Meet the Board
Meet Fred F. Schwertfeger
Chief Executive Officer
In 1982, Fred F. Schwertfeger became the Chief Executive Officer of Horicon Bank and Sword Financial Corporation, the holding company of the bank which was started by Mr. Frederick R. Schwertfeger in 1977. Fred graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with an Economics major. He received a Master of Business Administration degree with a Finance major from Northwestern University in 1967. Fred served as a Lieutenant in the US Army Security Agency from 1968-1970 and joined Horicon Bank’s Board of Directors in 1978.
Meet Fred C. Schwertfeger
President
Fred leads strategic planning for Horicon Bank and oversees Marketing, Retail, Human Resources, Wealth Management and Trust Administration. Fred says he enjoys supporting his colleagues in his role. He likes meeting different people and collaborating to find new opportunities for the Bank to serve more customers. He has served on Horicon Bank’s Board of Directors since 2020. Fred is a third generation owner of Horicon Bank. In 2014, he graduated from the UW-Madison’s Graduate School of Banking program. He has degrees in Art History and Visual Culture from the Universities of Oxford, Glasgow and St. Andrews in the United Kingdom.
Some Fun Info About Fred
Experience
Fred has more than 15 years of banking experience. He has been with Horicon Bank since 2006.
Expertise
Marketing | Branding | Workplace Culture | Digital Banking
Extracurriculars
Fred serves as a Board Member for the Museum of Wisconsin Art in West Bend, WI and for Bergstrom-Mahler Museum of Glass in Neenah, WI. When he’s not collaborating over bank strategy, Fred enjoys coaching his daughter’s soccer team and cheering on all the home teams (Packers, Brewers and Bucks)!
Meet Dr. Sharon L. Haase
MD, MACP, UW-Health
Dr. Haase is a Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. She has been teaching UW Senior Medical Students in her Comprehensive Internal Medicine Practice in Beaver Dam since 1988. A hospital leader, Dr. Haase chaired key clinical committees at Beaver Dam Community Hospital, including tenure as Chief of Staff. She continues to serve on key committees since the hospital change over to Marshfield Medical Center of Beaver Dam. She served for ten years on the hospital board, including its executive committee during the time when the new Beaver Dam Hospital was built. She continues to serve on the Beaver Dam Hospital Foundation Board as an officer on its Executive Committee. Dr. Haase has been a community volunteer and leader, including Past President of the Dodge County Medical Society and Tuesday Noon Kiwanis Club. She is the founder and leader of the E-CLuB for Kidz. Dr. Haase also has served many roles in numerous State and National Medical Professional Societies and was the first female in the State of Wisconsin elected as the Governor of the Wisconsin Chapter of The American College of Physicians, a role she served in for four years. In 2011, she received a citation by the State of Wisconsin Legislature for excellence in Medical Care and Education in the State of Wisconsin. In April 2015, the National ACP celebrated its 100th anniversary, during which time Dr. Sharon Haase was recognized and awarded Mastership in the College as the 22nd physician in Wisconsin history to achieve this status. Dr. Haase joined Horicon Bank’s Board of Directors in 1995.
Meet Alex Simic
Founder and CEO, Storage Master LLC
Over the past 20 years, Alex Simic has grown Storage Master, LLC from a concept into the largest privately owned self-storage operator in Wisconsin with 1.2 million square feet of space. His well-located portfolio of properties have been developed to be “best in class”, and his company’s culture seeks to continually set the bar for customer experiences and engagement. Alex has also founded Self Storage on Wheels, LLC (portable storage) and MKE Movers, LLC. He joined Horicon Bank’s Board of Directors in 2021.
Meet James G. Blise
CEO, Design 2 Construct Development Corporation
Jim Blise is the owner of Design 2 Construct Development Corporation, a design and construction company, headquartered in Jackson, Wisconsin which has been in operation since 1991. Jim is a graduate of UW-Milwaukee Bachelors of Science Architectural Studies and also attended UW-Milwaukee Grad School for Architectural Studies. He is a Professional Registered Architect. Jim joined Horicon Bank’s Board of Directors in 2008.
Meet Daniel Shea
COO and Manager of Company Culture for Shea Electric and Communications, LLC
As a master electrician and business owner, Dan Shea has a passion for the ever-changing world of technology and takes pride in providing excellent customer service. A driven professional always seeking to provide solutions for his customers and the communities Shea Electric & Communications LLC has served since 2006 (and newly created, Enlighten Digital Technologies), Dan brings that same passion to his role on the Horicon Bank Board of Directors. His honed business and finance acumen as a result of his leadership in the electrical contracting world will greatly benefit Horicon Bank. Hailing from New Hampshire, Dan pursued a future in the electrical contracting industry starting the apprenticeship and journeyman process in 1986. He continues to attend classes for Project Management and has attained a certificate in Healthcare Construction. He is a member of TEC/Vistage, is Chairman of the Fox Valley Division of WI NECA, and serves on the Board of Directors for the WI National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). His hobbies include spending quality time with his family, traveling, reading and continuing education in the electrical industry.
Meet Paul A. Foy
Past President of Cornerstone Community Bank
Paul joined Cornerstone Community Bank in 1996 as a commercial lender. He became president at the beginning of 2000 where he continued until the sale to Horicon Bank in January of 2023. During his tenure, the bank grew from $30 Million to $250 Million in assets, along with a $100 Million mortgage portfolio from loans originated at the bank. Cornerstone often ranked high among its peers under his leadership and earned the distinction of being the 39th best community bank in the country out of 4,287 by S&P Global in its 2020 rankings. Paul earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business from Villanova University, a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of San Diego, and a Graduate degree from the Graduate School of Banking in Madison. Paul joined the Horicon Bank board in January of 2023.