United Way of Door County Welcomes Jason Palmer as Fund Development Director

• United Way of Door County announced the appointment Jason Palmer to fill the newly created position of Fund Development Director. The primary responsibility of this position is United Way’s annual campaign.

Palmer has his MBA from Northern Illinois University. His experience ranges from public relations and marketing to extensive fundraising for a nonprofit located in Aurora, Ill. His fundraising experience includes running annual campaigns, coordinating a gala with a silent auction, and grant writing.

“I am excited to Live United in beautiful Door County,” said Palmer. “I’m looking forward to getting to know many, many people in the community and working with them to meet the challenges we face here.”

Palmer is a proud new resident of Door County. He and wife Jamie moved from the far western suburbs of Chicago to Egg Harbor nearly a year ago. Professionally, he has led a double life with extensive experience in both business and music having served as senior vice president of the healthcare division for a global market research firm as well as director of music for various churches and conductor of a community orchestra.

Along with his wife, Palmer founded a charitable organization in 2005 and has been intimately involved in fundraising and grant writing.

For more information visit http://www.unitedwaydc.com, call 920.746.9645 or email [email protected].

• The Door County Economic Development Corporation (DCEDC), in association with the UW-Green Bay Small Business Development Center (SBDC), announced that Patrick and Jessica Markham of Arneson Aftermarket in Sturgeon Bay are the winners of a $1,000 cash award for the best business plan originating from the 10th annual NxLevel Entrepreneurial Training course conducted earlier this year.

Arneson Aftermarket is a startup business with a mission of providing choice to marinas, marine service professionals and boat owners by supplying aftermarket diesel marine parts, initially starting with maintenance items such as oil and fuel filters. Its business concept is market driven, not product driven.

The Markhams were among 15 students representing 12 start-up or existing local businesses in the class sponsored by DCEDC and the SBDC. The eight-week course covered a variety of topics and culminated with each of the participants writing a comprehensive business plan. This was the 10th year DCEDC has co-sponsored and offered the NxLevel Entrepreneurial Training course in Door County.

The $1,000 award was generously sponsored and judged by Associated Bank, Baylake Bank and Citizens Bank. The award is to be used for business start-up expenses. The eight-week NxLevel Entrepreneurial Training course will again be offered in Door County beginning in late January 2012. Contact the Door County Economic Development Corporation for information about the class.

• RBC Wealth Management ranks highest in investor satisfaction among full service brokerage firms, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Full Service Investor Satisfaction StudySM, the company recently announced.

RBC Wealth Management has an office serving individual and institutional investors at 756 Jefferson St. in Sturgeon Bay.

“Being ranked highest in investor satisfaction for full-service brokerage firms by J.D. Power and Associates is a tremendous accomplishment, and a testament to the hard work of our talented financial advisors and the thousands of employees who support them,” said John Taft, CEO, RBC Wealth Management – U.S.

The study measures overall investor satisfaction with full service investment firms based on seven factors: investment advisor, portfolio performance, account information, account offerings, commissions and fees, website and problem resolution. The J.D. Power and Associates study found that RBC Wealth Management performed particularly well across the highest-weighted factors – Investment Advisor, Account Information and Investment Performance.

RBC Wealth Management’s overall score climbed 21 points over last year, when it ranked second in the findings.

The 2011 Full Service Investor Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 4,200 investors who primarily invest with one of the 13 investment firms included in the study. The study was fielded in March 2011.

• Discover Wisconsin, the popular travel television show that has been on the air promoting tourism in Wisconsin since 1987, was in Door County at the end of August filming a special segment on motorcycling.

Discover Wisconsin’s new host, Emmy Fink, cruised around Door County on the back of a bike with six other motorcyclists and a film crew as they explore the county’s many scenic vistas, villages and recreational areas. They crossed Death’s Door to explore Washington Island as well.

The Door County Visitor Bureau (DCVB) worked with Discover Mediaworks, the parent company of the Discover Wisconsin TV show, to feature the county on a special Wisconsin motorcycling themed episode that is scheduled to premier sometime in the spring of 2012.

The Door County Visitor Bureau will welcome Fink, the camera crew and the additional motorcyclists back to Door County again in October to continue filming the segment and capture the county’s scenic fall colors as well. The special motorcycle episode will be broadcast throughout the Midwest on a combination of network, cable and satellite television stations when it airs next spring.

For more information email Jon Jarosh at [email protected].

• The U.S. Postal Service now is offering a line of patriotism-themed greeting cards called Everyday Cards for Everyday Heroes. Featuring Americana-styled photographs and sentiments such as “Freedom is so rarely free,” the cards are an ideal way to recognize military personnel, public servants and first responders such as firefighters and police officers. The patriotism-themed greeting cards are available at the Sister Bay Post Office located at 10685 N Bay Shore Dr.

The cards also are ideal for thanking medical professionals, teachers, volunteers, parents and other everyday heroes.

Americans tend to live very busy lives, but sometimes we just have to stop and take a few moments to thank the everyday heroes who make this nation great.

The Everyday Cards for Everyday Heroes are available in eight designs and sell for $2.95 each. The cards are available across the nation in 10,000 select Post Offices.

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.