Small Street Journal: February 19, 2016

Gerald Bauer, owner and founder of JB Systems, LLC, has been selected as the Eau Claire Area Economic Development Corporation’s (EDC) newest board member. Bauer will work with the board to offer free resources to entrepreneurs and businesses in the Chippewa Valley. With these resources, the Eau Claire Area EDC hopes to “innovate, develop, expand, or locate the communities of Altoona, Augusta, Eau Claire, Fairchild, and Fall Creek,” by providing new career opportunities.

Rita Sullivan recently assumed duties as vice president-operations for Mayo Clinic Health System – Chippewa Valley. Sullivan replaced Ed Wittrock who retired in December 2015 after serving more than 30 years with the organization. Sullivan’s leadership responsibilities also include Mayo Clinic Health System – Northland and Emergency Medicine for the organization’s hospitals in Barron, Bloomer, Eau Claire, Menomonie and Osseo. She has been employed with Mayo Clinic Health System for more than 20 years. She holds a management certificate in advance studies in health services administration and patient care administration, and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. In addition, Michele Eberle has been appointed assistant vice president-operations for Mayo Clinic Health System and will assist Sullivan. Eberle received her M.B.A. from Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts and her bachelor’s degree in business administration from UW-Eau Claire. Eberle has been employed with Mayo Clinic Health system for more than 20 years.

Laura Bentley, M.D., recently joined Family Medicine at Mayo Clinic Health System. Bentley earned her medical degree from University of Iowa College of Medicine in Iowa City. She completed residencies at Memorial Hospital South Bend in South Bend, Indiana, and University of Iowa Family Medicine in Iowa City. She is board-certified in family medicine with the American Academy of Family Physicians. Previously, Dr. Bentley worked as a physician at Aurora Healthcare in Two Rivers, Wisconsin, and Unity Point Health in Marion, Iowa.
​
Royal Credit Union (Royal) was named a 2015 Wisconsin Governor’s Financial Literacy Award recipient. Governor Scott Walker presented the awards during a formal ceremony in the Governor’s Conference Room at the Capitol on February 10, 2016. Royal received the recognition for its innovative, Future U.S. Entrepreneurs (FUSE) program. Royal team members Mary Ginder, community financial education coordinator; Julie Frey, business operations manager; Jennifer McHugh, director of public affairs and financial education; and Amy Forcier-Pabst, executive vice president-member experience accepted the award in Madison.

Citizens Community Bancorp, Inc. (Citizens) (Nasdaq: CZWI), headquartered in Eau Claire, and Community Bank of Northern Wisconsin (CBN), headquartered in Rice Lake, recently announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement pursuant to which CBN will merge into Citizens Community Federal, N.A., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Citizens. The all-cash transaction is valued at approximately $17 million. Based in northwestern Wisconsin, CBN operates five full-service branches and a loan production office. As of December 31, 2015, CBN had total assets of $152.8 million, loans of $113 million, and deposits of $132 million. The combined company will have total assets, loans, and deposits of approximately $734 million, $567 million and $590 million, respectively. The acquisition will expand Citizens’ branch network in Barron and Dunn counties and establish a presence in Washburn and Rusk counties. The combined company will have a total of 22 branches in Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan, with a concentration of 11 branches in northwest Wisconsin.