■ Accounting
Jim Holmes, managing partner at Brookfield-based Vrakas/Blum S.C., has been elected chairman-elect of the CPA Associates International North America board of directors. Holmes has worked at Vrakas/Blum for 30 years. CPA Associates International is an association of more than 152 CPA firms.
■ Advertising & Public Relations
Brookfield-based Celtic Inc. has promoted Meghan Boyle to account executive. Boyle, who began working for the agency in 2011, previously served as assistant account executive. In her new role, she will function as the primary point person for several agency clients while also contributing to social media and interactive campaigns.
Vive LLC, of Milwaukee, has added Clinton Dybul as its first brand development specialist. In this capacity, Dybul will handle communication-oriented marketing initiatives, such as social media, website content and blog content. He will also work to strengthen the brands of Vive’s clients through the use of infographics and creative visuals on marketing materials.
Susan Schoultz has joined Milwaukee-based Zizzo Group as a graphic designer. Schoultz became part of Zizzo Group following its acquisition of Clear Verve Marketing. Schoultz has more than 15 years of experience in marketing and graphic design.
■ Banking & Finance
Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. promoted three employees to senior leadership positions. All three will be based in Milwaukee. Blaise Beaulier has been named vice president of enterprise projects and support and an executive officer. He will be responsible for the development and support of application systems. Meg Jansky has been promoted to vice president-field integration and an executive officer. She will be responsible for aligning and upgrading the company’s distribution model. Kamilah Williams-Kemp has been named vice president-long-term care and executive officer.
Milwaukee-based Artisan Partners Asset Management Inc. has added Lewis Kaufman, who is charged with launching a new investment team. Kaufman’s team will be the firm’s seventh autonomous investment team, and Kaufman will oversee a developing world strategy at the firm. He has 15 years of industry experience and eight years of portfolio management experience.
Waddell & Reed has added Craig Vento as a financial advisor in Waukesha. In this role, Vento will address the financial needs of individuals, families and businesses. His services include offering a brokerage platform, devising long-term investment strategies and creating customized financial plans for clients. Prior to joining Waddell & Reed, Vento worked for more than two years as a financial advisor at J.P. Morgan Securities.
■ Education
Milwaukee School of Engineering has appointed Stephen diFilipo chief information officer. He has more than 25 years of business and information technology experience, in addition to experience working in higher education. He previously served as vice president and chief information officer for Cecil College in Maryland and chief technology officer for Rowan College at Gloucester County in New Jersey.
Milwaukee-based Project Foundry has appointed Ben DeBruin vice president of sales. In this position, DeBruin will oversee all sales and marketing functions.
■ Engineering
Brookfield-based R.A. Smith National Inc. added Jeffrey Yersin as senior project engineer in the land development division. Yersin has more than 15 years of experience in civil engineering. His focus areas include management and site design services for institutional, commercial and retail developments. He also handles storm water management and water quality modeling.
■ Health Care
Madison Medical Affiliates has added Dr. Brent Fossum Jones to its endocrinology team at its downtown Milwaukee office on Cathedral Square. Jones is board certified in internal medicine and endocrinology and is experienced in diagnosing and treating hormone regulation disorders. His training has largely focused on issues related to diabetes and nutrition.
Armor Correctional Health Services Inc. has appointed Maureen White, Ph.D., mental health director at the Milwaukee County Correctional Facility. Prior to her new position, White served as mental health clinician at the Sheboygan County Detention Center in Sheboygan. She has also worked for the Manitowoc County Jail, Rock County Jail, and Kenosha County Detention Center.
■ Insurance
Mortgage Guaranty Insurance Corp., headquartered in Milwaukee, promoted Kurt Thomas to senior vice president, chief human resources officer, and Dean Dardzinski to vice president, managing director. Thomas has worked as MGIC’s vice president, human resources, since 2003. Dardzinski has more than 20 years of experience in the mortgage finance industry and started at MGIC as a sales service representative in 1993. Additionally, MGIC has promoted Elyse Mitchell to lead account manager. Mitchell also has more than 20 years of experience in the industry. She has been with MGIC since 2000, when she started as an account manager. She was previously promoted to senior account manager. MGIC further bolstered its team by adding Robert Bates as vice president, national accounts manager. Bates has more than 20 years of experience in financial services as well. Prior to joining MGIC, he served as the director of product development for Assurant Specialty Property.
■ Legal Services
Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C. has expanded its legal team in Milwaukee with the addition of: Trevor Currie to the Commercial Finance, Corporate Transactions and Emerging Companies teams; Jacqueline Wilcox to the Corporate Transactions, State & Local Taxation, and Trusts & Estates teams; Emily Hutchens to the Corporate Transactions, Emerging Companies and Securities teams; Ari Kasper to the Business & Commercial Litigation team; Laura Malugade to the Labor & Employment team; and Brianna Schonenberg to the Intellectual Property Counseling & Protection, Agribusiness, and Contested Administrative Proceedings teams.
Milwaukee-based Foley & Lardner LLP has promoted Karl Reichenberger and Kadie Jelenchick to partners in the Milwaukee office. Reichenberger is a member of the Mechanical & Electromechanical Technology, Green Energy Technologies, and Electronics Practices. Jelenchick is a member of Foley & Lardner’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice and a member of its Recruiting Committee.
■ Manufacturing
Everbrite LLC, based in Greenfield, has promoted Don Marshall to the newly created position of director of indoor product sales. He has been with Everbrite Sales Group since 2004. Marshall previously spent more than 20 years in retail creative and merchandising at American Greetings Co. In his new position at Everbrite, Marshall will focus on sales and marketing initiatives for the company’s indoor sign and display products. He will also guide the introduction of new indoor point-of-sale products and work to grow customer relations in new markets.
LaForce Inc. has promoted Joe VanBeek to a contract sales position in its Milwaukee office. VanBeek, who has worked for LaForce since June 2011, previously served as a contract small project specialist.
West Milwaukee-based process and motion control product manufacturer Rexnord Corp. recently announced that George Moore has joined the company’s board of directors. Moore currently serves as a director of Wastequip Inc., a leading manufacturer of waste handling and recycling equipment based in Charlotte, N.C., where he has worked since 2012. Prior to joining Wastequip, he was executive vice president of Rexnord from 2006 to 2012, as Rexnord’s chief financial officer from 2006 to 2008, and as acting CFO for portions of 2009 and 2010.
Milwaukee-based identification solutions manufacturer Brady Corp. announced that Harold (Hal) Sirkin has joined its board of directors. Sirkin is a senior partner and managing director of The Boston Consulting Group, a global management consulting firm based in Boston and specializing in business strategy. He is an expert on globalization, operations, innovation and change management.
SPX Corp. appointed Brian Mason president of SPX Transformer Solutions Inc., located in Waukesha. Mason has more than 27 years of experience serving global manufacturing companies.
■ Nonprofit
Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer Inc. has elected Paul Knoebel chairman of the board of directors. Knoebel, who is founder and chairman of Menomonee Falls-based Knoebel and Associates, has been involved with the MACC Fund since its early years nearly four decades ago. He previously served as vice chair of the board, in addition to holding other leadership positions for the nonprofit. As chairman of the board, Knoebel succeeds Bill Steinberg, who has become the organization’s first chairman emeritus. The MACC Fund has also named Kevin Steiner vice chair. Steiner is president and chief executive officer of West Bend Mutual Insurance. Steiner’s contributions to the organization span nearly 20 years. He has been a member of the MACC Fund’s board for eight years and served as chairman of its Finance Committee for the past three years.
Curative Care Network recently added Paula Rhyner, Ph.D., to its board of directors. Rhyner is interim dean of the College of Health Sciences and professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
VISIT Milwaukee has appointed Kristin Settle director of communications. Settle joins VISIT Milwaukee from the Milwaukee Art Museum, where she had worked as public relations manager and spokesperson since 2010. Her career has also included an account management position at Zizzo Group. At VISIT Milwaukee, she will oversee the communications team’s work with local, regional, national and international media. Settle will also contribute to the organization’s marketing plan, which centers on drawing more leisure travelers and meetings to Milwaukee.
The Charles E. Kubly Foundation, a Milwaukee charity that works to spread awareness of depression and extinguish the stigma associated with it, has named Christina Berger executive director. At the head of the foundation, Berger will work to cultivate relationships with nonprofits addressing mental health in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin. She will also lead the foundation’s grant review process and will collaborate with the foundation’s board to organize events and add to the foundation’s donor base. Berger previously was a senior manager on Baker Tilly Virchow Krause’s Strategic Tax Team and belonged to its leadership development program.
■ Real Estate
Milwaukee-based Fiduciary Real Estate Development Inc. recently promoted Kathy Nettesheim to executive vice president of property management. Nettesheim has worked for the company for more than 20 years and has more than 25 years of property management experience total.
CBRE Group Inc. has added Alyssa Geisler as an associate in its office brokerage group. Geisler will work in the Milwaukee office and will focus on tenant and landlord representation assignments, lease negotiations and new business development. She previously worked as an office brokerage professional for CRESA Milwaukee.
■ Technology
Brookfield-based Connecture, Inc. recently added Russ Thomas to its board of directors. Thomas has been chief executive officer of Jacksonville, Fla.-based Availity for the past three years. He became president and chief operating officer of the company in 2008. Before leading Availity, Thomas was CEO of Tampa, Fla.-based Gold Standard, Inc., which was acquired by international company Reed Elsevier. Thomas also spent 11 years practicing law with an emphasis on corporate mergers and acquisitions, business development and government law.
DP Electronic Recycling Inc., of Elkhorn, has named Matt Huebner plant manager. Huebner brings eight years of experience as a plant manager and also has 11 years of experience as an owner and operator in manufacturing. In his new position, he will run plant operations at DP Electronic Recycling and will work to enhance facility efficiencies.
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