Junior Achievement of Wisconsin
Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, received a $10,000 grant from JCPenney Afterschool Fund as part of a $500,000 contribution made by the fund earlier this year. JCPenney Afterschool Fund awarded 19 separate grants of $10,000 and $20,000 to support Junior Achievement Worldwide, Colorado Springs, Colo., educational programs in after-school settings in the U.S. The grants will allow local Junior Achievement offices to continue working closely with other JCPenney Afterschool Fund partners including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, 4-H and YMCA of the USA.
USA Funding Corp.
USA Funding Corp., Brookfield, donated $20,000 to Homes for Our Troops, Taunton, Mass., as part of an annual fundraiser. Homes for our Troops refurbishes or builds homes to accommodate disabled and seriously injured veterans and their immediate families.
Munson Inc.
In conjunction with its 50th anniversary, Munson Inc., Glendale, expanded its exterior showroom by utilizing fencing samples and concrete and asphalt paving options. The new showroom includes asphalt and concrete patterns including Ashlar Slate, Brick Fan and London Cobblestone with multiple color options. Fencing samples in the showroom include vinyl coated chain link and wrought iron styles in steel and aluminum. Munson also unveiled a new logo for its 50th anniversary.
Platypus Advertising + Design
Stephens Trzinski Advertising, Pewaukee, changed its name to Platypus Advertising + Design and moved from Waukesha to N29 W23810 Woodgate Court West, Pewaukee. The new location has 8,000 square feet of space and features an audio/visual suite with a double room sound booth, focus group facilities, editing and production capabilities and a hi-tech conference center.
Medical College of Wisconsin
The Medical College of Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, received a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to study the function of blocked blood vessels in sickle cell disease. Dr. Cheryl Hillery, an associate professor of hematology oncology at the Medical College will serve as principal investigator of the grant, which is called "Mechanisms of Vaso-occlusion in Sickle Cell Disease." The research is intended to clarify the interrelated roles of the coagulation system, vascular injury and inflammation in the evolution of sickle-cell induced vascular disease. The study will also provide insights into the value of targeted anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory therapies for the treatment and prevention of sickle cell disease.
Thomas Hammeke, a professor of neurology at the Medical College received the Brain Injury Association of Wisconsin Clinical Service Award for his contributions to the evaluation and treatment of people with brain injury. Hammeke has worked with mild traumatic brain injury, sports-related concussions and neurocognitive functioning. Hammeke and Dr. Mark Klingbeil, an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the Medical College, founded the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Clinic.
Michael Olivier, an associate professor of physiology at the Medical College was one of seven recipients of the 2005 Charles J. Epstein Down Syndrome Research Award from the National Down Syndrome Society. Olivier received the award for his study entitled, "Genetic Analysis of Leukemia in Down Syndrome."
Winter, Kloman, Moter & Repp, S.C.
Winter, Kloman, Moter & Repp, S.C. (WKMR), with offices in Elm Grove and Oconomowoc, received two awards from the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM). WKMR received one award for a direct mailing marketing piece the company created for Prevention and Protection of Abused Children where a holiday card was designed from the results of a children’s coloring contest. The second award was for a creative telephone on-hold message that WKMR created for itself. WKMR combined a comical approach using its initials as call letters for a radio station with a professional approach by educating callers to WKMR’s financial and accounting services. Schenck Business Solutions, Appleton, also placed in the AAM awards competition. Schenck Business Solutions received an award for its internal incentive program and an award for a niche building campaign.
West Suburban Chamber of Commerce
Ten southeastern Wisconsin businesses joined the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce, Wauwatosa. The new member businesses include: Amcore Bank, Wauwatosa; Brew City Home Inspection Services, Wauwatosa; Cook & Franke, S.C., Milwaukee; Davison Group, Menomonee Falls; Ebenezer Child Care Center, Wauwatosa; Flissart, Milwaukee; KLM Mortgage Group, Wauwatosa; Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA Inc., Waukesha; Pre-Paid Legal Services, Milwaukee and Sendik’s Food Market, Wauwatosa.
Marquette University
Marquette University named a scholarship in honor of Mattiebelle Woods, the first woman of Milwaukee’s black press. The scholarship will grant $1,000 per year for four years to an incoming freshman in the Diederich College of Communications. The first recipient of the scholarship was Keith Jamerson, an African-American student from Los Angeles. In her career, Woods wrote for the Chicago Defender, the Milwaukee Defender, the Milwaukee Star, the Milwaukee Globe and as a freelance writer for Ebony and Jet magazines. Woods died in February at the age of 102. Up until her death, she continued the work she began for the Milwaukee Courier in 1964 as the society columnist. She was believed to be the oldest working journalist in the nation.
Visit Milwaukee
Visit Milwaukee partnered with IndependenceFirst, Milwaukee, to provide hospitality service industry training, which will include disability awareness, reasonable accommodations, accessibility requests and disability etiquette. The training session is scheduled for late September and is aimed to better prepare the tourism and hospitality workforce for hosting special needs conventions. Milwaukee will host the TASH – Disability Advocacy Worldwide convention Nov. 9-12, which will bring about 2,000 delegates and guests to the city.
Freedom Training Centers of America
George Zach joined Freedom Training Centers of America, Waukesha, as chief executive officer. Zach has more than 35 years of executive management experience in the areas of business planning and growth, leadership and management skills, consulting, coaching, creative strategic planning and profitability and sales growth. He holds a degree from UW-Madison.
Maritime Savings Bank
Maritime Savings Bank, West Allis, formed a new full-service investment and financial planning company called MSB Financial Services Inc. MSB Financial Services offers investment options to customers including annuities, mutual funds and brokerage services and life and long-term care insurance. The new company also provides retirement, estate and education planning services. MSB Financial Services operates from Maritime’s existing branch locations and is the fourth wholly owned subsidiary of Maritime Savings Bank. Dale Elam and Wayne Liss will serve as registered investment representatives for MSB Financial Services. Both Elam and Liss previously offered investment products through Maritime’s internal investment center. Jeffrey Versluys will serve as president and chief executive officer for MSB Financial Services, Jeffrey Horne will serve as vice president and treasurer and Stefanie Bonesteel will serve as secretary.
BCI Group
BCI Group, parent company to Bukacek Construction, BCI Property Development and BCI Architectural Specialties, Racine, promoted Gregg Thompson from co-president to chief executive officer. Nick Bukecek has stepped down as chief executive officer and will serve as chairman of the board and as an advisee.
Greater Milwaukee Foundation
The Greater Milwaukee Foundation board, Milwaukee, approved $4.6 million in grants for non-profit organizations in the greater Milwaukee area for the second quarter of 2005. The largest foundation commitments include a $200,000 grant over two years to the UW-Milwaukee Foundation for expansion of Compass Guide, an Internet post-secondary education information clearinghouse with information about more than $3 million in local scholarships. The grant will support the coordination of more than 20 local pre-college programs, improve tracking and follow-up with Compass Guide users and expand services in the greater Milwaukee area. A grant of $100,000 was made to Holy Redeemer Institutional Church of God In Christ for the Mother Kathryn Daniels Conference Center for Community Empowerment and Family Reunification. The center provides area families with education, recreation, technology, arts, financial management and self and spiritual empowerment.
Michael Best & Friedrich LLP
Team Michael Best of Michael & Friedrich LLP, Milwaukee, competed in the 13th Annual Scenic Shore 150 Bike Tour in July, a 150-mile bike ride to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Riders from Michael Best included Paul Lacey and his son, Alan, John Finerty, Tim Burkard and Robert Matula. The Michael Best riders raised more than $2,800 for research into and treatment of leukemia and related cancers. The Scenic Shore bike tour had 600 participants and raised more than $300,000 for the society.
