Kenneth D. Thompson
CEO, Capitol Bank
Chairman of the Board
Community involvement is important to Ken. He has been involved with a number of local non-profits, including American Family Children’s Hospital and the Breakfast Optimist Club of Madison. Ken currently serves as Chair of the Wisconsin Bankers Association Board of Directors and Treasurer for Agrace Board of Directors. He also serves on the boards for Hy Cite Enterprises and Extreme Engineering.
Sean M. Cleary
President of Cleary Holdings Inc., Cleary Building Corp., and Cleary Transport LLC.
Vice President, Capitol Bankshares, Inc.
Sean graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1985. He has worked in a leadership capacity at Cleary Building Corp. since 1985. Additionally, Sean owns and manages five real estate limited liability companies, along with a consulting company. Read More…
Mark S. Koehl, CPA
Retired, Wipfli LLP
Treasurer, Capitol Bankshares, Inc.
Mark is an accomplished CPA that spent nearly 40 years working with community banks in the State of Wisconsin before his retirement from Wipfli LLP in 2019. Mark’s history in the banking industry, combined with his experience serving on various boards, allows him to navigate strategic initiatives for Capitol Bank.
Joseph P. Hildebrandt
Managing Director
DaneVest Tech Fund I, LP
Phenomenelle Angels Fund I
Secretary, Capitol Bankshares, Inc.
In addition to general corporate and real estate clients, Joe counseled new businesses and developing companies. He was a co-organizer, officer & director of the Downtown Madison Partners, Inc. and Boys & Girls Club of Dane County, Inc.
Michelle A. Behnke
Principal, Michelle Behnke & Associates
Michelle received her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School in 1988. Having practiced in Madison her whole career, her focus has been on business, real estate and estate planning. She has served on the boards of numerous organizations, is an active volunteer, and has consistently made the list of Best Lawyers in America since 2005.
Erik S. Johnson
Chairman & CEO, Hy Cite Corporation
Erik is an experienced businessman, community supporter and philanthropist. Erik’s strong business background provides valuable insight into the unique needs of our business clients.
Theodore J. Richards
Chairman of the Board, Strand Associates, Inc.
In 1984, Ted assumed the reins of Strand Associates, Inc. and almost immediately started the expansion of the company by opening offices in Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Arizona. While he has retired from his position as President and CEO, the foundation he helped build for Strand’s success continues as they operate 12 offices in 9 states. In 2021, Strand was ranked 178 out of the Top 500 Design firms in the USA by Engineering News-Record.
Jay Sekelsky, CFA
Retired CIO, Madison Investment Holdings, Inc.
Partner, Zermatt Investors, LLC
Jay retired from Madison Investment Advisors in 2018, where he was a partner, CFA and Chief Investment Officer. He is currently a partner at a private investment firm, Zermatt Investors, LLC. Jay is involved on several for-profit and not-for-profit boards, which allows him to provide a wealth of wisdom and perspective in many areas.
West Advisory Board
Bruce Berndt, CPA, CGMA
Founder and Managing Partner, Berndt CPA LLC
Bruce is the Founder of Berndt CPA and has been the Managing Partner since the firm was founded in 2010. Bruce is a former recipient of the In Business Magazine Small Business CFO of the Year award and Berndt CPA as an organization has received several prestigious awards under his leadership. Bruce is an active member of CATCH (Community Around the Children’s Hospital) and works with numerous Dane County nonprofits in an advisory capacity. In addition, he is a past president of Oshkosh Country Club and active with Oshkosh Humane Society.
Dan Bertler
Owner, Supreme Structures LLC
Dan is the owner and president of Supreme Structures of Madison, an innovative construction company operating in the Madison area for over 30 years. Dan is a former chair for the Associated Builders & Contractors and a board member for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – Madison. He also serves on the Arthritis Foundation Advisory Board – Madison and is a board member for the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce. His knowledge, tools, and resources within his industry make him a tremendous asset to have on the West Advisory Board for Capitol Bank.
Sean M. Cleary
President, Cleary Building Corporation
Sean has been an “Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year” award winner, and Cleary Building also received the “Family Business of the Year” award in 2012.
Dr. Brett D. Hoeft, DC, FACO, FICC
Partner/Luedtke-Storm-Mackey Chiropractic Clinics, S.C.
Brett is a Partner at LSM Chiropractic in Madison. His numerous memberships include the American Chiropractic Association Council on Chiropractic Orthopedics, and the Wisconsin Chiropractic Association.
East Advisory Board
David M. Glusick, PE
Principal / Chairman of the Board, Vierbicher Associates, Inc.
Dave is a Principal at Vierbicher and oversees the firm’s Madison and Milwaukee offices. He has a civil engineering degree and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Dave has built a strong professional network over the past 25 plus years that has allowed him to help Vierbicher grow and thrive.
Dave is President of Smart Growth Greater Madison and serves on their Board of Directors and Executive Committee. He is also active in NAIOP, Downtown Madison, Inc., and Metropolitan Builders Association. Dave is a strong supporter of several charities in and around the Madison area.
Jeannie Cullen Schultz
Co-President, JP Cullen
Jeannie is a 5th generation family business owner of JP Cullen and serves as the company’s co-president. Prior to her role as co-president, she was the Vice-President of JP Cullen’s Healthcare Construction division. The division was founded and grew significantly under her leadership.
Jeannie is an active member of the community both professionally and personally. She serves on several nonprofit and local organization boards and steering committees including St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation board, American Heart Association, Mad-Rep, and Hoan.
Jim Rose, CPA
Independent Consultant
Jim spent 42 years as a tax advisor for Bakery Tilly and now serves as an independent consultant for professional service industries and high net worth individuals. Jim is a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants at both the Wisconsin and national levels.
Jim is currently serving as the St. Thomas Aquinas Parish – Trustee & Finance Chair, and has been involved with nonprofit organizations like Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Madison throughout his career.
Christopher S. Zak
Vice President, Sales and Relationship Manager, First American Title – National Commercial Services
Chris has been with First American Title for over 15 years and has nearly 30 years of experience in commercial finance and banking. He holds a finance degree from the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse and an MBA from Marquette University. Chris also spent two years active duty in the United States Navy.
When he is not working, Chris is active in his community and church, and most of all, devoted to his family. He and his wife, Kimberly have been married for 18 years, and are the parents of two terrific children.