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This special section features some of our city’s most accomplished female leaders. These women represent a wide range of fields, from finance and education to hospitality, beauty and more. Join us in saluting them in our fourth annual Women of Distinction section!
Photography by B OUTIQUE PHOTO GRAPHER LINDA SMALLPAGE
REPRESENTING THESE COMPANIES:
Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC Associated Bank Private Wealth Benson’s Restaurant Group C.D. Smith Construction Confluence Graphics Design and Print Studio GÄDIS Beauty Greater Milwaukee Urban League High Brow Boutique IAG Wealth Partners LionArt Media MacGillis Wiemer LLC Milwaukee Ballet Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design Potawatomi Hotel & Casino Self-Help Federal Credit Union Spaulding Clinical Terra Translations Three Pillars Senior Living Communities Visit Milwaukee
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This team is helping to move Milwaukee forward and showcase all we have to offer. P EG GY W I L L I A M S -S M I TH
VISIT MILWAUK EE Over the past two decades, Milwaukee has risen to new heights. From the Deer District to the Bradley Symphony Center and from 3rd Street Market Hall to America’s Black Holocaust Museum, dozens of developments have improved the city. And VISIT Milwaukee, our city’s convention and visitor’s bureau, has been spreading the news nationwide. The organization showcases the city in national media outlets, brings major meetings, sports events and conventions to town, such as the Republican National Convention in 2024, and is even producing a TV show called “Good Things Brewing,” which it plans to shop to a network to air this fall. VISIT Milwaukee is led by Peggy Williams-Smith, its first female president and CEO, who since 2019 has assembled a strong team of predominantly women to shepherd in this new era of tourism in Milwaukee. “These women are ambassadors for Milwaukee in more than just their professional lives. They are passionate, thoughtful advocates for this community in all they do, whether it’s for VISIT Milwaukee or the numerous associations, nonprofits and civic groups they work with,” Williams-Smith says. “Every day, they’re working to make sure that every guest who comes to Milwaukee has the best possible time when they’re here. And our goal is that every visitor and resident of Milwaukee becomes an ambassador, too, who can then encourage their friends and family to experience the city’s vibrancy right along with them.”
CHARLOTTE HAYSLETT Vice President of HR
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LESLIE JOHNSON Vice President of Sales CLAIRE KOENIG Communications Director
MICHELLE HAIDER Director of Event Experience
MEG MCKENNA Senior Director of Strategic and Community Partnerships
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Hospitality is the heart of this business. MADDIE WO O D
BE N S ON’S R E STAURANT G RO UP When Maddie Wood moved to Milwaukee from Florida, her first meal here was at Water Buffalo (now Blue Bat Kitchen and Tequilaria), one of the Benson’s Restaurant Group locations. “The team was passionate, kind and clearly loved their work,” Wood says – and the food was delicious. Searching for a job in Milwaukee, she found that Benson’s, which runs five area restaurants, was looking for a marketing manager, and she applied. She got the job in 2018, and in the four years since quickly rose through the ranks. In 2022, at the age of only 29, she was named the company’s vice president of marketing and sales. “I get to play a small part in memories made between family and friends around a table of deliciously crafted food and drinks,” Wood says. “Does it get more fun than that?”
MADDIE WOOD Vice President of Marketing and Sales
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Share and celebrate your uniqueness. MARINA I L A R I
TE RRA TRANSLATIO NS Twenty years ago, Marina Ilari and her mother founded Terra Translations, hiring just a few family and friends. Today, Ilari and her mother have grown the translation services company to over 170 employees, translating into 30 languages across the globe. Colleen Beres joined the company in 2018 as a member of the business development team. “I was inspired by Terra’s incredible history, the strong corporate culture, and the vision Marina had for the company’s future,” Beres says. “Marina granted me the autonomy to follow my gut and explore.” Over four years, Beres rose to become the company’s chief strategy officer, a position she took over in July. “The work that we do is essentially helping people,” Ilari says. “Whether we do this by providing language access to certain communities, or by helping businesses expand internationally, we are helping people communicate better and connect.”
COLLEEN BERES Chief Strategy Officer
MARINA ILARI CEO
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Treat people with kindness, lead with passion, and you’ll find your purpose. T R ACY M I L KOWS KI
M I LWAUK EE INST IT UT E OF ART & D ES IG N Tracy Milkowski was the first member of her family to attend college, receiving a bachelor’s in business management from Mount Mary University and a master’s in Business Administration from Concordia University. After 13 years managing the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Division of Surgical Education, she decided it was time for a career change. “No one ever says, ‘When I grow up, I want to become a fundraiser.’ Most of us accidentally come upon this profession, just as I did,” Milkowski says. “But once you witness all the good that comes from those who donate, you begin to realize the opportunities it will bring to so many and the life-changing outcomes it will have, such as being the first in the family to graduate college.” Milkowski worked in several executive-level fundraising roles at colleges around southeastern Wisconsin before taking her current position as the vice president for institutional advancement at Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in 2021. The college launched a $10 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, which has so far raised $8.5 million under her leadership. “I am fortunate to be able to meet so many kind people whose purpose is to make a difference in the lives of others by giving back, and I get to have a front row seat on the impact their gifts have made for so many of our students – the gift of an education,” Milkowski says. Last year the college was able to award $18 million in student scholarships.
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TRACY MILKOWSKI Vice President for Institutional Advancement
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It’s an amazing feeling, to help a person achieve something they didn’t think was possible. PA M EL A B EL L
SE L F- HE L P FE DE R A L CREDIT UNION
PAMELA BELL City Executive, VP
Pamela Bell had worked for BMO Harris bank for nearly three decades when a recruiter from SelfHelp Federal Credit Union (SHFCU) reached out to her in 2019. The national nonprofit wanted her to lead its burgeoning Milwaukee footprint. She initially declined. But after researching and learning about the organization’s focus, she reconsidered. It was clear SHFCU closely aligned with her core values and desire to close the racial wealth gap. The credit union provides financial services, including mortgages, to low-income families and marginalized communities. “What I love about Self-Help is its mission of ‘ownership and opportunity for all,’ coupled with its 42-plus-year history of helping people who have historically faced systemic economic barriers to financial equity,” Bell says. In the two years since joining SHFCU, Bell has overseen the opening of Self-Help’s second branch in Milwaukee and the repurposing of the real estate development in the former Legacy Bank building. “My job aligns perfectly with my values and my personal mission,” she says. “Access to fair, responsible financial products can be key to building generational wealth and stability, and that’s especially for women and communities of color.”
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Success requires passion, dedication to our growing team, and unwavering five-star service to our customers. STEFA N I E CO R B ETT
HI GH B ROW B O U TI Q U E When Stefanie Corbett founded High Brow Boutique in 2011, it was a one-woman operation working out of a 400-square-foot space. Eleven years later, she has grown the spa into a 17-person team with a footprint of 3,000 square feet. “Watching our team grow into Milwaukee’s most sought-after estheticians is what I’m most proud of,” Corbett says. But Corbett wants her impact to extend beyond her business. Ten years ago, Corbett started an ongoing philanthropic effort. Every other month, she and her staff collect donations from High Brow clients for local charitable organizations, and at the end High Brow matches the donations 100%. Some recent charities include the Fisher House, MS Society and the Milwaukee LGBT Community Center. “My goal at High Brow has always been to help our community here in Milwaukee,” Corbett says. “We’re focused on becoming even more aligned with our vision, our passion and our values as a team. After 12 years in business, we’re stronger than ever.”
Stefanie Corbett Owner milwaukeemag.com
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I always wanted a big family and I always wanted a fulfilling career, and I didn’t want to choose between the two.
Cassandra Erato CEO
C A S SA ND R A ER ATO
SPAULDIN G CLINICA L Cassandra Erato started her career as a registered nurse, working night shifts in an ICU. After going back to school to become a nurse practitioner, Erato, who is also the mother of six children, joined Spaulding Clinical Research as a clinical research coordinator in 2007. The company holds clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies who are testing and improving their products, such as novel drugs for cancer, heart disease and much more. After several years rising through the ranks in research and operations, Erato was named CEO in January 2020. As CEO, she has helped bring Spaulding to the top of its industry, shepherding lifesaving drugs through clinical trials. “To see all of the innovations in science and medicine is like a sneak peek into the next 10 years,” she says. “It fills me with optimism every day.”
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Don’t wait for someone to ask you what you want – be your own best advocate. WEN DY CA R LS O N
A S S O C I AT E D BA N K P R I VAT E W E A LT H On a Sunday night, Wendy Carlson, a senior vice president at Associated Bank, got a call from a client who had been out for a drive and spotted a house she loved. She asked Carlson if she could afford to buy it. The next morning, Carlson checked with her team, ran the numbers, and determined that yes, her client could. A few hours later, the client had an accepted offer on her new second home. That was just one moment of many in her career that Carlson remembers fondly. “In my job, you help people make important life choices,” she says. “It’s very rewarding to know that we were able to guide her through that decision.” Carlson has been with Associated Bank for over 14 years. As the manager of the Milwaukee private banking group, she oversees a team of private bankers. Outside of her career, she’s an avid volunteer. A breast cancer survivor herself, she’s spent years raising money for Wisconsin’s chapter of the Susan G. Komen foundation, and in 2018, she won the Todd Wehr Volunteer Award for her efforts. WENDY CARLSON Senior Vice President Associated Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
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MEGANN HENDRIX Attorney and Partner
I’ve always been a problemsolver. M EG A N N HEN DR I X
M a c GI L L I S W I E ME R L LC When Megann Hendrix first arrived at law school, she knew her goal. “I wanted to help people, not businesses or corporations,” she says. That led her to specialize in elder law and estate planning. After graduating, she quickly became an accomplished attorney, earning a “Rising Star” award from SuperLawyers and being named an “Up and Coming Lawyer” by the Wisconsin Law Journal. In 2018, she became a partner at MacGillis Wiemer. Working in elder law, she often sees clients in crisis, fearful of losing everything because of their long-term care needs. She says the most rewarding aspect of her work is what drew her to it in the first place – helping those clients solve their problems and seeing the relief on their faces.
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Don’t be afraid to learn and do things you’ve never done before. A L EX X Z AWA DA
P OTAWATO M I H OTEL & CA S INO Alexx Zawada took her first job at Potawatomi Hotel & Casino when she was 18, working as a hostess. As an enrolled member of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, she chose the job with more than just a paycheck in mind. “I wanted to represent my tribe and my culture,” Zawada says. After graduating from college in 2012, she decided to launch her professional career at Potawatomi, taking a position in its marketing department. Over eight years, she rose quickly from that job, eventually being named the director of marketing last May. She now leads the department, promoting Potawatomi across the city, state and country. “As a Native American woman in a leadership role, I find it rewarding that I can express my culture in the marketing that we put out into the community,” Zawada says.
Alexx Zawada Director of Marketing
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Sometimes being selfless with your time and talent is the best thing you can do for yourself. HO L LY B R EN N ER
C . D. SMI T H C O N ST RU C T I O N
Holly Brenner Senior Vice President of Strategic Development and Marketing
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Holly Brenner has earned a reputation for growing businesses and strengthening communities. As a forward thinker, she is always up for a challenge. Her impact in the organizations she’s worked with has caught the attention of area leaders. Justin Smith, the CEO and President of C.D. Smith Construction was one of those leaders. “He was looking for a fresh perspective and thought I could provide that,” Holly shares. “I was eager to be a part of transformational growth with a company that had a long-standing commitment to building relationships and delivering quality work.” She made the industry switch from health care to construction in 2020 and now serves as a Senior Vice President at C.D. Smith. “I was excited to learn from my peers and jump in with both feet.” Holly credits generations of talented, hard-working team members for laying a solid foundation for the company’s future growth. “Our recent work on the world’s tallest mass timber tower, Ascent, in Milwaukee, exemplifies C.D. Smith’s ability to lead the way in construction,” she says. A servant leader, Holly also volunteers for multiple community and civic organizations and is recognized for her board leadership and willingness to help others.
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To be an effective financial advisor, you have to be honest.
LINDSEY KRESKE CFP®, MBA Financial Advisor
LIN D SE Y KR ES KE
AM ERIPRISE F INA NCIA L S E RVIC ES, L LC Lindsey Kreske joined Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC fresh out of Marquette University as a financial advisor. In her more than 15 years since, Kreske has specialized in retirement planning. “The most rewarding part of my work is to see my clients meet their goals and get to enjoy their retirement,” Kreske says. In 2012, she returned to school and received a master’s in business administration from Carroll University. Outside of her work, she’s completed 39 marathons in 26 states since 2009, and plans to run one in every state.
Investment products are not insured by the FDIC, NCUA or any federal agency, are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed by any financial institution, and involve investment risks including possible loss of principal and fluctuation in value. Ameriprise Financial cannot guarantee future financial results. Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC. Member FINRA and SIPC. © 2022 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved. Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards Inc. owns the certification marks CFP®, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ and CFP® certification mark (with plaque design) logo in the U.S. milwaukeemag.com
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Feel the fear and do it anyway. You’ll either win or you’ll learn. DIAN A Y US UFOV
GÄ DIS B EAU T Y ST UD IO Diana Yusufov first learned about the beauty industry from her uncle, who made his living as a barber. That field of work interested her as a child, but when it came time to go to college, she went with what seemed like a more practical route: a marketing degree. During her first few years after graduation, working a corporate job, she started a small, freelance makeup business on the side. “That work really made me feel alive,” Yusufov says. “After several years, I just thought, ‘Why am I fighting this?’” She quit her job, went back to school, and got certified in aesthetics. She opened GÄDIS Beauty Studio in 2019. In the three years since, she’s doubled her studio space and expanded GÄDIS’ services to cover makeup, cosmetic tattooing, brows, lashes, skin care and more. “My business reflects my personality and my journey,” she says. “As we grow, I want women to come in and feel like the strong goddesses that they are.”
DIANA YUSUFOV Owner
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Dance is for everybody. TA I PAU LS
MI LWAU K E E BA L L E T Tai Pauls’ interest in the Milwaukee Ballet started as an audience member. Drawn to the dance company’s captivating performances, she sought out volunteer opportunities to get involved. Pauls, who led the Milwaukee Brewers’ hospitality department, furthered her involvement by joining the Ballet’s board in 2018. In 2020, she was offered the position of director of development and gladly took the job – just one week before the pandemic shut the Ballet down. In the face of that crisis, creative solutions took center stage: dancers rehearsed in their living rooms, programs went virtual, safety protocols were put in place. Over the following two years, Pauls helped shepherd the Ballet through the unprecedented time, co-leading the organization as interim managing director. Her work is paying off, as the Ballet successfully presented a complete season of performances and programming last year, and is now kicking off a new season with positive momentum. And in August, Pauls was named the Ballet’s managing director and chief advancement officer. “I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished,” she says. “I love being a part of something that is so important for the culture of our community.”
Tai Pauls Managing Director and Chief Advancement Officer milwaukeemag.com
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Jean Freuck Chief Financial Officer Kathy Bernaden Chief Human Resources Officer
We are passionate about providing the best place to live and work. KATHY B ER N A DEN
THR E E P I L L A R S SE N I O R L I V I N G C O MMU N I T I E S
Terri Isabell Chief Development Officer
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Jean Freuck, Kathy Bernaden and Terri Isabell specialize in different fields – finance, human resources, and fundraising respectively – but they all came to Three Pillars for the same reason. “The culture,” Freuck says. “You feel the connection whenever you are around the residents.” They were each accomplished leaders in their previous positions, but coming to Three Pillars offered them the chance to apply their skills by helping people and families looking for active adult living or long-term care. At the same time, they’re helping lead the organization into an exciting new chapter, including assisting with oversite of an ongoing expansion, as the community doubles in size over the next five years. This includes opening a state-of-the-art resource center and new memory care community, growing their staff and much more. “Long-term health care is a growing field with lots of opportunities,” Isabell says. “But the real benefit in our work is spending time with residents, listening to their stories and laughing with them – it’s a real joy.”
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Starting a business is going to be much harder than you expect it to be. But it’s completely worth it. C O URTNEY S KI NKI S
CONFLUEN CE G RA PH IC S In 2020, Courtney Skinkis took a risk. During the heart of the pandemic, she purchased her first business, Confluence Graphics Design and Print Studio. The North Shore staple had been owned by the same family for over 20 years, and when Skinkis took over, she was determined to help it grow. Working alongside her husband, Brad, who has a background in printing and design, she used her business experience to position Confluence Graphics as a go-to source for printing, design and corporate branding. Skinkis says the most rewarding aspect of her work is helping businesses build their brands by creating eye-catching visuals, logos and other designs that capture the spirit of their work. “The first thing that attracts you to a business, a lot of times, is the visual appeal,” she says. In two years, her client list has already expanded beyond its Milwaukee roots to serve businesses around the country. “We have big plans for the future,” she says. “We know where we want to go, and we’re really excited for the expansion.”
COURTNEY SKINKIS Owner
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VIANCA FUSTER Co-Founder, Director
LAURA DYAN KEZMAN Owner, Director, CEO
Overcoming adversity and showing courage in the face of fear and risk – that’s reflective of the storytelling we do best. L AU R A DYA N KEZ M A N
L I O N A RT ME D I A Laura Dyan Kezman and Vianca Fuster founded LionArt Media in 2019 with three goals: forge their own lane in the documentary world while creating opportunities for underrepresented aspiring filmmakers, do what they love on their own terms, and transcend everyone’s expectations. Over the last six years, the duo has produced dozens of video projects together and established a wide-ranging client-base, from local organizations to national platforms like NBC’s “The Today Show” and The Washington Post. Fuster’s short documentary The Warrior Princess had its theatrical premiere at the 2022 Milwaukee Film Festival, where it won the audience choice award for Best Short Film. Kezman is co-directing, editing and is the director of photography on LionArt’s forthcoming debut feature documentary, CYCLE. The investigative film examines the systemic cycle of police brutality in the United States through the story of Ty’rese West, an 18-year old who was fatally shot by an officer in Racine. Beyond making their own work, Kezman and Fuster intend to use LionArt as an educational platform to expand opportunities for women in film. “Our goal is to keep growing,” Fuster says. “To keep adding people to the team who want to pay forward to the generations that follow.” milwaukeemag.com
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I have a passion for change. DR . E V E M . H A L L
T H E G REATER M I LWAU K EE UR BA N L E AG UE Over her accomplished career, Dr. Eve M. Hall has worked in many fields, holding leadership positions in the governor’s office, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the African American Chamber of Commerce, among others. When she was offered the chance to lead the Greater Milwaukee Urban League in 2017, she saw it as a culmination of those years working for change in many fields. “I’ve always relished being in a role in which I could galvanize people to come together,” Hall says. “Today’s role allows me to impact and influence practically every aspect contributing to the quality of one’s life.” As the president and CEO of the Urban League, she has added a new location on Silver Spring Drive, instituted a series of roundtable discussions with Milwaukee leaders, and expanded awareness of the Urban League around the city. “Being able to see the fruits of our labor motivates me,” she says. “When we give away laptops to students, when we help people find jobs, when we come together with other community and business leaders to solve critical issues, it’s incredibly exciting and only makes me want to do even more for our community.” DR. EVE M. HALL President and CEO
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After building this company from scratch, my greatest joy is watching it expand beyond me to build upon the strengths of everyone on our team. LO R I WATT
IAG WEALTH PA RT NERS Lori Watt founded IAG Wealth Partners in 1985. Shortly after, Susan Kuhlenbeck joined and became a co-owner. Kuhlenbeck is now transitioning into retirement and continues to mentor other women in the firm. Many female advisors have since found a home at IAG, which now has 31 total employees. Jayme Heineck met Watt while she was working as a waitress, studying financial planning on the side. Watt invited her to work part time at IAG while she finished her degree, and then hired her full time after she graduated. Others, like Partner Anne Sapienza, joined IAG from different firms after hearing about the supportive culture, while some like Debra Melvin started out as just an intern before joining the full-time staff. “I would say that kindness, caring and a passion to help our clients are some of the qualities that help us all work well together,” Heineck says. “The culture in our office is amazing. It is obvious that we all care about each other and working together for our clients.”
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LORI WATT
SUSAN KUHLENBECK
Founder and President
Vice President, Co-Owner, COO
DEBRA MELVIN Financial Advisor
JAYME HEINECK Financial Advisor
ANNE SAPIENZA Financial Advisor
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