Summit Credit Union Members Earn a Cash Boomerang

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 4, 2024

Media Contact:
Mary Fanning-Penny
Vice President Communications
(608) 243-5000 ext. 9662
publicrelations@summitcreditunion.com    

Summit Credit Union Members Earn a Cash Boomerang

Madison, Wisc. – Summit Credit Union, a member-owned financial cooperative, announced its member give-back called Cash Boomerang, of $2.5 million to its members. The giveback is based on the cooperative’s financial success and on members’ use of Summit’s checking, savings and borrowing services, as well as their length of membership.

Through this patronage dividend program, Summit will provide a cash payout to 77,311 members. Now in its 11th year, Cash Boomerang has paid out $24.8 million to qualified members.

“Our success is our members’ success,” said Kim Sponem, Summit Credit Union CEO and President. “The more business our members do with us, the better we do as their financial cooperative and the more our members get back in a Cash Boomerang.”

Sponem shared that the timing of the payout prior to the holiday season is intentional. “Members may opt to do something fun and festive with their Cash Boomerang or it may give them a bit of cushion to relieve some financial stress this time of year.”

Qualifying members can redeem their cash payout via online or mobile banking, and deposit it into any Summit account they choose. Cash Boomerang payouts not claimed are deposited into members’ accounts in early December.  

For more information about Cash Boomerang, visit SummitCreditUnion.com/CashBoomerang or call 608-243-5000 or 800-236-5560. 

About Summit Credit Union 

Established in 1935, Summit Credit Union is a member-owned financial cooperative. Summit holds $7.4 billion in assets and has more than 263,700 members and 921 employees across 60 locations throughout Wisconsin. Since 2002, Kim Sponem has been CEO & President of Summit Credit Union, formerly known as CUNA Credit Union/Great Wisconsin Credit Union.

In 2024, Summit was recognized for continued excellence in employee engagement as a Top Workplace USA by USA Today for the fourth consecutive year and a Top Workplace in the Madison area by the Wisconsin State Journal the fifth year in a row. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel named Summit a Top Workplace in Milwaukee in both 2023 and 2024. Additionally, and representative of its focus on financial education, Summit received the Governor’s Financial Literacy Award in 2010, 2014, and 2016 and the Governor’s Financial Literacy Award – Legacy in 2019.

For additional media information, visit summitcreditunion.com/about-summit/press-room or follow Summit on Facebook and Instagram.

Pat LeMire Promoted to Director of Senior Living & Social Services Practice at M3 Insurance

Pat LeMire has recently been named co-director of senior living & social services practice at M3. As director, his primary role is to serve as a subject matter expert, strategist, and thought leader and report on trends and issues impacting the senior living & social services industry. He will continue to place insurance products and counsel clients on risk management strategies and insurance planning. Pat LeMire will work alongside Sara Kekula as a co-lead to support the client expansion within the senior living & social services sector. Additionally, he will continue to manage and grow his book of business.

Since joining M3 in 2006, LeMire has become a respected leader within the senior living & social services space, known for his comprehensive industry knowledge and commitment to his team. As an owner of assisted living facilities in Northern Wisconsin, he brings firsthand understanding of the challenges providers face, enabling him to deliver customized solutions for insuring high-exposure operations. LeMire continuously supports the growth and development of M3 service team members and fosters a culture of expertise and client dedication. In 2019, he was named a partner at M3 as a reflection of his ongoing influence and leadership in the organization.

LeMire is deeply committed to his community and holds several leadership roles. He serves as chairman of the board for Easterseals Wisconsin and actively contributes to their Fiscal/Personnel, Audit, and Governance Committees. Easterseals is one of Wisconsin’s oldest charitable organizations and supports nearly 10,000 children and adults with disabilities each year. LeMire also serves on the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Health Care Association and Wisconsin Center for Assisted Living and earned the Shooting Star Award in 2023 for partnership excellence. Additionally, he is passionate about volunteering with the American Legion Post 59 in Stoughton, Wisconsin.

M3 is thrilled to name Pat LeMire, a dedicated team member since 2006, as co-director of our senior living & social services practice. His extensive experience and commitment to the industry make him the ideal leader to drive continued growth.

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About M3

M3 is a top insurance broker and risk management firm in America. We’re leaders in the products we represent and the industries we serve. M3’s people are an extension of your team, providing world-class resources to help you manage risk, purchase insurance, and provide employee benefits. And our focus on community builds better places to live and work.

New Books for Kids this Holiday Season as Madison Reading Project Launches 5th Community Book Drive

November 1, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MORE INFORMATION:
Rowan Childs, Rowan@madisonreadingproject.com, (608) 347-7970
Emily Wills, Emily@madisonreadingproject.com, (608) 665-0055

New Books for Kids this Holiday Season as Madison Reading Project Launches 5th Community Book Drive

DANE COUNTY – For the fifth year in a row, Madison Reading Project is launching its annual Community Book Drive, promising to fill area children’s homes with new books this holiday season. 

The goal: Raise $110,000 and provide 20,000  new books before winter break to more than 12,000 children via Empty Stocking Club distributions, community partners, schools, and social workers. In addition to kicking off their fundraiser, the nonprofit is celebrating its 10th anniversary. This is the culmination of ten years of working and collaborating with hundreds of partners to bring literacy resources, engagement, and free books to children. 

Madison Reading Project staff and volunteers will place book collection bins and wish trees at public locations such as shopping malls and partner businesses.

Anyone can sign up to donate a new book online via a curated book wish list or at local bookstores. Cash donations are greatly appreciated and can be made online or by check.

“We believe it is important for children to have access to new books that reflect their unique identities as well as open their eyes to others’ lived experiences,” says Rowan Childs, co-executive director. “By supporting our Community Book Drive, you will help get thousands of new, high-quality books to kids, many of whom have few books in their homes. Children deserve that new book feeling, and books in the home are very important.”

Madison Reading Project is again partnering with schools across the county, Santas Without Chimneys, Boys & Girls Club, Reach Dane, and other community program partners to widen its reach. 

You can help by donating funds or buying books from local bookstores, such as Lake City Books, Mystery To Me, Leopold’s Books Bar Caffe, Kismet, or Books 4 School. The book lists make it easy to pick a book at any price point: www.madisonreadingproject.com/2024communitybookdrive

A business, book club, friend group, or neighborhood can organize a book drive or fundraiser to help reach the greater goal.  

“We want to shine a light on our amazing community and encourage people to not only help us collect books bought locally but also support local businesses when they visit our wish trees and bins,” says Emily Wills, development director. “To make it convenient, you can purchase from our wish list via our website or local bookstores.”

Madison Reading Project’s book drive partners with the Wisconsin State Journal’s annual Empty Stocking Club holiday toy distribution event. Open to all families regardless of their financial situation, the December giving event gives every child a new high-quality toy and a book. 

For public donation locations, link to make a cash contribution, and complete information, visit www.madisonreadingproject.com/communitybookdrive

The drive ends Dec. 6 to ensure books get to kids on time. The fundraiser is open until the end of the year. 

Madison Reading Project is a nonprofit organization that aims to connect our community with free books and literacy enrichment programs that ignite a love for reading. 

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Hilton Madison: Start Planning Your Holiday Party

The holidays are fast approaching and your colleagues will be asking you about a holiday party! Let us help you start planning for your holiday party now. We have many dates available for parties of 100 people or less, along with hotel rooms. You can create a room block to give your employees a safe way to end the evening or impress your out of town VIPs with a night on the town.

You can find our holiday menu here and more information about the spaces here.

We’re offering half off room rental when our chamber partners books with us!

Contact: Ada Hays at adahays@hiltonmadison.com or 608-260-2382

Boardman Clark Attorney Dan Gartzke Elected President-Elect of the State Bar of Wisconsin

Boardman Clark Attorney Dan Gartzke has been elected president-elect of the State Bar of Wisconsin.

The State Bar of Wisconsin is a professional association of attorneys that provides its 25,000 members with educational, career development, and other services. It also provides services to the public, including attorney referrals, public education, and reduced-fee legal assistance for low-income state residents.

Dan will serve as president-elect until July 1, 2025, when he will begin his one-year term as president. As president of the State Bar, Dan will assist in overseeing the policy-making, operations, and strategic planning of the association. One of Dan’s main goals as president will be to focus on attorney mentoring to aid the next generation of lawyers in improving their professional skills and civility both in and out of the courtroom.

In his 38 years as an attorney, Dan has practiced in both cities and small towns and has experience in a variety of legal fields, including criminal defense, worker’s compensation, and personal injury. His practice has spanned Wisconsin, and he has appeared in over a third of the state’s 72 counties. Since joining Boardman Clark in 2016, Dan has focused his practice on family law. He works on various matters like divorce, child custody, and property division. Dan has served his local legal communities in leadership roles as the Dane County Bar Association’s president from 2009-2010 and Green County Bar president in 2001, and is a Life Fellow with the Wisconsin Law Foundation.

Outside of his practice, Dan is active in his communities. Among other things, he’s the Bayview Foundation’s legal advisor, a member of Green County’s Forestry Education Center, treasurer of the Green’s Prairie Cemetery Association, and coached the New Glarus High School Mock Trial team for nearly 20 years. He and his wife Tracey Schwalbe have three adult children, and they live on their 15-acre farmette in rural New Glarus where they enjoy prairie restoration, sheepherding and woodlot management.

Boardman Clark Attorney Michelle Behnke, who previously served as the president of the State Bar of Wisconsin from 2004-2005, was also named president-elect of the American Bar Association earlier this year.

Boardman Clark is one of Madison’s largest and longest-standing law firms. The firm serves individuals, businesses, school districts, and local governments. Its areas of service include litigation, franchise and dealership law, business law, taxation, estate planning and probate, intellectual property, family law, municipal law, banking, labor and employment, land use, elder services, real estate, and school law.