With Liberty training camp opening next week the team announced Tuesday they’d signed Annika Soltau The New York Liberty have signed Annika Soltau, a 6’4” German shot blocker who went undrafted in last week’s WNBA Draft The signing was announced on the WNBA transaction page: The 20-year-old, who plays for Baden Basket 54 in the Swiss league, is known primarily for her defense, particularly her shot-blocking prowess but she averaged 21.1 points and 9.5 rebounds for Baden She will join two other German stars on the Liberty roster both of whom played critical roles for the New Yorkers in their successful title quest in October Soltau who’s played for Germany’s youth teams is a candidate to join Fiebich and Sabally on the German senior national team this summer Soltau was tabbed to be taken as high as the second round of the three-round WNBA Draft but went undrafted Earlier this year, Soltau was named by FIBA as one of Europe’s 20 rising stars A power forward who is very long and loves to block shots and cause problems in the paint for her defenders down the other end of the floor she has enjoyed an eye-catching FIBA youth career The Liberty had the 38th and final pick in the 2025 WNBA draft said post-draft that Kane would likely stay in Europe for a few years In addition to the news about Soltau, the Liberty also announced two international prospects slated to join the Liberty will not. As our SB Nation sister site, Breakway noted Spanish forward Raquel Carerra is staying with Valencia in the Spanish women’s league while French forward Seehia Ridard is out of the season due to an injury The Libs starting forward Betnijah Laney-Hamilton is also out for five months following meniscus surgery The Libs open training camp Sunday in Brooklyn Then after two preseason games — the first at Barclays May 9 they will open their defense of the WNBA crown and raise the championship banner at Barclays Center on May 17 each of whom played major roles on last postseason's title trek Soltau was previously committed to the University of Washington before opting to go pro and enjoying a breakthrough showing at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland After struggling to find a role with Spanish club Gernika KESB she most recently repped Baden Basket 54 in Switzerland as she averaged 21.1 points and 9.5 rebounds in 14 appearances Soltau has also repped Germany's international amateur clubs Soltau appeared on a list of 20 top European stars under 20 years old in a January list compiled by Paul Nilsen on FIBA's official site That list also featured Dominique Malonga (France/Seattle) all of who received first-round calls at the WNBA Draft earlier this month Soltau was the leading scorer at 20.3 points per game at the 2022 FIBA U17 Women's Basketball World Cup in Hungary where she beat out Malonga and UConn star Jana El-Alfy for the points honor and the MVP was current USC star JuJu Watkins She could be in contention to appear on the primary team's roster next to Fiebich and Sabally when it hosts the 2026 Women's Basketball World Cup WNBA transactions also confirmed that Raquel Carrera and Seehia Ridard opted not to partake in the 2025 season Carrera was a 2021 second-round pick of Atlanta while Ridard had signed with the team in March Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns as and so much more! GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTIEditor-In-Chief at All Knicks The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER The body is political—as the works of artist Annegret Soltau (b Her art has been causing a stir since the 1970s and remains as relevant as ever Long considered an insider’s tip despite her art historical significance Soltau’s work is now regarded as one of the most important positions in feminist photography and body art Over the course of more than six decades and despite all resistance radically feminist visual language has established her as an indispensable voice in contemporary art The Städel Museum is dedicating the first comprehensive retrospective to her developed in collaboration with the artist the exhibition offers a comprehensive insight into her multifaceted œuvre which ranges from drawings to extended photography Central themes in Soltau’s work include feminism body politics and the challenge of human and female identity she has developed her own innovative techniques that transcend the boundaries of photography—photo-sewing Soltau questions female role models and sheds light on social norms by visualising complex emotional worlds she has devoted herself to an artistic exploration of motherhood and pregnancy—themes that have been underrepresented in art for centuries and have only recently begun to receive increasing attention in both society and the art world Her work is also a poignant expression of the ageing of the female body and questions of mortality Soltau’s work was repeatedly subjected to public censorship; her depictions deviated from established aesthetic and social norms and were perceived as provocative The exhibition at the Städel Museum is an important corrective to this reception and a long overdue tribute to this great feminist and artist COLDWATER — A small group of Coldwater area residents restarted the Soltau Sister City program with a successful summer visit to the German city The group is looking for more community members to revitalize the program that started in 1971 Coldwater-Soltau is one of the oldest sister city programs in the country who traveled to Soltau with 10 others during the first two weeks of July “The Soltau hosts opened their homes to the Coldwater guests and planned an adventurous program.”   Besides meeting city officials and touring the town of 22,000 in Lower Saxony in northwest Germany the group attended the annual Schutzenfest Festival The Coldwater group toured the region with their hosts who ended the visit with a farewell party and barbecue at the residence of the host Phillips family “The Coldwater group came to Germany as strangers and left as family.”  Himes-Fraley said that if the local group grows the Coldwater group wants to host a group from Soltau in 2025 or 2026 Himes-Fraley created a new Facebook page for those interested in the sister city program Margaret Wendell did not make the trip but said the program suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic when no one traveled and the group became older Wendell hopes younger residents will join and enjoy the international relationships the sister city program provides Coldwater teacher Barbara Mullally helped revitalize the international program which saw several years of exchange visits The partnership began in 1971 when then-Mayor George Henderson hosted the daughter of the Bugermeister of Soltau who attended Coldwater High School for a year The two cities exchanged students for 30 years Parents bought plane tickets and exchanged students who local families hosted German was taught as a foreign language at Coldwater High School There was really no language problem because German students universally speak English State Department demanded that exchange students be monitored and that all students go through approved private student exchange companies The sister city student exchange dropped off The Coldwater group wants to grow the adult program as a unique way to foster relationships between the two cities Subscribe Learn about local events and people. Subscribe to the Daily Reporter The group needs to expand interest after the successful summer visit to host here in the next two years Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com  2024 at Calvary Lutheran  Church in Bemidji Visitation will be from 5:00 pm -  7:00 pm on Friday 2024 at the Cease Family Funeral Home in Bemidji MN and  one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday He spent the first 33 months of his life at  the Chuzhou Children’s Home Penny and Sophie Riewer  when he was adopted on May 6 and graduated from Bemidji High School in 2024 where he was an honor student He  worked for Natures Edge Garden Center for four years He loved spending time  with his family and extended family He was  a big strong guy with a huge heart and a gentle soul grandparents Pat  Soltau and Leroy and Connie Riewer He was preceded in death by his grandfather Condolences may be left at ceasefuneralhome.com which would use huge satellites to constantly harvest sunlight That work is picking up pace at Space Solar, based in the thriving UK space hotspot of Harwell in Oxfordshire. Recent achievements at the company include demonstrating 360º energy beaming technology which could transmit power to Earth without the need for moving parts – a hugely valuable feature when reliability and performance are key We spoke to co-CEO Martin Soltau about the company’s plans to turn a sci-fi vision into reality Despite the claims that wind and solar are cheap and expanding and getting cheaper looking at our future energy system as a complete system we've obviously got to have the ability to address intermittency and maintain the reliability and the affordability of the energy system And the real challenge is that the back-up It’s really important that we try and develop carbon capture and storage but they're a very long way away from being commercialised because we need to have duplicated energy sources for when the wind isn't blowing and the sun isn't shining We're working quite closely with Professor Goran Strbac at Imperial College. He does a lot of the modelling for the government on net zero pathways and he's a strong proponent of space-based solar power precisely because of this huge challenge and recognises that we need to have these new options It's about a system that will provide affordable The independent studies done for the government and for the European Space Agency showed that when it's developed space-based solar power could in its own right be very affordable indeed And it also provides good integration with wind Then it can provide some really unique things like the ability to act as a transmission system as well as a generation system delivering energy closer to the point of demand which is not included in the headline ‘Cheap is the massive cost of building up the grid infrastructure to connect up the very low-density renewables The final reason why we need to look at energy from space is that these low-density renewables consume huge amounts of materials and minerals we will need between 20- and 70-times the amount of mining for an industry where a 10% increase is huge Mining is itself not an environmentally friendly activity and the materials are mined in countries that are geopolitically challenging and refined in other countries which are also geopolitically challenging Of course, [space-based solar power] doesn't exist yet. It's low TRL But what it does do is provide another option for governments There's massive uncertainty about how to get to net zero this provides a very credible and capable option The solar power satellite harvests solar energy in space at gigawatt scale The electricity is converted to microwaves in the one to 10 gigahertz range and at that frequency the RF (radio frequency) transmits through the atmosphere almost without loss As the satellite is going around the Earth it needs to have the solar collector always pointing at the Sun and the transmitter always pointing at the rectenna on Earth The angle between the Earth and Sun is constantly changing and thus we need to steer the beam which is an important function of the design.  They are very large. The reason for that is that they’re in a high Earth orbit, tens of thousands of kilometres above the Earth so that the satellites can see the Sun the whole time, out of Earth’s shadow. The diffraction physics of power beaming mean that you need a large transmitting aperture to form a tight collimated beam and a reasonable size of ground-based rectenna and it's probably the one reason why space-based solar power isn't really a thing yet because your first commercial system has to be really quite large and therefore quite expensive It’s difficult to make small-scale commercially viable products.  We’re pursuing a design called Cassiopeia many-times larger than anything that's ever been put into space but it's just five-times the mass of the International Space Station It's made of hundreds of thousands of modules Each of the modules has the ability to collect and there's no functional connection between them Space is a harsh environment so we will have failures and this modularity provides resilience with a very graceful degradation in performance over time The modularity also means that the unit production cost comes right down with the production learning curves It also provides a pathway to scale up the systems and we can have a material impact on net zero because we will build and commission tens of gigawatts per year in full production They’re about the size of a coffee table We're working at the moment on a government-funded programme to define the optimum design and sizing but essentially the modules are wafer thin elements comprising the concentrating lenses the high concentration photovoltaics and a graphene heat-spreader that provides thermal management together with the RF power amplifier circuitry and the transmitting antennas The structural rigidity is provided by a lightweight carbon composite structure exoskeleton We're looking at robotic assembly systems design at the moment but essentially they're going to be akin to Amazon warehouse-type robotics which could run along guide rails or crawl over the structure collecting the modules from the delivery hub then clipping them into place to build the satellite So the robotics are relatively simple compared to the Perseverance rover on Mars they're operating in a very structured environment assembling a small number of module types which are all designed for assembly but it is as much to do with the economics as the engineering these are the engineering challenges that we are going to need to address Northrop Grumman have done a very successful programme which has been servicing a satellite up in geostationary orbit which wasn't ever designed to be serviced So we are already operationalising the sorts of technologies that we need One of our technical advisors is Professor Mini Rai She's one of the leading space robotics experts in the UK We've also got a partnership forming with the world's leading space robotics company You've got this efficiency chain through the energy stream The overall efficiency from the Sun to the AC you get out of the inverter on the ground is about 18% Efficiency matters only because it dictates the size and cost of the system If we compare the efficiency of terrestrial solar in the same way most of the time you're not generating anything – at night the utilisation of space-based solar power is almost 100% compared to around 11% for terrestrial solar.  This was looked at by the University of Strathclyde a couple of years ago which was a lifecycle analysis on space-based solar power using a Cassiopeia architecture and it concluded that the carbon footprint is about 24g of CO2 (carbon dioxide) per kilowatt hour and the reason for that is partly that it's got a very high yield The report identified some really helpful ways that we can further reduce the carbon footprint Critical minerals is another important environmental issue.  One of the reasons why we're able to use a lot less minerals and help address that critical minerals challenge is that it's inherently much higher density as an energy generator than other renewables And part of that is because we're using high concentration photovoltaics concentrating anywhere between 10- and several hundred times We've got a six-year development programme to retire most of the technical risks we'll have a megawatt-scale demonstrator in space On the journey there will be multiple demonstrators to show that we're meeting the increasing TRL The six-year point is a tipping point for multiple reasons – it’s when the government has said they’re going to come in with Contracts for Difference and when the big energy companies are likely to be engaging strongly with space-based solar power in their near-term roadmaps we'll have our gigawatt-scale system in space The latter six years is all about maturing the production supply chains and manufacturing processes to get the cost down We'll be in a position then to scale up very rapidly indeed and it's all to do with this modularisation In this respect it’s quite unlike nuclear fission where it takes a decade to get the planning another decade to get the power station built and at the end of that time you've got two gigawatts We're going to be building 10 gigawatts per year it's really going to have a big difference globally The CapEx (capital expenditure) costs are about $2.5bn per gigawatt it's less than a quarter of the cost of nuclear which is the CapEx and OpEx (operating expenditure) divided by the yield being able to dispatch and provide baseload and export And it's largely because it really does feel as though it will have a huge impact It helps to solve energy security and net zero in a really serious and sustainable way And a lot of support from around the world It blends real societal need with some pretty cool tech because it's fantastically interesting and could have a real game-changing Want the best engineering stories delivered straight to your inbox? 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Read now Download our Professional Engineering app Subscribe to Professional Engineering newsletter Opt into your industry sector newsletter Please enable Javascript on your browser to view our news Flexible spaces at our head office in Westminster Medicine Viewbook Strategic Plan Office of the Dean Office of Community Engagement and Diversity Accreditation Academic Departments Affiliated Institutes Admissions: School of Medicine Financial Aid: School of Medicine Student Affairs Undergraduate Medical Education MD/PHD Program Graduate Medical Education Post-Doctoral Studies Continuing Medical Education and Professional Development Health Professions Education Programs Programs & Degrees Distinction Track Program Integrated Programs in Biomedical Sciences (IPIBS) eQuality Dual Degree Programs Financial Aid Academic Technology Office Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies Office of Community Engagement and Diversity Resources Faculty Affairs SoM Marketing & Communications UofL Faculty Mentoring Program and Resources UofL Faculty Handbook UofL Emergency Management Resources Residency Programs Fellowships School of Medicine Admissions First Look Fellowship Week Giving to the School of Medicine School of Medicine News Releases Bucks for Brains Cancer Research Center for Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy (CCII) COBRE Research at the Health Sciences Center Clinical Trials Open at UofL Clinical Trials Unit Research Laboratories Pediatric Medicine Cardiovascular Care Ear, Nose, and Throat Eye Care Specialists Family Medicine Geriatric Care Primary Care OBGYN Services Surgery Sports Medicine Find a Physician View all services Kentucky Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) SoM Office of Community Engagement and Diversity HSC Office of Diversity and Inclusion Kentucky Cancer Program Clubs and Organizations Depression Center Outreach & Education Evans Endowed Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences in the University of Louisville School of Medicine Soltau served as acting chair of the department since November 2018 and has been a member of the UofL faculty since 1998. In clinical practice, Soltau is a glaucoma specialist with UofL Physicians – Eye Specialists He is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology Soltau was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Germany from Ruprecht-Karls Universität in Heidelberg followed by an internship in ophthalmology at Klinikum Mannheim in Germany After spending two years in research at UofL in the Kentucky Lions Eye Center he completed his residency at Washington University School of Medicine in St followed by a year as chief resident at the same institution He then completed a glaucoma fellowship at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami At UofL, Soltau served as residency program director from 2001-2016. He received the American Academy of Ophthalmology Achievement Award in 2018 and was listed among Louisville’s Top Surgeons in Louisville Magazine for Cataract Surgery in 2010 and 2018 Soltau will continue to be a good fit for leading the department into the future building on its strong tradition of research clinical care and education,” said Toni Ganzel Soltau’s appointment as chair of the department was effective April 1 View contact information for the School of Medicine Facebook Twitter Linkedin The San Francisco 49ers organization lost a dear friend and teammate when Gordy Soltau passed away on Sunday One of the most versatile 49ers to ever step on the playing field Soltau was a model of dependability and productivity throughout his nine-year 49ers career For his outstanding contributions to the franchise on and off the field the three-time All Pro became the 23rd member of the Edward J "For more than six decades Gordy Soltau has served as a gracious ambassador for the San Francisco 49ers," said San Francisco 49ers Co-Chairman John York "I consider myself very lucky to have developed a close relationship with Gordy having come to know him as a true gentleman and consummate family man As a link to the early years of our proud franchise he possessed a selfless nature that was evident both on the field and through his military service to our country We share with the Soltau family a feeling of great loss and sadness and will join with them in remembering a man worthy of great love and admiration." Soltau made his mark on the 49ers franchise at a key point in the organization's development Originally selected in the third round (30th overall) of the 1950 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers he was quickly traded to the Cleveland Browns where legendary coach Paul Brown then offered to send him to San Francisco for an opportunity to start He would go on to spend his entire nine-year NFL career with the 49ers (1950-58) He played nine season with the 49ers and became the 23rd member of the Edward J Gordy Soltau speaks to reporters after being inducted into the 49ers hall of fame the team in points scored each season and shared the team-lead once allowed him to lead the NFL in points scored in 1952 (94) and 1953 (114) helping him to earn All-Pro honors and Pro Bowl selections in three consecutive seasons (1951-53) Soltau missed just two games during his career becoming the first player in franchise history to surpass 100 games played He registered a total of 249 receptions for 3,487 yards and 25 touchdowns while also making 70 field goals and 284 PATs He remains one of only three players in NFL history to score 25 touchdowns and make 70 field goals in their career Soltau's rookie season was the team's first year as a member of the National Football League and one in which he caught just 14 passes for 170 yards and one touchdown In his sophomore campaign he burst onto the scene setting career highs in nearly every statistical category and leading the 49ers to a 7-4-1 record more than doubling their win total from the season before Soltau finished second in the NFL in receptions (59) and receiving yards (826) and fifth in receiving touchdowns (seven) that year He was so valuable to the 49ers offense that season that he registered as many receiving touchdowns as every other player on the team combined Against the arch-rival Los Angeles Rams on October 28 a franchise record that stood for 39 years until Jerry Rice recorded 30 points in a game Soltau became the first player in NFL history to catch six-or-more touchdowns and make 10-or-more field goals in a single season only one player has ever replicated that feat Soltau retired in 1958 as the 49ers all-time leading scorer with 644 points a total that currently ranks fifth in team history Soltau helped defend the country he would later entertain Soon after graduating high school in the midst of World War II Soltau enlisted in the United States military and became part of the Navy's first class of Frogmen a group that would later become known as the Navy SEALS He saw action in the Pacific and in Europe as part of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) and was later made an honorary member of the Green Berets Soltau enrolled at the University of Minnesota where he was a standout athlete on offense After earning numerous accolades and playing in the Hula Bowl as well as the East-West Shrine Game he was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the NFL Draft and traded to the 49ers shortly after Gordy Soltau was just as impactful as he was on it working tirelessly with the community to support the 49ers Foundation and youth sports He served as the 49ers first player representative and was a pioneer in helping establish benefits for NFL players including establishing a pension plan in 1962 and securing compensation for playing in exhibition games Soltau helped found the Northern California Chapter of the NFL Alumni Association and became its first president soon after he remained close to the 49ers following his playing days serving as a color commentator for radio and television broadcasts in the 1960s Soltau even provided radio commentary for the 1960 Olympic Games in Squaw Valley he was inducted into the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame in 1999 and was later honored with a proclamation from the City of San Francisco declaring Monday He is also a member of the University of Minnesota Hall of Fame and the Duluth Hall of Fame Sarah and Valerie; and granddaughters Susie and Shelby the family asks that contributions be made to the San Francisco 49ers Foundation or the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame What is Cinco de Mayo and how should you celebrate The 49ers Latinx employee resource group L.E.A.D curated all the information you should know Catch up on the latest San Francisco 49ers headlines Get to know more about San Francisco's first-round draft pick Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams Take a look at the most impressive stats of the San Francisco 49ers 2025 draft class Receive emails when new obituariesare published to our website When you experience the loss of a loved one you can trust us to guide you through the arrangements necessary to create a meaningful ceremony that celebrates the unique life being honored Our staff is committed to providing your family with the highest quality care and service in your time of need and we take pride in our responsibility to lighten your burden as you take the first steps toward healing Cease Family Funeral Home | (218) 694-6600407 Getchell Avenue NE Cease Family Funeral Home | (218) 751-97002807 Irvine Avenue NW Cease Family Funeral Home | (218) 835-330081 Main Street South Cease Family Funeral Home | (218) 652-3105105 Main Street Cease Family Funeral Home | (218) 732-7264710 West 1st Street © Cease Family Funeral HomeFuneral Home Website Design By Frazer Consultants & TA Your browser may not work with certain site. Upgrade now. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Every product is independently selected by editors Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission The actress Tess Soltau has been living (and renting) in New York for the past decade, landing stage roles in Wicked and The Addams Family in addition to her TV work overlooking the Empire Hotel near Lincoln Center And it needed to accommodate the life she didn’t “It felt like a quintessential late-’80s Memphis meets American Psycho,” says her interior designer, Keren Richter Soltau knew she wanted a blue bathroom and a black kitchen; she knew she wanted arches and marble “so I knew the elements but I didn’t trust myself to put them all together “It just feels so welcoming and it really does a lot to draw your eye up and give the illusion of more height and it gives you the opportunity to do a really interesting door.” The one-bedroom 1,000-square-foot apartment was turned into a two-bedroom with a new floor plan that integrated the closed-off spaces with two arched doorways and a fresh light-filled palette of pale colors and a blond oak floor The space is now contemporary and cozy with a palette of light wood and pale pastels; feminine in spirit “I love the space that Keren created too because I’m very feminine “We were designing the apartment before I met him but I didn’t want him to walk into super-fem energy where there was nothing grounded and masculine.” The renovation took longer than expected due to COVID-19, but the endgame was worth it. “The views out over the Empire Hotel are classic New York; everyone who walks in is drawn to the windows like a magnet.” And she’ll be able to walk to work soon: She plays Betany in the Broadway-bound Britney Spears musical By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York Jim was born in Duluth in 1932 and was a standout athlete for Central He then went on to play football for the University of Minnesota(1951-54) Jim was also a member of the ROTC and a proud Phi Delt After a very brief playing career in the CFL for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers injuries brought Jim and Mary Jo back to the Twin Cities Eventually settling in Edina to raise their two boys He spent the majority of his professional career in the life insurance and financial planning business Where he spent much of his retirement time down in the basement with his friends in the Recyclers He was an avid outdoorsman and loved to hunt and fish His annual trip up to the McCabe deer camp and subsequent coney dogs was always a highlight of his year When the Minnesota Vikings started play in 1961 he was an original member of the Chain Gang Working the sidelines for over 30 years and holding the stakes in Super Bowl XXIV at the Metrodome Golf was another passion of his and he was a long time member of the Braemar Men’s Club Even working there as a ranger in his retirement along with his poor hearing took its toll on him We want to thank the staffs at M Health Fairview Southdale Hospital Croix Hospice for their compassionate care during his last days generous man who never had a bad word for anyone at Hwy 100 in Edina.  Memorial Service 11:00 AM Saturday MPLS.(Visitation 1 hour prior to Memorial Service.)            www.washburn-mcreavy.com              5000 W 50th St @ Hwy 100,                       Edina MN                         it was announced shortly before New Year’s Eve The departure of Soltau, the company’s first female CEO, comes not long after the 118-year-old department store was purchased by mall owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management along with strategic partner Authentic Brands Group Soltau will be replaced on an interim basis by Stanley Shashoua Simon Property Group’s chief investment officer The new owners will also establish a “temporary office of the CEO to include key members of J.C Penney’s current leadership team,” a statement said the well-regarded former head of craft retailer JoAnn In May shortly before the company filed for Chapter 11 Soltau was paid a $4.5 million retention bonus by J.C in order to “retain and continue to motivate” her The filing added that 80% of the award would be subject to repayment if Soltau was terminated for cause or resigned without “good reason” before Jan Penney spokesperson declined to comment on what will happen to the bonus now that Soltau has left the company the new owners said they are looking for a new “leader that is focused on modern retail and the goal of creating a sustainable and enduring J.C They added that they have “a successful track record of turning around retailers and brands and restoring them to profitability.” J.C. Penney filed for Chapter 11 in May, and exited the process in December Cited as reasons for the filing are the company’s ongoing debt burden the temporary closure of stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic including two prestigious Neal Awards for his blog in 2007 and 2011 and the American Gem Society's Triple Zero Award for industry service He can be reached at rbates - at - jckonline.com 2025 © RX USA. Use of this website is subject to terms of use. An official website of the United States government VA|News Veteran of the Day Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Marine Corps Veteran Adrian Valentine Soltau who served in Iraq and was killed in action His sacrifice is honored by the Carry the Load Adrian Valentine Soltau was born in May 1983 in Jamaica He moved to the United States when he was 10 years old and attended school in Milwaukee He dreamed of one day becoming an electronics engineer and he enjoyed watching war movies and playing video games His fellow platoon members called him “Salty.” Soltau had attained the rank of corporal. His courage in combat earned him a Purple Heart posthumously and his other decorations include a Combat Action Ribbon a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and a Sea Service Deployment Ribbon Soltau’s funeral was held at the Christian Faith Fellowship Church in Milwaukee and his remains are buried in Wood National Cemetery To post a tribute this Memorial Day for Adrian Valentine Soltau, please visit the Veterans Legacy Memorial at https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/ADRIANVSOLTAU/A1370AE In 2022, VA is joining forces with Carry The Load to honor veterans during the “Memorial May” March, a national relay visiting 50 VA national cemeteries to honor our nation’s fallen service members. A link to this webpage is here. The complete list of participating cemeteries can be found here Volunteers are encouraged to register in advance Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. Visit our blog post about nominating to learn how to create the best submission This #VeteranOfTheDay profile was created with interviews submitted to the Veterans History Project. The project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American war Veterans so that future generations may hear directly from Veterans and better understand the realities of war. Find out more at http://www.loc.gov/vets/ carry the loadIraqmarinesoperation Iraqi freedom The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411 never put personally identifiable information (SSAN etc.) or protected health information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection We honor the service of Adrian Valentine Soltau This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Cruz Roque-Vicens Roque-Vicens went on to have a successful career as a sports journalist this week's #HonoringVeterans spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran and NPS employee Charles Barr This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Albert Tristan Get more resources at VeteransCrisisLine.net An official website of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Looking for U.S. government information and services?  Visit USA.gov J.C. Penney's new owners, mall REITs Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management, on Wednesday said they have launched a search for a new chief executive officer to replace Jill Soltau, who is leaving Thursday Simon Chief Investment Officer Stanley Shashoua will serve as interim CEO starting Jan the "new ownership group will establish a temporary office of the CEO to include key members of JCPenney's current leadership team," the company said Penney is continuing its tradition of turning over chief executives When Soltau arrived two years ago, there were high hopes that her reputation as a talented merchant might bring about the turnaround the department store had been toiling at for years. She replaced Marvin Ellison, who left to become CEO at Lowe's after about three years on the job And, so, Penney's turnaround is ongoing still, amid increasing challenges for both malls, which it has dependably anchored for years Get the free daily newsletter read by industry experts The intense pressure to end diversity initiatives has led companies to scrutinize their policies The industry may be far from the dramatic day-to-day struggles of 2020 but it hasn’t yet escaped the long tail the global health crisis left in its wake The free newsletter covering the top industry headlines Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights I'm a retail junkie who loves to see who is doing what...and to whomMay 13 01:37pm EDTShareSaveThis article is more than 4 years old.Penney may be about to file bankruptcy but don't tell that to its executives who are getting a big .. The troubled retailer is reportedly days away from filing bankruptcy and scrambling to get enough financing to allow it to continue to operate under chapter 11 proceedings It has laid off or furloughed more than 80,000 of its employees and missed payments on two debt payment deadlines It may also be stiffing its landlords for rent at some of its 800 or so stores So what does it do with the little money it has left It awards bonuses totaling nearly $10 million to a group of its senior managers it said its board has approved moving up awards originally scheduled to be paid at the end of the 2021 fiscal year to “enable the company to retain and continue to motivate” its executives Included in this group are CFO Bill Wafford chief merchant Michelle Wlazlo and chief human resources officer Brynn Evanson 2019 was not exactly a stellar year for Penney so handing out rewards for “performance” that year is not exactly appropriate in the first place And then to do it as the company rapidly sinks into the retail mud is even more outrageous It’s not like these execs are lining up at the food bank Each is already paid six and seven-figure salaries and Soltau herself took home an astounding $16,749,378 in total compensation according to the salary.com website That included a $6 million sign-on bonus and almost $10 million in stock It would seem when you are paid nearly $17 million that should be “motivation” enough to do your job Where are these executives going to go as so many retailing companies go out of business and management jobs are eliminated In a statement to Forbes.com from Brooke Buchanan prudent decisions to protect the future of our company and navigate an uncertain environment including taking necessary steps to retain our talented management team which had made significant progress on the Plan for Renewal strategy prior to closing all stores as a result of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic Maintaining continuity of leadership is and will continue to be critical to the future of our company’s long-term success Our compensation program is in line with those of other companies in similar situations and is aligned with milestone-based performance goals to continue incentivizing our team to drive results.” JCPenney has an enormous number of problems but what might strike some as greed should not be one of them The new Penney will have some familiar faces in the C-suite as it transitions to its new owners Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management But the company is on the hunt for a new chief executive after Soltau left the retailer Soltau came to Penney from crafts specialist Joann after helping that retailer boost its branding and merchandising. Amid hopes that she would improve Penney's long-ailing merchandising, she quickly built out a team focused on doing just that improving assortment while rebuilding margins and profits To that end, Soltau and her team rolled out a women's merchandising revamp to nearly 100 stores and launched lab stores to test new initiatives like occasion and visual merchandising as well as store features like a women's styling room and lounge But her bid to turn the retailer around was always a long shot Weighing against her team was Penney's multi-billion dollar debt load as well as sector-wide ailments for department stores in a changing retail landscape Penney tried to ease its debt burden by negotiating with lenders when the COVID-19 pandemic struck the industry forcing the retailer to temporarily shutter its stores the pandemic forced it to file for bankruptcy though it had been in financial distress and the subject of bankruptcy speculation for years leading up to its Chapter 11 joining a growing trend of landlord-owned retailers Soltau's departure could indicate yet another change of direction for Penney after a string of CEOs failed to change the trajectory of its declining sales over the past decade Simon Chief Investment Officer Stanley Shashoua is heading Penney for now as interim chief while the new ownership group plans to set up a temporary office of the CEO to include key members of J.C Simon and Brookfield have launched a search for a permanent chief executive for Penney embraced by department stores in the 1920s skews key metrics and fosters bad decisions By Maria HalkiasStaff writer said Wednesday that they have launched a search for a successor to CEO Jill Soltau It’s unclear whether Soltau, who has been CEO since October 2018 and led the retailer through its bankruptcy this year, quit or was fired “The search will seek to identify a leader that is focused on modern retail Penney,” Simon and Brookfield said in announcing the CEO search D-FW Retail NewsThe latest on retail openings GoogleFacebookBy signing up you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy The new ownership group also created a temporary office of the CEO to include key members of Penney’s existing leadership team Javier Teruel and Ronald Tysoe -- all resigned Owens and Payne have been on the board since 2014 and 2016 but Roberts and Teruel tenure dates back to the the 2000s Tysoe was chairman since 2018 and joined the board in 2013 Penney’s new owners said they have “a successful track record of turning around retailers and brands and restoring them to profitability.” They also said that Authentic Brands Group which had been rumored as a buyer of Penney early on in the bankruptcy will work with them as a strategic partner Authentic Brands formed a partnership in 2016 with Simon that separately owns five other mall-based retailers started out with the purchase of Aéropostale and has since added Nautica The new owners declined a request for an interview Simon Property chairman and CEO David Simon said Penney was “now poised for a future focused on innovation and consumers while continuing to navigate through the pandemic.” The purchase of Penney’s operating company was valued at $1.75 billion Penney’s first-lien lenders were paid with a new property company that owns 160 Penney stores and six distribution centers Penney signed leases for the buildings it used to own It’s likely that Authentic Brands will play a big role in the CEO search and how Penney moves forward describes itself as a “curator and guardian of brands.” It owns 50 diverse brands including Thomasville and Sports Illustrated it operates 6,000 stores worldwide with annual sales of $14 billion Its founder and CEO Jamie Salter has said the pandemic has created opportunities Simon and Brookfield are the two largest U.S The new owners have a big stake in seeing Penney survive at malls across the U.S Barton Creek Square in Austin and Broadway Square in Tyler Penney is an anchor in about 60 of Simon’s 200 shopping centers About 100 of Brookfield’s 170 shopping centers have a Penney store Soltau joined Penney as the first woman to head the 118-year-old brand She had been credited with previously turning around JoAnn Stores a fabric and crafts company of 850 locations in 49 states She kept some longtime Penney people on her team but also brought in talent from the outside including chief merchandise officer Michelle Wlazlo who brought 30 years of retail experience in key jobs at Target and Gap Wlazlo launched new merchandise at Penney even during the bankruptcy reorganization but a looming debt restructuring and the pandemic forced the chain into bankruptcy Penney’s staff is currently operating virtually after exiting its longtime Plano campus on Legacy Drive as part of its bankruptcy reorganization The retailer has closed more than 150 stores and reduced its total employment from 85,000 when it filed for bankruptcy to about 60,000 now An earlier version of this story said that chief financial officer Bill Wafford and controller and principal accounting officer Steve Whaley had also left the company as of Dec The federal filing was a required technicality the filing didn’t explain that they were being kept on by the department store chain’s new owners The new owners have reincorporated the part of the company that is still working through the bankruptcy process as the Old Copper Co The “sole remaining officers” of Old Copper which is completing the sale of real estate to Penney’s lenders as part of the reorganization chief restructuring officer and Steven Panagos Carr and Panagos were brought in as independent directors in July Twitter: @MariaHalkias Looking for more retail coverage? Click here to read all retail news and updates. Click here to subscribe to D-FW Retail and more newsletters from The Dallas Morning News. Thank you for reading. We welcome your thoughts on this topic. Comments are moderated for adherence to our Community Guidelines Please read the guidelines before participating Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times was recently accepted into Ithaca College in upstate New York for her singing prowess.  Soltau has been taking voice lessons with local teacher Soltau said she has always felt a connection with music and she has enjoyed becoming a part of the vocal community and growing up with theater and the arts.  Soltau says she is excited to gain new experiences in New York She says she very much enjoyed the culture of the school when she visited as she found many people there who share her passion for the arts.  “I’m blessed to have the opportunity to attend such an incredible school,” she said.  Soltau says she hopes to pursue a career in musical theater but will be happy doing any sort of professional singing.  “Wherever I end up is God’s plan,” she said.  This Becker grad is sure to go on to become an amazing singer and is one of the next rising stars to come from the community.  I'm a retail junkie who loves to see who is doing what...and to whomSep 20 11:22am EDTShareSaveThis article is more than 5 years old.What's in store hasn't changed a whole lot over the past year at JC Penney Jill Soltau has done a lot of things right since she joined JC Penney as its new CEO nearly a year ago She’s brought on some top-notch talent on the merchandising and operations sides to try to fix the retailer’s many She’s cleaning out dead inventory levels that got frightfully high over the years and were threatening to envelop both the stores and the bottom line And she’s initiated a few tests and new concepts that But what she hasn’t done is do any of this—and so much more—very quickly And there could be a very good reason for that by the name of Ron Johnson Any retailing case study book of the past 20 years invariably starts off with the debacle created when Ron Johnson forced upon a struggling retailer by its meddling private equity investor Bill Ackman recklessly turned the entire company upside down massively reformatting and remerchandising the entire chain without a whole lot of testing or understanding of its current position in the marketplace The result was a 25% drop in sales in a very short period of time (which is nearly impossible to do that quickly by the way) and a loading up the debt load that has hung around the company’s balance sheet like an overweight albatross ever since but nearly as bad decisions made by her immediate predecessor Marvin Ellison Soltau has tended to lean to the other side of the equation adapting a risk adverse strategy that has JC Penney moving in slow motion instead In her first big interview with the business press released earlier this week “The way I look at it is we have so many problems to fix and so many new efforts that we are developing for our customers.” While both halves of that statement are valid JC Penney does have enormous problems: too many stores a merchandising position in the no-man’s land of the middle market and most significantly Taken with more downgrading by Wall Street and a looming debt load deadline getting ever closer But “so many new efforts” appears to be a relative term she’s dumping bad inventory and had ditched the ill-fated move into major appliances under Ellison But when you try to sell your turnaround story and the best you can come up with is a couple of tricked-up fitting rooms Soltau came to JC Penney with a good retail reputation so did Johnson for that matter.) But her moves so far are not inspiring a whole lot of confidence among either shoppers or investors The former continue to buy less at the store while the latter have traded down the stock to de-listing territory The company’s market cap is now under $300 million A year ago it was double that and two years ago it was four times higher Soltau said in the interview that more changes would be apparent to shoppers for this Christmas shopping season but our customers will feel the change.” From what we’ve seen so far and considering the fact that holiday store sets will be finalized in just a few more weeks Ron Johnson promised the moon and the stars Jill Soltau is making no such promises but the atmosphere continues to get ever thinner for JC Penney’s continued viability but the opposite isn’t working much better either Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I'm a retail junkie who loves to see who is doing what...and to whomMay 17, 2020, 02:17pm EDTShareSaveThis article is more than 4 years old.It took a lot of people to put Penney into its unfortunate position today in bankruptcy. (Photo by ... More Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) What’s the quote about victory having many fathers but defeat is an orphan? Well, when it comes to the bankruptcy of JC Penney it turns out it’s no orphan. Many, many people contributed to its failures in a scenario that goes back nearly two decades. It was at the start of the 21st Century that Penney had its last great heyday, under the leadership of the legendary Allen Questrom. Yes it was a different retail world with e-commerce just getting started, competitors like off-pricers and dollar stores still much smaller in scope and department stores in shopping malls much more of a factor in the shopping biosphere. But still The Penney Co. –and that’s what long-time employees will always call it – was one of the strongest, most profitable and admired retailers in the country. How things have changed since Questrom retired in 2004. Under a series of leaders, executives and board members – some well-meaning but ill-equipped, others who just didn’t get what Penney’s role in retailing should be and a few who, well let’s just say they were the wrong people in the wrong place – the company has taken a steady and relentless path to retail irrelevancy. And since assigning blame is an American institution, it seemed only fitting to identify the Top 5 people responsible for where Penney is (and is not) today. They would probably see it differently believing the orphan theory but history would suggest otherwise. You won’t see coronavirus mentioned here either. Certainly, the economic nightmare and store closings caused by the pandemic played their role in the Penney chapter 11 but it was more a matter of timing than final result. This probably would have happened, not just right now. So, in a countdown, here are the five people most responsible for the sad state JC Penney finds itself in today: In a way it’s not entirely fair to include Ullman on this list. He stabilized Penney when he returned as CEO after the Ron Johnson fiasco and he’s responsible for Sephora becoming part of the store, a deal he ushered in from a previous life running its parent company. And he worked to make apparel and fashion more important in the merchandising mix unlike some others. But Ullman made several flaws. After succeeding Questrom in 2004 he failed to see that e-commerce was going to be so important to retailing and that Penney had a built-in advantage in its direct business from its catalog operation. If he had transitioned that business from print to online faster and more effectively the company could have been much better positioned in the digital world. Ullman’s other big mistake was the process of Marvin Ellison succeeding him. There has always been speculation that he didn’t want to give up the job but clearly he was involved in the hiring decision. Ellison, like Ullman, came from the operations side of retailing and did not fit the classic merchant profile. Penney needed a merchant as much as anything in 2014. There was also a painfully long transition process which no doubt was uncomfortable for Ellison and probably counter-productive for the company. When there’s a new boss in town the old boss needs to ride off into the sunset. Mike Ullman is a good man who has a lot to be proud of over the course of his career. But as much as he probably saved Penney after Johnson there were choices he could have made that might have led the company in a different, more successful strategy. Another example of a good man in the wrong job, Ellison has gone on to do terrific things at Lowe’s since leaving Penney abruptly in 2018. And he can’t be faulted for that sudden career change: how many of us wouldn’t have done the same? But he was the wrong person for Penney. He was an operations guy without strong general merchandise credentials but when he thought that major appliances was the right merchandising decision for Penney it turned out to be the wrong choice. Thinking that Sears was going away and seeing how Home Depot (his former employer) had capitalized on that he figured it was a good move. It wasn’t. But it’s not just what he did, it’s what he didn’t do. He didn’t focus enough on Penney’s core apparel business, which had always been the backbone of the store. He didn’t prioritize the home area, another Penney stronghold. And there still wasn’t enough investment in e-commerce which by this point was clearly the wave of the future. Ellison’s tenure was relatively short and again, he is to be commended for what he’s done at Lowe’s. He shouldn’t have been hired for the Penney job in the first place and his time there turned out be three lost years that could have been used to take the company in a better direction. #3. Thomas J. Engibous & Ronald W. Tysoe If the names don’t sound familiar it’s because they were the chairmen of the Penney board during much of the period from 2012 to today. And to be fair, one can really include every single member of the board of directors from the past 15 years. When companies get into trouble, it becomes convenient to blame the CEO and his management group for getting it there. In many cases that’s appropriate but we’ve forgotten the fact that it is company boards that hire these people and accept their business plans. As such they need to accept some of the responsibility. The reality that these chairmen and these boards allowed this company to get as far down as it went is something they need to be held accountable for. Hiring the wrong person is a board mistake. Accepting a bad business plan is a bad board decision. Allowing situations to deteriorate to the point of insolvency is just bad leadership. And not structuring the financial balance sheet in a way that would allow the company to weather tough times is just wrong. Boards accept sizeable director’s fees and the accolades when things go right. They need to be equally as responsible when things don’t. And that starts with the chairmen. Some people would argue that Johnson, the ill-fated president of Penney for 17 months starting in 2012, could rightfully occupy all five positions on this list. While that might be appropriate it wouldn’t be entirely fair as RonJon was yet another example of the wrong guy in the wrong job. A successful merchant and retailer with both Target and Apple he was brought in to jumpstart a retailer that was bordering on the moribund under his predecessor Mike Ullman. His job was to shake the place up…but instead he blew the place up. Johnson is no doubt as sad as anybody about what has happened to Penney today and his role in making it happen. You may not see it behind that big smile that is his calling card. But one can be sure it’s there. He was never an officer or executive of the company. He did not pick the new merchandise for next season nor supervise the remodeling of the stores. He didn’t design the “fair and square” logo. Years later even he admitted it, calling it “my worst investment ever.” But interestingly enough in that Fox Business News interview he didn’t necessarily say he screwed up, only that the conditions were wrong for what he and Johnson were attempting to do. Nonsense. It was a monumental mistake, unprecedented in modern American retailing history. Ackman is another of those self-proclaimed financial wizards who sprouts the gospel according to Warren Buffet. But like many of the others – again Eddie Lampert is high on that list – he forgets one of the cardinal rules of Berkshire Hathaway investments: Buy a good company with a good leader and let him or her run the business. Ackman, as he was involved in the decision to hire Johnson, was also involved in the decision to fire him and shortly thereafter he exited his position in JCP and has had no involvement with the company for nearly seven years. So while he is not responsible for anything that has happened to Penney or the retail market since then, his involvement during this period left its impact. While it’s not entirely fair to the four others on this list to paint them entirely as the bad guys, there is no ambiguity when it comes to Bill Ackman. None of the other names here – or countless others – did anything that was impossible to undue. Each had some redeeming merits they brought to Penney. Bill Ackman did not and in my opinion it can be said unequivocally that had he not done what he did to JC Penney it would not have filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy last Friday. This story has been updated on May 18 to clarify Bill Ackman’s role at JC Penney and the length of time he was involved with the company. In addition Pershing Square has submitted a statement in response to the story: Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world 2019 at 6:00 AM EDTUpdated on September 17 2019 at 9:39 AM EDTBookmarkSaveLock This article is for subscribers only.Jill Soltau is making a long-shot bid at J.C to do what her predecessors couldn’t: uncover what customers really want from the ailing department-store chain Soltau joined the company last October with the stock in a free fall that has yet to reverse During her second day on the job as the company’s first female chief executive officer she commissioned a survey that came back with some telling findings: Customers are tied to their digital devices they care about fashion and want to forge an emotional connection with the places they shop Retail Veteran Jill Soltau Named JC Penney CEO The previous president and CEO of fabric and craft chain Jo-Ann Stores will be J.C IndependentsMay 05, 2025Zadok Jewelers Opens Store in AustinThe Houston-based jeweler’s new 11,000-square-foot showroom will include a Rolex boutique. 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By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy JoAnn Stores CEO Jill Soltau leaves to take the helm at struggling Plano .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Marcia Pledger, The Plain DealerCLEVELAND Ohio -- Jill Soltau has resigned as president and CEO of Hudson-based JoAnn Stores to become the new leader of J.C according to both companies' announcements JoAnn reported in a news release Tuesday that Soltau is leaving "to pursue an outside opportunity," while Plano Penney confirmed that she's taking the helm of the struggling department store chain She takes over as CEO on Oct. 15. J.C Penney has been leaderless since Marvin Ellison left in May to take the top job at Lowe's will be the 25th woman currently leading a Fortune 500 company She will become Penney's fifth chief executive in the past decade I want to thank Jill for her leadership and vision to achieve sustained profitable growth during her tenure at JoAnn and wish her the best in her future endeavors I am also glad to announce Wade Miquelon as interim president and CEO and am confident that he will lead the company as it continues to execute its strategic growth goals," John Yoon Miquelon joined JoAnn as executive vice president and chief financial officer in March 2016 and partnered with Soltau to advance a strategic growth plan that includes revitalized branding and customer-focused storefront innovation CFO and president of International at The Walgreen Co. According to documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission Soltau will receive a one-time cash bonus from Penney for $6 million Her base annual salary there will be $1.4 million Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices It's worth noting a coincidence about where she was almost 20 months ago to the day Who knew: Soltau was at the White House for one of those industry group CEO meetings that President Donald Trump liked to host when he first moved into the Oval Office (Thanks to photo editor Michael Hamtil for finding this one in the archives.) Soltau was CEO of Jo-Ann Stores at the time who left Penney in May to become CEO of home improvement retailer Lowe's had positioned Penney to benefit from Sears' decline by adding kitchen and laundry appliances and mattress shops when Sears has to repay $134 million in loans Its lenders were working on a deal Friday to avert a liquidation by using the bankruptcy process to restructure the chain with fewer stores 2 imagesView GalleryCowen Equity Research analysts said if the 866 Sears and Kmart stores end up closing several retailers including Penney will benefit Cowen estimates 56 percent of Sears shoppers also buy at Penney Walmart and Target have a bigger overlap of 92 percent and 75 percent A Sears liquidation could result in a sales gain of 1.7 percentage points for Penney It noted that there are 469 Penney stores within a five-mile radius of a Sears or Kmart store The well-chronicled decline of Sears has been long and hard The 125-year-old department store had amassed significant assets on its ascent to become the largest U.S Sears' sales of $16.7 billion last year are half of what they were just three years ago and the retailer hasn't been profitable since 2011 CFO vacancy: Soltau has to hire a new chief financial officer. The key c-suite job was left vacant three weeks ago when Jeffrey Davis said he was leaving to become CFO at Qurate Retail Group Part of the CFO's job is dealing with Wall Street Penney has a strong investor relations team Penney chairman Ron Tysoe said in a recent interview Soltau has experience with road shows and responding to investors the investors were private equity firms Leonard Green and Sun Capital Partners and some could argue they're tougher than the street New money: Penney will receive a $50 million bonus — $30 million this year and $20 million next year — from Synchrony Bank after it extended an agreement through 2027 Synchrony markets and services Penney's credit card program Twitter: @MariaHalkias Thank you for reading. We welcome your thoughts on this topic. Comments are moderated for adherence to our Community Guidelines. Please read the guidelines before participating. Penney chairman Ron Tysoe said in a recent interview.","counter":8,"adShow":true},{"_id":"GBEOKKENVRCYLASMZLHS5FZFPM","type":"text","content":"Besides and some could argue they're tougher than the street.","counter":9,"adShow":true},{"_id":"GTDGTFJX4BHXZGTK2MMLWP7PXU","type":"text","content":"New money: Penney will receive a $50 million bonus — $30 million this year and $20 million next year — from Synchrony Bank after it extended an agreement through 2027 Penney's CEO Jill Soltau addressed China tariffs head-on during a call Tuesday with analysts the direct impact on the Plano-based retailer has been "minimal." But that could change quickly if the Trump administration goes ahead with its latest proposed tariffs The White House has threatened 25% tariffs on roughly $300 billion in Chinese imports we do anticipate a more meaningful impact on both our private and national brands if the potential fourth tranche of tariffs does go into effect on all Chinese imports," Soltau told analysts Penney is in better shape than some competitors de-risking efforts with key partners," Soltau said Penney has a long history of making its own merchandise under private brands such as St About 46% of its merchandise is private label The retailer has been "proactive in developing contingencies for sourcing our private brands for the better part of the last several years and meaningfully diversifying our country of origin," Soltau told analysts Penney has significantly reduced its reliance on China "which is already lower than industry averages." She must have satisfied Wall Street analysts on the call There were no additional questions about tariffs Twitter: @MariaHalkias Penney said last week that it has initiated a search for a new chief executive officer The belligerent retailer’s outgoing CEO Jill Soltau will leave after nearly two years at the helm after he resigned from his role to become president of hardware giant Lowe’s Companies in May that same year most recently as president after serving as executive vice president and chief merchandising officer She joined Shopko Stores in 2007 earning various executive positions of increasing responsibility to include senior vice president and general merchandise manager over apparel and accessories Soltau held several senior level positions in merchandising and private brand management at Sears and Kohl’s after starting her career with Carson Pirie Scott said Wednesday that they’re looking for a new leader “who is focused on modern retail and the goal of creating a sustainable and enduring JCPenney.” Texas-based retailer filed for bankruptcy in May mall owners in the fall and emerged from bankruptcy in December Simon and Brookfield have chosen Simon’s chief investment officer Stanley Shashoua to serve as interim CEO They have launched an executive search with strategic partner Authentic Brands Group Join Our Mailing list please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot Get the most important global markets news at your fingertips with a Bloomberg.com subscription Jill Soltau is making a long-shot bid at J.C Penney to do what her predecessors couldn’t: uncover what customers really want from the ailing department-store chain During her second day on the job as the company’s first female chief executive officer Soltau said in her first sit-down interview since she started the job she identified 18 of the department-store locations for closure and exited the major appliance business which had been reintroduced by prior CEO Marvin Ellison in 2016 She also moved most furniture sales to online only “It hasn’t been a great shopping experience I think largely because the company had lost its sight on doing what’s right for the customer,” Soltau Customers have been “confused” and “not sure who we are who we’re trying to be,” she said Other changes she’s put in place since then may not seem as radical — ritzier fitting rooms a lot less merchandise and more experiences like in-store workshops on makeup application and home cooking — but the results are promising A company test of its new dressing-room model inside two stores resulted in customers with a more than 30% bigger shopping basket with foot traffic falling and four straight quarterly declines in same-store sales Soltau acknowledges she has a lot of work ahead The question is how much longer investors are willing to wait Shares are down since the start of the year and maybe a bit slower than Wall Street might like the company burned a lot of customer goodwill when it made the critical error of scrapping coupons thinking buyers would rather have low prices all the time than feel the buzz of snagging a limited-time deal The CEO’s office has also been a revolving door with four leaders in less than eight years “Sometimes there’s a lot to undo,” says Soltau who previously ran the arts-and-crafts retailer Jo-Ann Stores “This company has made a lot of promises that it hasn’t fulfilled,” she says “We’ve got to earn the trust back of our customers of our investors and the only way to do that is share once we have results.” S&P Global Ratings downgraded the retailer last month citing “growing risk” that it will pursue a debt restructuring in the next 12 months The New York Stock Exchange told the company this summer that it was at risk for delisting if it couldn’t get its share price higher It’s been hovering much of this year in penny-stock status Compounding the 117-year-old chain’s internal woes are the broader challenges faced by U.S they continue to stumble even as the retail sector overall remains relatively strong Moody’s Investors Service cut its 2019 operating income forecast for department stores to a 15% decline from an earlier outlook for a 10% drop Soltau says the in-store experience keeps department stores relevant in an increasingly e-commerce world And she pointed to the new fitting rooms as one example In a corner of the Alliance Town Center store in Fort Worth the space is brightly lit with decorative wallpaper and larger mirrors that contrast with the dark handbags and other suggested accessories that customers could buy when they’re right there in front of them lipstick and free tote bags that say “It’s Not What You Wear It’s How You Own It” are part of the redesign The space is staffed with a full-time stylist Shoppers can capture the moment with Polaroid cameras available for use though men’s department renovations are planned The fitting rooms and workshops show that Soltau is focused on shoring up J.C Penney’s core business of being an apparel and accessories retailer says Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Poonam Goyal “Can this be scaled?” Goyal asked “Everything that she’s put out so far is good but I still can’t justify them having 800-plus stores.” Soltau says the new styling sections address both foot traffic and sales troubles at the chain despite concerns those venues are a dying breed Some 80% of transactions at the retailer are in store even if 89% of its customers “start their path to purchase online.” The chief executive says she doesn’t have plans at the moment to shutter any more of the chain’s 850 locations pop-up shops and larger lounge areas “could change the way that people think about malls the way that people think about Penney’s,” she says “The way I look at it is we have so many problems to fix and so many new efforts that we are developing for our customer.” Other chains are also revamping their layouts to broaden experiential shopping Macy’s carved out space in dozens of stores to create a shop-in-shop that changes themes every few months Kohl’s rolled out its Amazon.com partnership nationally and Nordstrom is offering more tailoring and ramping up restaurant options at its New York flagship that opens next month Soltau has also sharpened her focus on the chain’s well-known and oft-lamented oversupply of products The company cut inventory by 12.5% last quarter and reduced markdowns The Fort Worth store continues to offer many items at 40% and 50% off a sign it’s still clearing excess inventory That will continue to be a focus along with reducing options to keep the stores from feeling too crowded Analyst Goyal says if Soltau’s strategies had been put in place in 2012 they would likely have been more successful than what her predecessors did: “bringing other distractions to make up for the bleeding core.” Shoppers will start to see more of her plan come into fruition as the critical holiday season approaches Soltau promises that the retailer will “show up this holiday in a way our customer hasn’t seen in a long time.” “It won’t be perfect yet,” she says but our customer will feel the change.” Career steps: President and CEO of JoAnn Stores from 2015 to until becoming Penney CEO in October 2018 Previously she was president of Shopko Stores and held management positions at national and regional retailers including Sears Holdings Compensation: Annual base salary of $1.4 million; other components include a $6 million bonus and $10 million in restricted stock upon joining and annual equity incentives targeted at $7.5 million Stay secure and make sure you have the best reading experience possible by upgrading your browser Annegret Soltau is a pioneer in the field of feminist art and Body Art her works still generate controversy today Again and again her artworks are considered offensive In the digital age where the internet offers an anyonymous platform to users such concrete and physical images seem disconcerting she does not need pencil and paper for this the artist has occupied herself with her physical and mental identity her family and children over and over in her work The thread that she uses in her performances and self portraits encompasses faces and bodies like a safe cocoon; hidden and distorted but also flexible The thread used for sewing over the photographs can also be understood as an element of drawing it also frees the photographs from their purely visual experience and transports them into a haptic reality Her early works are situated in the contrast of tangled threads and precise pin pricks resembeling embroidery scratchs the negatives with it or sews torn photographs together It is as if she does not explore the limits of her body anymore More and more she neglects the anatomical laws and creates people-like monsters The questions and concerns that the artist has explored and the prominent biographical relavance Soltau’s threads are utilized in various ways Nähen – emanzipatorische Fadenspiele (2015) Leena Crasemann wrote “Through the spider and later mainly through sewing Soltau uses cultural techniques that are hundreds of years old and connects them to photography In this way she deconstructs the femininely coded techniques of handiwork and constructive new occupation of the dichotomies of handiwork versus art photographic image versus installative object – and this is where the avant garde emancipatory potential of her own artistic language was founded Annegret Soltau was born in 1946 in Lüneburg She studied painting and graphics at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste in Hamburg under Prof she graduated from the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Wien Soltau has been awarded various prizes and scholarships including the Work-Scholarship from the Kunstfonds eV. a scholarship from Villa Massimo in Rome (1986-87) the Maria-Sybilla-Merian-Prize (1999) and the Marielies Hessen-Art Prize in 2011 she was awarded the Wilhelm-Loth-Prize in 2000 and the Johann-Heinrich-Merck-Prize in 2016 Aside from many solo and group exhibitions worldwide at NMWA Washington and at MoMA PS1 New York the Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt showed a retrospective of her work in 2006 Her works are in diverse collections around the world including the Hamburger Kunsthalle the Kunsthalle Bremen and the collection of the Deutsche Bank Soltau held a speech at the Women’s March in Frankfurt Thomas and Andrew Soltau have opened Sugarfield Spirits This story is brought to you by Sugarfield Spirits he’s putting his scientific background to a completely different use as one of the founders of Sugarfield Spirits in Gonzales Thomas and his brother Andrew Soltau opened the distillery in January after considering it for more than a decade “I’ve probably been planning on doing something in alcohol for about 12 years,” Thomas said “I had thoughts of eventually retiring and getting a master’s degree in winemaking then working in Napa or Oregon or maybe overseas.” Thomas and his wife were visiting Portland where craft distilling was becoming increasingly popular and Thomas thought he might be able to pursue his dreams sooner than he thought Andrew Soltau has worked in the hospitality industry for his entire career That allowed him to learn more about the world of cocktails and the process of making a great drink I worked for a James Beard-nominated restaurant and really honed my craft cocktail skills at that establishment,” Andrew said The brothers decided to combine their skills and backgrounds with the idea of a Louisiana-based craft distillery They worked with a business incubator at LSU to develop a business plan they found the perfect spot in Gonzales and have been working ever since to get the building ready for opening The result is what Thomas calls a “medium-sized distillery” that covers about 5,000 square feet a 125-gallon experimental small batch still and a tasting room that measures around 1,500 square feet The Soltaus are focused on using Louisiana ingredients The Sugarfield Spirits vodka is made using sugar from an Assumption Parish refinery A French Caribbean-style rum is made from cane juice that came from a small plot of land in Napoleonville “We hand-harvested about half of it and machine-harvested the other half fermented at the distillery and distilled here,” Andrew said "That one is directly from the farm to the bottle it’s not going to touch anybody else’s hands but ours The brothers also worked with Lafayette-based Reve Coffee Roasters on a one-of-a-kind coffee liqueur which is a blend of Brazilian and java,” Andrew said then we mixed it with white rum and added a little sugar It’s a beautiful liqueur that you can’t get anywhere else.” Thomas said the main philosophy behind Sugarfield Spirits comes from French winemakers who approach each bottle of wine as a unique creation that reflects the season “That’s really what we want to do here at our facility,” Thomas said “I think we’re going to end up doing a lot of small batch products that reflect the specific elements that went into it I think spirit makers haven’t really jumped on that quite as much as wine makers and beer makers All Sugarfield Spirits products are available at the distillery from 1 p.m The Soltaus are working with local stores and hope to have them available for retail in other locations soon Sugarfield Spirits is located at 481 West Eastbank in Gonzales. For more information, visit sugarfieldspiritsla.com or facebook.com/SugarfieldSpiritsLa Email notifications are only sent once a day News Tips:newstips@theadvocate.com Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: 49ers traded a fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers for wide receiver/kicker Gordie Soltau We have to go all the way back to the early years of the franchise to find its first best trade only a few years after their inception in 1946 the Niners made a move to reinforce their scoring efforts by trading away a fourth-round pick to the Green Bay Packers in exchange for a player they already selected wide receiver and placekicker Gordie Soltau Soltau would be a viable special teams ace Soltau would record a team-leading 826 yards on 59 receptions and seven touchdowns over the course of 11 games played in which he was named a first-team All-Pro He is also enshrined in the San Francisco 49ers Hall of Fame and comes in at No 10 on this list of all-time traded-for greats © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands arguably a first-ballot Hall of Famer when his time comes to be enshrined in Canton The move was special for a number of reasons. First, Williams would be reunited with his former offensive coordinator in Washington, Niners head coach Kyle Shanahan. On top of that, the Niners were pulling off essentially an emergency move to replace the retiring Joe Staley who anchored the left spot of San Francisco’s offensive line since 2007 And all the 49ers had to give up in the process were two mid-round picks a fifth rounder in 2020 and a Round 3 selection in 2021 Williams might not stick around with the Niners long enough to be viewed as one of those cornerstone trades fans would talk about for generations Yet it illustrates the point San Francisco has never been shy about improving its roster by way of the illustrious trade Some trades of yesteryear didn’t go so well Few choose to remember the disastrous trade for former Buffalo Bills running back O.J Jettisoning Hall of Fame EDGE Charles Haley to the rival Dallas Cowboys wasn’t a great move either Niner Noise looks at the 10 best trades in franchise history 49ers acquired Jimmy Garoppolo from the New England Patriots for 2018 second-round draft pick Some may feel Jimmy G deserves to be a lot higher on this list especially after his first full season as San Francisco’s starter netted him 3,978 passing yards which just happened to fall fourth best on the franchise’s all-time single-season passing list And so does Garoppolo’s 19-5 regular-season record as the 49ers’ starting quarterback But Garoppolo hasn’t quite put together the accolade list to move him up the boards here combined with that unforgettable five-game stretch after being acquired from the Patriots back in 2017 it’s fair to argue Garoppolo to the Niners was one of the better steals in recent franchise memory The Patriots couldn’t hang onto him and future Hall of Famer Tom Brady forever and the 49ers were sure lucky to be the beneficiary of head coach Bill Belichick’s good graces Good graces… it’s tough to phrase that with Belichick Traded by Panthers as 2010 first-round pick (17th overall) to 49ers for 2009 second-round pick (43rd overall) and 2009 fourth-round pick (111th overall) San Francisco had reworked its offensive line a bit in the years leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft and they already had grabbed the Carolina Panthers’ top pick from a deal the previous season the 49ers already selected Rutgers offensive tackle Anthony Davis yet soon-to-be general manager Trent Baalke doubled down on his O-line efforts by grabbing Idaho guard Mike Iupati with the pick acquired from Carolina Iupati would go on to have a very successful career with the Niners Iupati would start all but five regular-season games and would be named a Pro Bowler three times during the span including a first-team All-Pro nod in San Francisco’s Super Bowl year The Niners were unable to retain Iupati in 2015 and he’d leave to join their division rivals Traded by Ravens to 49ers for 2013 sixth-round pick (199th overall) the 49ers were desperately looking to reinvigorate their wide receiver room in support of their No So it seemed like a steal the Niners were able to lure away a player who hurt them in Super Bowl XLVII the previous February physical presence capable of making San Francisco’s receiver corps all the more dynamic the Baltimore Ravens were going to move on from Boldin anyway either through a trade or as a cap casualty Boldin would play a critical role in their run back to the NFC Championship game falling just short to the Seattle Seahawks Boldin would record 1,000-plus yard seasons with San Francisco in 2013 and 2014 making him the first 49ers wideout to achieve this feat since Terrell Owens did it in 2003 and 2004 Traded by Packers as 2004 sixth-round pick (188th overall) with 2004 seventh-round pick (226th overall) to 49ers for 2004 sixth-round pick (179th overall) And San Francisco had one of the best in NFL history for a while there, Andy Lee who was acquired by a 2004 NFL Draft trade with the Green Bay Packers who wanted to move up in Round 6 the Niners would grab one of their cornerstone special teams aces for a long time Lee would go on to spend 11 years in San Francisco setting numerous team records during the process while securing three Pro Bowl nods and three first-team All-Pro selections during that time the vast majority of Lee’s 49ers teams were bad and one can only guess how much worse those Niners teams would have been if Lee had been acquired by someone else instead Traded by Chargers as 2010 third-round pick (91st overall) with 2010 sixth-round pick (173rd overall) and a 2011 fourth-round pick (115th overall) to 49ers for 2010 third-round pick (79th overall) Easily one of the best players to don a 49ers uniform this century, one has to remember linebacker NaVorro Bowman was also had by the way of a trade And it wasn’t the only time the Niners looked to an old-time AFC foe in California to purge draft picks San Francisco elected to move up in Round 3 of the 2010 NFL Draft taking a chance on Penn State linebacker NaVorro Bowman had a little bit of a checkered past that caused his draft stock to fall which resulted in Bowman receiving four first-team All-Pro nominations over his stellar career in San Francisco spanning from his rookie year in 2010 into 2017 49ers traded a second-round pick in 1982 and swapped first-round picks with the San Diego Chargers in exchange for defensive lineman Fred Dean San Francisco was putting together the finishing touches on what would end up being its first Super Bowl-winning team in 1981 and a key factor was trying to acquire some help for the pass rush The San Diego Chargers were going through a bit of a headache, financially, and offloading star defensive end Fred Dean was going to be one of the ways the Chargers made it through their fiasco Thanks to a second-round pick and Round 1 pick swap and Dean would help San Francisco win its first Super Bowl that season before wrapping up his pro career with the 49ers following 28 sacks with the team Dean would be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2008 49ers traded a 2007 fourth-round pick (110th overall) and a 2008 first-round pick (seventh overall) to the New England Patriots in exchange for pick No Joe Staley was also acquired by the way of a trade the 49ers needed to reinforce their offensive line to offer up better protection for quarterback Alex Smith and more rushing lanes for running back Frank Gore The Niners already used a top-10 selection on linebacker Patrick Willis But to get the offensive lineman they wanted then-Vice President of Player Personnel Scot McCloughan sent off a 2008 first-round selection along with the 49ers’ Round 4 pick in the 2007 draft to grab a promising tackle out of Central Michigan 5 others who deserved Super Bowl ring with 49ers The New England Patriots made good use of that fourth-round selection grabbing wide receiver Randy Moss from the Oakland Raiders Yet Staley became a cornerstone piece for the Niners O-line being named a Pro Bowler six times amid a fan-favorite career Staley’s retirement in 2020 opened up the door for the Trent Williams trade 49ers traded a second-round pick and a fourth-round pick to Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1987 NFL Draft in exchange for quarterback Steve Young It’s amazing to think the number of Hall of Fame and Hall of Fame-caliber players the 49ers have acquired over the years via trades the best example of grabbing someone in a dead-end situation and turning him into a household name the Niners had to start thinking about finding an heir apparent to their franchise signal-caller even though he was still very much in the prime of his career Bill Walsh was never hesitant about moving on from players too soon especially if adequate replacements could be found And Walsh found one by plucking quarterback Steve Young away from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a mere fourth-round pick after Young’s career in Florida was seemingly going nowhere While Young’s presence alongside Montana created some early controversy the former’s ascent to the throne in the 1990s placed him in the category of all-time greats 49ers traded a first-round pick (28th overall) in the 1985 NFL Draft and a third-round pick (84th overall) to New England Patriots for a first-round pick (16th overall) and a third-round pick (75th overall) It’s crazy to think the greatest NFL player of all time, wide receiver Jerry Rice might have actually enjoyed his career with Then-head coach Bill Walsh wanted the promising wideout from Mississippi Valley State The only problem was Rice was pegged as a mid-round pick in Round 1 and the Niners owned the final pick in the round after coming off a Super Bowl win the previous season Walsh calmly touched base with the Patriots who had the No and Dallas never got the chance to land the greatest 20 worst NFL Draft picks in 49ers franchise history Your choice and trade jockeying made for one of the greatest moves in sports history See who will bring the Britney Spears jukebox musical to Broadway in May Full casting has been revealed for Broadway's upcoming Britney Spears jukebox musical Once Upon a One More Time poised to begin previews at the Marquis Theatre May 13 ahead of a June 22 opening night They join a previously announced cast including Briga Heelan (Great News) as Cinderella Paradise Square) as Snow White, Jennifer Simard (Company and Adam Godley (The Lehman Trilogy) as the Narrator The musical, which features a book by Jon Hartmere (bare), follows a group of fairy tale heroines taking action to change their stories after fairy godmother goes rogue and drops off a copy of The Feminine Mystique, all set to the soundtrack of songs made famous by the Princess of Pop. The work previously played a run at Shakespeare Theatre Company in 2021 Noah Himmelstein will direct Matthew Puckett's original musical Neumann is the Tony nominated choreographer behind Hadestown and Swept Away one Tony winner is playing the trumpet while the other is channeling Madame Rose Due to the expansive nature of Off-Broadway and institutes have been revealed by the industry stalwart Thank You!You have now been added to the list Blocking belongson the stage,not on websites Our website is made possible bydisplaying online advertisements to our visitors Please consider supporting us bywhitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.Thank you