Jim Nicholson has been named executive vice president at R.A. Smith & Associates in Brookfield. Nicholson is responsible for overseeing the company’s Oshkosh branch office; managing strategic issues including mergers and acquisitions; and administering quality control initiatives. He has been employed with R.A. Smith & Associates since 1983. Nicholson has more than 33 years of management and design experience in public works engineering. He has held several positions at R.A. Smith including director of public works engineering, senior associate, senior manager and general manager of operations. Nicholson holds a bachelor of science degree in engineering from Marquette University and a bachelor of arts degree from UW-Madison.
Todd R. Luft has been named vice president and director of marketing at Port Washington State Bank. Luft has 15 year of marketing management, having worked in similar capacities with Associated Bank, Security Bank and M&I Bank.
Fred Klingbeil has been hired as medical director of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Wauwatosa. Klingbeil is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Carol Lynn Rusch has been named senior consultant at Business Development Directives, a Milwaukee-area research and management consulting firm. Prior to joining the company, she was a published researcher, operated her own business, held marketing and advertising positions, and taught in the Oconomowoc School District. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Illinois and a master’s degree from UW-Whitewater.
Dan Westrope has been named chief financial officer for State Financial Services Corp. in Hales Corners. Westrope, with the State Financial Bank since 1998, has been the Illinois market president. The bank promoted Tom Lilly from Stateline market president to senior vice president of the retail division. He has been with State Financial since 1985. Catherine Burdick, marketing manager for the bank, has been promoted to the position of assistant vice president for marketing. She has been with the company since August 2001. Darren Dewing, purchasing, has been promoted to assistant vice president for purchasing. He has been with the company since December 2000. Christopher Hefter, assistant vice president for corporate technology, has been promoted to the position of vice president for corporate technology. He has been with State Financial since 1996. Kenneth Naujock, assistant vice president of commercial lending at the Downer Avenue, Milwaukee location, has been promoted to the position of vice president for commercial lending at Downer Avenue. He has been with the bank since June 2000. Robert Zondag, retail sales manager for Wisconsin markets, has been promoted to the position of vice president for retail operations in Wisconsin. He has been with the bank since February 1999.
Three persons have joined the Greater Milwaukee Convention & Visitors Bureau staff. Laurie Serena is director of convention services. Ann Stuckey is marketing technology manager. Jim Jaworski is convention sales manager. Serena had been an independent meeting planner for a variety of organizations and was manager of the Group Travel and Meetings office of Proctor and Gamble. Stuckey worked for Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Jaworski was director of sales and marketing at Howard Johnson Inn and Suites.
Freida Webb has been named director for the Disadvantaged Business Development Program in Milwaukee County by County Executive Scott Walker. Webb has consulted with the Milwaukee Public Schools, Laborers International 113, Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District, and other organizations. She created her own firm, Webb and Associates. She is a UW-Madison graduate with a degree in economics.
Emily Brink has joined Brady Marketing Group as a copywriter. She had previously been a public relations intern for the Milwaukee Christian Center.
Patrick Hevrdejs has been promoted to the position of managing director of the Milwaukee office of Jefferson Wells International. He spent the last six years as director of accounting and finance at the firm’s Chicago office.
Bonnie Klimt-Embertson has joined Mutual Savings Bank as manager of the Bayshore Mall bank office in Glendale. She was most recently branch sales manager at TCF Bank, but had earlier managed the Waldenbooks store in Bayshore Mall. She holds a degree in elementary education from UW-Milwaukee. The bank also has hired Patrick Stone as information systems specialist at its corporate headquarters in Brown Deer. Stone previously had worked for UW-Milwaukee. Andrea Friedman has joined the bank as marketing specialist at its corporate headquarters. She has been employed as a call center personal banker at another financial institution. Friedman holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and Spanish from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
Craig W. Riley has joined STS Consultants, Milwaukee, as a senior project surveyor in the civil engineering department. He has an associate’s degree in electronic engineering technology from the ACME Institute of Technology in South Bend, Ind., and a bachelor’s degree in automated manufacturing technology from ITT Technical Institute in Fort Wayne, Ind.
Jim Bomm has joined Embassy Suites Hotel -Milwaukee West in Brookfield as its food and beverage director. Bomm had been president and general manager of Jake’s Restaurants. He was with Jake’s for 30 years. The hotel has hired Everett Eash as its new chief engineer. He had been plant director at Temple University in Chattanooga, Tenn. since 1997.
Monica Karrels and Kim Anderson have joined Hays Companies of Wisconsin, in Wauwatosa. Karrels is an account representative and Anderson a systems analyst. Karrels spent seven years with Willis in Milwaukee, while Anderson was with AON in Milwaukee for 6-1/2 years.
Adelle Thurow has joined Emerald Isle Marketing Public Relations in New Berlin as an account coordinator. She had been with Advertising Boelter & Lincoln in Milwaukee. She is a Marquette University graduate.
Kelly S. Kuglitsch has joined the von Briesen & Roper law office as an associate in its Compensation & Benefits section. Kuglitsch was a dean’s school at DePaul University, and had been a legal extern for Judge Richard D. Cudahy in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in Chicago. She received a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 1994 and a master’s degree from The George Washington University in 1999. She earned her law degree at DePaul University College of Law cum laude in 2002.
Jackie Bartanen has been promoted from the position of accountant to accountant supervisor at HealthEOS in DePere and Milwaukee. The company also promoted Christine Toliver from account manager to director of client services and John Okresik from help desk representative to supervisor of the help desk.
Brian Lucareli has been named senior vice president, director of trust services for Johnson Financial Group in Racine. Lucareli joined Johnson Financial Group in 1992. He is has an undergraduate degree from UW-Madison and a law degree from the Marquette University Law School. Johnson Financial Group also promoted Terry Brach to the position of assistant vice president – enterprise customer service, and Shari Brand to assistant vice president – technology project manager. Kevin Bong was promoted to the position of assistant vice president – application and security development. Brach joined the company in 1983 while Brand joined in 1999 and Bong in 1999. Paul Belke has been named assistant vice president – personal trust officer for Johnson Financial Group. He joins the company with more than three years of personal trust experience. He holds a law degree from UW-Madison.
Andy Vogel has been promoted to the position of vice president – division manager/commercial banking at Johnson Bank in Kenosha. Vogel joined the company in 2001 as vice president – commercial banking, with more than 12 years of banking experience. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration, earned at UW-Milwaukee. Johnson Bank has promoted Joann Christensen to the position of assistant vice president – banking support, in Racine. Christensen joined the company in 1983.
Susan Prerost has joined Johnson Trust as trust officer – relationship manager in Milwaukee. She has more than three years of trust experience, and holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from Marquette University.
Darci Miller has joined Park Bank as vice president of commercial banking, at the bank’s downtown Milwaukee office. She has more than 10 years of experience in the finance industry. She had been with Bank One for six years. Miller is a graduate of Marquette University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Jody Brandstatter has joined Avicom Marketing Communications in Waukesha as a senior account executive. Brandstatter has 11 years of account management experience and holds a degree in speech with an emphasis in public relations from UW-Whitewater. Avicom has hired McKenna Bryant as a copywriter. She has a degree from UW-Madison and previously worked as reporter in Roseburg, Ore. Kayla Krueger has joined the company as an account executive and marketing consultant. She holds a degree in English communication s from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Shakila Manogaran Shimp was named human resources director at Covenant Healthcare. She holds a master’s degree in management from Cardinal Stritch University and a bachelor’s degree in political science from UW-Milwaukee. She previously had been the human resources manager for Extendicare Health Services. Tom Zinda has been named director of strategic recruitment at Covenant Healthcare. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UW-La Crosse and has 12 years of human resources experience. He had been with Metavante Corp. Vicki Budzisz has been named director of library services at Covenant Healthcare. She holds a master of library and information science degree from UW-Milwaukee. Previously, she was the director of library services at All Saints Healthcare in Racine.
David Garacci has joined the architectural design team at Engberg Anderson Design Partnership while Christie Mole has joined the firm’s business development and marketing team. Garacci recently served as a project manager for Anderson Illustration in Madison and previously had his own business, Intersection Design in Milwaukee. Mole is a recent graduate of UW-Madison with a bachelor of science degree in family and consumer communications and a bachelor of art degree in Scandinavian studies.
Kolb+Co. has announced the following new employees: Thomas Branch, senior accountant; Jeff Reiner, staff accountant; Pam Franzke, tax specialist; Jenny Dalebroux, tax intern; Erin Jachowicz, tax intern; Claire Wember, accounting intern; and Mechelle King, marketing assistant. Kolb+Co. Medical Billing has added Charity Nelson, billing specialist. Kolb+Co. Technology Advisers has added Angela Phillips, consultant.
Kelly K. Miller has been promoted to the position of manager in the accounting and auditing department at Scribner, Cohen and Co. Miller has been with the CPA and advisory organization for four years. She is a graduate of UW-Whitewater with a BBA degree in accounting. Shawn Howard has been promoted from intern to staff accountant with the tax department. He graduated cum laude from Marquette University with a degree in accounting. Kristin Negri has been promoted from intern to staff accountant with the accounting and auditing department. Negri graduated cum laude from Marquette University with a degree in accounting and is currently pursuing a master of professional accounting degree from UW-Milwaukee. Nick Schulz has been promoted from intern to staff accountant in the accounting and auditing department. Schulz holds a BBA degree in accounting and a master of professional accountancy degree from UW-Whitewater. Eva Kuether has joined the accounting and auditing department as a senior accountant. Kuether holds a degree in accounting from UW-Milwaukee. Raven Ledvina has joined the tax department as a staff accountant. She holds a degree in accounting from UW-Milwaukee. Danielle Ohm has joined the accounting and auditing department as a staff accountant. She holds a degree in accounting and a certificate in international business from UW-Milwaukee. Mary Tarman has joined the tax department as an accountant. She holds a BBA degree in finance from UW-Milwaukee.
The Northwestern Mutual Financial Network has named Adam Wiese as a financial representative of the James P. Grogan Group in Brookfield, a district office of the James A. Schwertfeger Financial Group of Northwestern Mutual, and Kurt Raddemann as a financial representative of the John Glowacki Group in Waukesha, part of the Schwertfeger Financial Group. Richard Huber has been named as the director of agency management with the Schwertfeger Financial Group. Huber has also been appointed as a financial representative. New financial representatives at the Schwertfeger Financial Group include Thomas Balistreri, Melissa Drska, Betty Kujawa, Brett Templin and Andrew Thorne.
John C. Bonnell has been named a financial advisor at the North Shore branch of Robert W. Baird & Co. in Mequon. Bonnell joins Thomas J. Johnson in the newly formed Johnson Bonnell Group. Bonnell earned a bachelor’s degree in finance from Butler University and a MBA from Loyola University, Chicago. Johnson, a senior vice president of investments, has been with Baird for 21 years.
Deyana Petrick has joined Benefit Solutions Corp. in Milwaukee as vice president of client services. Before joining BSC, Petrick held positions at a Milwaukee-area advertising agency and Associated Bank. She received her bachelor’s degree in advertising and marketing from Marquette University.
Nancy Wilson has joined the Willms Anderson law firm in Thiensville as an attorney, practicing in the areas of federal and state taxation for individuals and businesses, corporate and business law, estate planning, and fiduciary income tax. Prior to attending law school, Wilson owned and operated a consulting business, a retail store, and a credit-reporting agency. Additionally, she was a corporate vice president for a Wisconsin manufacturing company. She received her B.B.A. degree in accounting and a master of accountancy (taxation concentration) from UW-Madison and her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School.
Steve Biebel has been named local sales manager at WISN-TV (Channel 12). Biebel has served as national sales manager at WISN-TV since August 2000. Prior to coming to Milwaukee, he was senior account executive for Katz Media Group, a national advertising rep firm in Chicago. Biebel also served as an account executive at WFTC-TV in Minneapolis, and WKOW-TV, in Madison. Biebel is a UW-Madison graduate.
Paul Mueller, a 10-year employee who most recently served as the vice president of marketing at Rogers Memorial Hospital in Oconomowoc, has accepted the position of chief operations officer for the Oconomowoc campus.
Frank Miller has been appointed communications director of the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. Miller formerly served as communication director for the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and was assistant vice president of marketing communications for Alverno College prior to that. Miller holds a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and is completing a master’s in communication at UW-Milwaukee.
William Schilling has joined Ayres Associates in Waukesha as a transportation engineer. Schilling has more than eight years of transportation engineering experience. He began his career with Ayres in 1994 after graduating from UW-Milwaukee with a degree in civil engineering. He later worked for R.A. Smith and then for CH2M Hill.
Barbara Klemp has joined Marsh Inc. in Milwaukee as a property client advisor. She had worked 26 years for Fireman’s Fund Insurance before joining Marsh.
Eric Trost has joined Suby, Von Haden & Associates as tax manager in the Milwaukee market office in Brookfield. He holds a degree in accounting from Marquette University and a master’s degree in taxation from UW-Milwaukee. Trost has more than 11 years of accounting experience. Suby, Von Haden & Associates also has named Sandra L. Swan as a supervisor at the Brookfield office. She holds an accounting degree from UW-Milwaukee and has more than eight years of accounting experience.
Christopher Hitch has joined National Survey & Engineering, a division of R.A. Smith &
Associates in Brookfield, as a project coordinator in its private development practice group. Hitch has six years experience with Ryan Incorporated Central, Janesville. Hitch has a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering, construction management emphasis, from UW-Platteville.
Gary Kretchmer has been promoted from project manager to senior project manager at CG Schmidt in Milwaukee. He received a bachelor’s degree in industrial education from Northern Michigan University and a master’s degree in architecture from UW-Milwaukee. Kretchmer has more than 20 years of project management experience.
Cheryl Galecke has joined Wipfli Ullrich Bertelson as senior human resource consultant for the Human Resource division in the firm’s Eastern Region. She will work out of Wipfli’s Green Bay office.
Doug Schacht has joined Thomas & Egenhoefer Inc. in Menomonee Falls as a project manager. Schacht earned a bachelor of science degree from UW-Whitewater. In addition, he holds a certificate in construction management from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and completed the Associated General Contractors Project Manager Development Course.
Chad Weick recently joined Malcolm Marketing Communications in Racine as a new-media specialist. Prior to joining the company, Weick was responsible for Web application development for Madison-based HBG E-Business Solutions.
Wauwatosa Savings Bank has appointed Cheryl L. Brah to the position of assistant vice president of the Human Resource Department. She joined the bank in 1999 as human resource administrator.
Joan M. Whaley has joined Kahler Slater Architects in Milwaukee as principal in charge of wellness facility planning, development, programming and design. She formerly was based in San Diego as a project director with Kaplan McLaughlin Diaz and vice president/senior designer at Ellerbe Becket. Whaley has more than 15 years of experience directing the development, design and construction of hospital, hotel and commercial facilities. She is the author of "Wellness Centers, A Guide for the Design Professional" (John Whiley and Sons, publisher, 2000).
Freyberg Hinkle Ashland Powers & Stowell in Brookfield has announced that Stephanie L. Brester and Frank C. Windt have been admitted as partners to the CPA firm, and that Julie M. Cundy has been promoted to the position of senior audit manager.
Trainor/Frank & Associates, a recruiting and outplacement firm, has added three persons at its new Brookfield office: Paul German, director of client services; Susan Behn, director – human resource consulting; and Julie O’Malley, senior consultant.
Humana has hired Richard Champion to manage sales of the company’s individual health insurance plans in Wisconsin. Champion is a licensed health insurance agent, with more than 25 years of sales and marketing management experience, most of it in southeastern Wisconsin. He has owned and operated his own marketing and advertising agency. Champion holds a degree in communications from UW-Milwaukee.
Feb. 21, 2003 Small Business Times, Milwaukee
