Accounting
Komisar Brady & Co. LLP, of Milwaukee, added Matt Geitner as a staff accountant. Geitner previously served as a tax team coordinator for MillerCoors.
Banking & Finance
Ixonia Bank has appointed Wendy Sowinski director of market development. Sowinski, based in Hartland, will retain her role as vice president, business banking, with a primary focus on commercial lending and cash management solutions. Sowinski has more than 22 years of experience in business banking. She joined Ixonia Bank in 2013. Previously, she was a relationship manager for Associated Bank’s Business Banking division.
American Bank, of Waukesha, added Victoria Andes as an assistant vice president. Prior to joining American Bank, Andes served as a senior loan officer at PyraMax Bank. She has more than 30 years of experience in the financial industry. In her new role, she will focus on residential real estate.
Building & Construction
MSI General Corp., of Oconomowoc, added Benjamin Freeland as a sales/project director in the Large Project Sales department.
Greenfire Management Services LLC, of Milwaukee, hired Tom Heinrich as an estimator. Heinrich has close to 20 years of experience in guiding construction projects from pre-construction to completion. He has worked on construction projects across industries and has handled pre-development, budget projections and client presentations, design process monitoring, project bidding, negotiation of contracts, construction project management and project close-out.
Engineering
Milwaukee-based GRAEF has added Eric Nitschke as a senior project manager in its Infrastructure Group. Prior to joining GRAEF, Nitschke was the southeast secretary’s director for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. He is particularly knowledgeable about water resources. His career has also included working as the City of New Berlin division engineer for stormwater and the director of public works and village engineer in Sussex.
Stantec has appointed Richard Klein manager of operations for its Milwaukee office. Klein has more than 20 years of experience in water resources and will continue to work as a senior project manager in the firm’s community development practice. Additionally, Stantec has added Kevin Kimmes as a senior project manager. Kimmes has 17 years of experience in design, management and business development in engineering and construction.
Brookfield-based R.A. Smith National has added Troy Hartjes as senior project manager in its municipal services division. Hartjes has close to 20 years of experience in municipal public works engineering. His career has included work in urban and rural roadway rehabilitation and construction, in addition to sanitary sewer and water main system design. He also is experienced in stormwater conveyance systems, stormwater management, stormwater utilities, drainage plans and site development. He has helped clients with capital improvement budgeting and grant writing as well. In his new role, Hartjes will focus on client and project management, quality control, and design and organization of municipal engineering and land development projects.
Health Care
Columbia St. Mary’s has added Dr. Christopher Weber, internal medicine and pediatrics, to its Germantown Clinic. Weber is board certified in internal medicine and pediatrics and specializes in weight management, HIV care, chronic pain and adult care of congenital diseases. He completed his medical degree in 2008 and an internal medicine and pediatric residency in 2012 – both at the Medical College of Wisconsin.
Aurora Health Care has named Michael Grubich senior vice president of learning and development. Grubich has 25 years of experience in human resources management. He previously worked as a global human resources executive for CNH Industrial in Racine. He has also worked in human resources leadership roles for Kohler Co. and Jockey International Inc. At Aurora Health Care, Grubich will be responsible for organizational development initiatives, such as executive and leadership development, employee development, performance management and succession planning.
Insurance
Willis of Wisconsin’s Milwaukee office added JJ Lesko as director, data and analytics.
Legal Services
Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek S.C. recently elected John Emanuel and Eric Lenzen to its board of directors and re-elected Andrew Jones to the board. Emanuel serves as a shareholder in the law firm’s Milwaukee office and is a member of its Corporate & Finance Practice Group. Lenzen also is a shareholder in the Milwaukee office and is part of the Corporate & Finance Practice Group. Jones is a shareholder in the Milwaukee office and co-leads the firm’s Municipal Law & Civil Rights and Employment Litigation teams. He serves on the Litigation Practice Group, is a member of the Recruiting Committee and is the shareholder leader of the firm’s attorney development program known as WHD University. Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek has also added new shareholders Erik Eisenmann, Patrick Harvey and Philip Koutnik. Eisenmann is part of the Human Resources Law Practice Group in the Milwaukee office. Harvey serves on the Litigation Practice Group in Milwaukee. Koutnik belongs to the Corporate & Finance Practice Group in Milwaukee and also co-leads the Corporate Transactions Team.
Manufacturing
Power Test Inc., based in Sussex, recently promoted four employees. The company has promoted Shane Classen to senior project manager of its Design, Construction, and Installation division; Rich Gottfried to technical services department manager in Classen’s place; Johannes Strydom to application engineer; and Anna Borkowski to sales support supervisor.
Nonprofit
The Urban Economic Development Association’s board of directors has named Kristi Luzar executive director. Luzar has worked for UEDA for close to nine years, as program manager as well as deputy director of programs. Luzar succeeds William Johnson, who retired in May after nine years of leadership.
Professional Organizations
The International Facilities Management Association – Southeast Wisconsin Chapter – has announced its executive board for 2015-’16. Members are: Jeff Rinderle, president; Scott Wollenzien, vice president; Tom Frederick, secretary; and Michael Bohn, treasurer.
Professional Services
Milwaukee-based Mahler Enterprises Inc. has appointed Mark de Beer chief financial officer, which is a new role in the company. De Beer has more than 20 years of experience in financial management, accounting, business development and operations management across industries. He previously was executive vice president of a Milwaukee-based private investment group. He also has served as an assistant corporate controller at Actuant Corp. and worked for Grant Thornton LLP and Arthur Andersen LLP. In his new position, de Beer will manage Mahler Enterprises’ finances, help run daily operations, figure out growth opportunities and roll out the company’s strategic plan.
Transportation
Roadrunner Transportation Systems Inc., headquartered in Cudahy, recently promoted Jeff Hershey to senior vice president of sales. Hershey has more than 30 years of experience in high-level transportation sales. He previously was Roadrunner Intermodal’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. In his elevated position, he will guide the company’s Truckload Logistics sales, including intermodal, dry and refrigerated sales.
