Congratulations to the 2019 Emerging Leaders of Waukesha County

The Waukesha County Business Alliance has announced the eight winners of its Emerging Leaders of Waukesha County awards program. These awards celebrate young professionals who live or work in Waukesha County and who have shown personal initiative, determination and commitment to their careers and their community.

The Alliance received many nominations for the awards, and an independent judging panel reviewed nominees based on five criteria: community service involvement, leadership traits, being a team player, professional achievement and personal and professional development.

The eight winners will receive their awards during YPWeek at the Emerging Leaders of Waukesha County awards luncheon on Wednesday, April 24, 2019 at Embassy Suites in Brookfield. Register for the program here.

Congratulations to the 2019 Emerging Leaders of Waukesha County:

Sarah Butz
Director of Community Benefit, ProHealth Care
Why she won: Sarah Butz spearheads ProHealth Care’s community benefit initiatives including community education, charitable contributions, community health initiatives, safety net partnerships and leadership volunteerism. Sarah’s community service includes the Oconomowoc Chamber of Commerce, Thriving Waukesha County Alliance, Kettle Moraine’s High School of Health Sciences, Lake Area Free Clinic and the Waukesha County Business Alliance’s Health Care committee. She helps lead the Nutrition and Physical Activity Community Health Action Team for the Waukesha County CHIPP and recently completed a stint as the president of the Oconomowoc Rotary Club. She is always working to lift up others and put others before herself. She is dedicated to helping others succeed.

Amy Fouts
Regional Director of Operations, Capri Senior Communities
Why she won: Amy Fouts is responsible for over 900 units of independent living, assisted living and memory care for Capri Senior Communities, including as many as 12 individual health care licenses. In this role, she has maintained occupancy averages at her communities at or greater than 90 percent, and played a key role in the implementation of a unique assisted living integration into an independent living setting now being replicated throughout the country. Amy is focused on responding to her team’s needs and reduced staff turnover from 60 percent to 33 percent in a single year. Amy has been honored as an Argentum Senior Living “Leader Under 40” and is active in her local and professional community via organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association, the Wisconsin Assisted Living Association (WALA) and the Milwaukee Waukesha Aging Consortium.

Jeremy Josetti
General Manager and Co-Owner, AQ Matic Valve & Controls
Why he won: Jeremy Josetti helped start AQ Matic Valve & Controls in 2016.  In his current role, Jeremy has developed a team of 30+ employees who passionately serve worldwide markets for water treatment and air movement applications. He maintains broad knowledge of the water treatment industry with experience in valve, membrane and ion-exchange system design through experience with companies like Osmonics, GE and Pentair. Jeremy thrives in team culture development roles, leading by example and always working hands-on with employees. Jeremy embodies the idea of a servant leader—he is willing to pitch in wherever and whenever needed and always ensures that his team receives credit for a job well done. Jeremy holds a master’s degree in engineering management from Marquette University and a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Dayton.

Eric Neuman
Senior Manager, Chortek LLP
Why he won: Eric Neuman is a senior manager at Chortek LLP, a certified public accounting and business advisory firm. Eric’s passion for relationship and community building is the foundation of his career with Chortek LLP. He prepares his clients and colleagues for a successful tomorrow as Chortek’s technical leader for new accounting standard implementations and as a coach in the firm’s internal mentoring and recruiting programs. Throughout the year, he volunteers with organizations that make southeastern Wisconsin a better place to live and work: Wisconsin Special Olympics, Meta House, The Journey House, Junior Achievement – Finance Park, FaB Wisconsin, Waukesha County Business Alliance, East Tosa Business Alliance and the American Lung Association. Eric also presents to local college students about the benefits of an accounting career in hopes of inspiring the next generation of emerging leaders.

Matt Neumann
CEO, Neumann Companies
Why he won: Matt Neumann has been working in real estate development, home building and solar development for 14 years. He graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran College with a bachelor’s degree in business economics, then received an MBA in marketing and finance from Marquette University. Matt is a second-generation family business owner of Neumann Companies, which has grown to become a family of companies that includes Tim O’Brien Homes, SunVest Solar, Harbor Homes and more. Matt fully understands and is committed to a long-term approach to business growth and investment. His philosophy is that investing in people and the communities in which we work is the best way to run a sustainable business. Matt’s business teams have been widely recognized both nationally and locally for their success over the years. Matt is active in his church and other charities, and remains committed to living, working and investing in Wisconsin’s future.

James Ober
Senior Project Manager, Hydro-Thermal Corporation
Why he won: James Ober is a natural-born leader who is already nurturing the next generation of leaders. For the past two years, James has worked as a senior project manager at Hydro-Thermal Corporation, and has already made a permanent impact on the company. James has tackled several challenging projects including reviewing Hydro-Thermal’s entire production process and helping to organize and refocus the company’s mid-level management team. He is constantly striving for personal growth and development. James is also using his talents to expand opportunities for youth throughout Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. James is the vice president of on ice operations and the high school head coach for the Milwaukee Blaze Hockey program and has also organized fundraising opportunities to give local, low-income children a chance to play hockey.

Dr. Amy Romashko, MD
Medical Director for Children’s Urgent Care, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Why she won: Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin sees more than 43,000 children every year in urgent care. Those children are provided the best possible pediatric-specific acute care thanks to leader, Dr. Amy Romashko. Amy oversees seven urgent care sites and 120 team members, and she spearheads best practices that have led to national recognition. She is also a trained facilitator for the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Language of Caring Program, which helps to foster patient centered care and communication across the system. She has built a culture around being a team player and is a calm, thoughtful leader despite a stressful environment. Beyond what she does daily for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Amy is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP) and helps set standards for pediatric care delivery across the country as a board member for the Society for Pediatric Urgent Care (SPUC).

Rick Verthein
Financial Advisor, Baird-The BV Group
Why he won: Rick Verthein’s focus has been on developing the investment strategies and financial plans at Baird that give clients the flexibility to focus on the important aspects of their life. He graduated cum laude from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2007. During school, he joined Baird in 2006 in the finance department as an intern and subsequently transitioned to Waukesha Private Wealth Management upon graduation. He was named to Forbes/Shook Top Next-Generation Wealth Advisor in 2017 and 2018. Outside of work, Rick serves on the advisory board of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Milwaukee Chapter as well as various committees. He is the board president for Adaptive Community Approach Program in Waukesha and is an active member of the Waukesha Rotary Club.

Register for the program here.