Legacy Private Trust Company

When our founding team of investment and trust professionals united in 2004 to form Legacy Private Trust Company, they did so with a very simple, yet insightful vision:

• Provide distinctly customized wealth management with an emphasis on developing long-term personal client relationships.
• Measure all efforts against the highest industry standards, ethics and values.
• Place clients’ needs at the forefront of all business decisions.

The success we have achieved over the years is no accident.

Creating solutions based on the changing needs of any family, business or organization, has made us a trusted financial partner for a growing list of clients. 

The Legacy Team Approach

Many Legacy professionals have served multiple generations within families, giving us a unique understanding of how needs can change over time. With our array of expertise, we can collaboratively lead your advisory team, including outside attorneys and tax professionals, to ensure all your wealth management strategies are aligned with your priorities.

Our Staff of Talented and Credentialed Professionals

Our staff includes Chartered Financial Analysts™, Certified Financial Planners™, Certified Trust and Fiduciary Advisors™, attorneys, tax and estate planning experts, trust officers, and investment managers who are committed to building enduring relationships with you and all generations of your family.

Our personalized approach to wealth management has produced a growing list of clients who share our passion for excellence.

Together we work diligently to secure the future for their families and join efforts to build stronger communities.  We offer a truly holistic approach to empowering your financial life by providing you with not just one advisor, but a team of trusted professionals with the deep rooted and diverse expertise necessary to grow and protect your legacy. 

Our Board of Directors

Mr. James F. Beré, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, ALTA Resources, Inc.

Mr. Richard A. Bergstrom, Vice Chairman, Bergstrom Corporation

Mrs. Marissa Downs, Principal, Mosaic Property Ventures

Mr. Paul A. Klister, President and Lead Developer, Commercial Horizons

Mr. Frederick W. Merizon, Advisor and Investor

Mr. Michael B. Mahlik, President, Legacy Private Trust Company

Mr. Joseph E. McGrane, Executive Vice President, Legacy Private Trust Company

Our team

Ranee H. Bahn, First Vice President, Director of Enterprise Risk Management, Audit & Compliance

Ranee Bahn joined Legacy in 2014. Her primary duties are managing and monitoring our internal audits, risk measurements, and compliance processes. She brings more than 18 years of experience to strengthen the Legacy team. Prior to joining Legacy, Ranee had experience as a Client Services Manager, Trust Operations Manager, and Compliance Manager at Wisconsin-based regional banks. Ranee has completed the requirements of the Personal Trust School at Cannon Financial Institute and obtained her Certified Fiduciary & Investment Risk Specialist (CFIRS) designation.

If Ranee could combine her two favorite pastimes, it would be a book by John Grisham with a plot centered on a soccer team (to her dismay, the closest Grisham has gotten was a book about a former NFL player). She has traveled across the Midwest up, down, and sideways to attend her sons’ soccer games and is now enjoying the downtime provided by their college graduations.

Lisa T. Bergan, Senior Middle Office Support Specialist

Lisa joined Legacy in 2010 as a Senior Client Representative. She holds a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and the Certified Trust Financial Advisor (CTFA) designation. Lisa has over 18 years of trust experience, and prior to joining Legacy, she worked in the trust department of a regional bank. Lisa is flexible and diligently works on every project that is assigned so that clients’ needs are met quickly and efficiently.

Lisa enjoys the area in which she works. Outside of work, Lisa and her husband take advantage of the area by biking on state trails, and in the spring, they enjoy vacationing in Phoenix, Arizona. On lunch breaks in the summer, Lisa can be found outside and walking around the neighborhood surrounding the office. Lisa loves to participate in various activities with her nieces and nephews.

Barbara A. Blashka, Vice President, Tax & Finance

Barb has been leading our tax and financial planning group since 2006. She earned a BA from Lakeland University in Accounting and Business Administration and graduated from the National Graduate Trust School at Northwestern University. With over 30 years of trust and financial experience, including 24 years concentrating on trust-related tax issues, Barb has an extensive record of client success. She is an invaluable resource to the other investment and trust professionals at Legacy and our clients.

Barb can be found visiting her two adult children, Austin and Jill when she’s not busy studying the ever-changing IRS tax laws and regulations. Barb also enjoys taking motorcycle excursions with her husband, Don, and their friends, boating during the summer, playing in a local weekly trivia competition, and reading political thriller novels.

Laurene M. Brooks, Vice President, Chief Fiduciary Officer

Laurene Brooks joined Legacy in 2004, shortly after the company’s inception. She attended Marquette University, earning undergraduate degrees in journalism and Spanish, and received her Juris Doctor (JD) designation from the University’s law school. Laurene has more than 30 years of legal and trust company experience and is a past chair and 10-year board member of the Wisconsin State Bar’s Real Property, Probate, and Trust Division. After spending most of her career in client services and relationship management, Laurene currently serves as Legacy’s chief fiduciary officer.

Outside of work, Laurene loves spending time with family and friends, hiking, golfing, traveling, and at their cabin in Saxeville. She especially loves being a Grandma. Laurene and her husband Bob have 4 adult sons, including a “bonus” son from Burundi, Africa, 3 daughters-in-law, and 2 granddaughters. As an advocate of Catholic education, Laurene volunteers her time mainly at St. Raphael the Archangel Parish in its religious education program and on behalf of Lourdes Academy, both of Oshkosh.

Kathleen A. Brost, Trust and Financial Planning Officer

Kathy Brost joined Legacy in 2016 as a trust and financial advisor, enhancing our client relationship team with a variety of experiences in multiple facets of finance and business operations. She holds a BBA from Lakeland College and a JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School. She has continued her education throughout her career by attaining the Certified Financial Planner (CFP™) and Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU®) designations and a real estate brokers license. Kathy spent 12 years as a tax advisor before becoming a corporate counsel. Most recently, Kathy spent more than 10 years in private practice, acting as corporate counsel and directing compliance programs for several fraternal benefit societies across the country. Kathy was the President of the State Bar of Wisconsin from 2020-2021 and is now the Immediate Past President.

A native of the Fox Valley, Kathy enjoys working in her parents’ real estate development and construction firm. Kathy loves to travel and has enjoyed exploring areas in the more remote and obscure parts of the world with her husband. Together they are the parents of two grown children; their daughter is an architectural engineer, and their son is a process engineer. Kathy enjoys art, gardening, reading, and snorkeling when she is not traveling the world. Kathy also serves on the Bergstrom Mahler Museum of Glass board as the Treasurer.

Nick W. Brouch, Investment Analyst

Nick Brouch joined Legacy Private Trust Company in 2023 as an Investment Analyst, bringing with him three years of experience as a Mutual Fund Administration Officer. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Business Analytics from Indiana University. In October 2024, Nick earned his Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation after successfully passing Level 3 of the CFA exam and meeting all the program’s rigorous requirements. His expertise and commitment make him a valued member of Legacy’s investment team.

Beyond his professional role, Nick is an avid sports fan who follows the Milwaukee Brewers, the Green Bay Packers, and the Indiana University Hoosiers. Since relocating to the Fox Cities, he has been enthusiastic about engaging with the community. In his free time, Nick enjoys running, weightlifting, and listening to his favorite music genre: 1940s country.

Address: Two Neenah Center, Fifth Floor, Neenah, WI 54956, USA

Phone: +1 920 967 5020 / 866 811 1500