Recently, 34 area high school juniors graduated from the Chamber’s Youth Leadership Eau Claire (YLEC) program. In its 13th year, the program gives students a chance to enhance their knowledge and development leadership skills. During the nine-month program, the students learn about the community and future career opportunities.
In order to graduate from the program, students must complete community service projects. This year, the class divided into four groups to complete the projects for the Girls on the Run, Hand in Hand: A Place For All Children, HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital and the YMCA. The following is the list of 2016 graduates: Altoona High School Erik Weber Memorial High School Katie Ball Tanner Binczak Avery Eisenhuth Mia Emberson Benjamin Foster Keng Lor Anna Nick Lauren Nielsen Maigaozong Yang North High School Nathan Bronstad Kailee Brown Lauren Derleth Fernanda Garcia Madison Karker Mariah Kent Alana Till Cassie Willier Mary Xiong Pacha Xiong Chicagoria Yang Regis High School Hannah Anderson Sarah Andre Katherine Henriksen Jamie Holm Logan Jacobson Ariana Madson Noel Ortiz Paul Petit Alex Rocksvold Josie Semerad Kendra Skwierczynski Jack Usher Danielle Yengo YLEC Executive Committee Chair Jenna Ziegler, Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire Vice Chair Jason Craig, Mayo Clinic Health System Past Carla Leuck, Spectrum Industries, Inc. Jim Schmitt, Eau Claire Area School District Laura Volbrecht, Fall Creek School District Larry Zorn, Eau Claire Press Company YLEC Curriculum Committee Sara Antonson, Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Chippewa Valley Andrea Finn, Royal Credit Union Susan Frame, Chippewa Valley Technical College Kelly Lauscher, HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital Eric Lindquist, Leader-Telegram Susan Peterson, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Inc. Ben Richgruber, Eau Claire Regional Arts Center Jennifer Roetter, US Department of Agriculture Vicki Seltun, City of Eau Claire Suzie Slota, YMCA Daneille Strong, Weld, Riley S.C. Michael Strubel, WEAU 13 News Keith Zehms, Eau Claire County YLEC Sponsors Banbury Place, Inc. BMO Harris Bank Dick Cable CCFBank Charter Bank Chippewa Valley Technical College CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce Staff Eau Claire Area School District Eau Claire Energy Cooperative HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital Kristo Orthodontics KRM Information Services, Inc. Mayo Clinic Health System Northwoods Brew Pub RB Scott Company, Inc. Rotary Club of Eau Claire (Noon) Royal Credit Union Silver Spring Foods, Inc. Sunrise Exchange Club Eau Claire Sue & Roger Tietz Wipfli LLP Xcel Energy Larry Zorn Youth Leadership Endowment Society Owen & Janice Ayres Banbury Place, Inc. Mel & Leann Breed Dick Cable Charter Bank Cigan Properties CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP Mark & Donna Faanes BJ & Bea Farmer Christine & Kurt Geissler Gloria Gold Jon & Maureen Homstad Kristo Orthodontics Rick Lambrecht Larson Companies Market & Johnson, Inc. Michael & Pat Markin Lee & Anna Mayer Bob & Vicki McCoy Darin McFadden Karl Murch National Presto Industries, Inc. Northwestern Bank Jack Postlewaite RB Scott Company, Inc. Royal Construction, Inc. Sue & Roger Tietz United Bank Wisconsin Independent Network, LLC Larry Zorn Congratulations to the following individuals who have graduated from the Leadership Eau Claire™ program.
LEC Class of 2016 Grant Beardsley, Weld Riley, S.C. Cherrie Bergandi, Chippewa Valley Technical College Mike Berger, Mayo Clinic Health System Jay Brettingen, Charter Bank Regina Butler, Ruder Ware, LLSC Joe Carlson, Boy Scouts of America, Chippewa Valley Council Teva Dekel, Williams Diamond Center Garrett Denney, SMB Group, LLC Julia Diggins, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Bud Drexel, Hope Gospel Mission Bargain Center Tarese Dubiel, Marshfield Clinic – Eau Claire Center Reid Ferguson, Keller Williams Realty Jason Forehand, Silver Spring Foods, Inc. Latacia Greeley, WESTconsin Credit Union Lori Gustafson, Xcel Energy Kris Hahn, Market & Johnson, Inc. Luke Hanson, Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corp. Sheanne Hediger, Baker Tilly Virchow Krause LLP Douglas Hoffer, City of Eau Claire Joe Hogan, Hutchinson Technology, Inc. Glen Kennison, Royal Credit Union Corporate Center Renee Liming, Biesterveld & Spies, LLC Stavroula Marcell, REALiving Joel Michaelson, Huebsch Services Sarah Mull, Oakwood Hills Animal Hospital Katie Murphy, RB Scott Company, Inc. Brian Murray, CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP Monica Obrycki, Eau Claire Energy Cooperative Mark Oldenberg, CCFBank Amanda Olson, Xcel Energy Carmen Peterson, YMCA Scott Rannila, Associated Bank Phil Recheck, Children’s Museum of Eau Claire Carrie Ronnander, Chippewa Valley Museum Celestee Roufs, Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire Kathryn Schauf, Eau Claire County Kristin Schmidt, M3 Insurance Travis Schroeder, Ayres Associates Anna Sizer, Mayo Clinic Health System JJ Smieja, Realityworks, Inc. Lynn Standorf, The Community Table Nick White, Live in Eau Claire, LLC, The Local Lounge Dustin Wiesner, Wipfli LLP As part of the program, the class completed five community service projects for area non-profit organizations. To read more about the projects, click here. Thank You! Thank you to the many volunteers that make this program possible. We truly appreciate all your support. Executive Committee Chair Margo Keys, Chippewa Valley Technical College Vice Chair Jim Lahti, Bremer Bank Past Chair Ally Clark Peterson, Girl Scouts of the Northwest Great Lakes Alumni Chair Stephanie Butero, Precision Quality Systems, LLP Curriculum Committee Sara Antonson, Boys & Girls Club of the Greater Chippewa Valley Kelly Jacobs, Eau Claire County Jessica Janssen, Chippewa Valley Technical College Kelly Jacobs, Eau Claire County Wayne Marek, Eau Claire Children’s Theatre Nick Mohr, Rhom Construction Steve Nick, City of Eau Claire Shelly Olson, Chippewa Valley Technical College Julie Poquette, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Jon Schultz, City of Eau Claire Fire Department Chris Seelen, Ruder Ware, LLSC Georgia Smith, HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital Michael Strubel, WEAU 13 News LEC Class of 2017 Applications for next year’s Leadership Eau Claire class are due tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1! For more information, visit the Chamber's website. Low Voltage Contractors (LVC) has expanded its product and service offerings to include J.N. Johnson Fire and Safety. As of May 1st, LVC has acquired J.N. Johnson. JN will continue to do business as “J.N. Johnson, a Division of LVC”. The acquisition includes the Minneapolis office, the Hibbing office, the International Falls office as well as Lee Leasing.
HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals were awarded the “Greenhealth Partner for Change” Awards by Practice Greenhealth, the nation’s leading health care community dedicated to transforming health care worldwide so that it reduces its environmental footprint, becomes a community anchor for sustainability and a leader in the global movement for environmental health and justice. The awards honor outstanding environmental achievements in the health care sector. The Greenhealth Partner for Change Award recognizes health care facilities that continuously improve and expand upon their mercury elimination, waste reduction, recycling and source reduction programs. At a minimum, facilities applying for this award must be recycling 15 percent of their total waste, have reduced regulated medical waste, are well along the way to mercury elimination and have developed other successful pollution prevention programs in many different areas. The Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative (RWHC) bestowed its 2016 Rural Health Ambassador Award to Jeannie Pittenger, stroke program coordinator at HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals during a ceremony at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Pittenger is one of only 14 people in Wisconsin to receive an award from RWHC this year. Pittenger has served as a registered nurse for 33 years. Through her work, guidance and expertise, Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s have earned several stroke achievements, including the Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll, and the Wisconsin Department of Health Service’s Coverdell Stroke Champion honor. Spectrum Insurance Group with offices in Eau Claire, Chippewa Falls, Weston, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, Green Bay, Madison and Tomah recently acquired Marine Insurance Services. As part of the merger, Spectrum will maintain the current Marine Insurance offices in La Crosse, Fond du Lac and Milwaukee, and consolidate the Eau Claire, Tomah and Suamico locations into the existing Spectrum offices. Marine Insurance specializes in personal insurance products including home, auto, small business and life. Spectrum Insurance Group was founded by Darrel Zaleski in 2007 and has more than 90 employees providing risk management solutions for individuals and businesses. The Better Business Bureau (BBB) of Wisconsin Foundation, Inc. recently announced the winners of their 2016 prestigious Torch Awards for Business Ethics and Integrity. EO Johnson Business Technologies was named winner for businesses employing 51 - 500. The winners, selected by an independent, distinguished panel of nine business ethics experts, were chosen based on submissions that demonstrated excellence in ethical practices, customer service, reputation, honest advertising, peer recognition, management practices, and employee training in ethical behavior within their industry and community. Rehabilitation for Wisconsin in Action (RFW) and Reach, Inc. acknowledged the Stout Ale House in Menomonie as Employer of the Year for recognizing the value that people with disabilities bring to the workplace and for promoting their independence through meaningful employment. United Bank recently announced that Jennifer Moen has joined the Business Banking Team serving all six United Bank office locations in Western Wisconsin. Moen spent the last 15 years working in Eau Claire for a national bank, most recently as a branch manager. She has more than 20 years of financial background working primarily with retail, businesses and trusts.
EO Johnson Business Technologies has recognized exemplary employee performance for 2015. The company was proud to present the following achievement awards in its Eau Claire market:
Shirley and Tom Hahn, the owners of Action City, a 55,000 square foot fun center located at Metropolis Resort, recently announced that they are expanding their facilities. Phase one will begin outdoors and will tentatively open in the Summer of 2017. The outdoor expansion will include a two person motorized zipline created by Soaring Eagle which will stretch over mini golf with its highest point at 120 feet. A much larger go kart road course will replace the current bandit cart oval track, featuring brand new go karts. Phase two will be 35,000 square foot indoor expansion highlighted by a trampoline park with an obstacle area similar to the popular tv show, Ninja Warrior. Additional attractions will be announced soon. The project is tentatively scheduled to open in Fall of 2017. The permit process for the new indoor and outdoor attractions has already begun at the State and city level and construction is being planned so that Action City will remain open during the construction. David Nelson, chief financial officer at HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals, has been elected to serve on the National Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) Board of Examiners. His three-year term begins July 1. As a member of the HFMA Board of Examiners, Nelson will collaborate with the HFMA National Board and staff to ensure that the HFMA career services and certification programs are responsive to the needs of the membership, the association, and the profession. The HFMA Board of Examiners is the governing body responsible for overseeing HFMA’s certification program and career services initiatives. HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital presented the 2016 Nurse Exemplar Award to Jean Richard, a registered nurse in the hospital’s Women and Infant Services department. Richard has served the hospital for 30 years. The peer-nominated award is Sacred Heart Hospital’s highest nursing honor and recognizes an extraordinary nurse who exhibits excellence in caring for patients and families, provides personalized patient care and has a superior level of knowledge and skill. Joe McFadden has joined Low Volage Contractors as a sales rep tasked with growing the low voltage contractor’s presence and work in the western Wisconsin region. McFadden has nearly 20 years in the industry and will focus on building the LVC brand and marketing its complete services. He has a degree in electronics from Brown Institute and has a business and technical background. Larry Gilbert also has joined Low Voltage Contractors as a technical employee. Gilbert will focus on building the LVC brand as well as installing its services. Gilbert has a very diverse and experienced background, including United States Air Force veteran, electronics degree and more than 20 years of industry experience in multiple technologies and installation and services. Engineering and architecture firm Ayres Associates recently acquired The Ash Group, adding depth to Ayres’ Tampa-based staff. The Ash Group’s Tampa office becomes Ayres’ 13th office nationwide and its fourth in Florida. Ayres is headquartered in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Through this acquisition, Ayres adds new services and strengthens others the firm has been providing in Florida for 30 years. Tim Molepske has been as selected as the new Scout executive of the Boy Scouts of America, Chippewa Valley Council effective June 1, 2016. Molepske began his Scouting career as district executive at the Circle Ten Council in Dallas, Texas. He moved on to become the field director and later director of field service with the Capitol Area Council, Austin, Texas. He was promoted to deputy scout executive of the Greater Alabama Council, Birmingham, Alabama. Molepske is an Eagle Scout and Vigil member of the Order of the Arrow.
Northwestern Bank announced the addition of two new Board Members. Bradford J. Colbert III, a native of Chippewa Falls as well as Jerry Bauer, a native of Eau Claire are now serving on Northwestern Bank’s Board of Directors. Bradford is an independent consultant with more than 20 years of finance planning and analysis experience. Bauer is the founder/owner of JB Systems and has over 15 years of experience in website development, database design and architecture and marketing. Along with the addition of these two Board members, Northwestern Bank congratulates B. James Colbert on his retirement from the Board. HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital’s Susan Pieterick, neurodiagnostic technologist in the cardiology department, has been named the 2016 recipient of the Father Klimek Healing Presence Award. In addition, Steven Immerman, M.D., has been named the hospital’s Physician of the Year for 2016. Pieterick has worked in the cardiology department at Sacred Heart Hospital for 30 years. As a neurodiagnostic technologist, she performs EEG tests, which record and detect abnormalities related to electrical activity of the brain. The Father Klimek Healing Presence Award is the highest honor a hospital colleague can receive, and recognizes a long-term colleague who has dedicated his or her life to being a humble servant of the sick. Immerman is board-certified in general surgery, and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He has practiced at Sacred Heart Hospital for 35 years and currently serves as the chair of the hospital’s performance improvement committee and as a member of the hospital’s medical executive and oncology committees. WESTconsin Credit Union recently announced Pennie Peterson as vice president WESTconsin Realty, LLC. Peterson previously worked as an agent for WESTconsin Realty since 2011. She replaces recently retired Dalene Crandall who held this position for the past eight years. Nizar Ottoman, M.D., has been named the St. Joseph’s Hospital’s Provider of the Year for 2016. This is the inaugural year of the award. Ottoman is a board-certified internal medicine physician with Marshfield Clinic. He is a hospitalist at St. Joseph’s Hospital and works extensively with clinicians and colleagues at the hospital, as well as patients and families. As a recipient of the inaugural award, Ottoman was recognized for his ability to focus on what matters most to patients and their families Royal Credit Union (Royal) recently announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Capital Bank, Saint Paul (Capital Bank). This acquisition will offer Royal the opportunity to enhance office accessibility to its current Minnesota Membership, as well as serve additional Members in Minnesota. Under the terms of the agreement, Royal will assume approximately $35 million total assets in the transaction. Pending customary closing conditions, including obtaining regulatory approval, the completion of the transaction is expected to occur in the second half of 2016. Royal is committed to a smooth transition for the bank’s customers.
Literacy Volunteers Chippewa Valley changed its name to Literacy Chippewa Valley. It was decided to change its name because there is a misconception by community members and funders that everyone is a volunteer. The organization has a small, highly-educated staff that provide training and support to tutors who in turn work with students with low literacy skills. In addition, in 2002, the national literacy organization, Literacy Volunteers of America, changed its name to Pro Literacy, and of the 77 member agencies of Wisconsin Literacy, there is only one other agency that still has “volunteer” in its name. WESTconsin Credit Union recently held its 76th Annual Membership Meeting and re-elected Lynn Brantner and Colleen Mensing each to another three-year term on its Board of Directors. Officer positions remain as previously held and include: Chairperson Dave Maves, Vice Chairperson Jerry Wolf, Secretary Lynn Brantner and Treasurer Rita Lunderville. |
Categories
All
Eau Claire ChamberThe Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce has more than 1,200 members. Archives
February 2021
|