NEWS RELEASE 

For Immediate Release: November 12, 2024 

Junior Achievement Honors Local ‘Heroes’ at Annual Gala

Contact: Susan Peterson, Northwest Regional Director | speterson@jawis.org

Phone: 715.214.1124 | Cell: 608.219.3774 | northwestwisconsin.ja.org

EAU CLAIRE, November 12 – Junior Achievement of Wisconsin is honoring community members who have gone above and beyond with its 9th annual Heroes Gala at the Florian Gardens Wednesday, November 13 from 5:00 to 7:30 pm. 

Honorees include local student entrepreneurs, teachers, classroom volunteers, and board members who have made significant contributions to the educational programs provided by Junior Achievement (JA) in Northwest Wisconsin.

This year, JA will be giving special honors as “JA 2024 Hero” to Kevin Renley, President and COO of Market and Johnson, for his philanthropic leadership in the greater Eau Claire community.

Others to be recognized include “Board of Director Hero,” Paul Kulig of BMO in Eau Claire; “Educator Hero,” Colleen Chmelik of Altoona Middle School; “Educator Hero,” Natalie Springer of Hilltop Elementary School in Rice Lake; “Volunteer Hero,” Chad Plath of Nicolet Bank in Eau Claire; “Volunteer Hero,” Tammy Sinz of Security Financial Bank in Durand and “Impact Hero,” of Chippewa Valley Technical College.

The in-person event will be complemented by a silent auction of more than 30 packages open until Wednesday, November 13 at 7:30 pm. 

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA learning experiences are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on lessons that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills. Last year, Junior Achievement volunteers taught life skills learning experiences for 14,800 students in the Northwest Wisconsin area. For more information, visit Wisconsin.ja.org.