation apparel, and more at significantly discounted prices for customers of all ages. Event organizers recommend that customers bring height, weight, and European and standard boot/shoe size information for all those for whom they will shop. 

Current vendors include the following: 

• Bliz Eyewear
• Expedition Supply, Inc.
• Extreme Ski and Bike
• Fitzharris Ski and Sport
• Focus Board Shop
• Fontana Sports
• Gear West
• Lakewood Ski and Sport
• Shepherd and Schaller Sporting
• Sol Alpine
• Wayne’s Ski and Cycle

“This is a unique experience in that we offer the largest ski swap event in the Midwest, with over 12,000 greatly discounted new and used products,” Hoofer Ski and Snowboard Club President Owen Tortora said. “Attendees are sure to find any equipment they desire, from top-of-the-line freestyle skis and snowboards, to goggles and jackets, to Nordic gear.”

The Hoofer Alpine and Nordic Ski Teams will also offer ski and snowboard waxing and sharpening at the Resale. Each waxing or sharpening service will cost $10 per snowboard or pair of skis. 

The Hoofer Ski and Snowboard Club also welcomes individuals to each bring up to 10 items for the Club to sell during the Resale. To participate, an individual can drop off up to 10 items with on-site salespeople, who can assist in pricing the items, if needed. For information about items that the Club can accept, visit hoofersns.org/resale. 

Proceeds from each sale will help fund the Club’s ski and snowboard teams as well as Club trips, including free ski trips with local non-profit groups, such as Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County. 

The Hoofer Ski and Snowboard Club hosts the resale, which has been an annual tradition for more than 50 years. The Club includes the Hoofer Alpine, Freestyle and Nordic Ski Teams. The Club is one of six outdoors clubs that make up the Wisconsin Hoofers, which has nearly 2,000 members, including students, staff, faculty and other community members. From sailing on Lake Mendota to climbing at Devil’s Lake, Hoofers welcomes people of all abilities to learn outdoor skills and enjoy outdoor activities. 

More information about the Resale is available at union.wisc.edu/events-and-activities/event-calendar/event/56th-annual-hoofer-ski-and-snowboard-resale. 

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About the Wisconsin Hoofers

The Wisconsin Hoofers is the largest student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with thousands of members comprised of students, faculty, staff and community members. Formed in 1919, the Hoofers have six clubs with members that love spending time together outdoors. Learn more about the Hoofers, including their excursions and their outdoor education opportunities: union.wisc.edu/wisconsin-hoofers. 

[Note to the editor: Click here to download a photo from a past Hoofer Ski and Snowboard Resale in Varsity Hall in Union South. Photo provided by the Wisconsin Union. Photo by Owen Desai.]

To read this release online, visit union.wisc.edu/about/news/sns-resale-2019.