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
Lake Ridge Bank Announces Joanne Bell as Executive Assistant to Both President and CEO as DiFulvio Retires
May 13, 2024 (MADISON, Wis.) – Lake Ridge Bank is pleased to announce an expanded role for Joanne Bell as Executive Assistant for both Chief Executive Officer Jim Tubbs and President Paul Hoffmann, as well as handling the bank’s shareholder services.
Bell’s increased responsibilities reflects her exceptional service in this capacity for Hoffmann over the last six years. Lake Ridge Bank expanded her position to assist both bank leaders after Tubbs’ executive assistant, Tami DiFulvio, announced her retirement in early March to care for a loved one. DiFulvio also served as Secretary to the Lake Ridge Bank Board of Directors.
As part of her announcement, DiFulvio shared her thoughts about spending more than 16 years at the bank, saying, “I am so thankful to have worked for an institution and direct leader who appreciated what I brought to the team every day. It has truly been a joy to work alongside Jim Tubbs and the entire executive team at Lake Ridge Bank to serve families, businesses, and communities throughout Southern Wisconsin. I have met so many amazing, thoughtful, service-minded people during my time there.”
Joanne Bell can be reached at jbell@lakeridge.bank.
Lake Ridge Bank’s mission is to “build prosperous communities, one relationship at a time.” For more than 100 years, this has meant getting to know each of our clients to offer personalized services to meet their specific financial goals. Lake Ridge Bank offers a full line of financial products and services. We focus on offering products and services to make your banking easy. Our business banking and mortgage lenders are trusted leaders in their field with the expertise to provide the right loan at the best rate possible for our clients. As a community bank, we are dedicated to reinvesting in, and making our communities great places to live, work and raise a family. Visit lakeridge.bank to learn more about how we can help you.
Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender
Lake Ridge Bank. Go Far. Go Together!
For additional information, please contact Mark Schellpfeffer at mschellpfeffer@lakeridge.bank.
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WPS Charitable Foundation donates $240,000 in 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
DeAnne Boegli
Vice President of Communications
608-512-5754
deanne.boegli@wpsic.com
WPS Charitable Foundation donates $240,000 in 2024
Mental health initiatives continue to be the focus
MADISON, Wis.—May 13, 2024—In 2024, the WPS Charitable Foundation has donated $240,000 to local organizations that support mental health, education, and the essential needs of children, senior citizens, and veterans. Providing these funds early in the year allows organizations the financial ability to undertake their missions and support more people.
Organizations selected to receive money from the WPS Charitable Foundation this year include:
- Mental Health America
- Boulder Crest Foundation
- Edgewood College Foundation
- NAMI National
- NAMI Wisconsin
- NAMI Dane County
- PsychArmor
- United Way of Dane County
- Journey Mental Health
- The Rainbow Project
- EOTO
- Girls on the Run
“This year, our Foundation continues its giving strategy of donating more than half of available funds to support organizations that work to destigmatize mental health,” Moira Klos, the Foundation’s Vice President of its Board of Trustees, said. “Mental health is health, and we are working to remove stigmas to make seeking mental health care easier. The goal is to help individuals acknowledge the need for care and provide much-needed resources when they do reach out for assistance on their mental health journey.”
About the WPS Charitable Foundation
The WPS Charitable Foundation was formed in 1986 to honor Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation’s first president, Ray Koenig. The Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization that focuses on enhancing the communities we call home by supporting organizations focused on health and wellness, especially of women and children, seniors, veterans, and underserved populations. The Foundation also funds the Ray Koenig Memorial Scholarship program. Each year, the program makes educational opportunities available through scholarship awards to children of employees of WPS Health Solutions and its subsidiaries.
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Madison Reading Project: Launching Saturday 5/18: Wisconsin’s First All-Accessible Free Book Bus
For Immediate Release
More Information:
Rowan Childs, (608) 347-7970
Rowan@madisonreadingproject.com
1337 Greenway Cross, Suite 186
Madison, WI 53713
www.madisonreadingproject.com
Launching Saturday 5/18: Wisconsin’s First All-Accessible Free Book Bus
On Saturday, May 18, Madison Reading Project will roll out the first, all-accessible free book bus in Wisconsin, beginning its journey to bring free literacy programs to children.
Madison Reading Project invites the community to attend the official launch, which will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the Kohl Center concourse at the UW-Madison Campus and is free and open to the public.
Hosted by Wisconsin Athletics, the event will feature tours of both Madison Reading Project book buses and other mobile partners, including Madison School and Community Recreation, local libraries, and meet & greet Bucky Badger! Plus, free books for all children attending!
“Our organization’s first book bus turns five this year and it’s just been an incredible journey to see the growing impact we’ve created,” says Rowan Childs, founder and executive director. “Requests for our mobile services have skyrocketed in the last few years. We have seen and heard the needs of our community and we want to help provide solutions in the most inclusive way possible.
“We truly hope everyone will join us for Saturday’s celebration, old friends and new,” Childs adds. “It’s crucial that we continuously strive to remove barriers to accessing free books and literacy resources.”
“We’re so grateful to Junior League of Madison, American Girl, Madison Community Foundation, several corporate donors, local foundations, and individuals who helped our funding campaign.”
From now until May 31, Junior League is offering a $50K matching grant to help fill the bus with books. To make a matching donation, visit:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/fillthebuscampaign/event/bookbuspalooza/
“A gift in any amount will help our staff and volunteers reach thousands of children with free books and literacy engagement across the greater Dane County area,” says Emily Wills, Madison Reading Project development director.
Chartered in 2014 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Madison Reading Project has given more than 500,000 books to children living in nine (9) South Central Wisconsin counties.
Much of the giving is targeted to under-resourced families and children needing literacy support.
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Angela Joyce Joins M3 as Director of Communications
Angela Joyce has joined M3 Insurance as the director of communications. In this role, she operates as a strategic partner and trusted advisor to M3’s sales and business development teams by equipping them with the knowledge they need to best serve our clients across all markets. Her role encompasses internal communications, sales enablement, public relations, and crisis communications as a part of M3’s Rapid Response & Recovery team. Additionally, Joyce ensures M3’s consistent messaging across all channels.
Prior to joining M3, Joyce held the position of communications director in the Wisconsin State Legislature for seven years, including serving in the highest-ranking leadership office. She managed external and rapid response communications while cultivating positive media relations with local and national news outlets. Joyce also led communication strategy and execution for the majority caucus, leveraging PR opportunities to promote legislative initiatives statewide.
Joyce earned her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Connecticut and her master’s degree in business administration (MBA) from Edgewood College. Her prior experience makes her well-versed in public relations, strategy, and crisis communications. M3 is thrilled to have her join our team to further promote M3’s brand, initiatives, and achievements.
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.
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Deadline Approaching: Apply Now for gALPHA Urban League!
gALPHA Urban League is a no-cost, four-week business accelerator that works with Black entrepreneurs and other entrepreneurs of color from high tech startups to main street small businesses. gALPHA Urban League will provide educational components, mentorship, networking opportunities, and more for entrepreneurs with new ideas as well as for those already in business but looking to expand or enhance their business.
gALPHA Urban League is powered by gener8tor, a nationally ranked entrepreneurial accelerator. We are especially seeking entrepreneurs who are interested in becoming a part of the Black Business Hub community. The program will run from May 20-June 18.