Junior Achievement Northcentral Area

Junior Achievement Northcentral Area JA is dedicated to providing young people with the skills and confidence to own their economic future

Thank You, Carrillo, Board of Directors member for JA of Wisconsin in the Northcentral Region! He is an Associate Fina...
06/16/2026

Thank You, Carrillo, Board of Directors member for JA of Wisconsin in the Northcentral Region! He is an Associate Financial Advisor at the Hermening Financial Group in Wausau. In 2026, Andrew began volunteering with Junior Achievement, working with a second-grade class at Stettin Elementary to help introduce young students to financial concepts and real-world skills.

As an Associate Financial Advisor at Hermening Financial, Andrew helps clients navigate some of the most important—and often challenging—decisions around retirement. Known for his approachable style, Andrew focuses on simplifying the process and giving clients clarity and confidence about their financial future.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time on the golf course and making the most of his time with family.

We're excited to have Andrew as part of our JA of Wisconsin team in the Northcentral Region.



Hermening Financial Group
City of Wausau Government
Greater Wausau Chamber of Commerce
Elementary School

Thank You, Laher, Board of Directors member for JA of Wisconsin in the Northcentral Region! Dana joined the Board in Se...
06/10/2026

Thank You, Laher, Board of Directors member for JA of Wisconsin in the Northcentral Region! Dana joined the Board in September of 2025. She is a Director of CSG Product Marketing at Enlyte.

Dana is a marketing leader, small business owner, mom of two, and Junior Achievement volunteer for over a decade, committed to connecting real-world experiences to student growth and achievement. She is proud to call Mosinee home and excited for the opportunity to serve our community while helping prepare students for career readiness and future success.

We're excited to have her as part of our JA of Wisconsin team in the Northcentral Region.



City of Mosinee, WI

We're proud to spotlight the partners who make our work at Junior Achievement of WI possible. 💡Thanks to supporters like...
06/09/2026

We're proud to spotlight the partners who make our work at Junior Achievement of WI possible. 💡
Thanks to supporters like Dr. Kaushal Chari young people gain understanding and life-skills about money, careers, and entrepreneurship, they’re better equipped to navigate challenges and unlock new opportunities.
Dr. Chari shares his thoughts on inspiring the next generation and accelerating economic mobility through education.


University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Kaushal Chari

🎉Congratulations to our local Super School - Athens Elementary School!We presented Athens Elementary School with the Sup...
06/05/2026

🎉Congratulations to our local Super School - Athens Elementary School!
We presented Athens Elementary School with the Super School award.
⭐A Super School means that every student in every grade received JA programming this year. We had amazing volunteers from the community and businesses who helped make this happen. One of our volunteers from Aspirus, Julie Welk joined us for the Super School presentation.

Athens School District Wisconsin
Aspirus Health

🎉As we near the end of the 2025-26 school year we will spotlight and celebrate educators that work with JA in Wisconsin!...
06/04/2026

🎉As we near the end of the 2025-26 school year we will spotlight and celebrate educators that work with JA in Wisconsin!
🌟Bob Wild brings much knowledge and experience to his science classroom at Deerfield High School in Deerfield WI. He is enthusiastic and creative and makes learning and discovering fun. He challenges students to lean in and learn and provides supports and encouragement for students in and out of the classroom.

Thank you, Robert, for supporting JA students to achieve academically today and economically tomorrow. 🍎💛


Deerfield Community Schools
Deerfield High School

A summer job is more than a paycheck, it’s often a young person’s first step toward independence, confidence, and career...
06/03/2026

A summer job is more than a paycheck, it’s often a young person’s first step toward independence, confidence, and career readiness.

Through hands-on experiences, students learn how to communicate, problem-solve, manage responsibility, and navigate the workplace, skills that last far beyond the summer season.

At Junior Achievement, we’re helping prepare students for those opportunities and the future ahead.

Congratulations to Michael H. White, retired CEO and Chairman of Rite-Hite, who will be inducted into the 2026 Wisconsin...
06/03/2026

Congratulations to Michael H. White, retired CEO and Chairman of Rite-Hite, who will be inducted into the 2026 Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame, benefitting Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, on June 4th.

As the oldest of seven children, Mike learned early what hard work looked like. He got his start as a sales
representative in Chicago. And when his father asked him to come back to the company, Mike took a pay cut to work behind the scenes and learn the business from the inside out. In his early thirties, Mike faced a defining moment when Rite-Hite’s longtime banker, John Kelly, asked Mike’s dad a simple question: “Why not make the kid president?” Art White did just that, and that changed everything for Mike.

At the time, Rite-Hite had just 40 employees. Today, the company employs more than 3,000 people around the world. In Mike’s first 18 months leading the business, he tripled the company’s headcount to strengthen distribution and customer service. Under his leadership, Rite-Hite became a global innovator in loading dock equipment, industrial doors, safety systems, and manufacturing solutions.
But ask Mike what he is proudest of, and he will not talk about growth. He will talk about his family and the Rite-Hite families… the thousands of people whose lives and livelihoods have been supported through the company he helped build.

That down-to-earth mindset shaped the culture of Rite-Hite. Known affectionately now
as Art’s son and Micaela’s dad, Mike still eats lunch in the company café, often coming from the fitness center in workout clothes, and knows many employees by first name. That humility and connection have defined his leadership for decades. We are proud to induct Michael H. White into the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame.
Learn More: https://loom.ly/Utwebcs


Rite-Hite
FOX6 News Milwaukee
FIS

Congratulations to Bob Hillis, from Direct Supply, who will be inducted into the 2026 Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame, b...
06/02/2026

Congratulations to Bob Hillis, from Direct Supply, who will be inducted into the 2026 Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame, benefitting Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, on June 4th.

From his early beginnings growing up in Terra Haute, Indiana, Bob Hillis showed signs of independence, curiosity,
and an extraordinary talent for mathematics. At just 14 years old, he began learning about business from Tony Hulman, owner of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This experience shaped Bob’s lifelong belief that mentorship is one of the most powerful forces in success. After earning his engineering degree from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and an MBA from Indiana University, Bob began his professional journey at Oscar Mayer in Madison, Wisconsin. There, he demonstrated an early ability to see opportunity where others did not. In the early 1980s, a trip to Silicon Valley changed everything. Bob recognized the upcoming personal computer revolution long before others caught on. Acting on that vision, he founded Direct Supply in 1983, pioneering a “virtual distribution” model built on the idea that smart people and technology could move
products more efficiently than traditional systems.

With a handful of IBM computers linked together, Bob built a business that served the growing needs of the nursing home industry. It took seven years for Direct Supply to turn a profit. Today, his companies have grown to operate globally, with manufacturing partnerships in 17 countries and annual revenue over $800 million.
A dedicated community leader, Bob has also served more than 30 years on the board of Milwaukee School of Engineering. His legacy reflects a commitment to innovation, resilience, and mentorship, values that define what business leadership is at its core. We proudly induct Bob Hillis into the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame.
Learn More: https://loom.ly/Utwebcs


Direct Supply
FOX6 News Milwaukee
FIS

Congratulations to Tim Sheehy, from MMAC, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, who will be inducted into the ...
06/02/2026

Congratulations to Tim Sheehy, from MMAC, Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, who will be inducted into the 2026 Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame, benefitting Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, on June 4th.

A graduate of Nicolet High School and a standout athlete inducted into its athletic Hall of Fame, Tim Sheehy
earned a college baseball scholarship to UW-Madison before beginning his professional journey in Washington,
D.C., working on Capitol Hill for Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner. But it was his return home to Milwaukee
that would shape his legacy.

In 1982, Sheehy joined MMAC, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, where he would spend the next 42 years helping guide the area’s business, civic, and political future. He often described his work as being at the “crossroads of people, policy, and politics,” and embraced the complexity that came with it. Under Sheehy’s leadership, MMAC played a pivotal role in some of Wisconsin’s most transformative initiatives. From helping launch one of the nation’s first school choice programs, to supporting the financing and development of major projects like Miller Park and Fiserv Forum, his work consistently aimed to strengthen the region’s competitiveness.

He also took part in establishing the Milwaukee 7, a regional economic development partnership focused on attracting and retaining businesses, further reinforcing Southeast Wisconsin as a destination for growth and opportunity. His guiding principles are simple but powerful: do what’s right, do what you say you’re
going to do and earn everything you achieve.

Beyond economic development, Tim Sheehy has been deeply committed to education and civic engagement, working closely with initiatives like Rocketship Charter Schools and City Forward Collective. Backing his belief that strong communities, and strong economies, depend on opportunity for the next generation. We are proud to induct Tim Sheehy into the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame.
Learn More: https://loom.ly/Utwebcs


MMAC
FOX6 News Milwaukee
FIS

Congratulations to Mary Ellen Stanek, from Baird, who will be inducted into the 2026 Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame, be...
06/01/2026

Congratulations to Mary Ellen Stanek, from Baird, who will be inducted into the 2026 Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame, benefitting Junior Achievement of Wisconsin, on June 4th.

Mary Ellen Stanek, affectionately known as ‘Mimi’ by many, was born in McHenry, Illinois, where she grew up as the third of six children. In 1974, she came to Marquette University with the intention of becoming a lawyer. But somewhere between studying political science, philosophy, and business, she discovered a different calling—one rooted in analysis, discipline, and the power of financial stewardship. Her path was anything but ordinary. Early in her career, she joined an investment team during one of the most volatile financial periods in modern history. She and her colleague, Gary, developed analytical tools and investment strategies grounded in a philosophy
Mary Ellen still believes today: “units of risk for units of opportunity.” Since 1979, through the evolution of what is now Baird Advisors, Mary Ellen has become one of the most respected voices in fixed income investing in the country. Today, she oversees over $190 Billion in fixed income assets and is widely recognized as a pioneer
in bond investing.

And while technology and markets have evolved, Mary Ellen often says the essentials never change; discipline, consistency, hard work and intellectual rigor. Those are the principles that became the foundation of her success.

But Mary Ellen’s success is not just in her professional achievements. It is also in her humanity. She has devoted herself to causes including service with Children’s Wisconsin, her alma mater Marquette University and has championed economic growth across the region through leadership with the Milwaukee 7 Regional Economic Development Partnership. We are proud to induct Mary Ellen Stanek into the Wisconsin Business Hall of Fame.
Learn More: https://loom.ly/Utwebcs


Baird
FOX6 News Milwaukee
FIS

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300 3rd Street Suite LO4
Wausau, WI
54403

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Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 8am - 5pm
Friday 8am - 5pm

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