Small Street Journal: February 28, 2020

2/28/2020

Charter Bank Adds New Member to Board of Directors

Eau Claire, WI – Charter Bank is pleased to welcome Mark Faanes as a member of the Charter Bank Board of Directors. Mark will also be a member of the Audit Committee, the Loan Committee, and the Asset-Liability Management & Investment Committee.

Mark recently retired from his career as a CPA after 41 years in public accounting at Wipfli where he also served as the Partner-in-Charge for the firm’s western and northern Wisconsin offices. Mark holds a Bachelor of Business Administration with an accounting major from UW-Eau Claire.

“Charter Bank is a very highly respected community bank; it is an honor to join its Board of Directors. I look forward to lending my 40 years of experience working with businesses and individuals in the Chippewa Valley to the Board for the betterment of the Bank, its customers and the communities it serves,” stated Faanes.

Mark serves on various other boards in the community. Mark is the President of the Eau Claire Chamber Educational Foundation, current board member and past board Chair for the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce, member of the Advisory Council for the UW-Eau Claire College of Business, past Board Chair for the Eau Claire Community Foundation, and also serves as a board member and Region 1 Director for Wisconsin American Legion Baseball.

As a proud life-long resident of Eau Claire, Mark is involved in a variety of community organizations including being a 35-year member and past officer of the Eau Claire Early Riser Kiwanis Club, Eau Claire American Legion Baseball, and VP of the UW-Eau Claire Booster Club.

Charter Bank Offers Scholarships for Eligible Customer

Eau Claire, WI – Charter Bank is pleased to offer annual scholarships for high school graduating seniors and post-high school applicants. In total, 13 scholarships will be awarded to eligible applicants.

Scholarships will be awarded to those who are clients of Charter Bank or whose parent(s) or guardian(s) is/are clients of Charter Bank. Scholarships are eligible for yearly renewal. Applicants can visit our website to learn more about eligibility.
All applications are due March 15th and can be found online. For more information and to apply, visit charterbank.bank/about/scholarships.

University of Wisconsin Eau Claire

International student joins other Blugolds in studying abroad
Ariel Liu's experience as an international student at UW-Eau Claire has been so positive that it piqued her curiosity about people and cultures in other parts of the world, so Liu did what many Blugolds do — she spent a semester studying abroad. Full story.

A half pint with a big heart: Blugold wrestler Samuel Sedelbauer
Last fall the Blugold wrestling team signed a new recruit, a 10-year-old teammate who has not let illness curb his style or his joy. In fact, he's helped to spread more of it to a team of men twice his age who've found they had a lot to learn from him. Full story.

Chemistry major helping area youth see value in Blugold Beginnings, higher education
As an intern in the Blugold Beginnings office, Mai Yer Yang is planning a tour day for area eighth graders, an event that she hopes will inspire the young students to make the most of what the program offers and to consider pursuing a college degree. Full story.

Nobuyoshi Yasuda selected to lead national youth orchestra
Yasuda, a UW-Eau Claire professor of music and director of the University Symphony Orchestra, has been invited to lead the 2020 All-National Symphony Orchestra, one of six groups that make up the NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles. Full story.

UW-Eau Claire production of 'James and the Giant Peach' to include sensory-friendly shows
Area youth and their families will enter a fantastical world during UW-Eau Claire's upcoming production of "James and the Giant Peach," with two of nine performances being sensory-friendly shows to ensure the enjoyment of a neurodiverse audience. Full story.

Blugold finds joy and friendships playing Mary Poppins in local theater production
Kathryn Flynn, a music vocal performance major, has the starring role in Eau Claire Children Theatre’s production of the much loved “Mary Poppins,” a role she says is bringing her great joy because it’s been a longtime dream to play the magical Mary. Full story.

Shamrock Shuffle to be March 14 at UW-Eau Claire
The Shamrock Shuffle, a fundraiser including a 5K run/walk and children's events hosted by the UW-Eau Claire University Recreation and Sport Operations department, will be held March 14. Full story.

UW-Eau Claire to host regional National History Day competition
The event, an opportunity for more than 300 students in grades 6-12 to "do history," will run from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 5 in Davies Center. Full story.

HSHS hospitals host free QPR suicide prevention sessio

CHIPPEWA FALLS – HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals’ Community Health is hosting a session for anyone who would like to learn how to recognize the warning signs that someone may be thinking about suicide, and how to help them. The training is called “Question, Persuade, Refer” – or QPR. Just like CPR, QPR is an emergency response to someone in crisis and can save a life.

The session will take place Tuesday, March 17, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in McDonald Hall at HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital, 2661 Co Hwy I. Registration is required by calling 715-717-7479 or online at www.stjoeschipfalls.org/Events-Classes.

“Suicide is very hard for most people to talk about,” said Laura Baalrud, director of Community Health at HSHS Sacred Heart and St. Joseph’s hospitals. “We hope to open up the dialogue about mental health and suicidal feelings to help reduce the stigma.”

WNB Financial

WNB Financial is helping to kick-off the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign and fill the Winona Volunteer Services Food Shelf with its third annual Grocery Grab event. The event will take place Wednesday, February 26, at Midtown Foods (126 E. 5th Street, Winona).

Eight teams have entered the Grocery Grab and will race through Midtown Foods, with the winner being determined by the total dollar amount of groceries collected over 90 seconds. Teams include: the defending champions Saint Mary’s University, HBC, Fastenal, Knight Barry Title, Winona Daily News, Winona Health, Winona State University John Latsch Leadership Academy, and WNB Financial. Teams will consist of two members with two carts and will run one at a time in a randomly drawn order.

WNB Financial will pay for the winning team’s groceries, while all other teams must pay for their own groceries, and all items will be delivered to the Food Shelf that evening. At 7 p.m., Winona Volunteer Services Director Sandra Burke will address the crowd to officially kick-off the Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign and Grocery Grab event. In addition, local sports radio and television personality, Dean Beckman, will deliver live play-by-play as the teams race through the store.
The Minnesota FoodShare March Campaign is the largest grassroots food and fund drive in the state, accomplished by participating groups and individuals engaged in the fight against hunger in support of 300 partner food drives. The Supplemental Food Shelf at Winona Volunteer Services offers eligible residents with limited resources a way to receive free food once a month.

Midtown Foods will remain open to the public during the event.
Visit the WNB Financial Facebook page for more details.

CVTC named military-friendly school
Designation reflects efforts to recruit, serve military student

Eau Claire, WI – Chippewa Valley Technical College (CVTC) has been named a Military Friendly School for 2020-21.

The Military Friendly School designation is awarded to the top colleges, universities, community colleges and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students and ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation. The list serves as a resource for service members and military families seeking education and has played a significant role in advancing best practices in supporting military students on campuses across the country.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a survey completed by the school.

“We serve approximately 175 veterans annually,” said Deb Ludwikowski, who works directly with veterans at CVTC. “This honor is based on the services we offer specifically for our student veterans.”

Ludwikowski has received a Federal Certificate of Appreciation from the Federal Executive Board for her outstanding work with veterans. “I help them apply for their benefits and work as a go-between if there are payment issues with the Veterans Administration. I’m a point of reference for them,” Ludwikowski said.

Institutions competed for the elite Military Friendly School title by completing a survey of over 100 questions covering ten categories, including military support on campus, graduation and employment outcomes, and military spouse policies. Survey responses were scored against benchmarks across these key indicators of success.

Military Friendly is owned and operated by Viqtory, a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business. The list of institutions designated Military Friendly can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

With 95 programs and both online and on-campus classes, Chippewa Valley Technical College delivers superior, progressive technical education which improves the lives of students, meets the workforce needs of the region, and strengthens the community. CVTC programs are designed with input of business and industry to prepare graduates for today’s jobs, with 93 percent employed within six months of graduation and associate degree graduates earning an average annual salary of $44,000.

LOCAL RECIPIENTS WIN GOVERNOR’S FINANCIAL LITERACY AWARDS

Dr. Eldon Hill, founder of the Draper Hills Financial Literacy
Endowment at the Eau Claire Community Foundation

The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce and long-time Eau Claire resident Dr. Eldon Hill, who established the Draper Hills Financial Literacy Endowment at the Eau Claire Community Foundation, received the 2019 Governor’s Financial Literacy Awards for Organizations and Legacies (respectively) on Wednesday, February 19, at the State Capital.

The Governor’s Financial Literacy Awards recognize organizations and individuals who make a significant difference in financial literacy education. The Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce was one of six organization recipients. The Chamber has worked creatively and in close partnership with the Eau Claire Area School District to instill financial literacy in the area
Through collaboration with local institutions and school districts, the Chamber oversees a local Youth Apprenticeship Consortium, coordinates a financial literacy simulation called “Real Life Academy,” and recruits volunteers for career exploration opportunities that support students’ academic and career planning. These experiences are woven into the curricula of local schools to support long-term implementation.

The Eau Claire Area Youth Apprenticeship Consortium hosts approximately 85 students this year, with a goal of expansion in the years to come. In addition, during the past year, over 600 students attended Real Life Academy, which showed them how to budget for a month like a young professional.

Accepting on behalf of the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce were Casey Schumacher, Andrew Neborak and Monica Obrycki.

The Legacy Award is given to “an organization, business, or individual whose purpose and heritage is ingrained in sustained financial literacy and capability, and whose reputation in doing so is held in high regard in serving as a model for others in carrying on the work of supporting financial literacy and expanding opportunities through financial capability. This lifetime recognition is intended to be conferred only once to recipients.”

Dr. Eldon Hill, a resident of Eau Claire for more than 30 years, was one of 5 legacy recipients.

Dr. Hill, who grew up in Loyal, WI, and graduated from its high school in 1938, had a vision of giving back to the community that had nurtured him. In order to realize that vision, he established the Draper Hills Financial Literacy Endowment Fund at the Eau Claire Community Foundation, which supports a comprehensive K-12 Financial Literacy Program in the Loyal School District.

Dr. Hill’s passion for financial literacy, and his giving heart, have so far impacted more than 300 students. His vision has spurred innovative ways to teach financial literacy in the classroom, through summer school programming, and in an after-school night class to enhance learning and fun when it comes to financial literacy.

The Eau Claire Community Foundation, which holds the Draper Hills Financial Literacy Endowment Fund, is proud to help fulfill Dr. Hill’s vision by ensuring that Loyal’s Financial Literacy program is supported both now and for years to come.

Although Dr. Hill was unable to attend the Awards Ceremony, his daughter Meredith Hill Stockford, Financial Literacy Instructor Jessica Zarnke, and Eau Claire Community Foundation Executive Director Sue Bornick accepted the Legacy Award on his behalf.

For more information, please contact Sue Bornick at suebornick@eccfwi.org or 715-552-3801.

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