Waukesha-based Jannsen & Company internal accounting team member Sandy Leverenz and her yellow lab, Takoda, recently became certified as an animal-assisted therapy team through the Delta Society Therapy Dog Organization.

Since their certification, the two have been regular visitors to Shorehaven Assisted Living Center in Oconomowoc.

"It's rewarding when you see a smile on someone's face," said Leverns. "It really tugs at your heart knowing that many residents had to leave their dog behind and they get a little bit of that joy back when we come to visit."

"Takoda" in the Sioux language means "friend to everyone," Leverens said.

Leverens and her dog spend about an hour a week assisting in an exercise class at Shorehaven.

"We come, and everyone who is able stands around in a big circle and take turns throwing Takoda's favorite toy as far as they can," she said. "It is exercise for the patients, as well as the dog, and they really love it."

According to Leverens, who is looking into getting involved in other areas of the community, there are other opportunities for animal-assisted therapy teams, including elementary school reading programs, hospitals and other nursing homes.

Leverenz decided she wanted to do something unique with Takoda and enrolled him in puppy classes when he was young. Now, nearly 2 years old, Takoda and Leverens have been through a variety of classes at Best Paw Forward in Hartland, which certifies 50 to 60 dogs as assisted therapy dogs per year.

Jannsen & Company has installed a matching program in which the firm matches time and money as additional support for charitable organizations.

"The company has been really supportive of all of its employee's endeavors," Leverens said. "They very much encourage us to do something outside of the office, and it gives the company the opportunity to participate in its employee lives outside of the workplace, and that's really beneficial."

Small Business Times announces the recipients of the 2008 Health Care Heroes Awards, which honor people, organizations and companies for their contributions and accomplishments in improving health care in southeastern Wisconsin.

The winners will be saluted at a breakfast on Thursday, Dec. 11, at the Italian Community Center.

The Health Care Heroes Awards recipients are:

Advancements in Health Care

• Jack Routes, M.D., Children's Hospital of Wisconsin - Helped Wisconsin become first state in the nation to screen newborns for Severe Combined Immune Deficiency (also known as "Bubble Boy" disease.)
• Patrick Brown, executive director, The Badger Association of the Blind & Visually Impaired - Provides vital services for the fast-growing visually impaired population.

Community Service

• Darryl Cremer, founder and chairman of the board, Jane Cremer Foundation Inc. - Educates and empowers women to fight cancer.
• Sister Lucina Halbur, president and chief executive officer, S.E.T Ministry Inc. - Created national model to provide health care to low-income senior citizens.

Corporate Achievement in Health Care

• Smart Choice MRI - Provides MRI exams for $600, encourages consumerism and saves costs in health care.
• Robert Frediani, president of Therapy Plus of Wisconsin LLC & The Institute of Collaborative Health Interventions (ICHI) Inc. - Provides health care services to underserved populations.

Health Care Staff

• Sandra Cesar, certified nursing assistant and home health aide, Horizon Home Care & Hospice - Provides compassionate care to Alzheimer's patients.
• David Linney, financial counselor, Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation - Provides extraordinary services to the Wisconsin bleeding disorders community for 35 years.

Nurse

• Anne Bormann, R.N., Horizon Home Care & Hospice - Saved patients' lives, coordinated extra needed services for patients.
• Linda Bremberger, R.N., Community Memorial Hospital - Provides patient support and expertise in electrophysiology and defibrillators and pacemakers for patients.

Physician

• J. Frank Wilson, M.D., chairman and Bernard & Miriam Peck family professor in radiation oncology, Medical College of Wisconsin - Nationally recognized specialist in radiation oncology and teacher.
• Thomas Shimshak, M.D., medical director of Wheaton Franciscan Heart Care - National leader in interventional cardiology and is known worldwide for his clinical expertise in coronary and peripheral vascular intervention.

Volunteer

• Barbara Huff, youth ministry associate, Central Lutheran Church - Donated kidney to save life of 13-year-old girl.
• Belynda Alberte, founder of "Muskego Teens Giving Back" - Organized fundraising activities to help a wounded veteran of the Iraq war.
• Beverly Lieven, advocate, Milwaukee Celiac Sprue Crew - Provides resources to people with celiac disease.

Lifetime Achievement Award

• Jon Vice, president and CEO of Children's Hospital & Health System - Guided the growth of Children's Hospital to become one of the top pediatric hospitals in the world.

The winners were selected by an independent panel of judges, including: Karen Ordinans, executive director of the Children's Health Alliance of Wisconsin; Dr. Sarah Pratt, a pediatrician who is the past president of the Medical Society of Milwaukee County Board of Directors and a past member of the Wisconsin Medical Society Board of Directors; Connie Roethel, R.N., wellness expert and president of Core Health Group in Mequon; and Phyllis King, Ph.D., associate dean, professor and associate director of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Center for Ergonomics..

For more information and to register to attend the breakfast, visit www.biztimes.com/hero.

Name: Eric Zoromski

Title: President

Company: Fullhouse

Company address: 207 N. Milwaukee Street, Milwaukee

Company web site: www.fullhouseinteractive.com

Industry: Marketing/advertising

Education: Bachelor of arts degree in education from the University of Wisconsin in Madison

Family:  Wife, Teresa; son, Lukasz; daughter, Monika

Hobbies and Interests: "I enjoy watching my kids play sports, playing golf & hockey and flying."

Favorite book and/or movie: "The last book I read was 'Lucky Dog.' The book, written by Mequon resident Douglas Holt, chronicles his experience as a B-17 pilot in WWII.

Favorite musician/band: "Cheap Trick."

Favorite place to visit/vacation: "Florida Keys."

Favorite local restaurant: Crawdaddy's

Words to live by: "Be genuine and do what you say you're going to do."

What is your core philosophy for doing business? "It's in the experience. It's a simple philosophy that we at Fullhouse apply to everything we do - from creating engaging interactive experiences for our world-class clients to making Fullhouse a great place to work for our employees."

Who is your role model and why? "No one person in particular. I strive to be unique - genuine, passionate about what I do, and an overall good person - someone that others will hopefully view as a role model."

Advertising & Public Relations

Primum Marketing Communications, Milwaukee recently welcomed Karren Jeske as director of public relations. She most recently served as marketing communications manager for a biotech company in Madison.

Core Creative, Inc., Milwaukee recently added Andrea Evert as an account executive to its firm.

Kris Jenson has joined Bader Rutter & Associates, Milwaukee, as a senior art director. Jenson has more than 20 years of agency experience and most recently served as vice president and associate creative director for Cramer-Krasselt in Milwaukee. 

Building & Construction

J. P. Cullen & Sons, Inc., Janesville, recently hired Brian Oberle as corporate safety director, Gyude Allison as project manager for the Epic System project in Verona, and John Kaltenberg III as a process analyst for the process improvement department.

Constructions Forms, Port Washington, recently appointed Jim Clark as sales manager – Latin America.  Clark will oversee all sales development in Central and South America, as well as the Caribbean islands, where Con Forms has seen continuous increases in demand for their high quality concrete pumping systems. 

Health Care

Perinatologist Dr. Tracy Tomlinson, has been appointed assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), and to the medical staffs of Froedtert Hospital and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin; Sylvain Baillet, has been appointed associate professor of neurology at MCW, and scientific director of Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College's MEG program; Jill Gershan was recently appointed assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of hematology and oncology at MCW; Dr. Sam Hwang, an internationally recognized researcher in skin cancer biology, has been appointed chairman and professor of dermatology at MCW, and will practice at Froedtert Hospital and the VA Medical Center in Milwaukee; and Dr. Sanjay Khiani, has been appointed assistant professor of pediatrics in the division of allergy and immunology at MCW, and to the medical staff of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. 

Dr. Laura Roberts,chairman and Charles E. Kubly Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine at MCW was also recently elected as the first woman to be president of the American Association of Chairs of Departments of Psychiatry.

Wednesday Nov. 12, Biztimes Milwaukee Launch Party, Come enjoy beverages and Hors d' oeuvres at the Historic Pritzloff Building on corner of Second St. and St. Paul. Reception is at 4:30 p.m. with the launch to follow at 6:00 p.m. to register visit https://www.biztimes.com/site/biztimes-milwaukee

Friday Nov. 14, BizTimes Commercial Real Estate & Development Conference, Italian Community Center, 631 E. Chicago St. For more information, visit www.biztimes.com/freshcoast.

Wednesday Nov. 19, WWBIC 2008 Annual Luncheon, at the Hyatt Regency, Milwaukee, 333 W. Kilbourn Ave. WWBIC Client Trade Show - 11 a.m. to noon, followed by the luncheon, noon to 1:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $50 per individual or $600 for a corporate table of eight. RSVP atwww.wwbic.com   

Top five business books courtesy of 800 CEO Read

1. "1,000 Dollars and an Idea"  by Sam Wyly

2. "Six Disciplines Execution Revolution"  by Gary Harpst

3. "The Encore Effect: How to achieve remarkable performance in anything you do"  by Mark Sanborn

4. "First Billion Is The Hardest"  by T. Boone Pickens

5. "Inside Every Woman"  by Vickie L. Milazzo

Courtesy of 800 CEO Read

Friday Nov. 7, Waukesha County Chamber of Commerce Wine and Beer Tasting Event at Davians Banquet & Conference Center 16300 W. Silver Spring Menomonee Falls, 7:00p.m.- 10:00 p.m. $50 at the door. To register visit www.waukesha.org or call 262.542.4249

Saturday, Nov. 8, Commissioning Ceremony: the USS Freedom will be commissioned at 10:00a.m.at Veterans Park.  The Principal Speaker will be the Honorable Donald Winter, Secretary of the Navy. Following the approximately one hour ceremony, there will be a reception in Veterans Park with an OctoberFest theme. Event is free to attend.

Saturday, Nov. 8, The Downtown Racine Corporation's annual Winterfest Holiday Parade.  In addition to Santa Claus and his elves, the year parade will feature live reindeer, and a number of lighted floats The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. on Main and State Streets, progresses south along Main Street to 6th Street and then heads west on 6th Street to City Hall.