Category: Member News
Learn who’s growing, changing, moving and more! Stay on top of what’s new with your neighboring businesses. We share news releases and announcements from your peers in the Madison area. Want to toot your own horn? Use our Submit Member News form to share your own stories.
Photo by Richard Hurd
Kenn Peterson joins National Guardian Life as Vice President, Business and Lending Development
Madison, Wis. (June 21, 2023) – National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is pleased to welcome Kenn Peterson to the team as Vice President, Business and Lending Development. Peterson is a leader in the Preneed insurance industry with 36 years of experience helping Preneed companies grow their revenue. In this newly created position, he joins NGL’s leadership team and will be developing a consultative business model, establishing NGL’s lending program and assisting the sales team in achieving company objectives.
“We are thrilled to have Kenn join the team. NGL is dedicated to providing superior service to our partners and focused on continued growth in the industry. After 25 years in Preneed, we understand how to serve our partners and believe in evolving with them to meet their unique needs. Kenn’s new role strengthens our support to our partners and NGL’s commitment to the Preneed industry,” said Jeremy Ragsdale, Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer at NGL.
Peterson has held multiple leadership roles, including most recently Vice President, National Sales at Great Western Life Insurance Company, where he and his team helped the company achieve record revenue. Prior to that role he was Regional Director at Homesteaders Life Company for 18 years where he and his team helped the company achieve record growth and revenue.
“NGL is a financially strong company that is known for its commitment to providing a great customer experience and offering valuable products that benefit families. This is an exciting time to join NGL because it’s expanding and focused on the development of future collaborations with partners,” said Peterson. “I’m passionate about Preneed because it’s a solution that helps make the worst day of a family’s life a little easier. I’m honored to work with our partners to find ways that help share the benefits of preplanning. Knowing something that can help those you care about and figuring out the best way to tell them is what motivates me to learn and grow every day.”
Peterson earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio, Master of Science Degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and Master of Business Administration from the University of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio. He is a certified Celebrant, Life Tribute Professional, serves on the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science Board of Trustees, and is a past recipient of the Daniel A. Hillenbrand Award.
About NGL
Established in 1909, National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is an insurance company headquartered 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. 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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WPS Health Solutions CEO signs diversity and inclusion pledge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com
WPS Health Solutions CEO signs diversity and inclusion pledge
Company renews support for CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion™
MADISON, Wis.—June 21, 2023—President and CEO Wendy Perkins has joined more than 2,400 Chief Executive Officers and Presidents across the nation to pledge action on supporting a more inclusive workplace for employees, communities, and society at large.
CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace.
“My vision of a truly thriving WPS hinges on fostering an environment where everyone can be their authentic selves and share their big, bold ideas freely,” Perkins said. “When we take a closer look, ‘thriving’ suggests growth, development, achievement, and fulfillment. There is ample evidence to prove that, if done right, organizations with diverse and inclusive teams outperform their peers. It’s undeniable that our potential for growth and profitability is deeply connected to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
In signing the pledge, WPS commits to:
- Cultivate workplaces that support open dialogue on complex and sometimes difficult conversations about diversity, equity, and inclusion.
- Implement and expand unconscious bias education.
- Share best-known diversity, equity, and inclusion programs/initiatives—as well as those that have been unsuccessful.
- Engage our Board of Directors when developing and evaluating diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies.
WPS’ previous President and CEO first signed the pledge in 2021, and Perkins has renewed that commitment. Click to see a list of other companies that have signed the pledge.
About WPS Health Solutions®
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions), founded in 1946, is a nationally regarded benefits administrator for a variety of U.S. government programs and a leading not-for-profit health insurer in Wisconsin. WPS Health Solutions serves active-duty and retired military personnel, seniors, individuals, and families in Wisconsin, across the U.S., and around the world. WPS Health Solutions, headquartered in Madison, Wis., has more than 2,600 employees. Within the enterprise, there are three divisions: WPS Government Health Administrators, WPS Military and Veterans Health, and WPS Health Insurance/WPS Health Plan/EPIC Specialty Benefits. For more information, please visit wpshealthsolutions.com.
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Mike Kriefski Joins One Community Bank Advisory Board
June 20, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Ameilia Abraham
One Community Bank
608-838-3141
aabraham@onecommunity.bank
Mike Kriefski Joins One Community Bank Advisory Board
(June 2023) – One Community Bank is proud to welcome Mike Kriefski, President and Chief Creative Officer of Shine United and Kingdom Film and Content, to the One Community Bank Advisory Board!
“I look forward to the opportunity to work with Mike and learn from his expertise. He understands the value of investing in relationships and creating meaningful projects,” said Jim Walker, Advisory Board Independent Chair.
Mike has more than two decades of experience working in the advertising and film production industries. After spending time at Young & Rubicam and several other agencies Mike co-founded Shine United in 2001. Shine United is proud to have a client list that includes Harley-Davidson, Kohler, Mizuno Running and UW Health. In 2015, Mike launched Kingdom Film & Content, a Madison-based video production studio that specializes in concepting and producing branded video platforms and content. His professional endeavors focus on helping elevate the people, companies and brands he believes in and works with.
“I’m thrilled to be part of such an inspirational and forward-thinking group and am looking forward to helping shape the future of One Community Bank,” said Kriefski.
Outside of work, Mike enjoys traveling with his wife and daughter as well time spent outdoors hunting and fishing.

One Community Bank is one of the largest community banks in south central Wisconsin. The locally owned bank has 10 bank locations and $1.8 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. Five years in a row named one of Madison’s best places to work, One Community Bank serves the communities of Oregon, McFarland, Waunakee, Stoughton, Sun Prairie, Middleton, Adams, Oxford, and Grand Marsh. Member FDIC.
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Naviant Receives Premier Solution Provider Designation from Hyland
Media contact:
Jen Hein | jhein@naviant.com
Naviant Receives Premier Solution Provider Designation from Hyland
Naviant, an OnBase reseller, was recently honored by Hyland with the Premier Solution Provider distinction, the highest level partnership with Hyland. This distinction is given to partners that reach the highest level of certifications on Hyland products, offer a complete practice staff of Hyland professionals, and align with Hyland to provide the best experience for their customers.
“At Naviant, we are proud to be a top-level Hyland partner and believe that this distinction reflects our dedication to providing our satisfied customers with high-quality service,” said Michael Carr, President and CEO, Naviant. “In our 22+ years as an OnBase Solution Provider, our partnership with Hyland has enabled us to deliver solutions that have a measurable impact on our clients’ operational efficiency, performance, and ultimately help them achieve their business goals.”
“Hyland’s Solution Provider program features partners that meet high standards of delivering quality solutions and alignment with Hyland Software. For the highest level of partnership, we congratulate Naviant as Premier Partner,” said Eric Miller, Associate Vice President, Hyland Channel.
The Hyland Global Partner Community is an exclusive team of more than 300 Hyland partners. They provide expertise and hands-on support for Hyland’s content services product portfolio, and the complementary technologies that make up automation solutions. Providers work with Hyland to give customers the highest level of technical support, while receiving continuous training to ensure successful programs from an industry leader and highly respected channel-friendly vendor.
About Naviant
Naviant is a nationally recognized intelligent automation solutions integrator and business process consulting organization with over 30 years of experience. We help our clients do more with less by using technology to streamline processes and gain visibility into the data they need to make better decisions.
Our “process-first” approach emphasizes the importance of process improvement before implementing technology solutions such as OnBase, Brainware, the ABBYY intelligent capture platform, and Hyland RPA.
We are proud to be a top-tier partner for Hyland’s OnBase, a single enterprise information platform for managing content, processes, and cases. OnBase combines ECM, case management, business process management (BPM), records management, compliance, and capture functionality on a single platform. To learn more about Naviant, please visit naviant.com. Process focus. Excellence.
About Hyland
Hyland is a leading content services provider that enables thousands of organizations to deliver better experiences to the people they serve. Find us at Hyland.com.
Photo by Richard Hurd
National Guardian Life Insurance Company A (Excellent) Rating Affirmed by AM Best
Madison, Wis. (June 19, 2023) – National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is pleased to announce AM Best has affirmed its A (Excellent) rating effective May 25, 2023. This rating reflects the excellent ability of NGL to meet its ongoing insurance policy and contract obligations and further attests to its financial strength.
“We are proud to have our A rating affirmed and to be recognized for NGL’s strong capital position and operating results. It is great news for our 1.2 million policyholders* and their families. NGL’s rating further exemplifies our commitment to being a leader in the insurance industry and growing our Preneed market share as we work to serve more families and broaden our footprint,” said Kim Shaul, Interim President & CEO at NGL.
AM Best is the world’s oldest and most authoritative insurance rating information source. The financial strength rating is based on a comprehensive quantitative and qualitative evaluation of a company’s balance sheet strength, operating performance and business profile.
As a longtime leader in the insurance industry, NGL is dedicated to serving policyholders and partners by offering high-quality products that are among the safest and most stable in the industry.
To learn more about NGL’s financial strength and stability visit our website, www.nglic.com. For the latest rating, access www.ambest.com.
About NGL
Established in 1909 National Guardian Life Insurance Company (NGL) is an insurance company headquartered 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. 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.
*As of 12/31/2022. Ratings current as of 05/25/23. 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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