Bank of Sun Prairie Awarded Best Financial Institution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 30, 2024

Contact: Jimmy Kauffman, President and CEO, Chairman of the Board of Directors
608.837.4511 ● jimmy.kauffman@bankofsunprairie.com
bankofsunprairie.com

Bank of Sun Prairie Awarded Best Financial Institution
Community Bank’s Assistant Vice President Pam Blattner Also Named Best Businesswoman

Sun Prairie, Wis.— Bank of Sun Prairie won Best Financial Institution and AVP Senior Branch Manager Pam Blattner won Best Businesswoman in the 2024 Best of Sun Prairie Awards, conducted by the Sun Prairie Star. Bank of Sun Prairie is the only financial institution headquartered in Sun Prairie and its dedication to its citizens, nonprofits, schools, businesses, and community organizations is unmatched. Last year, the bank’s employees volunteered 5,300 hours and the bank supported 100-plus organizations through sponsorships and contributions.

Best Businesswoman Blattner leads the bank’s financial education community efforts as its head Financial Fitness Center Course Instructor. Bank of Sun Prairie’s strong commitment to financial education is demonstrated through their Financial Fitness Center offering 52 digital courses and 17 financial literacy workshops tailored for community, schools, businesses, and nonprofits.

“Thank you for recognizing Bank of Sun Prairie as the 2024 Best Financial Institution. It is our honor to work in this amazing community. We will continue to deliver the right balance of compassion and innovation in all the communities we serve,” shared Jimmy Kauffman, Bank of Sun Prairie’s president and CEO. He continued, “It is also my privilege to celebrate Pam Blattner as Sun Prairie’s Best Businesswoman ‒ her dedication to Bank of Sun Prairie, our customers and to area organizations is remarkable, especially her work leading our financial education efforts and her service to the Sun Prairie Business and Education Partnership (BEP) and Friends of the Neighborhood Navigators. This recognition is well-deserved.”

Bank of Sun Prairie is a locally owned, full-service community bank with $748 million in assets with close to 100 employees at its five branch locations, its newest housed at Sun Prairie

West High School as financial literacy outlet. Its mission is to be trusted advisor for families, businesses, and communities offering a complete range of services, while delivering fair returns for stockholders. Member FDIC. Equal Opportunity Lender.

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Contractor Profile: Great Lakes Roofing Corp.

Chris Lampien, president of Great Lakes Roofing, discusses a culture of purpose with the company he loved enough to buy from its founder

When the carnival-like atmosphere of the Republican National Convention descended on Milwaukee last July, the novelty appealed to Chris Lampien, principal of Great Lakes Roofing, who considered heading downtown to experience the hubbub firsthand.

And why not? A major political party rarely comes to your proverbial backyard for its quadrennial nominating event. Still, judgment overruled curiosity in the end, offering insight into the 46-year-old Wisconsin native.

Read more at RoofingContractor.com

Wisconsin Union: Sunburst Sparkler Bursts Onto the Madison Beverage Scene with Natural Caffeine, Fruity Flavor, and a Mission to Make a Difference 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Aug. 29, 2024

Contact Information:
Shauna Breneman, Public Relations and Communications Officer
Email: sbreneman@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 262-8862

READ RELEASE ONLINE: union.wisc.edu/sunburstsparkler

SUNBURST SPARKLER BURSTS ONTO THE MADISON BEVERAGE SCENE WITH NATURAL CAFFEINE, FRUITY FLAVOR, AND A MISSION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE 

MADISON – A new beverage burst into coolers and cafes at nonprofit Wisconsin Union’s locations on campus at UW–Madison with the debut of Sunburst Sparkler, a fruity, caffeinated, sparkling water available in four flavors.

After months of development with Madison-based beverage producer Karben4, the Wisconsin Union and Karben4 teams released the following Sunburst Sparkler flavors: cherry and lime-flavored Cherry SubLime; mango, blood orange and vanilla cream-flavored Flamango Tango; pineapple and peach-flavored Poppin’ Peach Punch; and raspberry, blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry-flavored Berry Burst.

Customers can purchase a Sunburst Sparkler at all Wisconsin Union-run dining locations. The Sunburst Sparklers contain real fruit juice concentrates and tea-derived caffeine and have between 15 and 30 calories per can. The Sparklers contain no added sweeteners; the only sweetener is from the beverages’ fruit juice. Patrons can currently purchase each Sunburst Sparkler for $3.69.

“We created Sunburst Sparkler to give University of Wisconsin–Madison students and others an energy beverage option that is locally made and natural,” said Wisconsin Union Associate Director for Dining and Hospitality Services Carl Korz. “Our new Sunburst Sparklers are the latest in our continual efforts to create delicious experiences. We have prior experience creating beverages with Terrace Sparkling Lemonades that we launched in August 2023.”

Purchase of the Sunburst Sparklers, Terrace Lemonade, and Terrace Strawberry Lemonade help support the nonprofit Wisconsin Union’s work to create free and low-cost events, community gathering spaces, and student leadership opportunities, some of which provide academic stipends of up to 80% of student leaders’ in-state tuition.

The Wisconsin Union team ensured students played a role in multiple parts of the Sunburst Sparkler creation process, including the naming and product testing.

Wisconsin Union Graphic Designer Kay Sakiya created the Sunburst Sparkler labels and collaborated with fellow Wisconsin Union Graphic Designer Maximilian Homstad to customize the labels for each flavor.

Sakiya’s design was inspired by the fruit-forward flavors, and it features rays of sunshine representing the naturally derived energy in each drink and a trademarked sunburst image that represents the drinks’ Wisconsin Union beginnings.

The Union team launched its first beverages, called Terrace Lemonade and Terrace Strawberry Lemonade, in August 2023 in collaboration with Karben4, which was founded by a team that includes UW–Madison alumnus Zak Koga. Patrons can continue to purchase the lemonades as well as the new Sunburst Sparklers at Wisconsin Union dining locations.

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About the Wisconsin Union

The non-profit Wisconsin Union strives to enhance and support student leadership and community engagement, including through recreational, cultural, educational and social opportunities and by providing world-class support services, such as in event management. The Wisconsin Union includes student leadership opportunities available through the Wisconsin Union Directorate, the Center for Leadership and Involvement, the Wisconsin Singers, Fraternity and Sorority Life, and the Wisconsin Homecoming Committee; Memorial Union; Union South; various dining options throughout downtown Madison; UW Conference Centers; and the Fluno Center. Learn more about the Union and its tradition of providing experiences for a lifetime: union.wisc.edu.

About Karben4 Brewing

Founded in 2012, Karben4 (K4) was built to make great beverages while never taking itself too seriously. The team is committed to brewing high-quality, innovative beers and other drinks that push the boundaries of traditional brewing. Check K4 out online at karben4.com.

Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP): Applications for City of Madison’s new BizReady program now open

Applications are now open for a new opportunity for small business owners in the City of Madison looking to receive training, mentoring, and networking opportunities to help their businesses innovate and thrive.

The City of Madison is partnering with the Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) and AFF Research to launch the BizReady program – an extensive suite of resources and activities specifically designed to meet the wide-ranging needs of Madison’s aspiring entrepreneurs and business professionals.

This resource is free for local business owners and is being funded by $300,000 in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds that were already allocated to the City of Madison Economic Development Division’s Small Business Equity Recovery (SBER) program in July 2021.

The City of Madison Common Council approved the creation of the program last summer and approved the selection of MadREP as the City’s partner in the program earlier this year. City staff have been working with MadREP since then to design the program and get it ready for launch.

The BizReady program is being modeled after the successful MarketReady program that was created in 2017 and gave prospective Madison Public Market vendors training, technical assistance, and help in creating their business plans ahead of the opening of the Public Market opening.

Applications for the BizReady program open Monday, August 26, 2024 and close at 5:00pm on Friday, September 13, 2024. Interested business owners can apply online. Those with questions can contact AFF Research by sending an e-mail to aff@affresearch.com or by calling 920-844-5006.

Additional resources and opportunities for local business owners can be found on the Office of Business Resources’ website.

One Community Bank: Liz Deihs Promoted to EVP & Chief Experience Officer

August 16, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Ameilia Abraham
One Community Bank
608-838-3141
aabraham@onecommunity.bank

Liz Deihs Promoted to EVP & Chief Experience Officer

(August 2024) – One Community Bank is thrilled to announce the promotion of Liz Deihs to Executive Vice President & Chief Experience Officer. In this role, Liz will further enhance and elevate the client experience at OCB.

“Liz is an incredibly talented and driven banking professional. Since she joined us as a Teller through the school-to-career program in 2005, Liz has been focused on how we can better serve our clients. She has been instrumental in our journey of growth and evolution at One Community Bank. As Chief Experience Officer, Liz leads our Retail Banking, Client Contact Center, Digital Banking, and Treasury Management departments. We are excited to welcome Liz to our Executive Team with her promotion to Executive Vice President,” said Steve Peotter, President and CEO.

“One Community Bank has provided me with numerous opportunities for growth. I began as a teller and have steadily advanced, building valuable relationships throughout the way. I am excited for my expanded role within the organization allowing me to enhance our client experience and support colleagues,” stated Liz Deihs.

Liz is an Oregon, WI native and currently lives in Madison, WI. Liz recently finished her terms on several community boards including the One Community Bank Advisory Board. She also graduated from the Graduate School of Banking at UW-Madison in August of this year.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Liz finds joy in indulging her passions for golf, culinary exploration, traveling to tropical locations, and cherishing meaningful moments with her loved ones.

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One Community Bank is one of the largest community banks in south central Wisconsin. The locally owned bank has 16 bank locations and $2.1 billion in assets. It provides both personal and business banking solutions, with an intense focus on serving clients, supporting colleagues, and investing in its communities. Six years in a row named one of Madison’s best places to work, One Community Bank serves the communities of Oregon, McFarland, Cottage Grove, Waunakee, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Middleton, Adams, Oxford, Grand Marsh, Hillsboro, La Farge, Readstown, Wonewoc, and Union Center. Member FDIC.