Category: Talent
Photo by Richard Hurd
Capitol Bank Announces Promotions for Kari Harpold and Zach Wienke, Positioning for Expanded Success
Madison, WI (February 5, 2026): Capitol Bank is pleased to announce promotions for Kari Harpold and Zach Wienke, in recognition of their exceptional service to the Bank and its customers.
Kari Harpold has been named Assistant Vice President, Treasury Management Officer. During Kari’s 11 years with the Bank, she has provided a high level of customer service to numerous business clients. She has been a subject matter expert for business deposit accounts and treasury management offerings.
“We appreciate Kari’s hard work through the years and her dedication to our clients. Her expertise and service-oriented mindset have long been a deep value to both our organization and to our clients,” said Justin Hart, CEO.
Zach Wienke has been promoted to Retail Development Manager at the Bank’s East location. Zach has proven himself as a trusted leader to his team and consistently exceeded his goals. He will join an already strong team at the Bank’s newest location.
“Zach’s excellent customer service and banking knowledge have been an asset to our team. We’re excited to see him develop and help grow our East location business presence while also partnering with our established customer base,” said Ami Myrland, President and CFO.
About Capitol Bank: Capitol Bank, locally owned and operated, is committed to serving the communities in which we live, work, and do business. We are proud of the partnerships we have established with organizations, businesses, and individuals in the Greater Madison area. Our philosophy of community support is demonstrated at the corporate level, as well as in the time and energy our employees devote to our community each year. Capitol Bank is Member FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.
Photo by Richard Hurd
Children’s Theater of Madison seeking Director of Communications
CTM is looking for a Director of Communications to join our Strategic Advancement team and lead our storytelling across the organization. This role stewards CTM’s voice, oversees public relations, marketing communications messaging, and fundraising and grant communications, manages key projects from planning through execution. The Director of Communications shapes how we share our mission, programs, and impact with our community.
For the full job description, including salary and benefits, and how to apply, visit https://ctmtheater.org/get-involved/work-with-us/
Photo by Richard Hurd
Lake Ridge Bank Bolsters Business Banking Team With Experienced Additions in Evansville and New Glarus
January 29, 2026 (MADISON, Wis.) – Lake Ridge Bank welcomes two new bankers to its Business Banking team to provide additional coverage in the Evansville and New Glarus areas:
- Kevin Ile, MBA, VP-Business Relationship Manager in Evansville
- Steve Landry, VP-Business Relationship Manager in New Glarus
Kevin Ile brings five years of experience in commercial banking and business lending to the Evansville area. With a passion for helping small and mid-sized businesses flourish, Ile enjoys the opportunity to partner with a diverse group of business owners and leaders to support local economic growth. He has worked with clients from a variety of industries, including manufacturing, transportation, senior living, and affordable housing, and has experience serving clients as an SBA lender as well.
Born and raised in Wisconsin, Kevin Ile earned both his bachelor’s degree in finance and his MBA from UW-Stevens Point. He is an active volunteer, serving on the Board of Directors for the Evansville Area Chamber of Commerce and for Monticello Works. Over the years, he has been involved in Optimist International, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and Junior Achievement of Wisconsin.
Steve Landry offers broad experience from a variety of industries to his business banking clients in and around New Glarus. He is not only a knowledgeable commercial lender, he is also a LEED Green Associate with direct experience working in business development for a regional construction company. Landry has collected insights throughout his career from working at a handful of Fortune 500 companies, including TDS, CellularOne, MCI and Xerox.
Landry’s extensive volunteerism fits well with Lake Ridge Bank’s ongoing commitment to the community. He has served on a variety of Boards, including the New Glarus Planning Commission, Gilda’s Club, The Ronald McDonald House, Gio’s Garden, Downtown Madison Inc., the Madison College Advisory Board, and Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra. He also co-founded New Glarus Music, a free series of concerts in the park. And thanks to growing up in Canada, he is bilingual in English and French.
“We are always looking for the best and brightest professionals to grow our Business Banking Team, and these two are exactly that!” says Paul Hoffmann, Lake Ridge Bank President. “Kevin and Steve are both community-minded individuals who really care about their neighbors and want to help local businesses thrive. We’re excited to have them on board.”
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.
Lake Ridge Bank. Go Far. Go Together!
Member FDIC | Equal Housing Lender
Investment Products: Are Not FDIC Insured | Are Not Bank Guaranteed | May Lose Value
For additional information, please contact Mark Schellpfeffer at mschellpfeffer@lakeridge.bank.
Photo by Richard Hurd
raSmith Welcomes Nicole Smullen, Adds Real Estate Acquisition Services
MADISON, Wis. — Nicole Smullen has joined raSmith as the real estate services manager in the transportation division at the firm’s Brookfield, Wis., office. Smullen will expand the firm’s capabilities by providing real estate acquisition services for infrastructure projects to public sector clients, including the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), counties, and local governments.
Smullen brings more than 20 years of experience in transportation infrastructure and utility coordination as a real estate services and utility project manager. Her expertise includes real estate acquisition and negotiation, plat and appraisal reviews, utility conflict resolution, and relocation planning for major roadway and infrastructure projects. She has extensive experience with WisDOT manuals, the Trans 220 process, and compliance with the Federal Uniform Act, giving her a vast understanding of state and federal requirements that guide successful project delivery. Smullen brings a cross-disciplinary, collaborative mindset to her work by organizing a team early in the project and ensuring everyone shares the objective of completing right-of-way acquisition on time to maintain construction schedules.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Nicole, whose real estate expertise will strengthen our team’s ability to support clients across complex projects,” said John Elkin, P.E., raSmith director of transportation services. “Her skills will not only elevate the transportation division’s integrated solutions, but also streamline coordination with multiple project stakeholders.”
Smullen is a WisDOT-approved Local Public Agency negotiation consultant, licensed as a real estate salesperson in Wisconsin, and is a member of the International Right of Way Association (IRWA). She holds a master’s degree in public administration and bachelor’s degree in criminology and law studies from Marquette University.
About raSmith
raSmith is a multidisciplinary 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.
Photo by Richard Hurd
Mead & Hunt Announces Laurie Whitney as Architecture & Building Engineering Group Leader
MADISON, WIS. – January 28, 2026 – Mead & Hunt has announced Laurie Whitney as Architecture & Building Engineering (ABE) Group Leader. With 11 years at Mead & Hunt and nearly three decades of experience in architecture, Laurie brings diversified market expertise, a passion for developing people and capabilities, and a vision to transform communities through inspiring, innovative design.
“Laurie is a strategic thinker, and she believes when we invest in people, great results follow,” said Amy Squitieri, Chief Executive Officer. “She’s expanded our design and technology capabilities and built a reputation for delivering on ambitious goals. The ABE group’s future is in excellent hands.”
As Group Leader, Laurie will focus on evolving a forward-thinking, client-focused team that blends creativity with technical excellence. She is committed to empowering teams and future leaders, fostering innovation, and positioning Mead & Hunt as a trusted partner in shaping communities. Her deep knowledge of internal and external operations has also positioned her to play a key role in driving Mead & Hunt’s future-readiness initiative, guiding groups to unify processes, implement centralized systems, and support employees through change management.
Before joining Mead & Hunt in 2014, Laurie built her career across healthcare, education, military facilities, residential, and retail markets, giving her a uniquely well-rounded perspective on architectural practice. That breadth of experience, combined with her background as a former firm owner, prepared her for rapid growth at Mead & Hunt, working with public and private clients to deliver military, education, research, and aviation facilities. She joined as a project manager, became department manager for aviation facilities within a year, and was selected as architectural business unit leader for the eastern region soon after. Under her leadership, she tripled her team’s size and revenue, growing from delivering $20 million terminals to $200 million-plus projects.
“Since I was young, I’ve been drawn to the beauty of architecture and the built environment. I believe I was meant to create and give back, and Mead & Hunt’s values of putting people first and doing the right thing align perfectly with that purpose,” said Laurie. “Today, what drives me is understanding what a client wants and developing that into a space that meets their needs while bringing joy and inspiration. Our buildings are not just about architecture. We have engineers, interior architects and designers, and technology experts working collaboratively to create compelling spaces. This is an exciting time to be part of this dynamic group, as we embrace emerging technologies, expand into new markets, and strengthen our people-first focus.”
Beyond Mead & Hunt, Laurie is an active leader in the architecture and engineering community. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the Society of American Military Engineers, where she recently chaired the National Architectural Practice Committee. Locally, she serves on the Madison College Architecture Advisory Board, inspires the next generation of AEC professionals through the ACE Mentor Program, and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity.
About Mead & Hunt
Mead & Hunt is a national, full-service engineering, architectural, planning, and construction services firm that has been serving clients for 125 years. Since its founding, the employee-owned firm has grown significantly in size and diversity and continues to rank in Engineering News-Record’s Top 100 Design Firms. Today, the company employs more than 1,400 people and works in a variety of markets, including aviation, transportation, cultural resources, food and beverage, renewable energy, water, and federal. For more information, visit www.meadhunt.com.
###
Additional quotes or background information
- Laurie Whitney, Mead & Hunt ABE Group Leader
608-443-0442
- Amy Squitieri, Mead & Hunt CEO
608-443-0400
General media inquiries and photo requests:
- Meghan Stiklestad, Marketing Director
meghan.stiklestad@meadhunt.com - 608-443-0378
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mead-&-hunt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meadandhunt
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meadandhunt