Small Street Journal: January 6, 2017

Woita & Associates announced that David Hopkins, RICP® and principal of the firm, has obtained his Certified Financial Planner TM certification. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP ®, Certified Financial Planner TM and CFP ® in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board’s initial and ongoing certification requirements. The certification is a standard of excellence based upon Education, Examination, Experience, and Ethics administered and regulated by the CFP Board. The CFP Board is a non-profit organization acting in the public interest by fostering professional standards in personal financial planning through its setting and enforcement of the requirements for CFP certification.

Royal Credit Union (Royal) recently received a 2016 Best Practices Award from the Credit Union Journal. Royal received the award for its project management initiative. Fourteen credit unions received the award for a variety of achievements including improving efficiency, cutting costs and enhancing member service. Royal’s project management initiative is run by a committee charged with providing a practical framework and prioritization of projects. The initiative has helped manage Royal’s resources and provides better communication for key stakeholders.

Royal Credit Union (Royal) has named Karlee Wallin small business lending officer. In this role, she will assist the vice president–business lending manager with overseeing and administering the small business lending program. She’ll also be responsible for developing and managing small business loans and services relationships for existing and new members. Wallin began with Royal in September 2006. She started in the Business Lending Department as a business loan representative; however, for the past six years Wallin has been a business loan analyst. Through her 15 years of experience in the banking industry, she has accumulated Shockproof Credit College certificates in Commercial Business C&I Credit Decisions and Commercial Real Estate Credit Decisions.

Physician assistant Erica Gyorfi recently joined the Orthodpedic Center at Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire. Gyorfi earned her master’s degree in the physician assistant program from Barry University in Miami, Florida. She received her bachelor’s degree in biology at UW-La Crosse. Gyorfi is board-certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants and a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the Wisconsin Academy of Physician Assistants. Gyorfi will see patients in Hand and Upper Extremity Services in the Orthopedics Center.
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The Women’s Giving Circle, a fund of the Eau Claire Community Foundation, has announced its Circle Advisory Team. At the Annual Meeting of the Women’s Giving Circle, the members elected the following individuals for the 2017 leadership positions: Circle Advisory Team Chair Jill Prushiek, Circle Advisory Team Co-Chair Sarah Stokes, Circle Advisory Team Secretary Karen Eisenbarth, Education and Programs Team Chair Petey Ahneman, Education and Programs Team Co-Chair Jennifer Hanson-Bremer, Grants Team Chair Sherry Macaul, Grants Team Co-Chair Jeanne Peterson, Membership/Outreach Team Chair Pat Markin, Membership/Outreach Team Co-Chair Marianne Klinkhammer and Circle Advisory Team Past Chair Sue McIntyre. In order to join the Women’s Giving Circle, members contribute at least $250 a year. Part of their contribution supports grants to local nonprofit organizations that run programs benefiting women and/or children. The other portion of the contribution is used to build an endowment at the Eau Claire Community Foundation for future grants.