ASSOCIATE HIGHLIGHTS
PREVENT BLINDNESS WISCONSIN
If you have a preschooler in Wisconsin , chances are he or she has been screened by the volunteers at Prevent Blindness Wisconsin . Unless your child comes home with a letter indicating that a vision problem has been detected , you might never even know about it .
Not too long ago , Dan Laubusch , PWM Senior Investment Consultant , and his wife , Ellen , received just such a letter regarding their 3-year-old daughter , Caroline . Even though Caroline just had a routine vision screening at her pediatric checkup , the letter from Prevent Blindness Wisconsin encouraged the family to schedule an appointment with the ophthalmologist right away . Caroline was diagnosed with amblyopia and esotropia , both of which can lead to permanent blindness if not treated before the age of six . “ Time was of the essence in our case , and I am so grateful to the volunteers at Prevent Blindness Wisconsin who truly made a difference in our daughter ’ s life .”
Ellen was so grateful , in fact , that she joined Dan Schneck , PWM Senior Investment Consultant , and Charlie Groeschell , Senior Portfolio Manager for Baird Advisors , who are both long-time members on Prevent Blindness Wisconsin ’ s board of directors . Corporate partnerships like Baird ’ s help the organization secure the financial support and volunteer base it needs to do what it does best : providing certified vision screening to nearly 220,000 Wisconsin children each year – some of whom , like Caroline , will have their vision saved as a result .
HURRICANE RELIEF EFFORTS
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Hurricanes routinely hit the United States , yet no one predicted that Tropical Storm Harvey would develop into a Category 4 Hurricane and drop over 50 inches of rain on Houston in a matter of days . “ What made Harvey unique was that every part of the city was affected ,” explained Jan Bartholomew , Baird Public Finance Banker in Houston . “ Flooding was the biggest problem , and certain areas near the rivers , reservoirs and bayous were overflowing for days as the runoff was being drained .”
While the entire city was paralyzed , Jan ’ s team mobilized quickly to help neighbors in need . Jan described that for a week , her team , along with thousands of Houstonians , came out in droves to help each other dig out from the storm . “ It was neighbors helping neighbors – Houston helping Houston . We saw the best of humanity come out in the face of this tragedy .”
Cleveland Financial Advisor Gil Bachna was moved by what was reported in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in September , which left the entire island of Puerto Rico with limited food , fuel , medicine and drinking water . Compelled to help , he challenged