Pointers Advisory Board

University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point Athletics

OFFICIAL ATHLETICS SITE OF UW-STEVENS POINT

	Ray Ackerlund President, Skyward, Inc. As Skyward's President since 2019, Ray is responsible for driving the company's overall success. Ray joined Skyward more than 20 years ago and has served in numerous roles including previous leadership roles as vice president of marketing and product management and Chief Marketing Officer. An active volunteer in the Stevens Point community, Ray currently serves on the board of directors for the Portage County Business Council and the United Way of Portage County. Ray is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and earned his Bachelor of Science degrees in economics and communications from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
	Jack Bennett Retired UWSP Basketball Coach Jack Bennett coached at the collegiate and high school levels winning championships at every school he worked at. His teams had winning records in 32 of the 33 seasons he coached and never suffered a losing conference record. He culminated his career at UW Stevens Point in 2004 and 2005 with the only NCAA DIII back-to-back National Championships as well as finishing his career as the winningest coach in university history. In addition to his coaching, he was fortunate enough to coach his two son's. Jay Bennett, 2001 and Nick Bennett, 2005 are both UWSP graduates and were key players on the Pointer Basketball team during Jack's time as head coach. Bennett was honored with national and state coach of the year honors and was a 2006 inductee into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. He was honored as a 2010 inductee into the UWSP Athletic Hall of Fame. Jack and his wife Sue are retired educators who reside in Plover.
	Katie Cunningham Brand Manager for Marshfield Clinic Health System Katie Cunningham has served as Brand Manager for Marshfield Clinic Health System since 2018. During her 24-year career, Cunningham has provided marketing, planning, business development, branding, and communications leadership and counsel for diverse entities, including nonprofit organizations, healthcare systems, law firms and the state's largest school district. Cunningham has led the development of brands and developed successful marketing campaigns to increase patient awareness and preference for service lines such as Marshfield Clinic's Cancer Care & Research services, and she has led the development of employee branding and recruitment support campaigns for Marshfield Clinic and Bethesda Lutheran Communities. She also has created successful media relations, issues management, and thought leadership programs for organizations including Bethesda Lutheran Communities, Quarles & Brady, ThedaCare, and other organizations. Cunningham has a Master's of Business Administration from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a Bachelor's Degree from Bradley University in Journalism.
	Dan Hauser Retired NBA Executive Dan Hauser is a 1977 graduate of UW-Stevens Point and a Distinguished Alumni Award winner. As executive vice president of Palace Sports & Entertainment, he led the Partnership division of the Detroit Pistons NBA team and three additional venues. His time with Palace Sports was highlighted by recognition for leading the nation in sponsorship revenue for major market amphitheaters. During his tenure, the company also experienced three NBA championships with the Pistons, one National Hockey League Stanley Cup championship with the Tampa Bay Lightning and three WNBA championships with the Detroit Shock. Hauser also worked for the Philadelphia 76ers for four years. A native of Janesville, Wis., Hauser earned a degree in business at UW-Stevens Point as well as the Chancellor's Leadership Award and James Albertson Medallion. He played baseball and football, winning several athletic excellence awards. He earned a master's degree in sports administration at Ohio University.
	Jeron Jackson System Service Line Administrator of Medical Oncology/Hematology and Palliative Care Services for Marshfield Clinic Jeron Jackson, MHA currently works at the Marshfield Clinic Health System in Wisconsin as System Service Line Administrator of Medical Oncology/Hematology and Palliative Care Services for clinics, programs and inpatient units throughout Central, Northern and Western Wisconsin including Bone Marrow Transplant. He has had the opportunity to build and design multiple cancer centers and is a huge proponent of patient centered care. He received his MHA from Pacific University in 2011. Prior to his work at Marshfield Clinic he worked for Banner Health and SCL health systems in Colorado with operational focuses in cancer care, surgical services and gastroenterology. Jeron grew up in Portland, Oregon and is still a big foodie and Portland Trailblazer fan for life. He and is his wife Crystal are proud parents of 4 rambunctious little boys. "Teaching future healthcare leaders is incredibly rewarding and a great blessing in my life."
	Tim Schierl Co-CEO at Team Schierl Cos. Born and raised in Stevens Point, Wis., Tim Schierl attended SPASH and graduated in 1979. He then attended The University of Notre Dame and graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance. Today, Tim and his brothers took over Team Schierl Cos. which owns and operates 65 different businesses including: The Store Convenience Stores, Schierl Tire and Service Centers, Subway Restaurants, Northern Oasis Spirits, Real Estate and Commercial and Residential Leasing and Development properties. Tim is Past President and Chairman of Board of the Petroleum Marketers of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Association of Convenience Stores along with being a current member of that organization's executive committee. Tim and his wife Sara are the parents of six children (Samantha, Fritz, Kali, Emmy, Max and TJ).
	Amy Staven Assistant Vice President and Performance Consultant for U.S Bank Throughout her 15-year career with U.S. Bank, Amy Staven has held a variety of roles serving both external clients and internal partners. She currently supports leaders within the Central Division, with a primary focus of Wisconsin, as a Performance Consultant. In addition to her top performance achievements, Amy has led a variety of strategic initiatives including development and strengths based coaching, new hire onboarding and mentoring, customer experience, digital engagement and university relations. She has also participated in a transitionary advisory council and advanced the partnership between the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point and U.S. Bank. She is a graduate of UWSP and holds a degree in Communication with emphasis on Interpersonal and Organizational Communication, as well as Business.
	Tom Weaver Public and Community Relations Manager at Ascension Wisconsin Tom Weaver is a dynamic and versatile communications professional with more than 20 years of experience in public, community and media relations, internal communications, broadcasting and journalism. Currently Tom is in charge of Management and development of productive relationships including key internal and external leadership to preserve and advance Ascension Wisconsin's brand and community relations for Ministry Health Care hospitals and clinics in central and Northern Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a bachelor's degree in communications.