Personnel File

James R. Mueller has been named president of Frank F. Haack & Associates in Wauwatosa. Mueller, president of the insurance brokerage’s Employee Benefits Group, has been with the firm for 16 years. William R. Haack, who became president and CEO of the firm in 1987, now serves as chairman and CEO of the 126-person firm.
Dan Chovanec has joined CG Schmidt, Inc., in Milwaukee as an assistant project manager. He graduated from UW-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering.
The Milwaukee office of Michael Best & Friedrich has admitted eight associates to the firm’s partnership.
Alexander P. Fraser practices in the areas of corporate finance, securities, and franchise and distribution law, with emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, commercial lending and venture capital. Fraser is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of UW-Madison, where he earned both his undergraduate degree and his M.B.A. in finance, investments and banking. He received his law degree from New York University. Gordon P. Giampietro’s practice includes commercial litigation, product liability defense, and federal constitutional issues. He served as law clerk to Judge Rudolph T. Randa of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin from 1992-1995. Giampietro is listed in Who’s Who in American Law. He received a B.A. in 1988 and a J.D. in 1992 from Catholic University. Judith M. Hecker is a member of the tax group. She received a B.A., cum laude, in 1970 from Vassar College, a J.D. in 1973 from Cornell Law School and an LL.M. in taxation in 1988 from the University of Bridgeport Law School. Linda S. Moroney provides tax and corporate advice to health-care institutions and tax-exempt organizations. She is admitted to practice law in Wisconsin and Iowa. She received a B.A., summa cum laude, in 1991 from Buena Vista College and a J.D. with honors in 1994 from the University of Iowa College of Law.
Kathleen A. Rinehart focuses her practice primarily on higher education law. She entered the legal profession following a career as a teacher in Illinois, where she served as a master teacher, advisor and president of the New Trier Education Association. Following law school, Rinehart served two terms as the law clerk for Judge Janine P. Geske of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Currently, she serves as general counsel on several campuses and as an advisor on human resource issues and in strategic planning to other higher education institutions. Rinehart received a B.A. from Marquette University, an M.A.T. from University of Chicago and a J.D. from Marquette University Law School. Katherine W. Schill’s practice is devoted to commercial and intellectual property litigation. Schill clerked for Judge Willis P. Whichard on the North Carolina Supreme Court for one year before joining Michael Best & Friedrich. She received a J.D., cum laude, from Duke University School of Law in 1994 and a B.A., cum laude, from Duke University in 1990.
Derek C. Stettner focuses his practice on intellectual property matters, with an emphasis on securing patent, copyright, and other intellectual property protection for software, business method, electrical and electro-mechanical inventions. Stettner worked as a law clerk for the Office of Unfair Import Investigations for the U.S. International Trade Commission. He has also worked as an engineering technician for the U.S. Army Armament, Munitions and Chemical Command, where he modified military specifications and analyzed the safety of military systems. Stettner is admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He received a B.S. in electrical engineering in 1990 from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and a J.D. from Franklin Pierce Law Center, where he was a member of the Intellectual Property Law Association. James Patrick Thomas focuses his practice on civil litigation with a concentration in business disputes and real estate actions. He was admitted to practice law in Wisconsin in 1993. He received a B.A., summa cum laude, in 1989 from the University of North Dakota, and a J.D., cum laude, in 1993 from the University of Minnesota.
The Hays Group of Wisconsin has added the services of Cherif Hafez as vice president. His prior industry experience includes production and servicing of property/casualty accounts at AON in Milwaukee for five years, as well as new business production and claim management responsibilities at Wausau Insurance Company for eight years. Hafez has a bachelor’s degree in economics from UW-Madison and a master’s in business administration from Marquette University.
Tim O’Connell has joined Poblocki Paving Corp. of Wauwatosa as a project manager. He holds a civil engineering degree from UW-Plattville with an emphasis on construction and transportation.
Mark S. Diestelmeier has been appointed as the recruiting shareholder of the Milwaukee law firm of von Briesen, Purtell & Roper. He has been with the firm since 1991 and has been a shareholder since 1998. He will now develop and direct the Law School Recruiting Program for the firm.
Kathleen Meulmans has been named as the new executive director of Keep Greater Milwaukee Beautiful. She had been with the Volunteer Center of Waukesha County, where she had been executive director for four years.
Lori Syverson has been named membership services director for the Western Raquet Club, Elm Grove. Prior to joining the organization, she had developed the retail food division of Albanese’s Originale.
William G. Piernot has been named president and CEO of Wiscraft, Quality Production By The Blind, in Milwaukee. Piernot, who replaces John Baumgart, had been vice president of operations for a privately held manufacturer of lighting products. Baumgart is serving as president of Associated Industries for the Blind. Piernot holds an MBA from UW-Whitewater in 1984 and an undergraduate degree in economics from UW-Madison in 1977.
Jim Utech has joined Marx
McClellan Thrun in Milwaukee
as associate creative director. He
was senior art director at Blue Horse, also in Milwaukee.
David A. Banmiller has been named president and COO of Sun Country Airlines, based in the Twin Cities. Bill La Machia Jr., who had held the title of president, will serve on the board of directors as well as the executive committee and will remain as CEO. La Machia will focus on other La Machia family business holdings, including the Mark Travel Corp. of Milwaukee.
Home Care Medical, of New Berlin, has hired Terrilynne Koepke as contracting manager. She has 16 years’ experience in health-care administration, including the last four at Blue Cross and Blue Shield United of Wisconsin. She replaces Kathleen Kuchler, who is retiring.
Gary Losey has been hired as human resources manager at Raabe Corp., in Menomonee Falls. He had previously been with Warren Industries in Racine, where he was also director of human resources. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill.
STS Consultants, of Milwaukee, has hired Dennis R. Lawton as senior hydrologist and environmental department manager. Lawton, who has been in the industry for 25 years, holds a bachelor’s degree in geology from Valparaiso University and a master’s in geology from UW-Milwaukee.
Jeff Faralli has joined Celtic Advertising in Brookfield as art director. He had previously been with Bader Rutter & Associates, where he also served as art director. He holds a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from UW-Stout.
Thomas R. Gerdes has joined Ozaukee Bank as vice president representing Raymond James Financing Services. He has 22 years’ experience in the investment industry, including consulting with B.C. Ziegler & Co. and Bank One Trust.
Jocelyn Ertel has been named to the newly created position of communications coordinator at DuFour Advertising in Sheboygan. She has been with the firm since 1996.
April 27, 2001 Small Business Times