Dupaco supports local creators and entrepreneurs with grants to Key City Creative Center

DUBUQUE, Iowa— Dupaco Credit Union, in partnership with Key City Creative Center (KCCC), is now accepting applications for three six-month membership grants to the Dubuque-based makerspace. These grants are designed to empower individuals to turn ideas into action—whether by building new skills, launching a creative venture or growing a small business.

KCCC is a dynamic, low-cost makerspace offering 24/7 access to equipment and classes in woodworking, welding, metalworking, 3-D printing, pottery, sewing and more. It provides a collaborative environment where members can build, learn and connect with fellow creators.

This partnership is part of Dupaco’s broader commitment to fostering individuals’ financial well-being and community resilience.

“Small business development and upskilling are focus areas for Dupaco,” says Dupaco President and CEO Joe Hearn. “This partnership presents a great opportunity to provide invaluable resources to those who are considering starting a business or learning new skills. As a financial cooperative, Dupaco equips members with the tools and resources they may need to achieve their goals and create a life worth loving.”

“This partnership with Dupaco allows us to reach more people who may not otherwise have access to the resources needed to bring their ideas to life,” said Eric Ethier, Key City Creative Center Board President. “It’s about unlocking individuals’ potential and strengthening our community.”

Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. To apply for the Key City Creative Center Membership Grant, visit dupaco.com/ways-we-give.

As an added credit union benefit, all Dupaco members receive a $10 discount off monthly KCCC membership fees.

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ABOUT DUPACO COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

Dupaco Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. It is dedicated to the financial well-being of its members, and specializes in personalized financial counseling, money advice and education. It offers savings, loans, investments, insurance and wealth management products for individuals and businesses. Dupaco serves residents in 118 counties throughout Iowa, northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. Founded in 1948 by ten Dubuque Packing Company employees, membership has grown to more than 175,000 with assets exceeding $3.5 billion. It has over 600 employees and 23 branch office locations. It is a Des Moines Register Top Workplace. Learn more at www.dupaco.com.

raSmith Strengthens Madison Presence with New Office Designed for Growth

MADISON, Wis. — raSmith’s Madison office has recently moved to 5201 East Terrace Drive, Suite 380, to support the firm’s growth and continue providing responsive service to municipalities, developers, civil engineers, architects, attorneys, and business owners in Dane County and the surrounding areas. The new office location features expanded office space and amenities such as an exercise area, enhanced conference room, and nursing room.

The Madison-based team offers a comprehensive range of services, including municipal engineering, site design, landscape architecture, structural engineering, transportation and traffic engineering, ecological services, construction services, and surveying (inclusive of capabilities such as UAS mapping and LiDAR). These services support an array of projects, including higher education and K-12 schools, mixed-use and commercial developments, multi-family developments, community centers, transportation infrastructure, and more.

A few of raSmith’s award-winning projects located in Madison include the Camp Randall Stadium south end zone renovations at UW-Madison, the Hamel Music Center at UW-Madison, the Madison Children’s Museum rooftop garden, and the Highland Manor community safe room. In addition to these projects, raSmith has provided structural engineering, surveying, and other services for numerous projects across the UW-Madison campus over the years, including the Kohl Center expansion, reinforcing the firm’s long-standing partnership with the university.

About raSmith

raSmith is a multi-disciplinary engineering consulting firm established in the city of Brookfield, Wisconsin, in 1978. Our services include civil engineering, structural engineering, transportation and traffic, land surveying, geographic information systems (GIS), development management, landscape architecture, ecological services, construction services, LiDAR (3D laser scanning), and UAS (unmanned aircraft systems). We work on projects nationwide from our six locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, and California. The firm employs a staff of 220. For more information about raSmith, visit www.rasmith.com.

Empower Employers and Employees with Free State of Wisconsin Consumer Protection Resources

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), in partnership with the Department of Financial Institutions and the Governor’s Council on Financial Literacy and Capability, has launched new Consumer Protection Outreach Toolkits designed to help Wisconsin organizations educate their teams and communities about important consumer protection topics. (Link to media release)

These free, ready-to-use digital toolkits include downloadable presenter guides, PowerPoint materials, shareable infographics, sample newsletter articles, posters, and even fun educational activities like word scrambles and crosswords. They can easily be incorporated into employee newsletters, training sessions, staff meetings, or workplace learning programs.

The toolkits currently cover four key topics:

• Common Scams and Fraud
• Identity Theft
• Safe Online Shopping
• Consumer Protection for Young Adults

You can explore and download all the materials today at DATCPOutreachToolkit.wi.gov.

By sharing these resources with employers and their employees, you can help them strengthen their financial and digital literacy, stay alert to scams, and make informed consumer decisions — both at work and at home.

For more information, or to request a live presentation from DATCP’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, visit ConsumerProtection.wi.gov or call the Consumer Protection Hotline at (800) 422-7128.

If you have questions about this program, please feel free to reach out to David Mancl, Director, Office of Financial Literacy

Cell: (608) 572-5794

Email: David.Mancl@dfi.wisconsin.gov

Website: dfi.wi.gov

MMSD Receives Expected $49.4 Million in State General Aid for 2025–26

MADISON, Wis.—The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) will receive approximately $49.4 million in state general aid for the 2025–26 school year, according to certified figures released today by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI).

The certified amount aligns closely with estimates DPI shared in July and the projection included in the district’s preliminary 2025–26 budget, which was approved by the Board of Education over the summer. The Board will vote to adopt the 2025–26 budget at its next Regular Meeting on Oct. 27.

“This confirmation from DPI reflects what we’ve been anticipating for the past several months,” said Bob Soldner, MMSD’s assistant superintendent of financial services. “We built our budget using these projections, so there are no surprises, nor are there any changes to staffing or programming as a result of this aid certification.”

Although MMSD’s allocation represents a decrease from last year’s general aid total, Soldner said the change stems primarily from statewide trends, not district-specific factors.

“General aid fluctuates year to year based on total shared costs reported across Wisconsin’s 421 districts,” Soldner explained. “When total costs across the state go down, the amount of available aid to school districts also goes down. This year’s shift reflects that broader context rather than any change in MMSD’s financial position or student needs.”

State general aid is the largest form of state support for K–12 public schools in Wisconsin and is distributed through a formula designed to equalize educational opportunities by accounting for district property wealth, student enrollment and spending levels. Districts use general aid to fund their core operating costs, including instructional programs, student services and school operations.

Soldner emphasized that the district remains focused on long-term financial stability and transparency. “Our community has consistently supported Madison’s schools, and we’re committed to ensuring that every dollar—whether local, state, or federal—is used responsibly to advance student learning and well-being,” he said.

For more information on MMSD’s 2025–26 budget, please visit the MMSD website.

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About the Madison Metropolitan School District

The Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD) is the second-largest school district in Wisconsin, serving more than 25,000 students across 52 schools. The district’s vision is that every school will be a thriving school that prepares every student to graduate ready for college, career and community. With more than 6,000 teachers and staff, MMSD is committed to ensuring the district’s goals and core values are held at the center of its efforts, so students can learn, belong and thrive. For more information, visit mmsd.org.

Celebrating International Credit Union Day: Dupaco’s Legacy, Impact and Member Commitment

DUBUQUE, Iowa— Today, Dupaco Credit Union joins credit unions around the world in celebrating International Credit Union Day, an annual event commemorating the credit union movement’s impact and achievements. This year marks the 77^th anniversary of both the global celebration and Dupaco’s founding. 

Founded on July 17, 1948 by ten Dubuque Packing Company employees, Dupaco was built on the principles of thrift, access to affordable credit and the opportunity for its members to own and control their money on a democratic basis, aiming to improve their economic and social conditions. Today, those values continue to guide the credit union’s mission to improve the financial well-being of its members and the communities it serves. 

“International Credit Union Day is a great reminder to celebrate what makes credit unions different,” said Joe Hearn, Dupaco President/CEO. “Dupaco is more than just a local financial institution. We’re a financial cooperative, owned by its community of members with a mission to build a life worth loving.”   

During the financial cooperative’s 77 years, Dupaco continuously seeks to enhance value for its member-owners. The cooperative achieves this in a variety of ways, including: 

• Product, service and technology enhancements. In fact, so far in 2025, Dupaco’s fraud team and our innovative technology has helped prevent nearly $7 million in potential fraud losses. 
• Enhanced member well-being tools like Bright Track which gives members personalized money-saving recommendations and helps monitor members’ accounts and credit scores. In 2024, 60,233 members took charge of their credit by using this free Dupaco tool and 81.54% who continuously used the tool for a full year, boosted or held steady in their credit-score range!  
• Community impact. Dupaco is committed to empowering people and strengthening communities by investing in efforts aligned with affordable housing and homeownership, upskilling and reskilling, and small business development. 
• Staff expertise and service. In 2024, Dupaco invested 20,026 hours in employee training (that’s about 33 hours per employee in a formal learning experience!). 
• Higher savings rates. In 2024, Dupaco members worked toward their savings goals by saving and investing $2.7+ billion for their futures. Dupaco paid out $62,551,747 in dividends to its member-owners. 
• Lower loan rates and fees. In 2024, about 1 in 4 loans were for $2,500 or less, helping members tackle goals, big or small, and keeping them affordable. 

After 77 years, one thing remains consistent for Dupaco: all members have an equal say in their credit union, where each member has one vote for their board of directors, no matter how much money they have in deposits or loans at Dupaco.  

Dupaco’s current volunteer board of directors are:  

• Ellen Goodmann Miller, chair of the board; Resource Development Specialist, Gronen; and Hawks Goodmann & Associates  
• Randy Skemp, vice chair; Vice President of Sales, Active Network, LLC 
• Andy Schroeder, secretary; Vice President, Prenger Solutions Group 
• Renee Poppe, treasurer; Senior Vice President, Sales Service Center, Medline Industries 
• Denise Dolan; retired, Auditor, Dubuque County 
• Jeff Gonner; retired, Chief of Staff, Medical Associates 
• Ron Meyers; retired, Principal, Wahlert High School 
• Antonio Mouzon; Director, Office of Community Impact, City of Dubuque 
• Bob Wethal; Vice President of Patient Care Services & Chief Nursing Officer, Mercy Medical Center 

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ABOUT DUPACO COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION 

Dupaco Community Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned financial cooperative headquartered in Dubuque, Iowa. It is dedicated to the financial well-being of its members, and specializes in personalized financial counseling, money advice and education. It offers savings, loans, investments, insurance and wealth management products for individuals and businesses. Dupaco serves residents in 118 counties throughout Iowa, northwest Illinois and southwest Wisconsin. Founded in 1948 by ten Dubuque Packing Company employees, membership has grown to more than 176,000 with assets exceeding $3.6 billion. It has over 600 employees and 23 branch office locations. Learn more at www.dupaco.com.