College of Business Administration (CBA)
Gordon Spellman Fund
The Gordon Spellman Fund
- students achieve real world experience as investment analysts and portfolio managers
- fund was established in 2004 by Kevin Spellman
- first trade was made in February 2006
Participation in the Fund's management educates students on how to participate in actual financial markets through security analysis and portfolio management. Students gain practical experience in current financial markets and learn to balance emotional reaction to current news with long-term objectives. In the process students establish a strategic outlook in order to analyze current and future economic conditions and their impact on the Fund.
State of the Art Kaplan Finance Lab Classroom
Students working with the fund have access to state-of-the-art technology in the Kaplan Finance Lab, as well as financial data via our Telemet Software. Students in the Investment Club evaluate each sector's outlook to facilitate and better determine the portfolio's target sector allocation. Students present on their valuation and other background information when making presentations to the Faculty Advisory Board and Business Advisory Board.
Real time stock ticker outside Kaplan classroom
As of July 2024, the fund is currently around $500,000 in value. Disbursements from the fund provide funding to support data costs, Telemet Orion Finance Lab software, annual Value Line subscriptions, and the annual costs of our Rise Display Ticker outside the Kaplan Finance Lab, in addition to hosting dinner after the presentations for students and Advisory Board.
Current Holdings
Top Fund Holdings:
Name |
Ticker |
% Weight |
UnitedHealth Group Inc |
UNH |
8.12 |
Union Pacific Corp |
UNP |
6.53 |
Applied Materials Inc |
AMAT |
5.39 |
Apple Inc |
AAPL |
5.39 |
Mastercard Inc Class A |
MA |
5.08 |
Microsoft Corp |
MSFT |
4.53 |
JPMorgan Chase & Co |
JPM |
4.52 |
Netflix Inc |
NFLX |
4.48 |
Rio Tinto PLC ADR |
RIO |
4.37 |
Procter & Gamble Co |
PG |
3.39 |
Qualcomm Inc |
QCOM |
3.02 |
Nexstar Media Group Inc |
NXST |
2.81 |
Meta Platforms Inc Class A |
META |
2.41 |
Alphabet Inc Class A |
GOOGL |
2.36 |
Student Investment Management Team

Charlie Johnson
Charlie Johnson is a Junior from Stillwater, Minnesota, a suburb located just outside St. Paul. He is pursuing a bachelor's degree in accounting and finance from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and is expected to graduate in December of 2027. Charlie is an active member of the Investment Club, Beta Alpha Psi, Financial Management Association (FMA), Menard Family Initiative (MFI), and the Real Estate Club. He recently took part in the 2024–2025 CFA Research Challenge, where he mainly focused his efforts on researching and presenting findings related to ESG. By providing depth to the team, he aims to continue to support and guide other young finance enthusiasts in their pursuit of continuous learning.

Joey Neubert
Joey Neubert is a Senior at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, majoring in finance with a minor in accounting, and is on track to graduate in May 2026. He is an honors student currently gaining valuable experience through an Accounting and Finance internship at Johnson Controls. On campus, Joey is actively involved in the Investment Club, Real Estate Club, and participated in the Kwik Trip Integrated Core Program. In addition to his academic and professional pursuits, he was a three-year member of the UW–La Crosse Men’s Club Ice Hockey team, where he also served as treasurer.

Mya Trafficante
Mya Trafficante is a junior from Sussex, Wisconsin, a suburb located outside of Milwaukee. She is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in business analytics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and will be graduating in May of 2027. Last summer, Mya furthered her financial experience through a finance internship at Fiserv and will be returning there next summer. She is also an ongoing member of the Investment Club, Women in Business, and the Financial Management Association at UWL. Through the Investment Management Team, Mya has been able to gain a better understanding of the stock market and learned numerous strategies that can assist in analyzing a stock portfolio.

Elijah Ferguson
Finance
Elijah Ferguson is a sophomore at UW–La Crosse from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in finance with plans to graduate in the spring of 2028. He is an active member of the Spellman Fund, where he continues to develop his knowledge of the stock market, investment strategies, and market trends. Elijah is also involved in the Investment Club, the Financial Management Association (FMA), and enjoys participating in intramural sports on campus. A passionate sports fan, he closely follows the Milwaukee Bucks and Green Bay Packers. As a sophomore, Elijah looks forward to building on his first-year experiences, expanding his leadership skills, and collaborating with peers who share his academic and professional interests.
Reports
2025 Monthly Fund Report
- January and February 2025 Report
- February 2025 Report
- March 2025 Report
- 2025 Annual Report
- Summer 2025 Report
2024 Monthly Fund Report
- January 2024 Report
- February 2024 Report
- March 2024 Report
- Summer 2024 Report
- September 2024 Report
- 2024 Mid-Year Report
2023 Monthly Fund Report
2022 Monthly Fund Reports
Spring 2022 Analyst Reports
Fall 2021 Analyst Reports
Annual Reports
Mid-Year Reports
Presentations
Spring 2024 Presentations
Fastenal, ARM, Home Depot, Target, Amazon, Nvidia
Fall 2023 Presentations
Spring 2023 Presentations
Spring 2022 Presentations
Fall 2021 Presentations
Spring 2021 Online Presentations
Fall 2020 Online Presentations
Advisory Board
The following provides the list of current members of the Gordon Spellman Fund Advisory Board. All board members are alumni of UW-La Crosse.
Casey Sambs, CFA - Senior Portfolio Manager at Columbia Threadneedle Investments in Milwaukee, WI
Tyler Lynch, CFA – Director of Global Fixed Income, Currencies & Commodities at BMO Capital Markets in Milwaukee, WI
Robert Allen – Retired, formerly Senior Vice President at Stifel in La Crosse, WI
Nick Ziarek, CFA, AIF – Financial Planner at Shakespeare Wealth Management in Pewaukee, WI
Adam Pugh, CFA – Alternative Investments at CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, WI
Brandon Hellenbrand, CFA – Senior Investment Analyst at Trust Point in La Crosse, WI
Dr. Kevin Spellman, CFA – Senior Lecturer and David O. Nicholas Director of Investment Management at UW-Milwaukee
Eddie Hebert, CFA – Managing Director and Client Portfolio Manager at PPM America in Chicago, IL
Brian Wilmet, CFA – Investment Advisor Representative at High Point Capital Group in Milwaukee, WI
Rodrigo De La Pena Alanis – Associate Research Analyst for Marquette Associates in Chicago, IL
Student Activities
Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium (SMIFC) Conference
UWL Attendees at 2021 SMIFC Conference Trip
SMIFC Poster Session
Student attendees at conference hotel