Milwaukee Magazine - Women of Distinction 2019

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Women of It is Milwaukee Magazine’s pleasure to introduce this special section featuring female business owners, financial and spiritual leaders, health care professionals, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and all-around glass-ceiling breakers!

Representing these companies: Aspen Homes, Inc. Bergson Interiors Limited DNA Network LLC Eppstein Uhen Architects FLOOR360

Lake Country Plastic and Hand Surgery World Outreach Center Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee Montessori School Northwestern Mutual

Sendik’s Food Market Silver Rock Consulting Skiin Spaulding Medical TEMPO Milwaukee

The Panaro Group

The Effective Communication Coach

Hillary Counseling

Quad

Warren Barnett Interiors

IAG Wealth Partners

Salvation Army of Milwaukee County

Well Spa + Salon

Global View Capital Management

Photographer Boutique Photographer | Linda Smallpage Writer Kristine Hansen

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Women of It is Milwaukee Magazine’s pleasure to introduce this special section featuring female business owners, financial and spiritual leaders, health care professionals, entrepreneurs, philanthropists and all-around glass-ceiling breakers!

Representing these companies: Aspen Homes, Inc. Bergson Interiors Limited DNA Network LLC Eppstein Uhen Architects FLOOR360

Lake Country Plastic and Hand Surgery World Outreach Center Milwaukee Bucks Milwaukee Montessori School Northwestern Mutual

Sendik’s Food Market Silver Rock Consulting Skiin Spaulding Medical TEMPO Milwaukee

The Panaro Group

The Effective Communication Coach

Hillary Counseling

Quad

Warren Barnett Interiors

IAG Wealth Partners

Salvation Army of Milwaukee County

Well Spa + Salon

Global View Capital Management

Photographer Boutique Photographer | Linda Smallpage Writer Kristine Hansen

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“Work is work, but it’s up to you to make it satisfying and fun.”

- Margaret Harris Co-owner, Sendik’s Food Market

Managing 17 Sendik’s stores with her three brothers is no easy task. But Margaret Harris – whose family lineage goes back a few generations in Wisconsin – does it with her community in mind. Buying and styling goods to sell in the stores’ home department, and also overseeing interior design, brings her joy. Harris also handles store donations to Wisconsinbased charities. Among her favorites is Honor Flight, which flies heroes to memorials in Washington, D.C. “We have a lot of vets who work with us and shop at our stores,” says Harris. Another initiative? A portion of corsage and boutonniere sales goes to local schools through Sendik's Gives Back.

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“A leader is someone with influence, nothing more, nothing less. I'm not a force by myself. ” - Melva Henderson Co-founder and President, World Outreach Center

Melva Henderson was watching Oprah’s “Big Give” event in 2007 when she realized she didn’t need millions to start giving. Partnering with Feed the Children, she raised $12,000 to feed 1,000 Milwaukee families. Next, she launched The Milwaukee Give, which provided 55,000 people with clothes and food.

This led to mission trips with her husband and kids, outfitting Mexican children with shoes, for example.

In 2016, Henderson launched the non-denominational World Outreach Center. Within three years, membership grew from 75 to 500. “It was about getting our hands into people’s lives – the need to be loved, the need to be valued, the need to be cared for,” she says.

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“What I love about my job is that when I put my mind to something and put my heart and soul into it, the rewards come.”

- Suki Hobson

Suki Hobson Head of Strength and Conditioning, Milwaukee Bucks

Kareeda Chones Aguam Vice President of Partner Strategy and Management, Milwaukee Bucks

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“The most challenging part of the job is also my most favorite part: No two days are the same.”

- Kelly Kauffman

Kelly Kauffman Chief Human Capital Officer, Milwaukee Bucks

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Jamie Morningstar Senior Vice President of Ticket Sales and Service, Milwaukee Bucks

This dynamic quartet not only helps bring the Milwaukee Bucks into greater visibility but also spearheads other important tasks like partnerships, work culture and ticket sales at the $524 million Fiserv Forum, open since August 2018. “I like the challenges we face,” says Jamie Morningstar. “When I started here, we were the worst in the league in ticket sales and revenue. The team is coming together and playing really well.” Kelly Kauffman who used to be a one-person human resources department for the Bucks, agrees. She looks for “Wisconsin nice” when interviewing applicants, growing the pool from 80 to 330 full-time employees for a total of 1,600 employees. “We try hard to make the culture feel like a family, and I think that we have been successful in doing so,” she says. Kareeda Chones Aguam loves working with every department to provide the best in strategy and solutions for a unique group of partners. “As our organization continues to evolve and prosper, we are blessed to play integral roles in that success,” she says.

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“I enjoy challenging people to both see and realize their own potential.”

“Company culture can have the power to elevate. It can foster belonging, enhance growth and provide an opportunity to soar.”

- Heather Turner Loth Workplace Strategy Leader, Eppstein Uhen Architects

- Kristin Dufek Vice President, Eppstein Uhen Architects

Since joining Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) in 2002, Kristin Dufek has been a part of its growth from 90 people in one office to 230 across three locations. “Our team is the best and brightest we’ve ever had, and I feel fortunate to work with such excellent talent, including so many I consider ‘Women of Distinction.’ Our focus is to have an empowering culture that supports growth for all,” says Dufek. Heather Turner Loth echoes Dufek’s thoughts on culture: “Midcareer, I realized culture was extremely important to me. Culture trumped the paycheck, culture trumped the title,” she says. “As a working mother with an entrepreneurial spirit, finding myself in the right culture has provided personal balance and growth opportunities far beyond my expectations.”

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“My faith is my true north.”

- Karen Hung Founder, Silver Rock Consulting

Karen Hung has worked in executive leadership at a number of global enterprises, including GE, Citigroup and Lands’ End. After reaching the upper echelon of the corporate world, Hung wanted to use her experiences and talents to serve a broader community, so she struck out on her own as an entrepreneur. Four years ago, Hung launched Silver Rock Consulting, a global management consultancy that uses strategy and co-creation to drive leadership momentum and organization transformation. Her passion is working with clients to unleash greatness and realize their “New Next,” Hung says. “At Silver Rock, we focus on strategic growth and individual brilliance so all our clients can be Silver Rock stars.”

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“Effective, collaborative and informed teams make good, sustainable decisions.”

- Jennie Kent

Renee Badura Executive VP of Sales and Marketing, Quad

VP, Ch Depu Jennie Kent Executive VP of Administration and General Counsel, Quad

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“Teamwork means building on relationships to truly understand each other’s views and consider them as seriously as you do your own.”

- Dana Gruen

Colleen Mayer VP of Marketing, Quad

Dana Gruen VP, Chief Compliance Officer and Deputy General Counsel, Quad

These leaders at Quad – four of many women in the senior-executive ranks at the company – are proof of the business’s commitment to advancing women into leadership roles, especially as Quad continues its remarkable transformation as a marketing solutions partner with a strong foundation in print. “Quad is going through a big, exciting transformation, and I get to be part of defining the strategy for where we’re headed,” says Renee Badura, who notes that the mantras of Quad’s inimitable founder, the late Harry V. Quadracci, continue to ring strong, including one of her favorites, “Together we can do more than as individuals apart.” Colleen Mayer, a former Quad customer, is empowered by Quad’s longstanding mission to “create a better way,” which helps foster new ideas and directions as the company innovates solutions that help clients address marketing problems and process challenges. Quad is a rewarding place to work, with team-based philosophies at its core. “Quad’s culture encourages speed and innovation while at the same time recognizing that the best decisions aren’t made in a vacuum, but instead through teams that are empowered and trustful,” says Jennie Kent, a Stanford Law School graduate. Another reason to work at Quad? The company’s emphasis on fun. Says Badura, “I get to belly laugh every single day with the people I work with.”

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“People become stronger contributors to the community when they understand money.”

- Melinda Wilke CFP®, RICP®, WMCP ®, CLU®, ChFC ® Wealth Management Advisor, Northwestern Mutual

Melinda Wilke discovered a love for crunching numbers when, at age 12, she helped her dad complete his business tax returns. While working at a mutual fund company later on, she realized this industry was more than just the numbers. “I have to know the story, the whys and how it fits into the longterm plan.” Through the “Wine, Women and Wealth” series she founded, Wilke likes that “there’s no judgment in that room. We don’t want money to be taboo. We want women to understand the why behind their wealth.”

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Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI (NM) and its subsidiaries. Melinda Wilke is an Insurance Agent of NM. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ CFP® (with plaque design) and CFP® (with flame design) in the U.S., which it awards to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements.

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“You can’t do a good job if your heart isn’t in it and you don’t have emotion behind it.”

- Magdaline Benson

Michelle Walker Designer, Bergson Interiors Limited

Magdaline Benson Founder and Owner, Bergson Interiors Limited

“Establishing a comfort level with our clients is our first priority,” says Magdaline Benson, who runs her interior design business with her daughter, Michelle Walker. “It’s essential in creating spaces that are uniquely tailored to our clients and their families.” Benson and Walker’s sharp skills complement their warm vibe. “We consider it a privilege to have our clients’ trust and confidence, and make every effort to surpass their expectations,” Walker says. “It’s such a joy when our interiors enhance the quality of their lives.”

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“Although we are 99.9% identical, the remaining one-tenth of a percent makes us each unique.”

- Debbie Allen, DBA (aka “The DNA Doctor”) Founder, DNA Network LLC

“I’ve already retired twice,” jokes Debbie Allen. After 20 years at a utility company, she earned a doctorate degree in business administration and became an owner-operator of several McDonald’s restaurants. “McDonald’s was not a business plan, but to own my own business was,” she says. Through DNA Network, she consults female entrepreneurs and has heard business pitches as a Mogul on the “Project Pitch It Show” on WISN Channel 12. Building a capital campaign for the DNA Conference Center on the Northwest Side is an extension of her current work, as well as co-chairing a campaign to create the African American Chamber of Commerce Legacy, a new co-working space for Milwaukee’s African American community.

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“Large-scale change happens on the individual level first.”

- Lisa Hillary MSW, LCSW, Founder, Hillary Counseling

Destigmatizing therapy and mental illness – and helping people live their best lives – is Lisa Hillary’s No. 1 goal. “People still tend to view xxxxx the act of ‘seeking help’ or ‘needing therapy’ as a weakness,” says Hillary. “I watch stories of strength and perseverance unfold before me.” Her private psychotherapy practice involves both in-person sessions and distance counseling via phone and online media.

“Recognizing how the quality of my own life has been profoundly enhanced by self-reflection has encouraged me to try and be a catalyst for this kind of change in others,” she says.

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“The beauty industry can be brutal and full of fluff. It can eat at an individual’s vulnerability.

I try to never get lost in the minutia.”

- Elizabeth Walsh-Zimmermann Director, Well Spa + Salon

As director of Well Spa + Salon, the calm spa sanctuary beneath the Pfister Hotel’s lobby, Elizabeth Walsh-Zimmermann is in her element. “I’ve grown up in this industry, so it is like water to me,” she says. “We get to take care of people from the outside in, which often cultivates positivity, peace and happiness from the inside out, a pretty incredible privilege.” She’s also a firm believer that spas are more than a place of therapeutic treatments and pampering, but a place where your time and mind space is truly your own and necessary. “Being gracious is intentional here, and it’s what our service providers do best,” she says.

“Kindhearted words or small gestures can change an individual’s perspective instantaneously, although the gift of human touch is equally as profound and impactful, don’t you agree?”

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“Experience has taught me to try to be authentic, giving and respectful in everything you do and you will live with no regrets.”

- Kathy Panaro Founder, The Panaro Group

In 1995, Kathy Panaro started her boutique recruiting firm placing employees within the IT, engineering and manufacturing industries. The work environment she created had a family-friendly culture back when “culture” wasn’t even a thing. “We hire people who love to work, set the bar high for themselves and have a higher level of energy than most people,” says Panaro.

“Our secret sauce is to truly know and partner with our clients to help them achieve their business objectives.

We go out and find them the talented people they need to be successful.” Recently, The Panaro Group launched RENT-A-RECRUITER™, which gives smaller companies the opportunity to engage the firm’s recruiters.

Family is Panaro’s first priority, and she considers raising two lovely and successful daughters and enjoying a happy marriage, all while founding and growing a business, to be her biggest accomplishments.

Additionally, Panaro is a board member and mentor for BizStarts, a nonprofit that mentors entrepreneurs, and is also a member of Impact 100, an organization that awards several $100,000 grants to nonprofit groups serving Milwaukee.

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“The one relationship that people are often out of sync with in their lives is their relationship with money.”

- Dina Fliss Founder and CEO, Global View Capital Management

Working for a global financial company, Dina Fliss quickly became disenchanted with her high-paying (but low-reward) job. “It became apparent to me that I needed to continue this work, but I wasn’t going to be able to within that company,” she says.

In 2010, she became one of the few women in the country to launch a financial technology firm. Her background in math and physics keeps her grounded, she says. But she’s also not afraid to dig deep. “A lot of my work is psychological: Your beliefs about money were formed early in your life based a lot on emotional responses in the household. If there was low-energy drama, overcoming that can affect your current success or lack of success.

Winning the money game is an inside job.”

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“Charity begins at home, by getting my family inspired and involved. And then we inspire others to join us.”

- Amanda Baltz CEO, Spaulding Medical

By “being the best version” of herself as a mother, wife and business woman, Amanda Baltz – the mother of five kids and 2019 Woman of the Year for raising the most funds for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Wisconsin chapter – has been able to give back to her church, friends and family “in a balanced and healthy way.” In 2018, Spaulding Medical (a med-tech company) spun off from Spaulding Clinical, a company she joined while pregnant with her second child. “Through that process, I had an epiphany that I truly love starting and growing businesses,” she says. “I see all of that job growth as having a major impact in the community.”

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“I believe that quality of heart matters most, and that vulnerability is a strength.”

- Chris Zajdel Founder, Skiin

When Chris Zajdel founded Skiin Anti-Aging Lounge, her goals were both professional and personal. “I wanted to become a leader and help others discover their true passion and talents,” she says. “I love seeing lightbulbs go off when someone finally gets something that they have been struggling with.” At Skiin, which offers a full range of advanced skin care services along with dermatological and plastic surgery options, Zajdel strives to create a culture that supports personal and educational growth. “In a rapidly growing industry, we have to continue to incorporate new technologies.

Providing the highest level of quality with the best educated professionals will always be our mission,” she says.

W S w n r a t M

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“I believe in passing on the baton.

I’m not one to hold on to things.”

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- Susan Freedy Advisory Board Volunteer, Salvation Army of Milwaukee County

“The bottom line: Treat others with kindness and respect.”

- Tammy Gilpin-Ripp Board Member and Volunteer, Salvation Army of Milwaukee County

With 50 years of volunteering under her belt, Susan Freedy is nearly a lifelong volunteer, inspired by her parents’ own giving. Through The Salvation Army’s development committee, including mentoring others in fundraising, she created Swing for the Kettle, an annual golf outing whose profits benefit children’s programs including The Salvation Army camp in East Troy. She felt that inner-city kids, some of whom have never spent time in nature, should be afforded the same opportunity. “I like to be very active and not just sit,” she says. Tammy Gilpin-Ripp, recently named the Salvation Army of Milwaukee County’s community relations chair, was attracted to the organization’s mission to treat adults and kids “with dignity and without judgment,” whether it’s providing shelter or dispensing school supplies. “I come from a family of teachers, nurses, police and military. It’s in my blood to give back,” she says. Both women sit on the advisory board of the Salvation Army of Milwaukee County, an organization that helps everyone in need.

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“Women need to use their voices for positive change. In my role I don’t take this responsibility lightly.”

- Jen Dirks President and CEO, TEMPO Milwaukee

TEMPO Milwaukee was founded in 1975 with a mission to further the impact of women leaders in Milwaukee, focusing on pillars of leadership, mentoring and networking along with buzzwords like advocate, elevate and accelerate. Jen Dirks became its president and CEO in 2014 – the first person to hold that position – bringing her experience in public relations and broadcast television (in markets like Milwaukee; Toledo, Ohio; and Rockford, Illinois). “I have the good fortune of being surrounded by more than 380 women executives who have become mentors, collaborators, confidants and trusted advisers,” says Dirks. “There truly isn’t a greater gig in Milwaukee.” Outside of TEMPO, Dirks remains active with Thrivent Financial, ACTS Housing, PEARLS for Teen Girls and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Milwaukee as either a board chair or chair of committees and events. She’s also been a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee for 16 years.

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“My purpose is to leave a positive and lasting impact on every person I encounter.”

- DeVona Wright Cottrell

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DeVona Wright Cottrell Board Member, TEMPO Milwaukee

Marybeth Cottrill TEMPO Milwaukee Board Chair

As board members of TEMPO Milwaukee, DeVona Wright Cottrell (director and associate general counsel at Baird) and Marybeth Cottrill (director and private wealth adviser at BMO Wealth Management) are committed to advancing women’s careers in the Milwaukee area. “I realize that my success did not happen in a vacuum,” says Wright Cottrell. “I benefited from the shoulders of my faith and other giants in my life.” Cottrill feels similarly and counts TEMPO Milwaukee members among her closest friends. “They are inspiring forces of nature and the best of mirrors – reflecting and sending the truth back to me to consider and take action,” she says. Cottrill admits she tends to be impatient the minute she spots opportunities for change, wanting to get started immediately. What’s worked for Cottrill is to begin in her own way: “I direct that energy to work collaboratively for solutions,” she says.

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“I don’t ask for permission to do great things. If there’s somewhere or something I want to support, I don’t wait. I’m the change that I want.”

- Denise Thomas President and Owner, The Effective Communication Coach

Teaching people to talk with purpose and clarity, as she has through her business since 2017, is Denise Thomas’ dream job. “A lot of times, communication is marketed as a soft skill, but it’s a critical skill in any relationship,” she says. “It’s really important, especially in the current climate, that we surround ourselves with other women who believe in and support us, and we are prepared to do the same.” While her firm works with nonprofits, corporations, universities and public schools, she loves working with youth, observing “their hunger and passion to make this world better,” she says.

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“I can’t solve all the world’s problems, but I can tidy my little corner.”

- Dr. Tracy McCall Plastic Surgeon, Lake Country Plastic and Hand Surgery

Passionate about providing a broad-based plastic surgery practice (both reconstructive and cosmetic procedures), Dr. Tracy McCall was drawn to Wisconsin by an old friend who had already fallen in love with the state. She supports the “Stop the Bleed” program, which teaches bystanders to help in a bleeding emergency. She saw an injury pattern involving table saws and worked with the Waukesha County Medical Society to award grants to area high schools to put a safer kind of saw in their wood shops. Joining other surgeons from other countries, McCall has provided care to disadvantaged patients in the developing world. She is happy to call Wisconsin home.

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“You get what you give out of life. Be a giver.”

- Shelly Basso Founder, Aspen Homes Inc.

As a true “self-made woman,” Shelly Basso founded Aspen Homes when she was 19, bolstered by witnessing the success of her parents, who owned a home construction company. Later this year, she will become the third woman in history to serve as president of the Metropolitan Builders Association. “Buying a house is an emotional purchase. People don’t do it often. They have to really trust you,” she says. “I look at every home as if it were my own.” A mom to seven kids in a blended family, she is hoping one of her children will join the family business when they are grown.

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“I try to produce innovative problem solvers with a creative edge.”

- Jaime Wszelaki Art Director and Educational Robotics Director, Milwaukee Montessori School

Jaime Wszelaki, who directs the art (kindergarten through eighth grade) and robotics (first through eighth grade) departments at Milwaukee Montessori School, was hooked by the school’s “welcoming aura of order and learning” when she arrived in 2005. By adding art to STEM, she teaches STEAM. Jaime’s determination has allowed both departments to be award winning for 15 years. “The school also supports me personally as an artist. I have a public city mural up on the side of Swoon [at North 54th and West Vliet streets], administer adult copper workshops and sell my paintings and copper sculptures around Milwaukee. My creative outlook is transferred to my students,” she says.

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“We believe it is our ultimate goal to listen and help bring our clients’ visions to reality.”

- Emily Ebben

Barb Bachman Co-owner, Warren Barnett Interiors

Emily Ebben Director of Design and Marketing, Warren Barnett Interiors

In a family-run interior design business, this mother-daughter duo feels lucky to not only dig into their passions for all things design and color, but also work side by side nearly every day with the firm’s eight designers. “The thing I like best about my career is that every day is different,” says Barb Bachman, “but we hope at the end of the day, our clients fall more in love with their homes and condos.” Emily Ebben loves the opportunity to travel beyond Milwaukee to find trends. “We are lucky enough to get to go to market [in North Carolina] twice a year, which allows us to stay on top of all trends, colors and fabrics,” she says.

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“Every day is different and a new experience, an opportunity to learn something new.”

- Kelly Kuehn Manager, Kashou Design Studio at FLOOR360

In February, Kelly Kuehn joined FLOOR360, bringing her strong background in interior design to help link the new design studio with FLOOR360.

“Everybody’s bringing some fantastic ideas to the table. Everybody’s got an open mind,” she says about the new workplace she’s helped create. As project leader for Design for a Difference’s first free interior makeover in Milwaukee – awarded to the Walker’s Point Youth and Family Center – she leads a community of interior design professionals the entire way. FLOOR360 is a sponsor.

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“Our encouraging reminder to each other is to keep pedaling.”

- Lori Watt and Susan Kuhlenbeck IAG Wealth Partners

Proof that Lori Watt and Susan Kuhlenbeck work well together is their 35-year business partnership with IAG Wealth Partners, a company built and growing on solid Christian principles. “When we’ve occasionally had different views on how to solve a problem, we listen and talk it through,” says Watt. “We always end up with a blend of each other’s insight.” They bring the same “go deep” mantra to their clients: “We do holistic financial planning, which means we counsel them in every aspect of their lives, including working with second- and third-generation families,” says Kuhlenbeck.

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