Gregory Banks Grows Commercial Card Payment Solutions at Wisconsin Bank & Trust

Madison, Wisconsin, February 17, 2017 — Wisconsin Bank & Trust is pleased to announce Gregory Banks has joined the bank and its parent company in a role dedicated to Commercial Card Payment Solutions. As a Solutions Consultant, Banks is responsible for selling, growing, and maintaining business credit card relationships for the Wisconsin market. He partners with Wisconsin Bank & Trust’s commercial relationship managers and treasury managers to ensure that Wisconsin Bank & Trust’s commercial clients are able to take full advantage of the best Electronic Accounts Payable, Commercial Card, and Purchasing solutions available today.

“Greg has extensive experience managing merchant services and other business solutions for area banks,” said Craig Aderhold, Executive Vice President and Senior Commercial Banker for Wisconsin Bank & Trust. “His expertise in partnering with businesses and financial institutions and his knowledge of secure, efficient credit card transactions will be of tremendous value to our customers.”

Prior to joining Heartland, Banks was a senior business consultant for area banks with First Data in Madison.

Banks holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management. His community involvement has included working as volunteer project manager for the “Field of Dreams” and soccer program for at-risk youth for the Nehemiah Community Development Corporation. Banks also was formerly a volunteer with Big Brother Big Sister of Madison and as a mentor for Ascend Mentoring Positives at Middleton High School. He formerly served on Madison’s Commission for People with Disabilities.

Banks is based at Wisconsin Bank & Trust’s Main Banking Center at 119 Junction Road in Madison. He can be reached at (608) 203-1215 or gbanks@wisconsinbankandtrust.com.

Photo: Gregory Banks, Solutions Consultant, Wisconsin Bank & Trust

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About Wisconsin Bank & Trust
Wisconsin Bank & Trust (WBT) is a community bank with assets of more than $1 billion serving customers in the Madison, Milwaukee, Green Bay, Sheboygan, Monroe and southwest areas of Wisconsin. From 18 banking centers and a mortgage loan production office, WBT offers a wide range of commercial, personal and small business banking, wealth management, and mortgage lending services. The bank is a subsidiary of Heartland Financial USA, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTLF), which has assets of more than $8 billion. WBT is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and an Equal Housing Lender. Learn more at www.wisconsinbankandtrust.com.

About Heartland Financial USA, Inc.

Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is a diversified financial services company with assets exceeding $8 billion. The company provides banking, mortgage, private client, investment, insurance and consumer finance services to individuals and businesses. Heartland currently has 108 banking locations serving 85 communities in Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Colorado, Minnesota, Kansas, Missouri, Texas and California. Additional information about Heartland Financial USA, Inc. is available at www.htlf.com.

Overture’s National Geographic Live Continues with WWII Destroyed Spinosaurus

For immediate release: Thursday, February 16, 2017
Contact: Sarah Knab, 608.258.4438 / sknab@overture.org
Click here for photos.

Overture’s National Geographic Live Continues with WWII Destroyed Spinosaurus

The Exact Sciences sponsored series continues February 28 with paleontologist speaker who rediscovered the largest predatory dinosaur

Madison, Wis. –  Overture Center’s National Geographic Live series continues in the historic Capitol Theater on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, at 7:30 p.m. National Geographic emerging explorer Nizar Ibrahim, the first paleontologist to become a TED Fellow, will take the audience on a prehistoric journey through the story of Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceous.

With amazing video recreating the lost world of the Cretaceous-era Sahara, Ibrahim will tell the story of Spinosaurus’ discovery, loss, and rediscovery, and explain what—other than its size—makes this ancient predator unique.

Spinosaurus, the largest predatory dinosaur and first semiaquatic dinosaur was originally discovered more than half a century ago in the Egyptian Sahara by the German paleontologist Ernst Freiherr Stromervon Reichenbach. During the April 1944 Allied bombing of Munich, Germany, Stromer’s important fossil collection was completely destroyed. Fortunately, some of his notes, sketches and photos survived, along with his scientific publications. Inspired by Stromer’s work and legacy, Ibrahim began his own search for Spinosaurus, which led him to a site in the Moroccan Sahara where a partial skeleton of Spinosaurus was found in 2008. With funding from the National Geographic Society, Ibrahim worked with a team of paleontologists to analyze the new fossils and create a digital model of the skeleton using state-of-the-art technologies. The full skeletal model was featured in National Geographic magazine, on the National Geographic/NOVA special, “Bigger Than T. Rex,” and is currently serving as the centerpiece of a National Geographic traveling exhibition titled “Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceous.”

Tickets start at $35 and are on sale now:

• In person at the Overture Center Ticket Office (201 State Street)
• Online overture.org
• By phone at 608.258.4141
• Groups of ten or more eligible for discounts, email groups@overture.org or call 608.258.4159

Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceousis part Overture’s National Geographic Liveseries and is sponsored by Exact Sciences.

The remaining 2016/17 National Geographic Live series titles are:

Rhinos, Rickshaws & Revelutions: My Search for Truth | Tuesday, April 4, 2017 7:30 p.m.

Among Giants: Life With Whales | Tuesday, May 2, 2017 7:30 p.m.

Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies, and hundreds of local artists engage nearly half a million people in educational and artistic experiences each year. Overture.org

National Geographic Live is the live events division of the National Geographic. With a broad roster of talent including renowned photographers, scientists, authors, filmmakers and adventurers, National Geographic Live’s critically acclaimed programs have connected with audiences worldwide for over a century. Currently, National Geographic Live events are held in 32 cities around the world, including Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, Singapore, and Sydney. In each of these cities, speakers share behind-the-scenes stories from the front lines of exploration on stage alongside stunning imagery and gripping footage. Natgeolive.com

Exact Sciences Corp. is a molecular diagnostics company focused on the early detection and prevention of the deadliest forms of cancer. The company has exclusive intellectual property protecting its noninvasive, molecular screening technology for the detection of colorectal cancer. Cologuard, the company’s FDA-approved, multi-target stool-DNA based colorectal cancer screening test, is included in the colorectal cancer screening recommendations of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (2016) and the American Cancer Society (2014), and stool DNA is included in the combined screening guidelines of the American Cancer Society/U.S. Multi-Society Task Force/American College of Radiology (2008) and American College of Gastroenterology (2009). Exactsciences.com

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Kirsten Pedersen joins NGL as Vice President Actuary

The Board of Directors for National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL), a mutual insurance company located in Madison, Wis. with over 100 years in the industry, appointed Kirsten Pedersen, FSA, MAAA to the position of Vice President Actuary.

Pedersen is responsible for the product and business development area of Actuarial. This is a newly created position to support the growth of NGL.

“Kirsten comes to NGL with over 20 years of experience in financial services. She is a knowledgeable life insurance expert with a strong background and demonstrated achievements in meeting the evolving business and market needs,” said Tim Heaton, Senior Vice President Strategic Services at NGL. “Kirsten’s role at NGL aligns with our commitment for growth with our current and potential new product lines.”

Pedersen joins NGL from CUNA Mutual Group where she was Vice President, Compliance/Life Product Executive. Previously she worked at Penn Mutual Life and AIG. Besides managing product development and compliance, she held multiple senior leadership positions, including being responsible for operations and underwriting.

“I’m excited to join the team at NGL. I look forward to working with new and existing partners on the development and enhancement of our partnerships and products,” said Pedersen.

Pedersen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.

About NGL

Since 1910, National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL), a mutual insurance company, has been located in Madison, Wis. Licensed to do business in 49 states and the District of Columbia, NGL markets preneed and individual life and annuities, as well as group markets products including specialty and student insurance. Additional information about NGL can be found at www.nglic.com; Facebook: Facebook.com/NGLIC and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/national-guardian-life-insurance-company

National Guardian Life Insurance Company is not affiliated with The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America a/k/a The Guardian or Guardian Life.

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Overture Center Announces Call for Gallery Applicants for 2017/18 Season

For immediate release: Monday, February 13, 2017

Contact: Sarah Knab, Overture Center, 608.258.4438 / sknab@overture.org

Overture Center Announces Call for Gallery Applicants for 2017/18 Season
Four exhibition cycles will be selected for each Gallery I, II and III

Madison, Wis. – Overture Center for the Arts is now accepting applications for Gallery I, II, and III for the 2017/18 Season. Applications are being accepted online, and are due Wednesday, March 15, 2017. Guidelines can be found at: overture.org/galleries/overture-galleries/info-for-artists.

Overture Galleries I, II and III serve as entryways to the Capitol Theater. Gallery I is located on the first floor, Gallery II on the second floor and Gallery III on the third floor. Four exhibition cycles will be selected for each of the three galleries for the annual season. Each exhibit cycle lasts approximately three months. Applicants are encouraged to view the spaces prior to submitting an application. Artists may apply individually or as a group, and we also encourage curatorial proposals.

Individual applicants who are accepted will be curated into a two-person or group exhibition. Group applicants and curatorial proposals must include artwork by a minimum of two artists, the majority of whom reside in Dane County. Group and curated shows must also be organized with a strong conceptual and visual theme. Overture can give administrative support and guidance to individuals or groups who are interested in curating a show or organizing a group show.  Preference is given to artists who have not shown work in the Overture Galleries in the past two years. Artists who have recently exhibited in a large group show at Overture Galleries may re-apply as an individual or as a member of another group.

The Overture Gallery staff aims to support artists and organizations in the application and exhibition process with a simple application and no financial fee to apply.

Overture Galleries I, II and III selections are made by a committee of Dane County artists and art professionals. Overture aims to exhibit a full range of the cultural diversity of Dane County.

For more information and application instructions visit: http://www.overture.org/galleries/overture-galleries/info-for-artists

Online applications: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/3256194/overtureapplication

Support for Gallery I comes from Webcrafters-Frautschi Foundation and Arts Access, a component fund of the Madison Community Foundation; and Galleries II & III are funded by Arts Access and contributions to Overture.

Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin features seven state-of-the-art performance spaces and five galleries where national and international touring artists, ten resident companies and hundreds of local artists engage people in over half a million educational and artistic experiences each year. Overture.org

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SVA Welcomes New Talent Acquisition & Development Director

Sara Shoys has recently joined SVA has the firm’s new Talent Acquisition & Development Director.

This newly created position within SVA is responsible for leading talent acquisition, talent management, performance management, learning and development, and organization effectiveness programs firm-wide. Sara will assist team members with recruiting, onboarding into the organization, and career development.

Sara’s professional experience includes HR business partner support, team effectiveness and employee development, recruiting and retention, and manager onboarding and integration. She has supported HR activities for corporate acquisitions, providing support on day one and beyond to ensure seamless integration for new employees. She also has extensive in-person and virtual facilitation experience with small and large groups.

“We are extremely excited to have Sara join SVA in this new position,” stated Carl Schultz, President and CEO. “With her experience and expertise, we will be able to recruit and retain talented staff members, allowing our team to continue to deliver measurable results.”

About SVA

Since our inception in 1974, we have focused on developing long-standing business relationships.  As our clients’ businesses and personal interests have grown, we have increased our service offerings to meet their expanding needs.

Now over 40 years later, SVA and its affiliates are recognized leaders offering a wide range of professional services including audit and accounting, tax, business information technologies, wealth management, trust and estate administration services.

The cornerstone of SVA will always remain the same, providing service and value to help our clients achieve measurable results, while exceeding their expectations.  SVA is not only dedicated to the clients we serve, we are dedicated to the communities we serve, maintaining a long tradition of involvement and support.

SVA is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, employs over 300 staff, and has additional offices in Milwaukee and Appleton, Wisconsin and Rockford, Illinois.

www.sva.com