Advisory Board
Steve Nooyen
Owner, We Care Senior Care (dba Home Instead®)
Steve opened the first Home Instead franchise in Wisconsin — located in Green Bay — in January 1997 and has since added 14 additional franchises across Wisconsin, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. Today, his 15 franchises comprise the largest North American franchise group — by revenue and number of locations — within the Home Instead network.
In 2013, Steve formed the We Care Senior Care Advisory Board to focus on big-picture, strategic opportunities for the company, and to provide advice and direction for the benefit of company management. He turned the day-to-day operations of the company over to its president in 2015; he now serves on the Advisory Board and retains 100% ownership of the company.
He is heavily involved in nonprofit activities, including Wheelchair Whitetails, Challenge the Outdoors, Global Brigades/Eskala®.
Roger Baumgart
Chairman of the Board of Home Instead Charities
An integral part of the Advisory Board since its inception in 2013, Roger rose to CEO of Home Instead, Inc. and led its growth from fewer than 50 franchises to more than 600. He also helped expand it from a U.S. company to an international operation.
Roger was at the table for virtually all critical, early-stage entrepreneurial decisions that paved the way to Home Instead becoming the leading provider of senior home care in the world. He now serves as executive director for the Home Instead Foundation and is a member of the Global Strategy Council. Roger has worked with Steve on several system-wide initiatives over the years, including FEC.
Pete Hietpas
Owner & President
Nurses PRN is a professional healthcare staffing agency, specializing in staffing RNs, LPNs and CNAs. It serves as a resource and advocate for nursing candidates, helping them find the perfect position, whether it is per diem, travel contract, local contract or permanent placement. Its company culture is strongly supported by Christian values and activities to remind us that our success provides us the opportunity to serve and give back to our communities.
With over 25 years of experience in the industry, Pete has refined Nurses PRN’s business model to reflect the highest level of care and professionalism for nurses and facilities throughout the country. To supplement his core business, Pete purchased several competitors in strategic markets, acquired Valley Bay Therapy, and started PRN Home Health & Therapy in 2015.
Joe Toonen
Partner Emeritus
Founded in Chicago in 1924, Grant Thornton is one of the world’s leading organizations of independent audit, tax and advisory firms. Producing revenues in excess of $1.6 billion and operating 59 offices, Grant Thornton works with a broad range of dynamic publicly and privately held companies, government agencies, financial institutions, and civic and religious organizations.
As a partner with Grant Thornton, Joe worked closely with hundreds of Wisconsin companies across a variety of industries, primarily in manufacturing, distribution, and food and beverage. Joe’s business experience includes acting as the lead client service partner for numerous clients, as well as serving as the primary business advisor to CEOs and boards of directors.
He has assisted clients with a variety of issues, including merger and acquisition strategies; due diligence and integration; exit strategies and positioning; transaction advisory services; operations and productivity improvement reviews; and audit and financial reporting.
Possessing more than 30 years of public accounting experience, Joe also served as the Wisconsin Consumer and Industrial Products practice leader and as board member for the Fox Cities YMCA and The Building for Kids.
Jeff Strenger
Former President
Great Northern Corporation — Laminations & Rollguard
Jeff is an experienced leader who possesses more than 30 years of experience in strategic planning, acquisitions, supply chain management, operations and sales.
Most recently, he served as president of Great Northern Laminations — a leading manufacturer of edge protection, with plants in Wisconsin, California, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Florida — and Great Northern Rollguard — the world's leading source for roll cradles (both are business units within Great Northern Corporation, based in Appleton, Wis.). Jeff held that position from 2012 to January 2021, at which point he retired from the industry. Other companies Jeff has served include Ariens, Pierce Manufacturing and John Deere, among others.
Jeff has served on the steering committee for NEW Manufacturing Alliance and on the board for the Appleton YMCA, where he also volunteered for more than 25 years. Jeff’s experience also includes having been a sponsor and advisor for the Wisconsin Family Business Forum and an appointed member of the Appleton Planning Commission. He is a current board member for Wisconsin Paper Group and TriCity Glass.
Mike Vander Zanden
President & CEO
Since 2010, Mike Vander Zanden has filled the role of president and chief executive officer of Amerequip Corporation, located in Kiel, Wis. He has served Amerequip for more than 25 years in a variety of capacities, giving him a unique perspective on all facets of the business.
Amerequip provides engineering, manufacturing, paint and assembly services to OEMs, including John Deere, CAT, Mahindra, McNeilus and Toro. These brands operate within the commercial mowing, turf, light construction and industrial markets.
Possessing an industrial engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin–Stout, Mike is actively involved with numerous civic boards and regional non-governmental organizations (NGO).