CRBC Management Staff
Tim Kabat
La Crosse Area Development Corp. Executive Director
Tim Kabat currently serves as the Executive Director of the La Crosse Area Development Corporation (LADCO). Tim has nearly 30 years of experience in the non-profit and local government sectors, including serving as the Mayor of the City of La Crosse from 2013 to 2021, Executive Director of Downtown Main Street, Inc. and stints at the La Crosse County Historical Society, The Nature Conservancy, and local governments in La Crosse, Madison, and Sauk County, Wisconsin. He has also served as a lecturer at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse (UW-L) in microeconomics, business communications, and public policy. Tim has a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from UW-L and a Master’s Degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
CRBC Board of Directors
Dave Wagner
Board President
Kwik Trip, Inc.
Dave Wagner is in his third term as CRBC Board President and has been on the board since 2004. Dave is a graduate of UW-La Crosse with a degree in Business Administration and Accounting. He started his career as a public accountant and later as a controller for La Crosse Floral. After joining Kwik Trip as the Accounts Receivable Manager in 1998, he stayed involved at La Crosse Floral serving on the board from 2000-2021. He was named a Controller for Kwik Trip in 2018, where he is responsible for financial planning and analysis, financial operations, financial reporting, accounting, treasury, internal and external audit, lender relations, and data governance initiatives. Dave has worked with other local non-profit organizations including the Great Rivers United Way as Board President (2001-2002) and continues to serve on the Finance Committee. Dave has also served as a board member for the La Crosse Area Rugby Club, La Crosse Flames Youth Hockey Board, and as a coach with Shelby Youth Baseball and Softball.
Joe Veenstra
Board Secretary
Johns, Flaherty & Collins SC
Joe Veenstra is the CRBC Board Secretary. Joe is currently an attorney at Johns, Flaherty & Collins, S.C. and Court Commissioner for the La Crosse County Circuit Court. Joe grew up in northern Illinois, graduated from UW-Madison with a BA in English, and moved to La Crosse in 1998 after graduating from UW-Madison Law School. He has also served on the La Crosse County Board and City of La Crosse Board of Review. As a CRBC Board member for many years, he enjoys working with the other board members to help small businesses grow and thrive. Joe has two sons who attended Logan High School, and he enjoys playing music, travelling, hiking, biking, reading, sports, cooking, and gardening.
Anne Hlavacka
Board Member
UW-L Small Business Development Center
Anne Hlavacka is a current member of the CRBC Board. Bio here....
Joe Moua
Past Board President
Home Federal Savings Bank
Joe Moua is the CRBC Past President and has worked in the banking industry since 1998. Joe is currently the Market President at Home Federal Savings Bank. Joe, a La Crosse native, holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Viterbo University. In addition to his role on the CRBC Board, Joe also volunteers at the La Crosse Community Foundation, Aptiv Inc., and Western Technical College as a guest lecturer and member of its Financial Services Advisory Committee. Joe is married with five children and enjoys road trips with the family, cooking, biking the many trails along the great Mississippi River, listening to hi-fi music, and touring craft breweries.
Dave Bonifas, a CRBC Board Member, grew up in rural Grant County in Kieler, Wisconsin. In 1990, he graduated from UW-La Crosse with a bachelor's degree in Geography and was hired by the Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission as an Economic Development Planner after he completed his internship with them. He has since held various positions within the MRRPC during his 30 plus years of working there, and in 2020, he was promoted to Executive Director. Dave loves working and living in Western Wisconsin and has a strong interest in economic development in rural Wisconsin. He's married with two adult children and one grandchild. Dave enjoys woodworking, fishing, and golfing.
Jon Bingol
Board Member
Mississippi River Regional Planning Commission
Walt Smanski
Board Member
Altra Federal Credit Union
Walt Smanski has been a member of the CRBC Board since 2017 and enjoys having the opportunity to help small businesses take off and grow. Walt, who has worked in banking since 2004, is currently a Business Banking Relationship Manager with Altra Federal Credit Union where he helps businesses succeed. In addition to helping with the CRBC, Walt is an ambassador for the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce. He also enjoys volunteering at his kids’ schools, including holding the role of Treasurer for the PTO. Walt, along with his wife and 4 kids, enjoys spending time outdoors fishing, hiking, and going for bike rides.
TJ Stenger has been on the CRBC Board for many years. TJ is the founder and current CEO of Three Rivers Technolgies, a provider of software consulting services, and Reconyx, a designer and manufacturer of digital infrared game cameras. As an entrepreneur himself, TJ enjoys working with the CRBC tenants who are starting new businesses. TJ's main expertise is in technology, but he also has a background in finance and accounting.
Clara Gelatt
Board Member
Entrepreneur
Ellen Wehrs
Board Member
Optum
Ellen has been a CRBC Board Member for several years and was president for a term. She is currently a Human Capital Partner for Optum and has worked in the human capital space for 30 years. Ellen grew up in La Crescent, has been married for 29 years and has two adult children. She loves to spend time hiking, gardening and canning when she has extra time.
Jay Ellingson
Board Member
Kwik Trip, Inc.
Jay Ellingson is a current member of the CRBC Board. Bio here....
Mark Kulig
Board Member
WNB Financial
Mark Kulig is a current member of the CRBC Board. Bio here....
Allison Steers
Board Member
Marketing Entrepreneur
Allison Steers is a current member of the CRBC Board. Bio here....
Kim Smith
Board Member
Mayor - City of Onalaska
Kim grew up in Onalaska and graduated from Onalaska High School. She earned her Bachelor of Science from UW-L and a Masters in Servant Leadership from Viterbo. She worked for Wisconsin Conservation Corps, Davy Laboratories, and Wisconsin Rural Water Association before landing at the City Brewery as their Food Safety Coordinator. Before becoming Onalaska Mayor in 2019, Kim served for many years on the Onalaska Common Council.
Kim feels that supporting local businesses is essential for a healthy local economy. She hopes that by serving on the CRBC Board she will bring her municipal government and professional experience together to help lift up new entrepreneurs.
Joe Leinfelder
Board Member
Century Foods
Joe Leinfelder has been on the CRBC Board since 2022. He grew up in La Crosse and graduated from UW-La Crosse. Joe has worked in the food industry for 28 years, both in the retail space and contract manufacturing. He's currently a Senior Account Executive at Century Foods International where he works with nutritional customers to produce their brands. Besides serving on the CRBC Board, Joe has also served on the CBA Board at UW-La Crosse and the La Crosse Area YMCA Board. He's looking forward to helping new businesses get off the ground as a CRBC board member.
Patrick Scheller
Board Member
La Crosse County Board
of Supervisors
Patrick Scheller is a current CRBC Board Member. Bio here....
Brian McCarty
Board Member
Gerrard Hoeschler Realtors
Brian McCarty is the CRBC Board Secreatry. Bio here....
Britta Rotering
Board Member
School District of La Crosse
Britta Rotering is the Supervisor of Career & Technical Education for the School District of La Crosse where she leads career pathway efforts in the school system. Britta has spent 18 years in education, 14 of which were spent as a middle and high school Family & Consumer Sciences educator, and leading school-to-career programming for school districts in Western Wisconsin. In her current role, she recently created the La Crosse Youth Apprenticeship Consortium with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. Britta is passionate about creating strong partnerships between our K-12 school system, our students and La Crosse Area Businesses. Serving on the CRBC Board allows the School District of La Crosse to connect and continue to support expanded business growth at implementation.
Matt Boschka
Board Member
Entrepreneur
Matt Boschka joined the CRBC Board in 2022. Matt was born and raised in La Crosse and graduated from UW-La Crosse in 2004, with a degree in Finance and Economics. He has owned several businesses, including TV networks, restaurants and bars, a golf course, and cannabis-related businesses. In his free time, Matt loves traveling, hiking, biking, skiing, and golfing. Matt joined the CRBC Board because he's genuinely happy to help entrepreneurs who are just starting out since he has been in that position many times.