March of Dimes Elects Four New Board Members

Release Date:  Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Contact:          Jodi Legge, (608) 729-7796, jlegge@marchofdimes.org

MARCH OF DIMES WELCOMES FOUR NEW BOARD MEMBERS
Michael Arbet, Mark Binkowski, Phil Hausmann and Jason Nordby bring business experience to March of Dimes

MADISON, WI – MARCH 1, 2017 — Four prominent business leaders – Michael Arbet, Milestone Investment Advisors; Mark Binkowski, Urban Land Interests; Phil Hausmann, Hausmann- Johnson Insurance; and Jason Nordby, M3 – have been recently elected to the March of Dimes Board of Directors. March of Dimes board members provide strategic direction, fundraising support and business expertise to the Western Wisconsin Market.

“Michael, Mark, Phil and Jason all bring March of Dimes various expertise to help us grow our Western Wisconsin Market,” said Damond Boatwright, Regional President of Hospital Operations – SSM Health – WI  – and March of Dimes Board Chair. “We have a big challenge in front of us – to continue our fundraising efforts so that all babies are given a fighting chance at birth. We’re thankful to have these business leaders’ help as we strive to give every baby a fair chance to be born full-term and healthy.”

Michael Arbet, Milestone Investment Advisors:

Michael Arbet comes to March of Dimes with a varied background. Raised on a dairy farm in Kenosha County, he did his BBA at UW Whitewater. He has been an investment professional since 1986 and completed his MBA at Marquette University in 2001. Formerly with Johnson Bank, Arbet’s business (Milestone Investment Advisors) is located in Middleton. Arbet enjoys international travel, having visited more than a dozen countries. He enjoys meeting new people and learning new things.  Arbet and his wife, Anne, a pediatrician, have two sons, ages four and five, and they currently reside in Sun Prairie. The Arbets are drawn to the March of Dimes for both personal and professional reasons.

Mark Binkowski, Urban Land Interests

As a Madison native, Mark Binkowski has witnessed firsthand the transformation of Madison from a sleepy college town into a thriving small city. After graduating from the University of Denver and working for Jones Lang LaSalle in Chicago, he ultimately decided to come back to Madison to play a role in the city’s makeover. As a Development Associate with Urban Land Interests, Binkowski is actively working on development projects to further enhance the Downtown he now calls home. From the conversion of a former office building into a bustling bar and restaurant known as Lucille, to the major redevelopment of the former Anchor Properties, Binkowski is committed to improving Madison. In joining the March of Dimes Board, he is excited to bring his business acumen to help grow the organization.

Phil Hausmann, Hausmann-Johnson Insurance

Phil Hausmann is Partner and Property and Casualty Consultant at Hausmann-Johnson Insurance (HJI). HJI is committed to the Madison community and focuses on providing high-quality client-tailored risk management services. Phil earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Commercial Real Estate from Marquette University. He recently married, and he and his wife, Ellie, reside in Madison. In joining the March of Dimes Board, Hausmann hopes to bring his strategic business expertise and commitment to helping others to continue to expand the impact March of Dimes has on our community

Jason Nordby, M3

Jason Nordby is a Partner and Director of Employee Benefits Captive Practice at M3 Insurance. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, and went on to earn a Master of Science degree in Health Care Management from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Nordby did provider contracting and management for United HealthCare in Milwaukee and North Central Health Protection Plan (NCHPP) in Wausau. After moving to Madison, he worked for the Employer Health Care Alliance Cooperative (The Alliance) before joining M3 in 2003. Nordby and his wife, Jody, live in Lake Mills with their two children. He came to the organization with a mission connection and wants to help the organization expand.

About March of Dimes

March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. For more than 75 years, moms and babies have benefited from March of Dimes research, education, vaccines, and breakthroughs.

For the latest resources and health information, visit our websites marchofdimes.org and nacersano.org. To participate in our annual fundraising event, visit marchforbabies.org. If you have been affected by prematurity or birth defects, visit our shareyourstory.org community to find comfort and support. For detailed national, state and local perinatal statistics, visit persistats.org. You can also find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter, and check out our new video at: http://bit.ly/2MarchofDimesBabyZoe.

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Second Harvest Expands to Provide More Healthy and Nutritious Food

Officials from Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin and American Family Insurance announced on February 9th the successful completion of the first phase of Second Harvest’s Food. Health. Hope. Campaign. This phase of the campaign included raising $2 million to pay for an expansion of its facility on Madison’s eastside, and completing the primary construction of the new expansion. As a result, Second Harvest is now able to:

• Store and distribute significantly more healthy and nutritious fresh and frozen food
• Process more food faster to decrease turnaround time
• Handle incoming and outgoing food more safely and efficiently through traffic flow reconfiguration and more shipping/receiving bays

“For many years Second Harvest has placed an emphasis on providing nutritious food to our neighbors in southwestern Wisconsin who are struggling to put food on their tables,” said Dan Stein, president & CEO of Second Harvest. “We knew we needed to make significant changes to our building to give us the ability to provide more fresh and frozen product. Thanks to many generous donors like American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation, Inc., we can now take advantage of opportunities we would have had to turn down previously because of space limitations.”

The first phase of the Food. Health. Hope. Campaign was privately funded by numerous organizations, foundations, and individuals, including a lead gift of $500,000 by American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation.

“We’re delighted to partner with Second Harvest Foodbank as it continues its work to end hunger in our Wisconsin communities, and to do so by providing more healthy, nutritious food to families in need,” said Bill Westrate, American Family Insurance chief operating officer and Second Harvest Food Bank of Southern Wisconsin board member. “We support the efforts of organizations like Second Harvest that provide vital services and support in the communities where we live, work and do business.”

The construction included adding freezer and cooler space, adding new shipping and receiving bays, increasing volunteer space used to process food, and relocating some office staff to a new facility. With the new addition and other reconfigurations, Second Harvest was able to increase their total capacity by 35% to approximately 1.7 million pounds of food.

In addition to celebrating the end of phase one of the project, Second Harvest is now hoping to raise $200,000 from the public to help keep the new space filled year-round. For every $1 raised they can provide three meals. To donate, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org/FHH.

About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin began working with local hunger-relief agencies in 1986. It helps end hunger in 16 southwestern Wisconsin counties through food distribution to its partner agencies, promotion of outside food assistance programs like FoodShare, and raising awareness of hunger. As southwestern Wisconsin’s largest hunger-relief charity it meets nearly one million requests for help each year. From July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016 Second Harvest, together with its partner agencies and programs, provided 13.7 million meals. It is one of 200 members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. For more information, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org.

About American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation, Inc.

This foundation builds on our already strong commitment and support for the communities we serve. With this foundation, our community giving has evolved into community investing – strategically aligning corporate goals with community investments and creating alliances with non-profits for mutual benefit. Community investing now aligns with the company’s mission/brand, where impact can be made, and meaningful results achieved. The American Family Insurance Dreams Foundation is intended as an effective and efficient funding mechanism for the company’s community investment and philanthropic strategy. It strengthens our ability to measure the results and impact of our investments for the greatest benefit.

Mullins Promoted to Interior Director at Strang

Strang, Inc. promoted Erica Ostendorf Mullins to the position of Director of Interior Design, Strang President & CEO Larry Barton announced.

“Erica has exemplified great leadership in her time at Strang, and met challenges with a combination of enthusiasm, creativity and dedication,” Barton said. “This is a well-deserved promotion.”

Erica has six years’ experience designing commercial offices, higher education and healthcare facilities. She is well-versed in interior planning, finish and furniture selection and procurement.

She has earned National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), and is a Wisconsin Registered Interior Designer (WRID). Erica earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interior Architecture from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point.

Park Bank Honored with Financial Literacy Award

Park Bank is honored to be one of 15 individuals, businesses and organizations to receive the 2016 Governor’s Financial Literacy Award. In a recent ceremony at the Wisconsin State Capitol, Governor Scott Walker applauded the winners for efforts to promote financial literacy in schools, the workplace, and in communities throughout the state.

“Personal financial literacy is a life-long skill that helps the citizens of Wisconsin achieve their dreams, expand their opportunities, and ensure financial security for themselves and their families,” Governor Walker said. “These recipients demonstrate strong commitment to strengthening financial literacy and have had a tremendous impact on their communities. Our sincere thanks for your efforts, and we look forward to seeing all you accomplish in the coming years to help move Wisconsin forward.”

“At Park Bank, we want to make sure that we are helping our youth and our community by providing a foundation for understanding financial literacy including how saving and spending money impacts their future. It’s about preparing people to make financially responsible decisions,” said Park Bank President/CEO James Hegenbarth. Valuable topics taught included taxes and insurance, financing higher education, credit and borrowing, savings, and investing in conjunction with the teacher and an online, interactive web-based program. In addition, Park Bank employees also donated their time to various organizations including Junior Achievement, serving as financial coaches for families at Habitat for Humanity, Teach Children to Save events, high school financial literacy projects, serving on the Wisconsin Banker’s Association’s Financial Literacy advisory board, and teaching financial literacy seminars at the Urban League, Black Woman’s Leadership Conference, and the Black Women’s Wellness Day.

The Gialamas Company Presents Sauk Trails Plaza II

The Gialamas Company is proud to announce a prominent addition on one of the few remaining large parcels in Old Sauk Trails Park. Sauk Trails Plaza II, a 160,000 square foot, five story building, located at 1255 Fourier Drive, will be completed in December 2017. Timelessly clad in stone and glass, the building will be located at the north entry into Old Sauk Trails Park and will be the sister building to Sauk Trails Plaza. 

George Gialamas, CEO and Founder of The Gialamas Company, says the project underscores his long held belief that, “Companies understand the importance of high quality space and service and the benefit this brings to their most important asset; their people. Developing commercial buildings with an emphasis on this concept has been the main mission of The Gialamas Company for the past 40 years. We are excited to be bringing a great company, NSI, back to Madison with this new development.”
 
As the major tenant in the building, NSI, a division of West Bend Mutual Insurance Company, is working with local design-build firm, Iconica, in designing their employee-focused office space.

“We love the ten foot ceiling heights and floor to ceiling windows planned for this office,” says Gary Klein, Vice President of NSI. “Our design will provide opportunities for collaboration as well as a variety of alternative work spaces.” NSI is looking forward to the state-of-the-art fitness facility and outdoor patio area with landscaping that will be designed to complement the beauty of the building, all of which helps attract and retain their growing employee base.    
   
Kevin Carey, of The Carey Group was selected by NSI to assist in the search for their new office space and they are thankful for his dedication to locating the perfect “partners” for the future. Recognizing their own values of customer service and cooperative teamwork, NSI selected The Gialamas Company and Iconica for development and construction.

“We began working with Iconica several months ago to clearly identify our space needs. When we began talking to The Gialamas Company, and found they’ve had a strong relationship with our chosen design-build team, it was a bonus,” Klein explains. “I can’t tell you how excited our associates are to have a property manager who understands that the relationship between tenant and property 
management goes beyond a contract, and is truly a partnership.”  

Sauk Trails Plaza II will offer the most advanced sustainable design amenities in the areas of energy, water efficiency and air quality. The HVAC technology will include a Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) system to create a comfortable and productive work environment for employees as well as significant energy savings. During construction, the on-site recycling and materials goal is to divert 80% of construction waste from landfill and to utilize as many finishes with recycled, rapidly renewable resources and regionally harvested materials.  

About The Gialamas Company: 

Founded by George and Candy Gialamas, The Gialamas Company, Inc. specializes in Class A Commercial Real Estate in Madison and the surrounding area. For forty years, we have brought our expertise in real estate development, brokerage, leasing and management to the City of Madison and State of Wisconsin. The Gialamas Company’s fully integrated in-house staff and 
maintenance team, combined with our distinct knowledge and experience, ensures the highest level of service in all facets of the company. For more information on The Gialamas Company, visit www.gialamas.com. 

About NSI: 

NSI, a division of West Bend Mutual Insurance Company in West Bend, Wisconsin, offers specialized insurance and safety programs for niche markets like childcare, social service organizations, and sports and leisure. NSI also is a standard market for construction and commercial bonds. Created in 1999, NSI is a top 100 employer in Dane County. Since 2010, West Bend has been named a “Best Place to Work in Insurance” by Business Insurance, placing in the top four companies in the large employee category. West Bend has also consistently been 
included on the Ward Group’s list of the 50 top-performing, U.S.-domiciled property/casualty insurers.   

About Iconica: 

Iconica is an integrated design build firm focused on innovative architectural and engineering solutions delivered by in-house construction managers. Iconica has been working with The Gialamas Company for over 30 years and is a leader in commercial office design and construction in Southern Wisconsin. For more information on Iconica, visit www.iconicacreates.com.  

For additional information, contact: 
Cathy O’Donnell, Vice President of Operations
The Gialamas Company, Inc.
8040 Excelsior Drive Madison, WI  53717
(608)-836-8000