Just as we are about to exceed $1 billion in assets under administration, I am delighted to make two exciting announcements.

 

First, we have hired Jasper Vaccaro as market director of a new office that will be located in Madison. Jasper was a long-time personal trust administrator at M&I (now BMO) in Janesville and Madison. In 2015, he left BMO to join Heartland Financial, where he was wealth management director for the region covering Wisconsin Bank & Trust, Illinois Bank & Trust, Minnesota Bank & Trust and Blue Valley Bank & Trust in Kansas City. In May, along with his specialization in servicing Ultra High Net Worth families and Family Offices, Jasper will join us with a focus on directed and delegated trust business in the Madison area. This is a natural next step in our vision to provide exceptional open architecture trust services throughout the state of Wisconsin. More details will follow later this year as we find a Madison office location and add staff to that office.  

 

Second, as our local staff is outgrowing our existing space in Oconomowoc, we will be moving to a new building later this year. Waukesha State Bank has purchased the former Metropolitan Builders Association building in Pewaukee, located just off of I-94 and Highway F, which will house our current staff of 22, plus a few others expected to be hired by the end of the year. Prairie Trust and Waukesha State Bank will be the sole occupants of the new building, which will be remodeled prior to our occupancy. The remodeling will accommodate at least 37 employees in anticipation of future growth. We will also add a training room in the basement level that will allow us to host training events focused on trust and wealth management.