New hires
The African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin’s Board of Directors appointed Nikki Purvis as its new president and CEO.
Jason Latva, a one-time client of the Jackie Nitschke Center, was selected to lead the Green Bay-based substance abuse organization as its executive director. Latva is formerly the criminal justice coordinator with the Wisconsin Bureau of Prevention, Treatment and Recovery.
Dr. David Hirschi, a sports medicine and non-surgical orthopedic physician at ThedaCare, is the new medical director of The Community First Fox Cities Marathon Presented by Miron Construction.
Jeff D. Garrett has joined Community First Financial Advisors as program manager and registered financial advisor serving members of Community First Credit Union through CUSO Financial Services, LP (CFS).
The Greater Green Bay Chamber of Commerce hired Stephanie Fischer as vice president of finance.
The Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce hired Katie Hammerton as digital marketing coordinator, Nick Oostmeyer as director of business retention and expansion, Melissa Schamburek as marketing communications specialist, and Aimee Herrick and Shanda Wenninger as special events coordinators.
Michael Ebbensgard joined The Stephenson National Bank & Trust as vice president – retail market manager.
Maribeth Franken has joined the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation team as donor services manager.
Sophia Transformative Leadership Partners hired Samantha King as communication specialist.
WHBY and Woodward Radio Group added Ben Cominos to the team. Cominos launched a new WHBY talk show, “Outside the Box with Ben Cominos,” in September.
Mike Van Vreede joined Fox Cities Builders as a commercial sales consultant.
Alex Kaster, Trina Tease, David Twaroski and Jeff Warmka recently started new roles at H.J. Martin and Son. Kaster joins the team as an accounting administrator. Tease is a marketing specialist. Twaroski returns to H.J. Martin and Son as a doors & hardware project estimator. Warmka joins the residential flooring team as a project manager.
Three surgeons — Dr. Steven Vang and Dr. Jeanette H. Man, both vascular and endovascular surgeons, and Dr. Rebecca J. Johnson, a general surgeon — are joining Aurora BayCare General & Vascular Surgery. All three will practice at Aurora BayCare Medical Center in Green Bay.
Holy Family Memorial (HFM), a partner of the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin health network, added Dr. Gearin Green, a fellowship-trained orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon. He will see patients at Harbor Town Health Center in Manitowoc.
Dr. Joseph Albers joined the team of foot and ankle surgeons at Prevea Health in Grand Chute and Green Bay.
St. Ignatius Catholic School and St. Ignatius Chesterton Academy welcomed new teachers and staff for the 2022-23 school year. They are Abby Baierl, Wesley Beyer, Peter Krautkramer, Kassia Lubinski, Sue McFadzen, Maria McQuillan, Megan Parker, Krystyn Schmerbeck and Rebecca Spietz.
The UW-Oshkosh College of Business welcomed five new faculty members: Benjamin Blake, Yinghsua Chao, Tianfang Li, Puspa Shah, and Sarah Villaneuva. Additionally, the college hired Heather Veeser as the new director of the sales program. UW-Oshkosh’s College of Nursing added Chris Giberson, Maria Graf, Erika Janssen, Lindsay Morgan, Nahal Rahmanpanah and Jessica Tomasiewicz, as well as a new simulation and skills lab director — Marianna Madariaga — this academic year. Wendy Bauer will be the research and evaluation director. They will be led by new dean Seon-Yoon Chung.
Promotions
Keller, Inc., promoted Eric Anderson to carpentry foreman and Dan Van Der Steen to concrete footing leadman and Kyle Bain to flatwork leadman out of its Kaukauna location. Keller hired Robert Rose as an architectural technician and Ethan Kaschak as a safety manager, also in Kaukauna.
Hospital Sisters Health System appointed Mary Salm to return in a new role as vice president of mission and spiritual care. Salm served in various roles at HSHS for 18 years before leaving in 2021 to serve as director of spiritual care for Ascension Wisconsin.
Transitions
Imaginasium announced that Jennifer Fietz became a minority shareholder, the initial step in a succession plan for the founder, owner and current CEO Denis Kreft. Fietz will become the firm’s sole owner Jan. 1, 2025.
Board appointments
The Moraine Park Technical College Foundation Board welcomed DeAnn Thurmer, president of SSM Health’s Ripon Medical Center and Waupun Memorial Hospital. She will serve three three-year terms.
Beth Bowers was appointed to lead an Executive Agenda group in the Northeast Wisconsin area.
Awards
The St. Norbert College community honored Laura Nikolay, Kress Inn manager for the past 19 years, with the 2022 Exceptional Service Award.
The Association of Educational Service Agencies selected Mike Snowberry, director of learning services for the Luxemburg-Casco School District, as winner of the 2022 Walter G. Turner Award.
Lawrence University Professor of Physics Matthew Stoneking received a three-year, $431,200 grant from the National Science Foundation to expand his research on thermal equilibrium in non-neutral plasmas.
Joshua Theis of De Pere and Anthony Schneider of Green Bay were selected as recipients of the Phil Hauck Scholarship at St. Norbert College.
Northeast Wisconsin Technical College instructors Heather Brusky and Karla Sampselle each received the BayCare Clinic Faculty Professional Development Award of the Year.
Barb Herzog and Oscar Mireles earned UW-Oshkosh’s Distinguished Alumni Award.
MST1 Rustin Battermann of the Marine Safety Detachment Sturgeon Bay received the Coast Guard Person of the Year Award during the annual Door County Mariner Awards at the Sturgeon Bay Yacht Club. Bill Schoendorf was recognized with the Mariner Award, and Capt. Gene Gislason received a Posthumous Mariner Award.
