Badger Beacon - 2021 Year in Review

BADGER BEACON BADGER MUTUAL INSURANCE EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER

YEAR IN REVIEW 2021

AUGUST 2021 - MAKE-A-WISH WISCONSIN WALK FOR WISHES Read more about how #BadgerGivesBack on pgs. 12-16

WHAT’S INSIDE

YEAR IN REVIEW 2021

call 800.837-7833

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Employee Events

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Agent Events

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Badger Gives Back

click www.badgermutual.com

connect

Badger Family Kudos

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YEAR IN REVIEW 2021

EMPLOYEE EVENTS For the third year in a row, Badger was named a Top Workplace in Southeastern Wisconsin.

The recognition was announced in a special section of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in May 2021. Of the 62 companies in the small category (149 or fewer employees), feedback from our employees secured us a #17 ranking. While we love celebrating this recognition, we are even more thrilled that our employees were the judges – they reminded us what makes Badger a Top Workplace and provided feedback that will allow us to reach even greater heights in 2022.

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EMPLOYEE EVENTS JUNE 15: CELEBRATING ONE YEAR AT OUR NEW HQ

One year after our official move-in date, June 15, 2020, we were finally able to celebrate our new HQ in the Brewery District. Lunch catered

by Bottle House 42, some friendly shuffleboard competition, and a long overdue afternoon spent with colleagues-turned-friends was the perfect kick-off to summer.

Ben Zielinski, Chad Bubeck, Shelly Cubias, Mary Baranowski & Jen Krier

Debbie Taylor - chipping away at the puzzle!

Thank you to Bottle House 42 for a delicious lunch!

Kathleen Hernandez & Paul Gossett

Jenny Zubek, Alli Spencer & Savanna Stoewer

Kelly Blizzard

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EMPLOYEE EVENTS

Front row: Jenny Zubek, Julie Bender, Sonia Perez, Theresa Perry, Minu Perez, Kelly Jaynes, Laura Michna & Kathleen Hernandez Back row: Dan Wolfgram, Terese Montano, Jared Huntemann, Cassandra Kirk, Mark Miresse, Ty Evans & Emma Brittain

SUMMER 2021: WORK HARD, PLAY HARD Whether it was Employee Appreciation Days at the ballpark or rallying our team to cheer on the Bucks for Game 6 of the NBA finals, we took advantage of celebrating our home teams throughout the summer!

OCTOBER 26: BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE

Rosanne Kubicek, John Neuenfeldt, Emma Brittain & Tom Boser

Terese Montano with her husband

Kris Wagner, Alli Spencer, Tom Boser, Jeff Kolmodin, Rosanne Kubicek & Kelly Becker

On a quarterly basis, we bring the entire company together – both virtually and in-person - to discuss company results, upcoming initiatives, and to celebrate recent successes. If you are able to make it into the office, the social staircase connecting our first and second floors is primetime real estate to both tune into the meeting and catch-up with colleagues.

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EMPLOYEE EVENTS NOVEMBER 11: MILESTONE ANNIVERSARIES

At the Wisconsin Club City Club, we celebrated our 2021 milestone anniversaries, honoring 265 years of combined service for 14 of our dedicated colleagues. The evening was all smiles as we raised a glass to them and their invaluable contributions to Badger throughout the years.

10 Years Toula Hellauer Cassandra Kirk Kathy Markgraf

15 Years

20 Years

30 Years

40 Years

Sean Costello Rose Hoban Dali Kojic

Nikki Alston Chad Bubeck Lori Loveless Sonia Perez Mark Zierer Jenny Zubek

Darrin Groendal

Minu Perez

Minu Perez & Cassandra Kirk

Kathy Bubeck, Kathy Markgraf & Nikki Alston

Theresa Perry, Jenny Zubek, Debbie Taylor, Mark Zierer, Kelly Jaynes & Julie Bender

Jen Krier, Brian Wiza, Sean Costello, Laura Michna & Chad Bubeck

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EMPLOYEE EVENTS WHAT IS TEMPO?

Joann a Theise Glaser, Ka th n, The resa P y Bubeck, M erry & e Kelly J lissa aynes

ra , Lau ttain & Jenna i r B a is Ginn , Emm Perez kayla Mc u n i a M na, M Mich rke e o M h

On Friday, November 12, a few members of the Badger team attended the TEMPO 16th Annual Leadership event featuring Olympian, entrepreneur, mom & advocate Allyson Felix.

TEMPO is the largest professional women’s group in Wisconsin, composed of nearly 800 executive and Emerging Women Leaders representing diverse industries, functions, and companies from throughout the Milwaukee area and SE Wisconsin.

BADGER BY THE NUMBERS Throughout 2021, all departments rallied together to continue growing, evolving, and providing the best service possible to partner agents and policyholders alike. To detail every victory seems impossible, but a few highlights: April 2021

2021

The Year of

Nikki Alston is the first Claims Adjuster to settle all claims she had been assigned in the IBM system, transitioning her entire workload to AllPoints.

AllPoints

$9M

January 2021

November 2021

All partner agents are officially activated in AllPoints and have begun servicing renewal policies in this new-and-improved system.

The last of our personal lines renewal offers have been generated in AllPoints and the personal lines underwriting team officially transitions their workload entirely to AllPoints.

The Commercial Lines department crossed $9M in 2021 new business written premium – the first time in Company history!

$142M

Total 2021 written premium reached $142M, protecting more policyholders across our ten territories than we ever have before.

45 years

Three experienced adjusters joined the Claims department, adding a combined 45 years of service to our already first-class claims crew. While summer storms showed no mercy on us, our team dug-in and provided the unparalleled service that sets us apart from the rest.

165 calls per day

41,534: total number of phone calls our Accounts Department received in 2021 – helping each individual understand their billing and payment options.

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AGENT EVENTS

BADGER MUTUAL: THE HEART OF YOUR AGENCY DÉCOR Longtime partner agent Bruce Barlow, located in Bloomer, WI, stays on top of the trendiest agency décor – call us, HGTV?

APRIL 22: EVENTS ARE BACK! We were thrilled to finally, and safely, host our agents for events. Slated first was an outing at Highlands Hunt Club in Cascade, WI, hosted by members of our underwriting and marketing teams.

Front row: Boyd Thiel, Mark Sommerfeldt, Mickey Cohodes & Jack Bucholtz Back row: George Markopoulos, Tyler Wehner, Mary Pat Fenton, Chad Bubeck, Patrick McNamara, Sam Kalias, Steve Sommerfeldt, Mike Haeger, Savanna Stoewer, Gary Rude & Sean Costello

MAY 3-7: PARTNER SUMMIT 2021 Badger representatives and 24 of our top-producing partner agents traveled to Mesquite, NV, to revive one of our favorite events (formerly known as Best in the West): Partner Summit. The week was a celebration of the hard work and dedication of our partner agent attendees, including a three-day golf tournament hosted at Mesquite’s most picturesque golf courses.

Front row: Sean Costello, Sandy Cicero, Dan Wolfgram & Dan Nigro Middle row: Bruce Barlow, Dan MacLeod, Terry Horn, Darryl Bouxsein, Darrin Groendal, Ryan Kelley, Brian MacGillis, Alex Cross, Brian Dolewski, Mike Bulow, Jon Oaks, Dave Reuter, Tom Budzisz & Billy Brown Back row: Kelly Blizzard, Steve Albinger, Russ Swain, Jim Mauro, Gary Ott, Jason Steliga, Mike Haeger, Kirk Hirst, Tom Bucholtz, Brian Wiza, Rod Rimbey, Jeff Maricque, Bart Hartauer, Andy Thiede, Nick Arnoldy & Jeff Kasperek

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AGENT EVENTS AUGUST 5: PIAW YPC SCHOLARSHIP GOLF OUTING

As a sponsor and longtime partner of the PIA, we attended the 18th Annual YPC Scholarship Golf Outing, benefitting high school and college students pursuing a career in the insurance industry. Congrats to Aubrey Thiede, Marketing Intern, for receiving a scholarship this year!

Aubrey Thiede hosting the Putting Contest with two YPC Committee members

Mike Haeger, Jon Oaks, Dan Nigro & Tom Budzisz

Dan Wolfgram, Jayson Boldt, Kevin Omer & Sean Costello

Andy Thiede, Scott Esler, Mary Pat Fenton & Ty Tokheim

NOVEMBER 5: AMERICAN ADVANTAGE INSURANCE GROUP SEMINAR Dan Wolfgram and Melissa Theisen stopped by the American Advantage Insurance Group seminar to chat with AAIG agencies throughout the area about how Badger can fit the insurance needs of their clients.

Former Badger employee and now AAIG agency owner, Lisa Triscari, won the raffle and walked away with some Badger swag and growler of local craft beer!

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AGENT EVENTS SUMMER & FALL 2021: CONVENTION SEASON IS BACK!

NEVADA: 75TH ANNUAL NIIA STATE CONVENTION June 6-8, Minden, NV

WISCONSIN: INSURCON 2021 May 9-10, Wisconsin Dells, WI

IOWA: 2021 IIAI ANNUAL CONVENTION September 15, Altoona, IA

Kelly Blizzard accepted the Associate Partner of the Year award on behalf of Badger.

Always a pleasure bumping into our agency partners from SF Insurance Group!

Ryan Kelley pictured with partners agents from Adamson Insurance (Ankeny, IA) and Buenzow Insurance Group (Urbandale, IA)

PIAW: ENGAGE CONVENTION September 29, Green Bay, WI

Dan Wolfgram, Emma Brittain & Mary Pat Fenton

TLW: 85TH ANNUAL FALL CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW October 4-7, Appleton, WI

Mike Haeger & Mary Pat Fenton (middle) with partner agents of Ansay & Associates

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AGENT EVENTS SUMMER FUN

We love seeing how our partner agents incorporate Badger into the cherished time they spend time with their friends and family, and are honored to play a small role in the fun that is had beyond the four walls of their agency office!

As Milwaukee Brewers season seatholders, our partner agents can treat their family to a fun night at the ballpark courtesy of Badger. The #BrewCrew and #BadgerCrew are two of our favorite crews!

Pat Clark (Barlow Insurance Agency – Bloomer, WI) enjoyed a Brewers game with her grandchildren in our Club Level seats.

Aidan, son of partner agent Patrick Jaskolski (Preferred Insurance Services – Delafield, WI), rocking his BadgerGear while fishing with his dad.

Kari Reckin (Jerry Thompson Insurance – Durand, WI) and her family attended the game on Friday, July 23 – witnessing a grand slam by Tyrone Taylor from our Row 2 seats!

#BADGERGEAR THROWBACK Bruce Robertson, retired partner agent of Genesee Depot, WI, knows a quality sweatshirt when he sees one. This Badger crewneck has been a staple in his wardrobe for the past 12 years – he even paints in it! While we sure can appreciate some vintage BadgerGear, the cuffs and collar were starting to fray, so we sent Bruce a new-and-improved replacement.

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AGENT EVENTS

Front row: Carrie Buchholz, Dena Reed, Anna Bonnett, Savanna Stoewer Back row: Matt Theisen, Mary Pat Fenton, Dan Wolfgram, Melissa Theisen, Peter Bellendir, Lori Wolfgram

NOVEMBER 19: PHIL VASSAR – STORYTELLERS EVENT Our marketing and underwriting teams hosted partner agents from McNamara & Thiel Insurance Agency (Fond du Lac, WI) for a unique event at our Milwaukee HQ. After dinner and a few rounds at our golf simulator, we hopped next door to Bottle House 42 and watched an unplugged and interactive Phil Vassar concert. All proceeds from the event benefitted Gathering on the Green’s Music Together and scholarship programs.

Star struck! Phill Vassar photobombed Carrie, Anna, and Dena’s photo

DECEMBER 6 – 8: HASH HOUSE A GO GO LOSS MITIGATION SEMINAR Kathy Bubeck and Kelly Blizzard traveled to Las Vegas, NV, to host loss mitigation seminars for longtime commercial policyholder, Hash House a Go Go, at their Las Vegas and Henderson locations. Managerial and corporate staff attended in-person and virtually (some even joining from their Connecticut locations) to proactively discuss various loss mitigation topics such as incident reporting and processing, security protocols, and handling of common restaurant occurrences.

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BADGER GIVES BACK Part of #BeingBadger is giving back whenever we are able – and there was no shortage of that in 2021. Take a look at all the ways the Badger Family rallied together to make our communities a better place for all.

APRIL 29: UNITED COMMUNITY CENTER 51ST ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION As a premier sponsor of the event, Badger hosted several employees in our café to view the virtual 51st Anniversary Celebration. The program was both engaging and exciting, showcasing the talent of students participating in the Latino Arts program, celebrating the opening of the UCC’s Early Learning Academy, and honoring the 5 students who were chosen as the 2021 Badger Mutual Wall of Fame Scholarship recipients.

2021 BADGER MUTUAL WALL OF FAME SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS Perla Maritza Cerda is an eighth-grader at UCC Acosta Middle School who plans to pursue nursing, law, or economics/business in college.

Samantha Flores is a junior at Divine Savior Holy Angels High School with a 3.72 GPA. She is active in basketball, cross country, Best Buddies, Furia Latina, Entrepreneur Club, and Campus Ministry.

Anissa Hernandez is also a junior at Divine Savior Holy Angels who maintains a 3.6 GPA while participating in sports and community service activities. She is exploring careers in law enforcement, forensic science, or the FBI.

Saul Flores is an eighth-grader at BruceGuadalupe Middle School who currently holds a 4.0 GPA and is involved in the Triathlon & Mountain Biking Team. Post high school, he would like to study Aerospace Engineering at Stanford University.

Elizabeth Herrera is a sophomore at UWMilwaukee majoring in Communications. She also plans to pursue her Real Estate License.

Elizabeth aims to use her degree to help families find homes and is inspired to rehabilitate homes to help the community become stronger.

JULY 27: BADGER MUTUAL INSURANCE WOMEN’S AMATEUR

Dan Nigro & 3x tournament champion Bobbie Stricker

Another successful Badger Mutual Insurance Women’s Amateur in the books! Congratulations to the 22nd Annual BMIWA Champion, Bobbi Stricker (3x champ!), and huge thanks to our Badger volunteers who donated their time to ensure the tournament went off without a hitch. We are grateful for the opportunity to be the presenting sponsor of this impactful event, whose $18,000 in proceeds benefit Sojourner Family Peace Center and LOTUS Legal Clinic here in Milwaukee.

Alli Spencer and Charlie Jaskolski

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BADGER GIVES BACK AUGUST 12: STEM FORWARD SCHOLARSHIP GOLF OUTING Each year, STEM Forward awards six $2,500 scholarships to outstanding students from the greater Milwaukee area who are enrolled in STEM-related programs. As a sponsor of the outing, Badger attendees had a great day on the course knowing they were able to help promote STEM education and careers to students across southeastern Wisconsin.

Laura Michna & Dan Wolfgram

AUGUST 14: NEW BERLIN LIONS CLUB CORN ROAST Employees joined longtime partner agent Mickey Cohodes of Grant & Cohodes Insurance Services as volunteers at the New Berlin Lions Club Corn Roast - a State Fair tradition since 1959. Beautiful weather, fresh corn, and supporting the Lions Club’s mission to serve, encourage, and give back to the community was the perfect way to round out another successful Wisconsin State Fair season.

Kathy Bubeck, Brian Wochele, Dan Nigro, Mike Haeger & Dan Wolfgram

Laura Michna and Melissa Theisen with Angela Marion (far left), of Community Insurance Information Center, and her guests.

OCTOBER 22: REVITALIZE MKE GALA

Cassandra Kirk

As guests of our friends at Community Insurance Information Center, Badger representatives attended the Revitalize MKE Gala, where over $90,000 was raised to support low-income homeowners with free, critical home repairs and comprehensive services to veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities.

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BADGER GIVES BACK

NOVEMBER 19: MKE DIAPER MISSION In partnership with the Milwaukee Bucks, Milwaukee Diaper Mission coordinated a massive diaper drive for families that cannot afford diapering supplies. In addition to donating diapers, Badger employees volunteered their time to collect donations outside Fiserv Forum during the Friday night Bucks game.

All in all, over $38,000 and 20,000 diapers were raised to help end diaper need in Milwaukee.

Front Row: Minu Perez, Kelly Jaynes, Theresa Perry, Sonia Perez, Aga Jesmanowicz, Jenny Zubek.

Back Row: Ty Evans, Javon Alston, Rosanne Kubicek, Matt Drobka

DECEMBER 3: JERSEYS FOR JACKSON

Ty Evans volunteering at Fiserv Forum with his girlfriend Mady

The Waukesha Christmas Parade tragedy impacted all of us in some way, shape, or form, and there were no words to adequately express the sorrow we felt for all those who lost loved ones that day. In honor of Jackson Sparks, the youngest victim, and all those that are grieving, the Badger crew – both inperson and remote - donned their favorite sports jerseys in solidarity with the nationwide movement:

#Jerseys4Jackson

chez

an sea S Chel

Dan

McN eely

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BADGER GIVES BACK The Badger Fam never fails to rally together to support our friends at Make-A-Wish Wisconsin and help grant the wishes of children who are living with life-threatening medical conditions in Wisconsin.

Summer, Fall & Winter 2021: Make-A-Wish Wisconsin

Our celebrity bartenders! Dan Wolfgram & Sean Costello (USA), Jenna Moehrke & Ty Evans (Greece), Joanna Glaser & Kelly Jaynes (Switzerland), Andy Laine & John Klauer (Canada) Dan Nigro

JULY 27: BARTENDER BATTLE One of our favorite Make-A-Wish Wisconsin fundraising events: happy hour turned battle royale! Employees teamed up to battle it out behind the bar - 2021 Olympic Games-style - and raised over $3K to help grant wishes for children battling life-threatening medical conditions.

John Klauer & Andy Laine

Jeff Crowell with his wife Michelle

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BADGER GIVES BACK Summer, Fall & Winter 2021: Make-A-Wish Wisconsin

AUGUST 28: WALK FOR WISHES A full summer’s worth of fundraising – through both company-sponsored events and the personal efforts of employees – culminated in a wildly successful Walk for Wishes. Employees gathered to walk a 1-mile or 5K course and celebrated our final fundraising total: a new Company record, over $24,000!

John Neuenfeldt with his wife Stephanie

DECEMBER 12: SKATING WITH SANTA Together with partner agency Vizance, we were a presenting sponsor of this family-friendly fundraising event. Employees who attended had the ultimate holiday experience: a hot cocoa bar, photos with Santa, and an hour on the ice with the big man himself!

OCTOBER 12: GOURMET WISHES Marketing & underwriting hosted a few of our Fox Valley partner agents at this one-of-akind fundraising event, where they were able to indulge in gourmet food, decadent desserts, martinis, wines and craft beers while raising money to grant wishes.

Savanna Stoewer & Mary Pat Fenton (middle) with partner agents from Morrissey Ins Mgmt of Hortonville (left) and McNamara & Thiel Ins Agency (right)

Melissa Theisen with her husband, niece, and nephews

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BADGER FAMILY

BADGER IN THE NEWS

APRIL BIRTHDAY TREAT

January 2021 Director of HR, Kelly Jaynes, was recognized

by BizTimes Milwaukee in their Notable Women in Human Resources feature. Read the full article here.

Each month, the HQ staff indulges in a birthday treat honoring all employee birthdays that month. In April, we were able to snap a pic before the treats were devoured – the muffins provided

by Confectionately Yours were a hit!

April 2021 Badger’s new HQ was featured in the Milwaukee Business Journal as the recipient of the Best Renovation – Office (Honorable Mention) of the 2021 Real Estate Awards, honoring the best completed commercial real estate projects. Read the full article here.

Additionally, we received the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Wisconsin Platinum Award – the highest honor! – at the Design Excellence Awards.

August 2021 Marketing Supervisor, Melissa Theisen, was recognized by BizTimes Milwaukee in their Notable Marketing Executives feature. Read the full article here.

Makayla McGinnis & Laura Michna

Chris Klemens, Doug Pedersen, Paul Gossett, Joe Macaluso, Jane Pedersen, Julie Bender & Jenny Zubek

BADGER BAGS

Claims representatives by day, bags tournament hustlers by night! The Claims team, plus a few others, competed in the Amelia’s Bar & Restaurant Bags League throughout the summer.

Julie Bender

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BADGER FAMILY BADGER AROUND THE WORLD! Kelly Blizzard visited one of the seven wonders of the world – Machu Picchu in Cuzco, Peru – and made sure to snap a pic with his BadgerGear while there! Does this make Badger a World Wonder by association?

Whether across the world or in your own backyard, if you snap a pic with your BadgerGear, make sure to send it our way! #BadgerTravels

2021 BADGER BABY BOOM Savanna Faith Born April 22 to Jared & Raquel Huntemann

Millie Ann Born April 26 to Sean and Jenna Moehrke Kristoff Harold Born May 13 to Anders & Elizabeth Ekblad Morgan Matthew Born June 26 to Matthew & Melissa Theisen

Due to several complex medical conditions, Morgan peacefully passed away in his parents’ arms on Sept. 15.

Abram Dominic Born August 28 to Tyler & Wendy Protz

Charlotte Rose Born December 10 to Joe & Eli Macaluso

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BADGER FAMILY NEWLYWEDS! Drew Falkner married his wife, Brittany, on June 14 at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado.

BADGER BARISTA Joy Bilicki, Debbie Taylor, Laura Michna, Kelly Jaynes, Kathy Hernandez, Paul Gossett, & Carole Stark

A RETIREMENT CELEBRATION

Each morning, Jen Krier adds an artistic touch – a tiny heart to her A.M. latte.

After a 20-year career at Badger, Mail Specialist Kathleen Hernandez retired on August 13. Hired on September 11, 2000, Kathleen was a dedicated member of Badger’s mailroom staff. She quickly became Badger’s mail guru: whether it was standard agency or policyholder correspondence, or a package that had to be shipped across our territories last-minute, Kathleen always knew the best way to get it there.

Fun Fact: Kathleen’s mom, Audrey Cummings, worked for Badger for almost 20 years - retiring in 1997, just three years prior to Kathleen joining the Badger fam.

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BADGER FAMILY

NEW EMPLOYEES

JEFF CROWELL

LONNIE COATES, JR.

TERESE MONTANO

CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVE

IT SPECIALIST

CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVE

• Growing up, Jeff wanted to be an engineer

• Growing up, Lonnie wanted to be a firefighter

• Growing up, Jenna wanted to be an attorney or police detective

• His favorite hobby is remodeling homes

• His favorite hobby is reading comics and manga

• Her favorite hobbies are reading, biking, and kayaking

• The next thing he wants to cross off his bucket list is to have a LAN party

• The next thing she wants to cross off her bucket list is a trekking travel trip to Alaska

• The next thing he wants to cross off his bucket list is going scuba diving • His favorite food is steak, and his favorite dessert is carrot cake • His favorite TV Show is Survivor, and his favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption Start Date: January 13, 2021

• His favorite food is pizza, and his favorite dessert is mousse cake • His favorite TV Show is Kunosuba, and his favorite movie is Kingsman Start Date: April 7, 2021

• Her favorite food is pizza, and her favorite dessert is ice cream • Her favorite TV Show is Grey’s Anatomy, and her favorite movie is Breakfast Club Start Date: April 12, 2021

WELCOME INTERNS! Maddie Durand Accounting Intern Start Date: June 24, 2021

Maddie is currently a student at Marquette University pursuing a degree in Accounting and Business Analytics.

As partners of the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School – Milwaukee Work Study program, two Cristo Rey students joined the Badger team throughout the week, gaining valuable on-the-job experience and skills that will serve them well in college and their careers. This year, we welcomed two students:

Josh Hennen IT Intern Start Date: August 16, 2021

Josh is currently a student at Wisconsin Lutheran College pursuing a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science.

Isabel Dominguez

Elian Cortez-Gomez

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PROMOTION NEWS

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BADGER FAMILY

Congratulations to Andy, Jenna & Dan for their welldeserved promotions!

Effective January 1, 2022:

BLAINE DUMKE

JOHN NEUENFELDT

SENIOR COMMERCIAL FIELD UW

CLAIMS REPRESENTATIVE

• Growing up, Blaine wanted to be a pilot

• Growing up, John wanted to be a cartoonist

• His favorite hobby is watching his kids play sports • The next thing he wants to cross off his bucket list is vacationing in Yosemite • His favorite food is scallops, and his favorite dessert is tiramisu • His favorite TV Show is Ozark, and his favorite movie is Fargo

Start Date: July 1, 2021

• His favorite hobby is hanging out at the dog park • The next thing he wants to cross off his bucket list is feeding giraffes at the zoo • His favorite food is sushi, and his favorite dessert is ice cream • His favorite TV Show is Brooklyn 99, and his favorite book is In Cold Blood

Andy Thiede has been promoted to VP-Information Technology.

Andy has been a part of Badger’s IT team since 2007, first as a Software Engineer and later as IT Manager, before becoming the department Director in 2019.

Start Date: July 19, 2021

INTERNS --> FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES The transition from internship to the workforce is a career path we are incredibly proud to offer. Huge congrats to former interns Ty Evans and John Biniok for accepting full-time positions!

Jenna Moehrke, CISR Elite has been promoted to Client Services Supervisor.

Jenna joined Badger in 2020 as a Customer Service Specialist.

Ty Evans

John Biniok

Ty joined Badger as a Claims Intern on May 26, 2020, and accepted a full-time position as Customer Service Specialist in May 2021.

John joined Badger as an IT Intern on August 16, 2021, and accepted a full-time position as Web Developer in November 2021.

Dan Czernicki, CPA has been promoted to Accounting Supervisor.

Dan joined Badger in 2016 as an Accountant. YEAR IN REVIEW 2021

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BADGER FAMILY

IN MEMORIAM Throughout 2021, we said goodbye to many dear friends of the Company, each of whom had a profound impact on who Badger is today. We send our deepest condolences to their loved ones and pray their many memories bring them comfort today and always.

Paul Dross On January 14, partner agent Paul Dross passed away at the age of 62. Life-long resident of the Hartland/Merton/Lake Keesus area, Paul was a deeply devoted, loving, and vibrant man.

Following a successful career as a painting contractor, he joined Dross Agency in 1990 and became agency principal in 1998. He built Dross Countryside Agency into a very successful, fullservice business where he went great lengths to care for and provide exceptional service to his clients.

Norlene Reynosa On February 2, retiree Norlene Reynosa passed away at the age of 82. Norlene worked at Badger from 1989 to 2009. As one of our receptionists, she always had a smile to greet visitors. Her former colleagues and friends have many happy memories of her, including: • Director of Marketing and Illinois-native Sean Costello fondly remembers her nickname for him: “Flatlander.”

• Customer Service Representative Dawn Koralewski remembers handing Norlene her application for employment at the front desk. Norlene looked at the application and said, “Oh, Koralewski – now that’s a Polish name!” Dawn was shocked Norlene pronounced it correctly, but being Polish herself, Norlene responded warmly, “Of course I know how to pronounce it!”

Tim Wagner On August 7, retired partner agent Tim Wagner passed away.

Tim was an integral piece of his family-owned agency, Clair Wagner & Sons Insurance of Oakdale, MN, since 2005 before retiring in 2020. The agency, established by his late father, Clair, has been appointed with Badger since 1986.

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BADGER FAMILY

IN MEMORIAM Dave Wade On November 27, retiree Dave Wade passed away at the age of 67. Throughout his 35-year career at Badger, spanning from 1981 to 2016, Dave was a mentor to many. He loved the traveling aspect of his career and was dedicated to the sincere client friendships he made while working for Badger. When his marketing duties did not extend late into the evenings, Dave would find peace hunting and fishing on any lake or stream that called his name.

Lane Perdue On December 7, retired partner agent Lane Perdue passed away at the age of 79. Lane never shied away from hard work, leading him to work in a butcher shop, slaughterhouse, gas station, and as a home painter. He started in the insurance business with Combined Insurance Company and worked his way to eventually owning and operating Perdue Insurance Company, located in Green Bay, WI, in 1982. Perdue Insurance was appointed with Badger in 1995. Lane successfully operated the agency until he retired in 2019, passing it on to his son, Gary.

Brian Becker On December 11, partner agent Brian Becker passed away at the age of 63 after a courageous battle with brain cancer.

Brian’s family remembers him as having the kindest soul with charisma so contagious you couldn’t help but want to pull up a chair next to him and have a conversation. Brian owned Mayer & Associates LLC, located in Menasha, WI, with his wife, Molly.

The agency has been appointed with Badger since 1994. Beyond his role as a partner agent with us and many other companies, Brian was a husband, father, brother, uncle, and grandpa.

YEAR IN REVIEW 2021

BADGER KUDOS! To Claims Representative

Quinton Gustavson from a Policyholder

We really appreciate the quick service that Badger provided for us. Everyone we spoke with was very friendly and able to answer all of our questions. The proficiency and professionalism that everyone provided was topnotch. Thanks so much!

To Claims Representative

Nikki Alston

from a Policyholder

Prompt and clear communication, plus very friendly people to work with! You guys make a stressful situation way less so. Thank you!

To Claims Representative

Aaron Huntemann from an Agent

Aaron kept me in the loop and communicated with me on a timely basis, letting me know what was happening with my claim. He made the process so

easy. I had never had a home claim before and heard stories from other people who used other companies. My experience was very different. It was smooth.

To Claims Representative

Kevin Epel

from a Partner Agent

I wanted to follow up with my MN clients that reside here in AZ for the winter regarding a water loss they recently had. Usually, people are eager to report their unpleasant experiences and do not have much to rejoice about – so I am very pleased to report that they are having an exceptional experience with the way the claim is being handled, especially the personalized care and expertise that Kevin Epel has provided. [The policyholder] said that Badger Mutual has more than exceeded their expectations and they are extremely pleased with the claims process. This is huge in my book & I thank you for a GREAT team.

To Underwriter

Anders Ekblad and our Claims Team from a Partner Agent

I absolutely love working with Badger Mutual. My underwriter, Anders, is a gem. He is always so very helpful, and if he isn’t able to place a risk for me, he always explains why. If I have an issue arise, he has never not been able to help me. Claims: I cannot say enough positives about them. We had a hailstorm come through town in July of this year and, recently, I had a customer stop by my office to tell me how happy she was with her claim and Badger. She said that everyone was so very helpful and courteous. The process was quick and she felt it was more than fair.

When her outside adjuster found out that Badger Mutual was her company, he told her that she was lucky and that she wasn’t going to have any issues getting the claim resolved and getting payment.

Thank you for taking such good care of my customers!

If you have any suggestions or articles you would like to feature in the next Badger Beacon, please contact: Melissa Theisen mtheisen@badgermutual.com 414/647-3664

1134 North 9th Street Milwaukee, WI 53233 800.837.7833

badgermutual.com call 800.837-7833

click www.badgermutual.com

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