Technology leader Teri Bruns joins WPS Board of Directors

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
DeAnne Boegli, Director of Communications
608-977-7343
anne.boegli@wpsic.com

Technology leader Teri Bruns joins WPS Board of Directors

MADISON, Wis.—Jan. 6, 2020—Teri L. Bruns has been elected to the Board of Directors for Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation, doing business as WPS Health Solutions.

Her information technology career spans more than 25 years, from programming and systems engineering to her current leadership role in developing cloud-based services and emerging technology partnerships.

As Vice President of Global Partner Solutions at VMware, Bruns leads a cross-functional team charged with scaling VMware’s technology platforms and leveraging partnerships with global system integrators, solution outsourcers, and technology and independent software partners.

Earlier in her career, she was in technology and sales leadership roles with EMC, CoreBTS, and Symantec.

A native of Pennsylvania, Bruns has lived in the Madison area since 1978. She majored in Business at Edgewood College in Madison and has served on the American Family Children’s Hospital Advisory Board.

Bruns is a mentor for women in the technology industry and was one of the recipients of In Business magazine’s Women of Industry awards in 2018.

Nationally over multiple years, Bruns has been on CRN magazine’s Women of the Channel list, which honors women based on their professional accomplishments, demonstrated expertise, and ongoing dedication to the IT channel.

About WPS Health Solutions

WPS Health Solutions is a nationally regarded government contractor and a leading Wisconsin not-for-profit health insurer. The WPS Health Insurance division offers affordable health plans and benefits administration. The WPS Government Health Administrators division administers Part A and B Medicare benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and the WPS Military and Veterans Health division serves millions more members who are active in the U.S. military, veterans and their families. In 2019, the international Ethisphere^® Institute named WPS one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies^® for the 10th straight year. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.

Sue Loken Named Chief Financial Officer of State Bank of Cross Plains

January 2, 2020, MADISON, Wisconsin — After an extensive search involving more than 140 candidates, State Bank of Cross Plains (SBCP) named Sue Loken its next Senior Vice President – Chief Financial Officer.

“My role is to be a strategic partner with the team and continue to help move the organization forward, especially through this time of transformation in community banking,” Loken explains. “Over the years, I’ve seen so many different situations and scenarios. I’ve developed the insight to identify opportunities and suggest solutions, as well as the capability to make those adjustments with confidence.”

Most recently, Loken served as Chief Risk Officer at Bank First in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Additional experience includes eight years as CFO and Risk Officer at Partnership Bank, nearly 10 years working with banks of various sizes at Wipfli, six years in the private sector as an accountant, and extensive expertise in risk mitigation.

“In light of our recent merger, we were looking for someone who could guide us through the regulatory standards and higher level of scrutiny that comes with surpassing the $1 billion threshold,” said SBCP President and CEO, Jim Tubbs. “Sue can provide the leadership we need to navigate this exciting period of growth.”

Loken’s breadth of experience in accounting, finance, and banking is part of what set her apart during the selection process. “Looking good on paper is only the first step,” Tubbs clarifies. “Sue is much more than her resume highlights. In addition to being a well-rounded banker, she is a personable leader with a genuine community banking attitude. Throughout the interview process, it became clear that Sue really mirrors our bank’s core culture and personality.”

Loken confirms that this career move will allow her to feed her passion for community involvement. In addition to her work at State Bank of Cross Plains, she is committed to helping others achieve their dreams, whether by developing leaders internally or supporting the local community.

“Giving back and supporting the community you live and work in is at the heart of community banking and is my passion. A good school district, for example, makes such a huge difference to an entire community,” she says about this topic near-and-dear to her heart. “It supports individual enrichment, improves local labor skillset and availability, and affects population growth and business development.”

Loken has been actively involved in the Cedarburg Education Foundation and the Greater Cedarburg Foundation, and plans to continue supporting education and the community overall in her new neighborhood upon moving to Dane County.

Loken officially started at State Bank of Cross Plains on Monday, December 16, 2019.

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State Bank of Cross Plains is known for our modern, progressive approach to supporting businesses and consumers by offering services more typical of larger financial institutions in an environment that values one-on-one personal relationships and community involvement. Thanks to our recent merger, State Bank of Cross Plains is a $1.3 billion institution, offering a full range of business and personal financial services including business, real estate, and consumer lending, as well as wealth management and financial advisory services. We now also provide Crop Insurance and Ag Lending Services. SBCP has 15 convenient locations in Dane, Rock, and Green Counties. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender.

For additional information, please visit sbcp.bank or contact Marketing Communications Manager Ian Folger at 608-826-3515. 

Starion Bank names Morgan president

Starion Bank has named Don Morgan president, with Craig Larson continuing in the roles of CEO and chairman of the board for the bank. As president, Morgan manages the day-to-day operations of the bank, while Larson focuses on the overall strategy and vision for Starion Bank.

Morgan, a certified public accountant, has been with Starion since 2012 when he joined the bank as vice president for credit administration. The next year he was promoted to chief credit officer. In 2014, he became a member of Starion’s Executive Committee which is responsible for initiating key actions within the organization, reviewing financial data and setting major project priorities.

“With Don’s exceptional finance background and commitment to serving our communities, I’m confident that under his leadership Starion will continue to be a strong organization committed to taking our employees, customers and communities farther,” said Larson. “Starion has been a family-owned bank for 50 years and we look forward to Don leading the team into the next 50.”

In this new role, Morgan will partner with and develop Starion’s high-performance leadership teams, focusing on all operational aspects of the bank and building relationships within the bank, with customers and all the communities Starion serves. He is based out of corporate headquarters in Bismarck, N.D.

“Starion Bank is filled with great people and is based on timeless values,” explained Morgan. “As we begin the next chapter in our story, we will be leaders in financial innovation while maintaining our ‘small town’ values of exceptional customer service, being a great place to work and supporting our communities.”

Morgan has extensive banking and leadership experience, which includes 18 years in the areas of credit administration, commercial lending, market president and internal auditing. A Wyoming native, he earned a bachelor’s degree in finance with an accounting minor from University of Wyoming and a master’s in accounting from the University of Phoenix. Morgan is active in the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, local 4H, and the Soil Conservation District. He has been a guest presenter for college business classes and was treasurer of the North Dakota Rodeo Association Finals Committee for seven years.

Just How Do You Wrap a Playground?

Please mark your calendar and plan to join us this Friday, Dec. 20, at The Playing Field early learning center, 3910 Mineral Point Road.

* Christmas Comes Early when “Attic Angels” bring their gift of a playground to children enrolled at The Playing Field early learning center in Madison

* Special Playground Equipment will serve emotional and developmental needs of children who have experienced trauma and other challenges such as autism

* Attic Angel Association’s “Angels” embraced a special fundraising project during their 130th birthday year in 2019 to honor their historic service to children

Click here for additional information about the day’s event schedule and additional background for this project.

Savant Capital Management CEO Named to Barron’s Advisor Hall of Fame

Brent Brodeski receives award for his commitment to excellence

Savant Capital Management, a nationally-recognized, fee-only wealth management firm headquartered in Rockford, IL, with locations in Madison and Park Falls, is pleased to announce that CEO Brent Brodeski is among an esteemed group of financial advisors to receive the Barron’s Advisor Hall of Fame award.

Barron’s, one of the world’s premier investing publications, established its Hall of Fame to shine a spotlight on the nation’s best financial advisors, with an eye toward raising standards in the finance industry. Each of the 145 Hall of Fame members, or one percent of all advisors in the industry, also have appeared in 10 or more of Barron’s annual Top 100 Advisor rankings.

Hall of Fame award recipients were selected based on a questionnaire of more than 100 questions about their practices, including assets under management and the revenue collected on those assets, industry designations possessed, regulatory records, length of time in the industry, charitable and philanthropic work, and more.

“I am humbled and honored to receive this recognition from Barron’s,” said Brodeski. “This award, however, goes out to the entire team at Savant. Every day we put our clients’ best interests first by working together as a team, helping to ensure our clients are served well, not only today, but for the rest of their lives.”

The entire list of Hall of Fame recipients can be viewed here. For more information about Savant Capital Management, visit savantcapital.com.

About Savant Capital Management

Savant Capital Management is a leading independent, nationally recognized, fee-only firm serving clients for 30 years with more than $6 billion in assets under management. As a trusted advisor, Savant Capital 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.

Savant Capital Management is a Registered Investment Advisor. Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. Savant’s marketing material and/or rankings or recognitions by Barron’s should not be construed by a client or prospective client as a guarantee that they will experience a certain level of results if Savant Capital Management is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services nor should it be construed as a current or past endorsement of Savant Capital Management by any of it clients. Recognitions published by Barron’s generally base their selections exclusively on information prepared and/or submitted by an employee of the firm. Savant did not pay a fee to participate.