Middleton Chamber of Commerce Searching for Next Executive Director

It’s a Wrap! Read(y) to Wear 2025 A Major Fundraising Success

Madison Reading Project’s recent Read(y) to Wear fundraiser, which supports local literacy, was the most successful one yet!

More than 420 attendees joined Madison Reading Project June 11 in celebrating an evening of Legends and Fairytales featuring 13 one-of-a-kind wearable paper fashions. Eleven design teams competed for the crown. And the winners are…

The top prize went to Phenomenal Woman, designed by Suzanne Sawyer. Her outfit was a collaboration between clothing brand Ashro and UMOJA Magazine of Madison.

Enchanted Forest, created by returning designer Laura Musecamp, came in second place, followed by ⁠Paper Dolls, designed by returning designer Pam Kilian.

“What an incredible evening,” exclaimed Stephanie Grenzer, community giving manager, Summit Credit Union. “From the moment you walked in, the energy was high, the venue was beautiful, the attendees were excited, and the designers and models did a phenomenal job. It was so great to see the community come together and support Madison Reading Project.”

Summit Credit Union was this year’s marquee sponsor, joining dozens of other local organizations supporting the annual event.

“We’ll soon announce the date for next year’s Read(y) to Wear, the state’s most memorable, one-of-a-kind fundraising event,” says Rowan Childs, Madison Reading Project founder/co-executive director. “The event continues to grow and bring in creatives from across the area to take the design challenge, and most importantly, funds raised will allow us to continue to provide another 130,000 free, high-quality books to kids and educators in the Dane County area in the coming year.”

Photos, below, by Crimson Sun Photography.

‘Stretched Thin’: A Brady Nichols Artist Talk/Demo

Carnelian Art Gallery has partnered with its downtown Madison neighbor and restaurant Lucille to bring you an unforgettable night of networking, creativity, and education about the process of relief printing and a local artist who fled a traumatic upbringing in favor of a better life.

From 5-8 p.m. on Thursday, July 24, you’ll be able to enjoy lovely refreshments from Lucille, as well as Carnelian Art Gallery’s collection of fine art.

The event is at the gallery, which is located at 221 King St. in Suite 102. Registration is required. There is no cost to attend the affair. You’ll be able to purchase food, beverages, and spirits, courtesy of Lucille.

Starting at 6 p.m., Madison artist and author Brady Nichols will deliver an artist talk regarding his book, “Stretched Thin,” which is a tale about his brother, as well as their respective comeuppances, which were violent. The brothers reflect on the different directions they took in their lives in the wake of profound turmoil.

“It was a very chaotic childhood where I was able to escape and go to college,” said Nichols. “He spent 18 years in prison.”

Nichols, in his talk, will also discuss six of his artworks that will be on display throughout the course of the event, as well as his years as a teacher and his artistic origin story.

He creates his pieces using a method called relief printing, a process where an image is created by cutting away parts of a surface and inking the raised areas, then transferring the ink to paper. Expect intricate, black and white images of birds, landscapes, and other things.

“I have been creating linoleum relief prints the last few years,” Nichols said. “Some of the pieces are illustrations related to my book, Stretched Thin; others are more investigative.

“I have always been invested in exploring such human conditions as isolation, using personal imagery, animals and natural structures as symbols. I enjoy weaving these things together in order to create a rich narrative.”

After the talk, which is set to last about 20 minutes, Nichols will do a live demonstration of the relief printing process, which is set to last until about 7-7:30 p.m. After the demonstration concludes, he will take questions from the audience.

Questions? Email marketing director, Emilie Heidemann, at carnelianartgallerymarketing@gmail.com.

Lake Ridge Bank announces changes to Board of Directors

Welcomes Tiffany Scheller, bids farewell to Krantz and Gannon

June 27, 2025 (MADISON, Wis.) – Lake Ridge Bank and its holding company, Lake Ridge Bancorp Inc., welcome Tiffany Scheller to the Board of Directors for each organization, effective May 29. Her appointment efficiently rounds out the expertise and leadership on the Boards after the retirement of two long-time Directors, Ron Krantz and Tom Gannon.

Scheller is Vice President of Finance at Findorff, one of the leading construction companies in the Midwest as they build more than $800 million in projects annually. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Georgia State University and has completed additional programs at Leadership Buckhead and The Leader’s Lyceum, both aimed at developing executive leadership skills and vision. She brings more than 25 years of trusted leadership experience in finance and accounting, along with extensive knowledge regarding real estate and construction.

“We are excited to add Tiffany to our team of experts on the Board of Directors guiding our bank into the future,” says Lake Ridge Bank CEO Jim Tubbs. “This is a time of great opportunity in the financial marketplace for Lake Ridge Bank, and I’m confident that Tiffany’s leadership experience and reputation for improving processes, creating efficiencies, and effectively communicating and explaining complex financial topics will make her a valuable contributor to our bank’s success.”

Scheller joins the Boards as two long-standing Directors announce their retirement from service.

Ron Krantz was a founding Board member of Middleton Community Bank before it was acquired by Monona Bank and eventually became part of Lake Ridge Bank. As owner of meat wholesaler UW Provisions, Inc., Krantz has been actively involved in the Middleton business community and the Dane County region for more than 50 years, dedicating his service to growing a vibrant place for families to enjoy.

Tom Gannon has helped guide the direction of the bank for nearly 35 years, first as part of Monona Bank’s Board of Directors and continuing as a Director for Lake Ridge Bancorp Inc.  Gannon is the owner and President of Gannon Construction Company, as well as owner of Gannon Company—Realtor, both headquartered in McFarland. As a graduate of the University of Wisconsin with degrees in civil engineering and construction administration, he brought a valuable mix of technical expertise and entrepreneurship to Board discussions.

“We have been fortunate to benefit from decades of exceptional leadership by both Ron Krantz and Tom Gannon,” Tubbs shares. “We especially appreciate their continuity of service throughout the merger and their legacy knowledge of both institutions to ensure the ongoing success of Lake Ridge Bank. We can’t thank them enough for their visionary mentorship over the years.”

For more information about Lake Ridge Bank and its Board of Directors, visit lakeridge.bank/about-us.

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Lake Ridge Bank’s mission is to “build prosperous communities, one relationship at a time.” For more than 100 years, this has meant getting to know each of our clients to offer personalized services to meet their specific financial goals. Lake Ridge Bank offers a full line of financial products and services. We focus on offering products and services to make your banking easy. Our business banking and mortgage lenders are trusted leaders in their field with the expertise to provide the right loan at the best rate possible for our clients. As a community bank, we are dedicated to reinvesting in, and making our communities great places to live, work and raise a family. Visit lakeridge.bank to learn more about how we can help you.

Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender

Lake Ridge Bank. Go Far. Go Together!

Dupaco’s 21-day Sprint to Savings Challenge wraps-up with big wins and bigger habits

Dubuque, Iowa — Over the course of 21 days, participants in Dupaco Credit Union’s Sprint-to-Savings challenge took meaningful steps toward improving their financial well-being. The challenge, which ran from June 2 to June 22, encouraged individuals to build stronger savings habits through small, consistent actions—and the results speak for themselves!   

Sprinters engaged in a variety of hands-on activities, including creating budgets, tracking spending, identifying and plugging leaks and taking part in “No-Spend Saturdays”. These simple, yet powerful strategies helped participants move closer to the financial goals that matter most to them. 

The randomly selected winners of the challenge’s weekly and grand-prize drawings are:

• Week 1-$50 Winner: Kellie Cook
• Week 2-$50 Winner: Jessica Ambrosy
• Week 3-$50 Winner: Mika McCool
• Grand Prize-$500 Winner: Lisa Klees

Participants set a wide range of savings goals—from vacations and emergency funds to paying off debt, college expenses, weddings, new vehicles and even a headstone. Along the way, they discovered meaningful ways to cut costs and rethink spending.

When asked what change made the biggest impact, many cited meal planning and sticking to a grocery list as key strategies. Others became more mindful of impulse purchases, using tactics like leaving items in online shopping carts for a few days before deciding to buy. One participant shared that by reviewing their subscriptions, they’ll save $720 over the rest of the year!

A fan favorite was thoughtful participation in the No-Spend Saturday challenge, which many participants found both fun and transformative. One sprinter said, “I really enjoyed implementing a No-Spend Saturday. Weekends are usually when we tend to spend the most, so turning it into a fun family challenge to avoid spending was both rewarding and effective!” 

Another sprinter who implemented No-Spend Saturday commented, “Weekends are when I do most of my shopping. I followed it (No-Spend Saturday)! I made a picnic as my way of getting out of the house, cleaned the house that night instead of going out. Cooked a nice home-cooked meal out of what I had in the cupboard instead of doing my weekly out-to-eat day! It definitely changed the pace of my normal schedule.”

“Over the last three weeks, sprinters showed up, took action and made meaningful progress towards their savings goal,” said Tara McDermott, Senior Marketing Communication Specialist at Dupaco. “Our sprinters should celebrate their success. Building your savings takes dedication. We all need those reminders that building your savings is a marathon, not a sprint. The participants of this challenge are off to a strong start to keep their savings momentum going.”

For more information about the challenge, visit dupaco.com/sprint-to-savings-challenge.

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ABOUT DUPACO COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION 

Dupaco Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. It is dedicated to the financial well-being of its members, and specializes in personalized financial counseling, money advice and education. It offers savings, loans, investments, insurance and wealth management products for individuals and businesses. Dupaco serves residents in 118 counties throughout Iowa, northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. Founded in 1948 by ten Dubuque Packing Company employees, membership has grown to more than 174,000 with assets exceeding $3.6 billion. It has over 600 employees and 23 branch office locations. It is a Forbes Best-in-State Credit Union, Forbes America’s Best Small Employer, and a Des Moines Register Top Workplace. Learn more at www.dupaco.com.