WisBusiness: Top Dem knocks Walker’s pick for COO of state development agency

Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, a board member of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, knocked Gov. Scott Walker’s selection of Ryan Murray to be the agency’s new chief operating officer.

Barca, D-Kenosha, said “less stability and more politics” is not what the agency needs and could further hurt job creation efforts, adding Murray lacks job creation experience. Murray served as Walker’s policy and legislative director and deputy chief of staff.

“As a WEDC board member, I am troubled that Gov. Walker has put a political appointee that appears to have no private-sector experience in charge of day-to-day affairs at WEDC. This is not the solution to WEDC’s problems,” Barca said.

WEDC spokesman Tom Thieding said Murray was valued for his connection to the guv’s office and that the change took place because of the departure of Chief Financial Officer Eric Schroeder, who stepped down for personal reasons.

Current COO Mike Klonsinski will take Schroeder’s position, while Murray will fill Klonsinski’s position. Thieding said the WEDC board had been notified of the change.

He denied that the change came as a result of the recent “soft offer” of tax credits that required the Department of Administration to restart the RFP process for a statewide information center.

Murray will make $105,000 in the job, compared to $103,000 he was making as Walker’s deputy chief of staff, according to the guv’s office.