Employee Spotlight: Ryan Kauth

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UW-Green Bay is proud to have such strong Alumni presence both on and off campus. One of those great alumni is Ryan Kauth, Entrepreneurship Lecturer with the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business. Ryan has served in a couple roles with UWGB since 2007. Ryan has a wife and 4 kids and loves to try new local restaurants.

Name: Ryan Kauth

Position at UWGB: Entrepreneurship Lecturer, Austin E. Cofrin School of Business

Summary of what you do: Teach courses entrepreneurship and small business management, strategic decision analysis, business and its environment; advise general business students

How long have you been employed: 4 years in Sept full time (but as an adjunct since 2007)

Brief history of employment with UWGB:Adjunct instructor in the School of Business, SBDC Director, now Entrepreneurship Lecturer in the School of Business

Three words that describe you: UW Green Bay alum

Personal interests: My faith and my family (alum wife, 4 kids who all like to read and play soccer and basketball, parents and in-laws and sister’s family and sister-in-law’s family close by)

Random facts/interests: My first “teaching job” was in summer camps at UWGB as a TA for and graduate student mentor under Dr. Donna Ritch in the RCMS program (headed at the time by Scott Ashmann!)

 

(Answer any of the following):

– Any favorite line from a movie? My favorite movie is Casablanca, so any line from that movie

– Are you messy or organized? Organized

– Best vacation you’ve been to? Honeymooned in Cancun – it was more about the company though

– Describe what you were like at age 10 – I’m not unlike my 9 year old and 11 year old kids: I liked to read but I also liked to play soccer and in the woods in the back yard. That and my 8 year old sister at the time was my BFF.

– Do you recall any embarrassing moment at work? When I worked in banking, I was sometimes the first one in…and I may have forgotten to unarm the alarm once or twice or…? (at least I didn’t have to spend time in jail)

– Favorite travel spot? A lake cabin in northern WI, but I am also a huge fan of short stay-cations and binge watching movies series

– If given a chance, who would you like to be for a day? I’d like to break a tie in the U.S. Senate as the Vice President

– If Hollywood made a movie about your life, who would you like to see cast as you? It certainly wouldn’t take a top professional actor to play me, but my favorite is Humphrey Bogart – bring him back from the dead

– If you could be anyone from any time period who would it be and why? Can I be human me but in the future during the robot or zombie apocalypse?

– If you could change one thing about working here, what would it be? Entrepreneurial students might need a cool collaborative interdisciplinary space…

– If you could interview one person (dead or alive) who would it be? Jesus

– If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see? So many good options but I like to see what’s coming next – can I bank this for an event yet to come that I might not be there in attendance for?

– If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be? Breakfast foods like oatmeal with fruit and nuts, eggs benedict…stuff like that

– If you were an animal what would you be? A bat

– If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it? A fairly ordinary life

– If you were to write a self-help book, what would the topic be? Networking

– If your house was burning down, what’s the one non-living thing you would save? My smartphone is backed up on the cloud…so…nothing

– Least favorite Food? Sauerkraut

– Motto or personal mantra? When you give, do not let your left hand know what you’re right hand is doing

– People would be surprised if they knew: my major at UWGB was human bio, I have 3 UWGB intramural volleyball champ t-shirts, and I played in jazz ensembles and combos when I was a student here

– Tell us a little about yourself. I was born in NJ (I have my neighbor’s license plate in my office), and I grew up in Manitowoc.

– Tell us a little bit about your family. I met my wife here at UWGB, and we have 4 kids ages 6 to 13.

– Top 3 life highlights? Marriage, births of my four kids, graduating from here, graduating from grad school

– What advice would you give to recent new hires? “Blend” your life – “balance” is b.s.

– What are three career lessons you’ve learned thus far? Do what you are passionate about, volunteer for everything that you can, and it’s not 100% about you (which you will only learn by volunteering or having kids)

– What are your hopes for our industry/school? I want it to be here for another 50 years

– What aspect of your role do you enjoy the most? Getting to know a student’s story

– What book did you read last? I re-read Business Model Generation

– What books are at your bedside? Bible

– What children’s character can you relate with most? Why? I always liked Peter Pan – he could fly, he had a wide variety of friends and acquaintances, and he was a master swordsman

– What did you want to be when growing up? A medical missionary

– What do you always want to try and never did? Fly

– What do you like most about your job? My colleagues are mission driven

– What do you like to do in your spare time? Read, hang out with my family, grill, listen to podcasts

– What do you like to do on your days off? Usually something family related, watch a sporting event

– What does a typical day look like for you? get up by 5am or 6am, go to a community meeting, teach, go home, sleep, wake up in the middle of the night for an hour or two, back to sleep

– What else do you do for fun? My wife and I enjoy going to ball games and searching for a pizza we have not eaten yet

– What is an ability you wish you had? Flying

– What is the first concert you attended? Other than school concerts, U2 at Camp Randall

– What is the first thing you would buy if you won the lottery? I’d buy my mom her yellow convertible ’66 Mustang back that they sold when they moved back to WI

– What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years? There’s nothing better at work than working with people and hiring people who are smarter than you are

– What is your biggest pet peeve? Assumptions

– What is your family like? I think we’re a fairly “normal” family of six

– What is your favorite movie and book? Movie: Casablanca, Book: To Kill a Mockingbird

– What is your favorite sport? College football

– What kinds of hobbies and interests do you have outside of work? I like to learn from the best teachers

– What one food do you wish had zero calories? Pies

– What phobias do you have? I really don’t have any major ones

– What places have you lived in? WI, and I’m very Ok with that

– What tv show/movie are you ashamed to admit you love? Not all that ashamed of it, but I could watch Perry Mason or Law and Order for days without taking much of a break

– What was your favorite book, toy, or outfit as a child? Batman and Spiderman comics

– What would people never guess you do in your role? I don’t think I do anything in my lecturer role that people wouldn’t guess that I do…

– What would you like to be famous for? I have no desire to be famous

– What’s on your bucket list? For the Cubs to win the World Series

– What’s the one thing, you can’t live without? Other than biological answers like food, water, etc., I would rather not live without my family, but I could if I had to

– What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? A scorpion in a lollipop – I have three left in my office – they’re strawberry

– What’s your favorite thing to do in Green Bay? Eat

– Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Here

– Where is your favorite place to eat? I like local restaurants, probably with a lean toward Italian (for a pizza or seafood pasts dish)

– Where is your home town? I call Manitowoc my home town though I was born an Army brat in NJ

– Where would you like to go on a dream vacation? I’d like to take my family back to Disney and I’d like to attend a soccer game in the U.K.

Welcome Jenny Seefeldt!

IMG_1393The Office of Human Resources welcomed Jenny Seefeldt on April 5, 2016 as a Human Resources Assistant!  Jenny’s responsibilities will include coordinating and entering personnel transaction data in the Human Resources System (HRS), processing student employment paperwork, and handling various recruitment activities for the divisions of Professional Studies, Outreach and Adult Access, Enrollment Services, and Dean of Students. She will also serve as the campus coordinator for US Citizenship and Immigration Services and will coordinate orientation and onboarding for new employees.

Prior to her appointment at UW-Green Bay, Jenny worked in Human Resources at NEWCAP, Inc. for 15 years. Jenny holds a technical degree in information processing from NWTC.  She is originally from Wausaukee, WI, and currently lives in Coleman, WI.  Jenny has two children, Sara (age 11) and Seth (age 14).  Welcome, Jenny!

Power Plant Operator Senior

Under the general supervision of the Power Plant Superintendent, this position performs duties as a skilled Power Plant Operator.  This position will be assigned as a relief operator, filling in for fixed operators as needed. This position may work nights, days, weekends, and holidays.

This position includes the following responsibilities:

  • Maintain and operate high-pressure steam boilers and related equipment, including a 440kw diesel-fueled power generator, air compressors, de-alkalizing units and water softeners, feed water pumps, chemical feed pumps and condensate return systems.
  • Maintain and operate a chilled water system and related equipment, including a 1200 ton and a 1400 ton Carrier centrifugal chiller, VFD pumps, tower pumps, chilled water circulation pumps and chemical feed system.
  • Test water systems for proper chemistry.
  • Monitor operational status of the HVAC system through the campus Energy Management System (EMS).
  • Act as a dispatcher for fire and security alarms and emergency phone calls.

For more information and position responsibilities, please see the full position announcement.

To ensure consideration, please submit application materials by Sunday, May 15, 2016.

Know Your Numbers Lunch ‘n Learn held on March 22, 2016

 

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Thank you to Jane Lehman of Prevea for sharing interesting information about biometric measurements!  We learned about cholesterol HDL, LDL, and triglyceride numbers, as well as glucose and blood pressure measurements.  She cautioned us to take our BMI number with a grain of salt, and shared practical ways we can improve our numbers, and more importantly, our health!  Please click here to view her Power Point presentation.

2016 State Group Life Insurance Annual Update

Employees participating in the State Group Life insurance program will have their coverage level and premium updated effective April 1, 2016.

For Faculty/Academic Staff/Limited Appointees (paid monthly), the premium update will be reflected on the April 1, 2016 paycheck. For University Staff (paid bi-weekly), the premium update will be reflected on the April 1, 2016 paycheck.
State Group Life Insurance coverage level and premium are based on a participant’s highest calendar year of Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) earnings (typically the prior year’s earnings) and age as of April 14. The 2016 premiums are available at: https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/life/sgl/.

Please contact the Benefits Office at payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu with any questions.

 

Deadline for 2015 FSA Claims

If you were enrolled in the Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care and/or Dependent Day Care FSA) in 2015, you have until the end of the run-out period to submit claims and documentation for eligible expenses incurred during the period of January 1, 2015 through December 31, 2015. The run-out period ends on March 30, 2016.

The IRS allows up to $500 Health Care FSA funds to be carried over to the following year. If you have a Health Care FSA balance remaining in your 2015 account in excess of $500, the IRS requires that the excess be forfeited if not filed by 3/30/16. There is no carryover feature for Dependent Day Care FSA—these funds must be used for services incurred by December 31, 2015.

Please remember that the IRS requires appropriate documentation when submitting a claim. All medical, dental and vision claims must include the following:

  • A completed and signed claim form.
  • Either an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statement from your insurance company OR an itemized statement from the provider showing provider’s name, address, patient name, date and description of service and amount paid.

There are multiple ways in which you can submit your 2015 claims to TASC. Please note that the instructions below are specific for submitting 2015 claims during the run-out period, NOT 2016 claims.

1)      File a claim online

  • Go to www.tasconline.com/, enter your username and password, then click Login.
  • Select “I want to: Request a Reimbursement” from your home screen.
    • Enter your claim information; type of expense, date of expense, service provider and amount of expense. To add additional claims, select Continue.
    • You will have to upload supporting documentation. Accepted files are PDF, PNG, JPG or TIF.
    • Press Submit Requests.

2)      File a claim via fax or mail

  • Print FSA Reimbursement Claim Form.
  • Complete all fields, making sure to sign and date the form.
  • Submit completed claim form and itemized receipts to TASC via:
    • FAX: 1-877-231-1287; or MAIL: TASC

P.O. Box 7511

Madison, WI 53707-7511

3)      File a claim using the Mobile App

  • Download the MyTASC Mobile App
  • Enter your username and password, then click Login.
  • Select Reimbursement.
  • Enter your claim information; type of expense, date of expense, service provider and amount of expense.
  • You will have to attach supporting documentation (may take a picture of receipt, or select an existing picture from your phone)
  • Press Submit Reimbursement. If you successfully submit a claim via mobile app, your phone will display a reference number.

If you have unsubstantiated claims for the 2015 plan year, you must submit additional documentation to validate the ‘unsubstantiated’ claims. Review your account activity and other claims to confirm that all expenses were approved by TASC and no additional documentation is needed to validate an expense. You may do this by logging on to your account at www.tasconline.com, and clicking on “View Needed Documentation.” If unsubstantiated claims are unresolved by March 30, 2016, wages may be garnished.

Do not wait until last minute to send. All claims and documentation must be received by TASC by 3/30/16.

For questions contact 1customercare@tasconline.comor TASC Customer Service at 1-844-786-3947 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CST).

Source: UW System Administration

Additional ACA Student Employment Forums

Based upon compliance requirements for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA), changes have been made to UPS Operational Policy: GEN 20 on Student Employment which went into effect January 1, 2016.

The updates to the Student Employment Policy include:

  • 25 hour per week limitation during the 39-contiguous weeks of the Academic year for all UW System employment and up to 40 hours during designated break periods
  • Limiting lump sum payments.
  • Recording of hours worked with any lump sum payments that continue.

We have worked through the effects to our campus, including changes in the hiring and payment for student lump sum employees and the monitoring of weekly hour limits for all student employees.  We will go through the updated policy and new procedures regarding student employment during the scheduled forums:

  • Thursday, March 10, 2016 at 10:00 a.m.
  • Tuesday, March 15, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.
  • Wednesday, March 16, 2016 at 1:00 p.m.

(Please note each session will be limited to 15 attendees.)

All forums will be held in the Conference Room on the 7th floor of the Cofrin Library, CL 735.

Due to required changes in student employment and payroll procedures, anyone supervising students is required to attend. These will be the last three sessions offered so you must register and attend.

*If you have already attended a session at the end of January/beginning of February, you do not need to attend again.

Please RSVP using this link for the date and time you are able to attend. Thank you.

Summer Prepay Deductions

If you are an academic (9-month) employee and will be returning to UW employment in the fall of 2016, or you are an academic (9-month) employee with a summer appointment, you will have additional insurance premiums deducted from your April 1, April 29 and/or June 1 paychecks to continue your insurance coverage through the summer months. These additional insurance premiums, taken along with your regular monthly insurance deductions, are referred to as ‘summer prepay deductions.’

You must be expected to return for the fall semester, or you must continue employment in a summer service/summer session appointment to have insurance coverage continue during the summer contract break. Insurance premiums cannot be taken from summer service or summer session appointment earnings. If an employee is working Summer Session(s) or Summer Service, the insurance premium deductions will have to be taken prior to this appointment via summer prepay deductions, or must be paid through direct payment by the employee.

If your anticipated fall 2016 employment status changes after you have already had additional insurance premiums deducted, you may receive refunds for these additional deductions.  If you will be terminating employment, and you will not be returning in the fall, contact your Benefits office immediately. They will assist you in determining your employment termination date and the date your insurance coverage will end.

If you anticipate that you will experience any other status change; marriage, adoption, divorce, etc., please contact your Benefits office immediately so you are informed about the impacts to your insurance benefits.

IMPORTANT: The chart below illustrates insurance premiums deducted for an employee scheduled to return to UW employment in the fall of 2016, or who has a summer appointment and is then terminating. Most employees will have deductions taken according to the chart below.  Your Benefits office will determine your specific appointment, any summer employment, your fall return date, or your end date, and if your deduction schedule will vary from the schedule below.

2016 Summer Prepay Deduction Schedule

Summprepay

 

How Summer Prepay Deductions Appear on Your Earnings Statement

Summer prepay deductions will appear as a lump sum amount on earnings statements. All deductions taken pre-tax (most medical-related premiums and a portion of State Group Life premiums) will be added together under the name ‘Prebtx’ and all deductions taken post-tax (most life insurance premiums) will be added together under the name ‘Preatx.’

Regular benefit deductions for the month will continue to be listed under the plan name. These deductions are typically taken on a pre-tax basis. If you have one extra deduction for each plan, there will be a total listed under Prebtx on each earnings statement impacted by the additional deductions. NOTE: ‘Prebtx’ stands for before tax or pre-tax and ‘Preatx’ stands for after tax or post-tax.

IMPORTANT: To verify accuracy, please review your earnings statements to ensure that your insurance deductions are accurate for your situation. If insurance premiums are not collected through the summer prepay deductions process, you will be billed for premiums.  In this case, you must remit timely premium payments to continue your insurance coverage.

If you have questions, please contact the Benefits office at payrollandbenefits@uwgb.edu.