BETHANY SKALITZKY DIRECTOR OF TOTAL REWARDS/HRIS MYPATH Oconomowoc-based MyPath, a 100% employee-owned company, provides residential, educational and other support services to individuals with developmental disabilities. With its 2,600 employees distributed across 150 locations in two states, communication and employee engagement can be challenging. During the past 18 months, Bethany Skalitzky, director of total rewards/HRIS — along with Janet Schulz, chief communications officer — has led the charge for implementation of new ideas and improvement of old ones. At the core of any ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) company is its Employee Communication Committee (ECC). MyPath’s ECC has thrived and engagement of its members and the subsequent engagement of all employees is at the highest level experienced in the company’s 36-year existence. Communication tools have been honed — MyPath’s “In Our Hands” newsletter, for instance, has been redesigned with sophistication. Its content has been enhanced through solicitation of regular contributions from those out in the field. Plus, Redeapp, a mobile performance platform for a “non-desk workforce,” has been implemented and a series of nine educational videos covering what it means to be part of an ESOP and promoting the MyPath culture have been released. Each video ends with a short quiz. Successful completion of the series qualifies an employee to be recognized as a CEO (certified employee owner).
JEANNE DANIELS
ANN KNUTSON
DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, HR DIRECTOR
HUPY AND ABRAHAM, S.C.
BANK FIVE NINE
Jeanne Daniels has served as human resources director with Milwaukee-based law firm Hupy and Abraham, S.C. for the past decade and has made a significant impact on the firm’s growth. During that time, the firm has grown from five to 11 offices and expanded from 90 to 200 employees. Daniels serves as a mentor to the HR coordinator, who began her role right out of school and has grown with the firm. Daniels also conducts all employee exit interviews, analyzing feedback and creating strategies and processes to help improve the firm’s culture. Daniels manages the firm’s annual benefit-renewal process, which in 2020 resulted in an entire benefit-provider migration. Despite a tough year, this helped the firm remain competitive with benefit package offerings to employees. She is also part of the committee that oversees the Employee Volunteer Program. Each employee is permitted eight hours of paid time to give back to the community. Daniels approves and administers volunteer hours — more than 1,000 were served by the firm’s employees in the past two years. 2020 presented unique challenges. Daniels was faced with handling rapid change during the COVID-19 crisis on a daily basis. She worked with the firm’s owners on a quick response plan in March and since then has continually pivoted due to changing policies and mandates across three states.
Ann Knutson, senior vice president and human resources director of Bank Five Nine, exudes the mission of the organization — “Make Lives Better,” according to her colleagues. Her actions lead the company’s efforts to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on its employees. Since Knutson joined Bank Five Nine 12 years ago, she has implemented an online HR self-service portal for employees that provides them with 24/7 access to the resources they need to manage their careers and benefits. She and her team redesigned the performance evaluation process and have continued to offer new resources to employees while consistently seeking ways to reduce expenses through technology and aggressive contract negotiations with vendors, saving the company hundreds of thousands of dollars. Understanding that the banking industry is constantly evolving, Knutson oversees training and development programs to address the future needs of the company’s workforce. The talent team designed customized leadership development programs for aspiring and existing managers and developed an annual training camp program, a week of free classes to educate and engage employees in topics of interest. Outside of Bank Five Nine, Knutson is an advisory council member for BankWork$, helping adults from low-income communities build meaningful careers in banking through free, eight-week career training, placement assistance and ongoing coaching programs. She served as board president of the Oconomowoc Area Chamber of Commerce in 2018-‘19.
CONGRATULATIONS
to Bethany Skalitzky, our Director of Total Rewards/HRIS! Your leadership and creative thinking support MyPath co-owners as they focus on their work each day: to transform the lives of individuals with disabilities or mental health challenges. At MyPath, we are part of something bigger. Learn more about career opportunities at our growing, 100% employee-owned human services company at www.mypathcompanies.com/careers.
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