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For and about women in Northeast Wisconsinwww.mywomenmagazine.com

JANUARY 1, 2012

Health and wellness I Winter style I Mortgage lenders

Kathy Hinkfuss

communityCaring for

3

Workplace wellnessby Erica Dakins

Being veganby Jaye Alderson

Amp up your winter wardrobeby Jasmine Buchberger

Dress for Success

Kathy HinkfussBy Erica Dakins

Mortgage lenders

Organizing your lifeBy Sandra Peterson

Tech talk: What not topost onlineBy Laura Pink

My favorite roomby Erica Dakins

Your credit scoreby Jaye Alderson

Financial planningBy Darren Hindman

contents

Profile 14

Body 10

Mind 25

Spirit 28

Woman who inspire 20

Dep

artm

ents

Health and wellness

Checking In 4 Question of the Month 5 Recipes 35 Cookbook contest 35 Out & About 36

Special Section 6

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We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportu-nity and its first chapter

is New Year's Day.

women I JANUARY 1, 20124

editor’sletter ERICA DAKINS

Checking InPublisher Leslie [email protected]

Editor Erica [email protected]

Account representative Nancy [email protected]

Contributing writers Laura Pink, Alison Struve

ADVISORY BOARD

Volume 10 Number 5 January 1, 2012

is published every four weeks by Asare Enterprises, LLC. Contents of this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the consent of the publisher.

For a subscription to Women, send name, address & phone number to: Women, 1835 E. Edgewood Drive, Suite 105 #26, Appleton, WI 54913 or call 920-205-6407. Send $15 for 1 year/13 issues or $28 for a 2 year/26 issue sub-scription. Or e-mail us at [email protected].

Tricia Voskuil, The Real Estate Group

Kate Thome, Thome Benefit Solutions, LLC

Beth Davis, Community First Credit Union

Nee Yuan, Nee Yuan’s Permanent Beauty

Lisa Malak, St. Mary’s Hospital/St. Vincent Hospital

Lisa Olejniczak, Parkside Care Center

Bobbie Thompson, Touchmark

Editorial interns Jasmine Buchberger,Darren Hindman

Happy new year, everyone!I hope you’re

ready to start the new year off right. I know I am. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays behind us, it is time to take on the challenges and promises of 2012.

In this issue we highlight mortgage lenders in Women Who Inspire. These fantastic ladies are more than eager to help first-time homebuyers like myself and anyone looking to purchase a new home or refinanc-ing. Mortgage rates are at a 40-year low and these ladies are ready to help in any way they can.

On our cover we’re featuring Kathy Hinkfuss, director of the YWCA in Green Bay. After taking two years to concentrate on her family, she found a position where she can really shine and focus on giving back to the community. Her depth of love for her family is easily extended to families all throughout the Green Bay area.

Talking to Kathy, I learned of all the great partnerships the YWCA formed with area organizations. From programming to help find jobs and provide a professional work

outfit to exercise programming for older adults through young chil-dren, the YWCA has a lot to offer.

Our special section is on health and wellness — a great topic as we kick off the new year. Jaye Alder-son talks about the pros and cons of being vegan and we talk to Addie Teeters about workplace wellness programs.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Women and have an exciting and enjoyable 2012.

Erica Dakins, editor [email protected]

Kathy HinkfussCover photography by Kim Martin,Accent by Kim, Green Bay.

Hair and makeup by Leah Timm,Salon Eternity and Day Spa andLori Buss, On the Glo

Questionof the month What's your new year's resolution?

My New Year’s resolution is to keep all receipts

scanned and filed where they belong instead of under my desk. The positive side of me says I will keep this process going throughout the year. The realistic side says I better add this to one of my employees job description.SUE DIEHL, New London

My resolution is to not make a resolution but a

plan to have a healthier lifestyle, and stick to it as a way of life.BARB PANDOLFO, Appleton

"I am about 75 percent finished writing a children’s book. I’m really enjoying the process and the story occupies

a lot of my thinking time. I want to finish it this year, but more importantly I want to learn about publishing it. I figure if I keep saying “I’m going to get it done” out loud I’ll have no choice but to hold myself accountable and keep my resolution.PEGGY ESERKALN, De Pere

More "me time" calm down and relax a little more. I give myself 2 months and then

I will be back to my crazy lifestyle as usual!ASHLEY SCHMIT, Appleton

To be more positive in my thoughts, words, actions, etc. I plan

to keep it indefinitely.BECKY LANGE, Sauk City(formerly of Kaukauna)

I have the same resolution as I do every year — I will lose 50 pounds. And this year, I’ll stick to it. I’ll

probably stick with it until May or June.KELLI HOELZEL, Kaukauna

New Year

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Keep a positive attitude when things don't go right ... and (of course) the real estate market

picks up and more young people will get their first home in 2012. Peace on earth - everywhere.JOYCE BYTOF, Appleton

My New Year's resolution is to be more patient!SUSAN MATZ, OShkosh

My New Year’s Resolution is going to focus on Health and fitness. I am in the long term care industry

and encourage others to take care of themselves physically and emotionally. I recognize I don’t always take time for myself so my resolution is to take as good of care of me as I do of others. I will keep this resolution going as I feel this is a life long commitment and a change in attitude for me.CINDY ANDERSON, Neenah

2012Happy

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by Erica Dakins

wellness6

SPECIAL SECTION:

Health and wellness

With the rising cost of healthcare affecting businesses, workplace wellness programs seem to be popping up all over and have been since the 1990s. These programs are designed to promote overall health and cut high premi-ums for both employers and employees.

Wellness programs can reduce absenteeism, improve productivity, reduce injuries and improve morale and retention. According to Wellness Councils of America (WELCOA), business and insurance pays for 34 percent of direct medical care expenditure costs. Compare that to individual health care consumers, who pay 18 percent.

WELCOA also says that labor costs are typically 60 to 70 per-cent of total annual operating costs for most businesses and

health costs are typically 9 to 14 percent of those costs.

It is completely understandable that businesses and their health and insurance providers are working together to promote workplace wellness.

Addie Teeters, Human Resources Manager at Thilmany Pa-pers in De Pere heads up their employee wellness program and has organized and executed a number of great health initiatives. Thilmany has done Biggest Loser and a Survivor Challenge where they introduced different healthy initia-tives for people to try. For the holiday season, Teeters says they are doing a “Maintain, Don’t Gain” challenge.

1. What kind of workplace wellness programs have you organized? How do these programs work?

Addie Teeters shares advantages to being healthy on the job

Teeters: For the last few years, Thilmany Papers has imple-mented several workplace wellness initiatives. These range from onsite biometric screening for our employees, to fun activities for families such as nature hikes, weight loss challenges and different disease awareness initiatives. We’ve also created an internal website strictly dedicated to wellness.

2. How do you set goals and rewards?

Teeters: We receive a lot of assistance from our vendors on how to implement these programs. United Healthcare, Prevea, and ThedaCare have all been helpful in providing us programs and goal setting initiatives.

3. What is your favorite part of working with employees on their wellness?

Teeters: I love it when I see the positive results our employ-ees gain from accessing the different wellness resources. When an employee can go off maintenance medications because they’re eating correctly and have lost weight, that is a win for our entire team!

4. How do you promote wellness programs to get maximum participation?

Teeters: Newsletters, email communication, home mailers, and our own wellness webpage. We have several shift employees, so sometimes it can be difficult to reach every-one, but communication is our top priority.

5. What advice do you have for women to make the most out of these opportunities at work and how

to start these programs if their workplace doesn’t offer them?

Teeters: If your workplace doesn’t offer a wellness program, then start one. It is very easy and typically

can be done without a budget. Rely on the vendors you already have, such as your medical insurance provider, to assist you with programming. And don’t expect full partici-pation immediately. It takes a while for people to gain trust of any new program. But if you get a “few good gals” to help, it will eventually take off! w


Workplace

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SPECIAL SECTION:

by Jaye Alderson

8

Being veganHealth and wellness

As people become more aware of how the food they consume affects

both themselves and their world, many are exploring the vegan lifestyle. Julia Salomón, corpo-rate dietitian for Affinity Health System, says veganism is a step further from vegetarian-ism. Vegetarians eliminate meat products from their diets but some may choose to consume milk, eggs, cheese and other dairy products.

“A vegan lifestyle is one that eliminates all animal products,” she says. “Some just elimi-nate those products from the food they eat. Others make it part of their whole lifestyle. They may choose not to wear leather, or use cosmetics or soaps made from animals prod-ucts. It’s a lifestyle choice.”

Salomón says there are various reasons

people choose to have a vegan lifestyle. First are obvious health benefits. “Most saturated fats are found in animal products,” Salomón says. “If you’re talking about heart health, it makes a lot of sense to reduce that. You’re also eliminating cholesterol from your diet.”

Other reasons people choose a vegan life-style is a love for animals and a concern for their ethical treatment. There also is a sus-tainability component, Salomón says.

“Some people choose to become vegans in terms of responsible use of the earth’s re-sources,” she says. “Literature on this topic shows that it takes more energy and resources to raise cattle than to directly produce plant-based food on the same amount of land. It is contributing to the whole issue of sustain-ability of earth resources, energy resources, etc.”

Emily Bowles of Appleton, a grant writer for the Sexual Assault Crisis Center-Fox Cit-ies, became a vegetarian at the age of 12 after

The vegan lifestyle comes with reward and risk

reading Richard Adams’ book, “Watership Down.” Since her 20s, she has been primarily vegan.

“When I was pregnant and during phases of heavy training (I’m a runner), I have occasionally introduced fish, but no egg, dairy, chicken, red meat, etc.,” Bowles says. “For the most part, I know I can meet all of my needs through vegan nutrition.”

She adds, “When I was in my 20s, I didn’t wear leather etc. Now I feel comfortable with it if it’s thrifted: buying a lot of my clothes, shoes, and purses second-hand keeps things sustainable.

“I feel much healthier when I am really eating good, whole, vegan foods. I think it keeps my skin very healthy, and it also gives me a ton of energy. I love feel-ing like the choices I make about fueling my body reflect my environmental and ethical values. Being a vegan helps me feel balanced.”

Whether people choose to adopt a vegan lifestyle or just incorporate aspects of it into their lives, Salomón says there are many things to consider, such as protein, calcium and other nutrients such as vitamins B12 and D.

“Animal products such as meat, dairy and eggs are very rich in protein,” Salomón says. “You have to con-sider what other sources of protein you can start eating. There are soybeans and other soy-based products, such as tofu and tempeh, which are good sources of protein. A

delicious way to get protein is incorporating beans and nuts in the diet.”

For extra calcium intake, she recommends sources such as spinach, kale and other dark green, leafy veg-etables; almonds; and calcium-fortified soy milk.

“Planning meals does not have to be complicated,” she says. “It takes a little more maneuvering, becoming more knowledgeable and recognizing where to get those nu-trients. One of the keys to following a vegan lifestyle in a healthy way is to include variety — vegetables, fruits, leafy greens, whole-grain products, beans and other le-gumes.”

Both Bowles and Salomón agree that it has become much easier to find vegan and vegetarian food products over the past few years — both in stores and in eating out.

“I love vegan baked goods from Brewed Awakenings in Appleton (now owned by Aspen coffee), and I eat out at some restaurants that make vegan options available,” Bowles says. “But being vegan turned me into someone who loves cooking. I got tired of living on bagels and Luna bars after a while. Now some of my favorite foods include: steel-cut oatmeal with peanut butter, fruit and flaxseeds; casseroles with millet as the base, tempeh for protein, and sweet potatoes on top; pasta with soy sau-sage, kale, tomato, and olives; chickpea noodle soup;

and homemade sei-tan. I love cooking with miso, and my favorite grain is qui-noa.”

She says cook-books by Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Alicia Silverstone and Jen-nifer McCann have been very helpful, and notes that vegan pumpkin muffins from McCann’s “Veg-an Lunch Box” is the favorite food of her 5-year-old daughter, Aurora Smith.

Bowles says infor-mation about vegan-ism is available on food blogs and in cookbooks. Those new to the lifestyle should know “there is a community out there that shares and embraces the same values,” she says.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 19


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Leggings arevery comfortable,especially withthe tunic tops

and longer length tops.

— AMY DANELSKI

Black fluro chainstirrup leggings byMcQ AlexanderMcQueen.

fashion

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BY JASMINE BUCHBERGER

AMP UP YOUR WINTER WARDROBE

Frosty winter weather often leads to layers upon layers of warm win-ter clothing to avoid freezing our

toes off. Unfortunately, the visual ends up a little dull and repetitive with bulky sweater after bulky sweater all packed under a parka-like coat.

Luckily, a couple of local fashionistas came to the res-cue with some accessories and trends that will amp up your winter wardrobe. Clothes Mentor store manager Amy Danelski and Hey Daisy associate Carli Vergamini see all the latest and unique trends, and are sure to help find something that suits your style.

So how can you make your style trendy and noticeable when the only visible part of your body is your nose and eyes? Winter may be dim and dreary but your clothing doesn’t have to be. Bold bright-colored coats and color-blocked sweaters are a sure way to get yourself noticed while keeping you cozy-warm at the same time.

When braving the outdoor’s bone-chilling cold, wrap a colorful patterned scarf around your neck and chin. Scarves came back into style a couple years ago and have been embraced during all four seasons; knit scarves are available and affordable in a large variety of styles. Wool and knit scarves are most appropriate for the winter sea-son.

According to both Danelski and Vergamini, faux-fur trim is all the rage this winter. Spruce up scarves, hats, mittens and coats with faux-fur trim and reap the benefits of that soft warm fur and its fashionable quality. Faux-fur vests and fur detailing on some dresses are unique ways to incorporate this trend and warm up your wardrobe.

At the same time, you can spare your wallet the extra spending and remain animal friendly by sticking to faux

Body

Olive green wool cloche for women from Terry Graziano.

women I JANUARY 1, 2012 13WWW.MYWOMENMAGAZINE.COM1212

Body Fashion

FORDRESS

SUCCESS

fashion

fur. Real fur is expensive and often a cause for contro-versy.

Danelski also likes riding boots with fur trim which are a unique item that fit in with this season’s fur fancy. However, boots of various shapes, sizes, and styles are still very popular.

Another new style this winter is the practical yet styl-ish SmarTouch gloves. These are finger gloves that you can wear which allow you to easily text on smart phones and touch screen devices. The SmarTouch gloves are very new this season but there are a few items that aren’t the newest or latest “big thing” to hit the stores but can still do wonders for your winter look.

According to Danelski, her favorite style this season is one that has been around for a few years now but have grown in popularity.

“Leggings are very comfortable, espe-cially with the tunic tops and longer length tops,” she says.

Leggings provide the comfort and relaxed mentality of sweatpants, while being much more fashionable. You can dress them up or down, de-pending on the occasion. If you feel extra bold or even extra cold you can pair leggings with a pair of thick knit leg warmers to heat things up.

Another sweet trend to spice up your winter wardrobe are sequins.

“I personally am a big fan of the sequins — the shimmery look,” Ver-gamini says.

Vergamini also has her own collection of Craze handbags. She currently has a winter collection available to accessorize your outfit — sparkles in-cluded.

Additional ac-cessories that both Danelski and Ver-gamini agree will take your outfit from drab to fab are big chunky jewelry, large

rings and dangly earrings. With winter being one of the longest lasting

seasons in Wisconsin, you can now mix things up with an assortment of weather-appropriate accessories. It doesn’t matter if you’re dressing for work, a holiday party or casual wear, amp it up with some of the suggested bold colors and big jewelry.

How we look on the outside often affects how we feel inside, so fight a case of seasonal affec-tive disorder by keeping the colors cheerful and the accessories sparkly and you’ll brighten your day as well as your wardrobe. w

Eileen Fisher black cotton/nylon jacket ($18). Express Sexy Basic sequined tank top ($6). Jones New York blue long sleeved cotton oxford ($10). White House Black Market skinny jeans ($22). Lia Sophia necklace ($10). Black Dockers riding boots ($14). Coach shoulder bag ($45).

Larry Levine womens double breastedhooded pea coat.

Kathy HinkfussProfile

BY ERICA DAKINS

14 women I JANUARY 1, 2012Photos by Kim Martin, Accent by Kim, Green Bay.

Kathy Hinkfuss

I feel like I’m working for the community. I’m working for the

YWCA, but I’m doing it for the community.

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’’15

Her Community Career

Kathy Hinkfuss finds balance in work and family at the YWCA

About two years ago Kathy Hinkfuss made the decision to leave her fast-paced career to concentrate

on her family. After the two years were up, she found a rewarding new career as the Executive Director at the YWCA in Green Bay.


Profile Up Closeand Personal

WWW.MYWOMENMAGAZINE.COM 17

KATHY HINKFUSSFamily first

Hinkfuss found herself immersed in her work life, flying all over, gone for weeks at a time. She says it was when she came home from a two- week business trip and found no one at home and no note, she started to think about her priorities.

After discussing it with her hus-band, she decided to take a two-year break from working to concentrate on her family. She says her oldest daughter was leaving for college and they didn’t have enough drivers in the family.

Despite her success in the working world, Hinkfuss knew her priorities to her family. Beliefs instilled to her by her mother (who is very active at the YWCA) told her to put fam-ily first for a while. But not being the type to sit home idly, Hinkfuss began her Masters program at UW-Oshkosh, which she is only three classes away from completing.

Hinkfuss is married to Branch 7 Circuit Court Judge Timothy Hink-fuss, who has been a judge for 11 years. Being from the area originally, he moved back to open a law firm with this father and met his future wife when they both graduated from the Leadership Green Bay program in 1990.

They have three children. Mad-eline, 19, is the oldest and attends college at University of Missouri in Columbia, Mo. Marie, 16, attends Notre Dame Academy and went to state for both golf and soccer last year. The youngest, Michael, 15, also attends Notre Dame Academy, plays football and is just like his fa-ther, Hinkfuss says.

“I have all alpha personalities in my family,” Hinkfuss laughs. “Ev-erybody wants to be in charge.”

She says everyone in her family is very independent, driven and com-mitted to whatever they do, be it school or sports. But twice a year, they come back together and con-centrate on being a family. They just returned from a week in Puerto Val-

Where is your favorite place to travel?

New York City. I like the hustle, I like the bustle. I like the ability to go from one block to another and go to Chinatown to the Italian area and then over to SoHo and then go down for a play. There’s just so much to do.

Or Chicago. I love both of them. I love big cities.

What is your favorite TV show or movie?

My favorite TV show is Hawaii Five-0 or Body of Proof. I don’t watch much TV, but when I do, I watch both of them. I love the mystery. And watching Hawaii Five-0, we’ve been to Hawaii so I love to see the panoramics and the views of the beach and mountains — and the culture. And with Body of Proof, I love the science aspects of it.

I guess with both of them I love watching the observation of people and going through the mystery. I’m not a sitcom person at all.

What is your favorite family activity?

Sailing. I grew up on the water in a motorboat, Tim grew up sail-ing small boats. When you sail, everybody has to work together as a family. Everyone has their job that they need to do. It gets everyone involved with the same goal. It’s so

peaceful. It’s just the five of us. … We have to depend on each other. It’s the journey to get there, not the destination. If you’re in a rush, you don’t sail.

What do you enjoy reading?

I love historical fiction and reading about WWII and about people’s lives. I also read Mary Higgins Clark and James Patterson when they come out because they’re really quick reads.

I love to read business books. I’m in the middle of reading The Veloc-ity and The Gold Mine right now. Those are books about change and organizations that have had to go through change, how they worked through it to optimize what they were doing and the people.

When we go on vacation I’m only allowed to bring two books, so I have to make really good choices because my kids and my husband will go through my suitcase and take them out.

If you had one wish, what would it be?

You can go so big, I think of world peace and people and cultures. But my biggest wish would be the safe-ty of my family and the success and happiness of my children. Hopefully all those values that we’ve given to our three children allow them to be happy, healthy and productive. That’s my wish.

On May 1, 1919, a meeting was held to organize a YWCA chapter in Green Bay. The goal was to provide young women with an appropriate place to meet, rest during their noon hour, and buy lunch at a moderate price. Under the leadership of Euphemia Jane Kay, the first president, YWCA Green Bay-De Pere began operations at the corner of Cherry and Adams streets in downtown Green Bay. Within the first year, 1,500 women had joined. Community leaders pledged $13,963, and national YWCA affiliation was won.

Since 1919, YWCA Green Bay-De Pere has endeav-ored to meet the changing needs

of women and girls in the community: Serving as a luncheon spot, providing job preparation classes, and finding safe boarding houses for working women in the '20s; offering crisis intervention and programs to war brides in the '40s; sponsoring Girl Reserves in the '60s; providing licensed childcare in the '80s; and offering cancer support, teen parent-ing, and economic self-sufficiency programs in the '90s.

Today, the YWCA remains at the forefront of women's issues, providing programs and services that fulfill its vision of Empowering women and children while providing an environment of racial and cultural acceptance for all.

History of the

YWCA

18 women I JANUARY 1, 2012 WWW.MYWOMENMAGAZINE.COM 19

larta, Mexico.“The five of us just go away and reconnect and bring

that cohesive family back together,” Hinkfuss says.

Back at itAbout a year ago, Hinkfuss started looking at her op-

tions. All she knew is that she wanted to be in a leader-ship position. With her background in operations, ser-vice and logistics, that would mean going back on the road for any company she would work for. With two kids still at home, she knew she wasn’t ready to go that route.

“I want to do something for the community,” she says. “I thought about running for political office and looked at a couple of other things, and then I got a call that the YWCA job was open.”

After doing her research, she determined that this was the place she wanted to be. In August she started at the YWCA as Executive Director.

“It was a fit with who I am and what I stand for,” Hink-fuss says. “It was really important to me — I wanted a passion; I wanted a career. I wanted to wake up in the morning and feel like I was making a difference.”

One of the biggest differences Hinkfuss noticed be-tween the private sector and her nonprofit work was the speed.

“At a nonprofit you’re so dependent on things outside of your control,” she says. “There’s the influence that you need to have to bring people in. It comes from the heart. You do it because it is the right thing for the com-munity.

“I feel like I’m working for the community. I’m work-ing for the YWCA, but I’m doing it for the community.”

Carol Gibson, Communications Director for the YWCA says that so far her favorite part about working with Hinkfuss is her approachability.

“She is very easy to talk to,” Gibson says. “She listens to new ideas and she is very complimentary about the work that you do. She makes you feel good about what you do and encourages you to think differently.”

She encourages you to ‘Move your cheese!’” Gibson laughs.

“Yes! Move your cheese! Change is good,” Hinkfuss says.

At the YWCAThe primary goal of the YWCA of Green Bay is elimi-

nating racism and empowering women. But that doesn’t mean that they only serve women. Gibson says the YWCA serves women, men and children.

“It’s called the YWCA because it was founded by wom-en,” she says.

The YWCA of Green Bay is the only one in the region. The next closest are in Wausau, Milwaukee and Madi-son. Each YWCA is different, based on the needs of the community.

“Some offer domestic abuse shelters and some offer back-to-work assistance,” Gibson says.

One of their hurdles is making sure the community knows they are different from the YMCA, which offers similar child care, fitness center and pool services. The organizations don’t compete with each other — they’re just different. The YWCA focusses on their human re-sources services.

Hinkfuss really takes pride in the number of human re-sources services the YWCA provides through their own programming and through partnerships throughout the community.

One of these programs, TechGYRLS is an after school program designed to nurture STEM areas (science, tech-nology, engineering and math) in middle school girls. The program, with a special focus on at-risk and low-income girls, is in its second year. The program exposes middle school girls to science, technology and engineer-ing at an early age.

“The whole idea behind it is to get these girls inter-ested in science and math and to see that it’s fun,” Hink-fuss says. “Boys have a tendency to already want to go into these fields, but girls do not. There’s data that shows that women who go into these science and technology careers will make 150 percent more than if they did not.

‘‘

‘‘

At a non-profit you’re sodependent on things out-side of your control,” she

says. “There’s the influence that you need to have to bring people in. It comes

from the heart. You do it be-cause it is the right thing for

the community.

“Sometimes being vegan feels lonely or isolated, but there are a lot of amazing vegan athletes, celebrities and normal people who are vegan.”

Salomón also recommends that newcomers consult with a registered dietitian.

“It’s money well-spent,” she says. “We can discuss with you about the nutrients you need and what not to worry about too much. We can guide you through this lifestyle choice so you can do it responsibly and safely. A careful-ly planned vegan eating pattern can be healthy. However, if someone is just eating is crackers and soy, or just fruits and vegetables, that may not be enough. There has to be a balance between the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, etc.”

She says you also should inform your primary care physician about this lifestyle choice so they can monitor how you overall health is affected.

Another source for information is websites, Salomón says. She recommends the Vegetarian Resource Group at www.vrg.org and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietet-ics, at www.eatright.org.

“Veganism is not a diet,” Salomón says. “Veganism is a lifestyle. If someone is just beginning to explore this for themselves, there’s a lot to think about. It will change how you plan your menus, how you shop for the foods you’re going to prepare. It takes a little bit of planning at the beginning, but after you’re a seasoned vegan, it be-comes second nature.”

Bowles agrees. “Being a vegan is something so deeply ingrained in my lifestyle now that I don’t really have to think about it,” she says. “I just live it. There were points during my transition to veganism when it felt like I had to think too much about food, and at those points, I pulled back, sometimes eating fish or dairy or other foods I craved so that being vegan wouldn’t mean obsessing about food. But now that it’s natural and intuitive, I can live a vegan lifestyle without compromising other facets of my life or identity: I am a runner, a mom, a volunteer victim advocate for the Sexual Assault Crisis Center and a grant writer — all of which take a lot of energy. Vegan-ism gives me the fuel I need, plus the sense of balance, health and completeness that makes that all possible.” w

VEGAN I CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

“For my kids, I’ve always kept them in the science and math side.”

The exercise programs at the YWCA are custom-ized for different age groups. From infants to seniors, programming is available for any age. For more infor-mation on programs and services at the YWCA, visit ywcaofgreenbay.org

“We provide a lot of service to the community,” Hinkfuss says. “We want to be a resource for women throughout the community.”

One of the main focusses of the YWCA is empower-ment — empowerment with knowledge and resources. And by empowering the employees and volunteers, they are better able to empower families throughout the community.

“You can’t empower people unless they feel empow-ered inside your walls,” Gibson says.

Hinkfuss says her favorite part of working at the YWCA is the people. From talking to the seniors who come in to swim to the workout instructors and ev-eryone in between, it is the people who make her job worthwhile.

“I’m lucky,” Hinkfuss says. “I have a wonderful hus-band, a great job and a great team — I live in a great community, have wonderful children and just have met some great people. I’m lucky to have this oppor-tunity.” w

Profile

WWW.MYWOMENMAGAZINE.COM

Womenwho inspire

Mortgage

20

Photo by Kristi Kemp, Beau d’Art Photography, Kimberly. Location provided be Julie Aslin, Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group.

Julie Champeau(not in larger photo)AppletonCommunity FirstCredit Union

Years in mortgage lending: 15 years

What is your favorite part of your job? Helping first-time homebuy-ers get a mortgage for their “dream home.”

What advice do you have for wom-en looking to start or refinance a mortgage? Make sure that your credit is in good standing if purchasing. Save money for the down payment.

Jeanine L StadlerAppletonAssociated Bank, NAYears in mortgage lend-ing: 19 years

What is your favorite part of your job? My favorite part of my job is helping customers achieve the American dream — home owner-ship!

What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? Rates are at a 40-year low. Now is the time to lower your payment and save money!

Peggy PerdueFond du LacCitizensFirst Credit UnionYears in mortgage lend-

ing: 6.5 years

What is your favorite part of your job? Just sitting down and talking to the person or persons as to their individual needs and situation. Whether purchasing for the first time, moving up or downsizing, buying that hunting land or build-ing a dream home or refinancing to a shorter term or lower rate — I want to do what’s best for them. If I

can’t help you today, I will tell you what steps to take, so together we can get it done.

For example, in the summer of 2008, rates on a 30-year mortgage were well over 6 percent. I men-tioned to those that I financed that typically rates are lower in the win-ter months and we should probably look at refinancing. Lo and behold, the rates dropped substantially. Some we refinanced to a 20-year and some to a 15-year — saving all those years of interest. And that makes everyone happy!

Top row (l to r): Nancy Kleczewski, Jeanine L. Stadler, Sue Miller, Karri Bedor, Sarah Spoehr, Diane Hinze. Bottom (l to r): Jacque Georgia, Amanda Henschel, Laura Truax, Peggy Perdue

21

lenders

women I JANUARY 1, 2012 WWW.MYWOMENMAGAZINE.COM22 23

Womenwho inspire

What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? Come and see me a few months before you are planning on purchasing a home. We have a fabu-lous pre-approval book full of infor-mation on the entire process.

Questions that come up during the process: What should I get pre-approved first? How much money do I need? (Yes, you need a down payment!) What is DTI? What credit score do I need? How much ear-nest money is required? Do I need a home inspection? What are the ad-vantages to sticking to one Realtor?

When we do a pre-approval, we verify funds, employment and cred-itworthiness. This is the time to get things cleaned up and in order, even before you look at your first property.

Amanda Henschel Fond du Lac M&I/BMO Harris Bank Years in mortgage lend-ing: 11 years

What is your favorite part of your job? The people. I enjoy meeting my customers and experiencing with them the excitement of new home ownership.

What advice do you have to women who are looking to start or refinance a mortgage? The process of obtaining a mortgage in today’s marketplace is more complex than ever, even for repeat borrowers. Make sure to select a lender you are comfortable with and trust, don’t hesitate to ask questions, and pro-

vide complete information at time of application as this will simplify the file flow process.

Sarah Spoehr KimberlyCapital Credit Union Years in mortgage lend-ing: 8 years

What is your favorite part of your job? I thoroughly enjoy getting to know our members and investing in their lives by helping them get the loans they need to buy homes and/or better their interest rate. Seeing their smiling faces and connecting with them on a personal level is also a satisfying and rewarding experi-ence for me.

What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? First, I would advise them to do their homework and shop around, making sure to take notes on closing costs, interest rates and various mortgage programs they may qualify for. Always com-pare “apples to apples” to be sure of the best deal, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. A good loan officer will be happy to work with you and take the time to explain and answer any questions you may have.

Nancy KleczewskiNeenahLakeview Credit UnionYears in mortgage lend-ing: 15 years

What is your favorite part of your job? There is nothing better than knowing you helped someone

realize their dream of home owner-ship or helped someone that is struggling to consolidate their debt with a mortgage refinance.

What advice would you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? The best advice I could give them would be to educate them-selves. The more they know about buying a home or refinancing their mortgage, the easier their transac-tion will be for them. If they contact me, I can let them know what the process is for a mortgage, what op-tions are available to them and what the approximate fees would be in-volved in that transaction.

Sue Miller Appleton US Bank Home Mortgage Years in mortgage lend-

ing: 15 years

What is your favorite part of your job? It is so rewarding to help folks accomplish a major transaction which can sometimes seem daunt-ing. Home financing today is no longer a “drive-through” task, but rather a heavily scrutinized, lengthy process and working together with the clients and partners is like solv-ing a puzzle or winning the race. I never have a boring day and I have an opportunity each and every day to meet new people and make new friends.

What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? It is critical today to be aware of what is contained in your

credit bureau report. You are en-titled to a free copy of your report from each agency. I highly recom-mend that prior to considering any new financing, you review your re-port so you can be proactive about any errors or issues that could be nasty surprises preventing you from optimal financing.

Joan Jones(not in larger photo)AppletonWells Fargo Home Mortgage

Years in mortgage lending: 12 yearsWhat is your favorite part of your

job? Every day is unique! I love working with the variety of clien-tele, helping to find the best product that’s available in each individual situation.

What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? Don’t be afraid to sim-ply pick up the phone or go to my

web page and fill out an application to find out what we can do for you. It takes just a few minutes of your time for peace of mind.

Karri BedorNeenahFirst National Bank – Fox ValleyYears in mortgage lend-

ing: 10 years

What is your favorite part of your job? Finding solutions to help peo-ple with their specific needs. Every-one has an unique situation, so I like to take a customized approach to their mortgage and achieve what is best for their goal. It’s so rewarding helping people get into new homes and saving money on refinancing.

What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? If you are purchasing, know your assets and debts. Figure out a payment you are comfortable with rather than a house value. If

you refinancing, know what inter-est rate you are at on your current mortgage, the amount of months left and what your principal and inter-est payment is.

Laura Truax Fox ValleySilver Stone Mortgage DBA/Gateway FundingYears in mortgage lend-

ing: 14 years

What is your favorite part of your job? My favorite part of my job is really twofold. I believe that with information, education and a posi-tive attitude, we can grow the hous-ing market in the Fox Valley. I love being a part of helping people ac-complish a goal, and if home own-ership is one of those goals I want to be there with them all the way. The second part that I enjoy is being part of an amazing group of people at Silver Stone Mortgage that truly cares about others and wants to help

WWW.MYWOMENMAGAZINE.COM 25 women I JANUARY 1, 201224

BY SANDRA PETERSON

Mind Organize your life

Last year I devoted a column to or-ganizing your home room by room over the course of a year. This year I have

decided to concentrate on organizing our minds and spirit. What is important to each of us and how do we achieve that?

The new year is here and most of us have come up with new year’s resolutions. But how many of us have set realistic goals so we can achieve them?

We all have the best of intentions when it comes to setting new year’s resolutions. In fact it’s really kind of fun choosing a goal and

picturing how good you will feel when you accomplish it. But seriously, it is the attainment of the goal that is hard. The daily commitment of keeping at your goal even when you are tired and have lost your enthusiasm is what new year’s resolutions are all about.

How do we deal with that?I think the most important thing is to set realistic goals.

For example, if your goal is to lose weight, choose a rea-sonable amount to lose each week. Two pounds a week is realistic while five is not. If you make your goal too hard you will become discouraged and give up all to-gether.

Come up with a plan as to how you intend to achieve your goal. If your goal is to get your home organized in 2012, then write down what your plan of attack will be. Will you de-vote a half-hour a day or a couple of hours a week or more to de-clutter-ing? Write down how you wish to achieve your goal and also keep a journal of your progress weekly. As the weeks go by, your journal will motivate you to keep going.

Remember your

resolution is for the new year, not a couple of months. Take baby steps and slowly work towards your goal. Too many people go full steam ahead and then lose mo-mentum when they get tired of trying so hard. Your plan should take you a full year and if you accomplish it in less time you can easily pick another goal.

Visualize where you want to be. Don’t think about how far you need to go but rather stay focused on what you are accomplishing weekly and on your end result. Even when you slip up don’t give up your dream of what you want to accomplish.

Let’s say your goal is to eat healthy food and you do very well for a while and then start eating junk food. Just begin again. Don’t beat yourself up. We are all human.

Try to keep your goals in front of you at all times. Post notes on your mirror, in your car, on your computer — anywhere you will be reminded of them. It is important to keep your resolution prominently in your awareness as you go through your day.

Reward yourself monthly. Set up small perks for all you accomplish each month. You could buy yourself something you want, splurge on a great meal, get a mas-sage or go away for a nice weekend retreat.

Lastly, maybe you shouldn’t make any new year’s reso-lutions at all. Why put yourself through all the trouble? Maybe this should be a free year. One in which you just let the cards fall where they may. Maybe it’s a matter of

faith that it will all turn out the way it is supposed to if you just show up and do your best. Sometimes you just need to stop the struggle and enjoy life.

Whatever you decide, vote with your heart. Enjoy-ing the journey is the most impor-tant thing.

And may this year really be your best ever. You real-ly do deserve it! w

Dealing withnew year's resolutions

me grow a mortgage company that is here for years to come.

What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? My advice to women looking at refinancing or purchasing a new home is to sit down with someone face-to-face and obtain the information needed to make an informed decision. “Is now the right time for you to buy or refinance?” is a very personal question and the answer can be different for everyone. You need to obtain the numbers and the facts and then look at your life and decide what is best for you and when it is best for you.

Donna R. Liska (not in larger photo)Green Bay1st Rate Lending, a Division of Primary Residential Mortgage Inc.Years in mortgage lending: 6 years

What is your favorite part of your job? Meeting all walks of people. Seeing the smiles on their faces when a loan comes together, whether this purchase is their 1st, 2nd or 5th. It all feels wonderful to see a very deserv-ing person reach their dream. Or a refinance that really helps them see some relief of making ends meet. I take great pride in making every transaction as smooth and painless as possible. Some are more difficult than others

but all rewarding. I will do my best to set their expec-tations from the start to the finish with no surprises.

What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? Make sure you feel totally comfortable with the per-son you are working with. You want to be able to ask any question you feel you want answered without feeling stupid or that you are bothering that loan of-ficer.

Jacque GeorgiaGreen BayJG Financial Team of Waterstone Mortgage Corporation Years in mortgage lending: 15 years

What is your favorite part of your job? When I started in this business, I never thought I would be blessed with such a great team to work with both in my clients and my office. The relationships we build every day makes us who we are and what we do possible and is definitely the best part of my job! What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? Your home is one of your most important assets you have and you should treat your financing as such. Look to work with reputable financial institutions and people in whom you can trust and build a lifelong relationship with. Your home financing is not a short-term relationship and you want to work with someone that will take the time to educate you and walk you through every step now and in the future.

Diane Hinze “The Loan Lady”Appleton and Green Bay, serving allof WisconsinAmeriCU MortgageYears in mortgage lending: 25 years

What is your favorite part of your job? When you can save a family a lot of money and help remove their finan-cial worries. This is most rewarding to us.

What advice do you have for women looking to start or refinance a mortgage? I highly recommend you con-tact us to receive crucial information needed to help you select the place you want to get your mortgage loan through. We can review your choices, which are many. Whether it is choosing lender fees, title company fees, appraisal fees, buying your rate down further yet, you’ll want to acquire a good faith estimate to shop apples to apples. w

Womenwho inspire


Mind Tech Talk

BY LAURA PINK


Most people these days are on Facebook and Twitter. Some

people even have their own website or blogs. Between smart-phones, iPads and laptops, social media is at our finger tips. It’s definitely easier than ever to over-share without even re-alizing it. There are still some things that

are just better left off of the Internet. Here are some major “don’ts” when it comes to social media.

Don’t give out personal information: This includes things such as your phone number, address or social security number. Under no circumstances should you give out that informa-tion online whether it’s on a website or Facebook. In doing this, you are expos-ing yourself to identity threats and other security risks. It’s not hard for an Internet-savvy person to take something as simple as your phone number to

find your address. Don’t have personal or private conversations: When

you have a private chat with someone or send messages back and forth, keep it off your wall and newsfeed. You wouldn’t walk around telling people the private conver-sations you have had with people, so don’t post it online for everyone to see. Don’t break the trust that someone has in you when they share their personal and private matters with you.

Don’t tell your social or travel plans: It’s not a good idea to share with the Internet when you are going out of town. You just never know who might get that informa-tion and you don’t want to let everyone know that your house is sitting empty. People’s homes have been broken

WHAT NOT TO POSTONLINE

into when they are gone. Also, if you share your social plans online for all to see, someone that’s not invited could feel left out. It’s best to let others know of these things privately.

Don’t share company information: It’s just good prac-tice not to share information about your job or the com-pany you work for. If you know of things such as a pos-sible expansion or even a layoff, it’s best to keep that to yourself or share privately in an email. Also, do not bash the company that you work for, your boss, or any co-workers. People have been known to lose their jobs for talking about their workplace online.

Don’t post pictures from last weekend’s party: Just re-member that those wild pictures that you took after hav-ing a little too much wine and posted on Facebook can be seen by everyone on your friends list, including your mom or your boss. You can’t always control the actions of others, but just remember the large audience you may have when you post pic-tures or stories about your weekend online.

A good rule of thumb to remember when engag-ing in social media is to not share things that you wouldn’t feel comfortable sharing with your grand-mother. If you follow this, you should avoid over-sharing, drama and em-barrassment. w

2928

My favorite roomSpiritBY ERICA DAKINS

Debbie Behrendt'sinviting living room in De Pere

The warmth from the fireplace accents all the warm-fuzz-ies you feel when you walk into this 1921 converted Bed and Breakfast. It is a great place for guests and friends to

sit around and enjoy a book or a glass of wine.

In the winter, this room is Debbie Behrendt’s favorite. In the summer she says her favorite room is the back porch, overlook-ing her award-winning gardens. And for her personal use, she loves her kitchen. But in the colder months, sitting around the fireplace is where she prefers to spend her time, sharing stories with all the guests that walk through her door.

Most of her guests this time of year are visiting the area for one reason only — football. She recently had the entire place occupied with a group from Virginia, who were in town for five days to see Green Bay take on Oakland. One night they all sat around and talked about the differences between Virginia and Wisconsin.

“We’ve had people from all over the world stay here,” Behrendt says, “and it really opened our eyes to the world. People aren’t all that different.”

Behrendt’s home was built in 1921 by a Dr. Smith of Baltimore. Two years later it was purchased by former Packer president Le-land H. Joannes. It remained in his family until 1995, when Dr. Steve and Amy Sehring purchased the home and did extensive renovations. The Behrendts have owned the home since 2008 and converted it into the Joannes Bed and Breakfast.

Behrendt says her favorite aspect of the room is the fireplace. It is the first thing your eyes are drawn to when you enter the room and she says guests are just as drawn to it as she is.

The fireplace has the original mantle and surround. But the original wood-burning was switched for a gas insert, which Behrendt immediately replaced with a more energy –efficient model. On both sides of the fireplace are original light fixtures from the home, which were previously on the opposite wall.

The room also features the original crown molding, which adds elegance to this inviting place. When furnishing the room, Behrendt wanted to make sure every piece was welcoming.

“I wanted to make sure I had inviting, comfort-able furniture,” she says. “Guests will bring books down from their room, curl up on the couch and read next to the fireplace.”


Money

BY JAYE ALDERSON

CREDIT SCORE

Spirit


No, you’re not just a number, but a credit score num-

ber can have a major impact on your life and spending power. Your credit score is determined by three major credit bureaus in the United States — Transunion, Equifax and Experi-an — and is a snapshot of how well you handle the responsibility of making regular, full debt payments.

“A credit report is a history of your loan, credit card and utility payments over your lifetime,” says Neil Kotter, mortgage loan special-ist with CitizensFirst Credit Union, based in Oshkosh. “It’s a history of how you’ve paid on them over the years.”

A credit report lists your credit accounts including balances, your credit limit, payment history and

the date the account was opened, Kotter says. He says it is wise to keep track of your credit report and what’s on it. He recommends exam-ining your report at least once a year and correcting any mistakes imme-diately.

Credit bureaus translate the his-tory on your credit report into a credit score. Kotter says your credit score often is different among the different agencies and changes on a regular basis. With the tight econo-my, criteria for determining a credit score has gotten more stringent, he says.

“Your credit score dictates more the price of your loan than any-thing,” says Tim Sciborski, senior vice president of lending at Com-munity First Credit Union in Apple-ton. “At the same time, we look at the ratings on the credit report from their various creditors and whether

the loan fits within their budget. No matter what your score is, it has to fit within the parameters what you’re making. Even people with a good score can overbo rrow, and we analyze to make sure that won’t happen.”

A free report from each bureau can be requested once each year through the credit bureaus’ websites or at www.annualcreditreport.com. “You will be able to review what creditors are reporting about you and see where you may be falling short of lending standard,” Kotter says. “Or, if you have a high credit score, where you may be eligible for better rates on your home loan. If there’s a mistake on your credit report, it could be costing you five or 10 points and you may not even know it.”

Your credit score is not included on your credit report but is available

for a small fee from any of the three agencies or from www.myfico.com. Typically, Kotter says, scores are rat-ed:

* 650 and under: Poor* Around 700: Average* Around 720: Good* Around 740: ExcellentIn mortgage lending, Kotter says a score of 680 or higher

typically is needed to buy a house, and some programs, such as WHEDA, could require a score of 700 or higher.

Some people are proud of paying off a credit card and then closing the account, but Kotter says it’s actually better to have more than one credit card and keep all available accounts open. “If you close them, your capac-ity would be down, so pay off the cards but keep them open,” he says.

It’s just as important to have less than 50 percent of the available credit on any one card used; and a total unse-cured debt of less than $10,000. Otherwise, your credit score is lowered.

“The way the economy is, many people are going over that amount quite a bit,” he says. “It’s affecting how many people can get a new mortgage or other credit.”

For people who may have troubles down the road be-cause of a lost job or major medical bills, Sciborski rec-ommends that they contact their creditors early. Even if they still have savings or unemployment payments they

can live off for a time, Sciborski says they shouldn’t wait until their resources are gone.

“Most creditors will work with them if they reach out,” Sciborski says. “We can reduce the payments to help them out. I’d rather have somebody call us before they’re going to have the problem than to run through everything and then ask for help. The sooner they reach out, the better. Then, if they can get a job or come out of the problem, they can always come back to their old payments again.”

For those who have declared bankruptcy, there are special considerations. They may be trying to get rid of medical bills or credit card debt, but need to keep vital assets such as a car or house.

Sciborski says loans for these vital assets can be reaf-firmed with the lender after the bankruptcy, and regular payments on these helps to re-establish their credit, he says.

“Then, if they want another car loan later, they’re pret-ty likely to get that if it’s within reason,” he says.

Kotter has several suggestions for improving a credit score:

Never be late on a mortgage payment. Pay bills on time with the full minimum amount. Some credit card companies increase your rate of interest after only one or two late payments. You can set up automatic pay-ments to eliminate this possibility.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 34

30

Understanding your


In today’s economic environ-ment, being frugal and conser-vative with your money goes a

long way in securing your finan-cial future. Contrary to popular belief, it is never too late to seek the advice of a certified fi-nancial planner. However, the sooner you can put your disposable income to work for you the more the power of compounding will pay off for you in the long run.

When seeking the advice of a financial plan-ner there are a few things to keep in mind. Make sure you trust the person you are taking advice from. You work hard for your money and your adviser should have your best interests at heart when designing a portfolio specifically for you. Tell your adviser your objectives and the amount of risk you are willing to accept for your invest-ments. Generally speaking, the younger you are the more risk you can afford to take with your investments. If you are close to retirement age

When you should talkto a financial planner

you may want to be a little more conservative with your amount of risk.

In a study looking at the disparities for women in re-tirement savings, the Retirement Security Project found that women near retirement are 5 percentage points less likely than men to have a pension or a retirement plan (such as a 401(k) and IRA).

The survey also found that women have lower retire-ment assets than men. While the median female worker near retirement held $34,000 in a 401(k) or IRA, her male counterpart had $70,000. One reason for the disparity could be the investment patterns of women. If women are more likely to invest in less risky funds than their male counterparts, they will not experience the same level of returns over time.

Kevin Kaufman, a financial adviser with WealthPlan, LLC in De Pere says the sooner you can get started creat-ing a portfolio the better off you will be when retirement rolls around.

“The first and most important thing would be to get your financial house in order,” Kaufman says. “Most people spend more time planning a vacation than they do organizing their financial affairs. Start by taking an inventory of all your assets, including investment ac-counts and all your liabilities especially credit cards and loans to find out where you stand.”

Second, Kaufman says, it is critical to establish a habit of saving money on a regular basis, even if it is a small amount like $25 a month. Gradually you will be able to increase that amount and start saving some serious money as you get older.

“Take a look at your investment accounts, especially your employer retirement plans,” Kaufman says. “Are you taking advantage of any potential matching funds

from your employer?”And third, Kaufman says, don’t forget about estate

planning and power of attorney documents as well as guardianship for any minor.

Kaufman says it would be a mistake for married wom-en to let their husbands make all the decisions on the family’s finances.

“Generally speaking, married women need to be the catalyst to get their husbands to take action,” Kaufman says. “Men tend to put things off, including financial planning, until the last minute and that may be too late.”

Single women, Kaufman says, have a big responsibil-ity especially if they have kids at home. Wearing the fi-nancial hat in addition to all the other hats needs to be one of her top priorities.

The Retirement Security Project study found the de-cline in marriage rates creates concerns for women’s retirement security because of the close link between marital status and economic status for women. Unmar-ried women, on average, have fewer economic resources than married women. Near or newly retired unmarried women are three times more likely to be poor and have lower household income and net worth than similarly aged married couples. Even compared to unmarried men in the same age group, unmarried women are finan-cially worse off.

Maria Veeser, a financial representative from Country Financial in Appleton says there are a number of finan-cial products people can invest in for different stages of their lives.

“It really depends on where you are at in your life and where you want to go,” Veeser said. “I recommend products to people designed specifically for their finan-cial situation. Generally speaking, financial products


MoneySpirit

BY DARREN HINDMAN

women I JANUARY 1, 201234 35WWW.MYWOMENMAGAZINE.COM

Women magazine, 1835 E. Edgewood Dr., Suite 105 #26, Appleton, WI 54913-9325.

Congratulationsto our most recent winner:

Artie Birdsall from Green Bay.

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Directions:› In a small saucepan, melt but-ter and stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Cook, stirring constantly; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 2 minutes while stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted.

› In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and gradually add cheese mixture. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

› Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 6-cup soufflé dish and dust with flour. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold egg whites intoyolk mixture, 1/3 ofbeaten whites ata time.

Pour egg mixture into dish; it will be 1/2 to 2/3 full.

› Bake 45 minutes until puffy and golden. Serve immediately.

Tips: A soufflé needs a straight-sid-ed, round dish to rise properly. It will at least double in size as it bakes. You can use 6 ramekins for individual soufflés and bake 25 minutes.

pepper jackcheese souffléPrep Time: 15 minutes I Cook Time: 55 minutes I Servings: 6

4 tablespoons butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

1 ¼ cup whole milk

2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese

5 large eggs, separated

1 egg white

1 tablespoon black pepper

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like insurance, personal IRAs and individual savings ac-counts are good ways to get started.”

Veeser says government programs like social security and Medicare may not be around when younger genera-tions get ready for retirement. That is why it is crucial for younger people to get started with a financial plan of their own to help secure their future.

As the new year starts it would be a great time for you to start a new year’s resolution of getting your financial house in order. If you’ve been unsuccessful with new year’s resolutions in the past, make an exerted effort this time and remember that this is one of the most important decisions you will make in your lifetime. w

Do not ignore your collections and let them turn into judgments. “No matter what size that collection is, call the collection agency or creditor and work out payment arrangements,” Kotter says.

Pay off debt. Keep a paper trail of all payments and receipts.

Obtain new forms of credit. Sciborski says it’s im-portant to obtain a new piece of credit such as a loan or a credit card, start using it sparingly and pay off bal-ances right away to establish a payment pattern.”

Sciborski says the credit scores of the population in general have gone down over the past three years, but the bit of a recovery we’ve seen will change things.

“As people get back to work and can pay those bills, the level of credit scores will change again,” he says. “That will take some time because there’s been a lot of damage. We’re seeing fewer loans now because people are not borrowing money like they used to. People have cut back on credit. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, nec-essarily. Credit was easy, and now we’re in a situation where people have been pulling back, paying off debt, and that’s helped a lot of get people back on their feet.”

Kotter adds, “There’s no secret formula or magic po-tion necessary for raising your credit score. The easiest way to improve your score is to pay your bills on time — every time.” w


Isabella and Olivia Asare Linda Vosters and Bonnie Huss

A Christmas Carol The Fox Cities PAC presented A Christmas Carol on Dec. 15 in Appleton.

Linda Myers, MaryBeth Leopold and Pam Hull

Christmas in a CupInvestment Planners held their annual Christmas in a Cup event on Dec. 1 at their offices in Neenah.

People and events from Green Bay to Fond du Lac

Dawn Nowakowski and Jane Calkins

Beth Davis and Diane Hinze

Mary Bartosic and Patricia Madden

Kevin & Sue Prince and Mariah Maedke


Business After HoursThe Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce held its Business After Hours event at Red and White in Appleton on Dec. 1.

Pat Beckerson and Melanie Akstulewicz

Christine and Tori Rondeau

Debra Michels, Joanne Fischer and Marilyn Grab

Rebecca Marnikko, Lynn Kastner and Jacee Hansen

Heather Tautges, Samantha Dennis and Jessica Dennis

The First Thursday The First Thursday club met at Sangria’s Mexican Grill in Appleton on Dec. 1.

Kay and Sydney Reinhard Sally, Therese and Catherine Coleman Kathy Ludden and Joan Rohrer

Danu: A Christmas in Ireland performed at The Fox Cities PAC on Dec. 13 in Appleton.

Rose Kilsdonk, Sue Miller and Karen Steffens

The Hearthstone Householiday celebration with community leaders in Appleton on Dec. 6.

Stacey and Brian Asendorf

Gail Dreier and Marilyn Abraham Gerty Van Lith and Kim Delsart

Tracy & Gracie Schwerin and Audrey Dutton were among

the attendees at "A Chrsitmas Carol."

Charlie Russell, Amy Mueller, Jessica Lee and Sherrie Weitz

Linda Carlson, Shellie Mathe, Steve Poeschl, Mike Willeford and Bob Mathe

Oshkosh Business After Hourswas held on Dec. 8 at the Grand Opera House in Oshkosh.

Antoinette Powell, Danielle Binzak and Tricia Adams


Time to rip open that tin of gourmet popcorn you received for Christmas! The FOX network is launching some hot new shows this month. Fans of the hit show Bones will recognize Geoff Stults as the

quirky (and not bad-looking) Walter Sherman in the new show, The Finder. Walter sports an eccentric personality and a unique gift for recovering lost articles. The Finder premieres on Thursday, January 12 at 7pm.

Sam Neill stars in the mysterious thriller, Alcatraz. The show follows a San Francisco detective and an Alcatraz historian as they investigate shocking reappearances of inmates 50 years after their disappearance. Alcatraz premieres on Monday, January 16 at 7pm.

And January just wouldn’t be January without America’s favorite talent show. American Idol explodes onto the airwaves for Season 11. Ryan, Randy, Jennifer, and Steven return for more applause, rejection and ear-shattering solos on Wednesday, January 18.

What's newon FOX

There is no denying it. Winter is here and it’s not about to loosen its iron-clad grasp on Northeast Wisconsin for another two to three months. One way to fend off the winter discontent is to escape for a brief visit to some warm spot on the map. Recently, Good Day Wisconsin’s Rachel Manek sat down to talk about her favorite vacation destinations. U.S. destinations such as South Carolina and San Francisco are at the top of her family’s list. Last year Rachel, her husband, John, and their daughters, Isabella and Zoe explored New York City and the Statue of Liberty. “It was a history-geography lesson at the same time. The whole family liked that trip,” Rachel explains. “Being in the city was difficult and more expensive though.”

Sometimes it’s just good to vacation close to home. “One of our favorite things to do is go to Door County in the wintertime. The deals in the hotels are great. You feel like you own the peninsula because there are not that many people

there. You can go sledding and skating, and they have Winterfest. And it’s only an hour and a half away and we feel like we’ve escaped.”

Road trips with baby on board can be uniquely challenging. Rachel found that the trick is preparation. “I would bring surprises to keep them occupied. I wouldn’t give them all of their car toys right away. I would save a few. A few hours in they would get something else to play with.” Individual DVD players also go a long way toward keeping passengers happy. But Rachel and John have had a few bumps along the way. “The only really awful memory that I have from traveling with the children was the trip to South Carolina. We stayed on the beach and it was awesome. On the way home Bella was awful in the car. She was not quite two years old. Wouldn’t watch anything we played on the monitor for her. But we had this Raffi. It’s a children’s music CD and we had one CD that we played over and over for sixteen hours. And we thought we would never

take another road trip again,” she laughs.

Finally, membership does have its rewards. “We like to go to Chicago. We have some family there. Our membership to The Building for Kids gets us into the Museum of Science and Industry. The whole family.”

In the future Rachel says she would love to return to Italy, where she and John spent their honeymoon. France also beckons, as does Spain. And if Bella had her wish it would be Mexico. “Our family would go anywhere there is a beach. For us that says ‘family vacation.’ Being able to play in the sand, play in the water. You don’t need to do anything else.”

Rachel'sFavoriteGetaways

Geoff Stults starsin "The Finder"

Rachel Manek and family at Cave Point in Door County

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