Senior vice president at WPS demonstrates commitment to the community and helping women succeed
MADISON, Wis.—March 13, 2015—Ellen Foley, senior vice president of corporate communications at WPS, was honored Tuesday night with the 2015 ATHENA Award from The Business Forum in Madison.
Foley and nine other nominees were recognized for demonstrating excellence and initiative in their careers, community involvement, and efforts to help women achieve their full potential. The international awards program seeks to inspire others to achieve excellence in their professional and personal lives.
Mike Hamerlik, president and CEO of the WPS Companies, congratulated Foley for winning the award, which recognizes some of the work she has accomplished since joining WPS in 2013. “Ellen has built a great team here at WPS with the very characteristics the ATHENA Award represents: mentoring and making meaningful connections,” he said.
Foley’s accomplishments include being the first female editor of the Wisconsin State Journal when she moved to Madison in 2004. Under her leadership, the newspaper received many awards for online and print projects, including a Pulitzer Prize finalist honor in 2008.
As executive director of communications and community development at Madison Area Technical College, she led the successful effort to win a $134 million referendum in November 2010.
In 1988, Foley founded the Violence Against Women Coalition in Minneapolis-St. Paul after the tragic murder of her sister, Mary. The coalition successfully advocated for legislative change of the penalties for sexual predators.
In addition to leading the communications and marketing efforts for WPS, Foley is a journalist, marketing and communications adviser, community leader, mentor, coach and role model for women leaders, and remains active on numerous boards and organizations in Dane County.
About WPS
Founded in 1946, WPS is a nationally regarded government contractor and Wisconsin’s leading not-for-profit health insurer. The WPS Health Insurance division offers affordable individual health insurance, family health insurance, high-deductible health insurance, and short-term health plans, as well as flexible and affordable group plans and cost-effective benefit plan administration for businesses. The WPS Medicare division administers Part A and B benefits for millions of seniors in multiple states, and the WPS TRICARE division serves millions more members of the U.S. military and their families. In 2015, the international Ethisphere® Institute named WPS one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the sixth straight year. For more information about WPS, visit www.wpsic.com.