Artworks named finalist for Milwaukee trailblazer award
Artworks for Milwaukee Inc., has been selected as one of three finalists for the 13th annual MANDI awards for the PNC Bank Trail Blazer award. The award winner will be announced in March.
MANDI, Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation were introduced by Milwaukee LISC in 1999.
The PNC Bank Trail Blazer Award “recognizes an innovative approach to a problem that is producing demonstrative results. It is designed to showcase innovation, creativity, sustainability, and effectiveness in addressing a long-standing community concern. The
“I am personally very touched that ArtWorks was selected as a finalist for the PNC Trailblazer Award,” said Meghan Koven, executive director of ArtWorks for Milwaukee. “It’s wonderful for our organization to be recognized for all the hard work we put into the young people we serve. As a small organization, it’s always more challenging for us to get the word out to decision-makers in the city about the critical work we do in Milwaukee neighborhoods. This finalist selection means huge exposure for us and it allows us to tell our story to an even wider range of audiences.”
ArtWorks is currently developing an expanded program model that will allow the organization to increase the number of youth they serve by up to 400 percent.
School directors honor Wisconsin Vision and Prevent Blindness Wisconsin
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors recently presented Wisconsin Vision and Prevent Blindness Wisconsin with an Excellence in Education Award for a program that provided free vision screenings to more than 500 students at Clarke Street School and Gwen T. Jackson Early Childhood and Elementary School. More than 100 of those children were then provided with free follow-up care including eyeglasses for many of them.
“Words cannot express the positive impact that Wisconsin Vision and Prevent Blindness Wisconsin had on the entire GTJS community,” said Kanika A. Burks, principal ofGwen T. Jackson school in a recent thank you note. “The look on the faces of the parents when they saw their children with new glasses is one that I will never forget. The gift of giving students ‘visual access’ to their education is priceless.”
The Excellence in Education Award recognizes an outstanding school, student, staff member, parent, or community member for a display of excellence, achievement, and innovation that may serve as an example to our school district and the entire Milwaukee community.
Wisconsin Vision started its free vision care program at the Clarke Street School last April. In October, Wisconsin Vision expanded the program and partnered with Prevent Blindness Wisconsin to conduct free screenings at Clarke and Gwen T. Jackson.
NARI names new officers
The Milwaukee Chapter of the National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI), celebrating 50 years as the area’s leading home improvement and remodeling industry resource, announced the election of officers and directors for 2012.
The executive officers include: President, Dave Amoroso of Ron Sonntag Public Relations Inc., Milwaukee; Vice President 1, Dan Riedel of Woller-Anger & Company, LLC, Elm Grove; Vice President 2, David Pekel of Pekel Construction & Remodeling, Wauwatosa; Vice President 3, Greg Adamec of Milwaukee Millwork; Treasurer, Bill Wandsnider of Wandsnider Landscape, Menomonee Falls; secretary, Susan Montie of Advanced Communication Specialists, Waukesha; Immediate Past President, Diane Krueger of Carl Krueger Construction Inc., Milwaukee.
The following were elected to three year-terms to serve on the board of directors: Josh Brown of Bliffert Lumber & Fuel Co., Milwaukee; Ryan Fillinger of A. Fillinger Inc., Milwaukee; Chris Holum of Kohler Co., Kohler; David Markwiese of Nationwide Floor & Window Coverings, Wauwatosa; John Phillips of The Cabinet Maker LLC, Milwaukee; Dan Callies of Oak Creek Plumbing in Oak Creek; and Jim Klappa of Greenfield.
These board members will continue to serve on the board: Mark Brick of B&E General Contractors Inc., Glendale; Tom Callen of Callen Construction Inc., Muskego; Scott Cline of J&B Construction Company Inc., Germantown; Dean Herriges of Urban Herriges & Sons Inc., Mukwonago; Thomas Kammerait of von Briesen & Roper s.c., Milwaukee; Nick Kerzner of Kerzner Remodeling & Construction, Oconomowoc; Dave Molenda of Weather-Tek Design Center Inc., Brookfield; and Jim Pitzen of Pitzen Design Ltd., Brookfield.
New members join COSBE board
The board of directors of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s Council of Small Business Executives (COSBE) has elected four new directors to serve three-year terms on the board:
Jeffrey Clark is president and CEO of Waukesha Metal Products, a leading contract metal forming company based in Sussex with more than 100 employees. Waukesha Metal Products received COSBE’s 2011 Future 50 award and was also named to the Inc. 5000 list of fast growth companies.
Debra Kessler is chief financial officer of Palermo Villa Inc., a manufacturer of pizza products in Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley with more than 400 employees. With the company since 2005, Kessler is responsible for all of the company’s financial and information systems requirements.
Mike Malatesta is the founder and president of Advanced Waste Services, Inc., a West Allis-based firm that specializes in industrial waste collection, transportation and treatment. The company employs 70 people locally and 166 overall. Advanced Waste Services is a three-time COSBE Future 50 winner and has made the Inc. 5000 list the past five years.
Rick Parra is branch manager for Pieper Electric, Inc., an electrical contractor based in Milwaukee with more than 500 employees throughout Wisconsin. Serving with the company for the past seven years, he leads a business segment that operates in the industrial service, design/build construction, high voltage, and arc flash markets.
Scaffidi is acting mayor of Oak Creek
Oak Creek Common Council President Steve Scaffidi is the city’s acting mayor in the aftermath of the death of Mayor Richard “Dick” Bolender.
Bolender died after collapsing at his home Saturday night.
The council will meet on Dec. 20 to determine how it will proceed in the interim. Scaffidi said the council has a couple of options to discuss before adopting an interim plan, which will be in place until the April elections, according to OakCreekPatch.com.
Oak Creek officials have also decided to cancel most city government public meetings over the next seven days, including the joint Delphi redevelopment meeting with the Oak Creek-Franklin School District on Dec. 19.
Scaffidi had previously announced plans to run for mayor in April.
