Contact: Brian Doudna, executive director
608-255-5666, bdoudna@weda.org
Madison – February 18, 2016 – The Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA), a statewide trade association representing over 400 public and private sector economic development practitioners from all around the state, recently announced its leadership for 2016.
Pam Christenson, director of Economic Development at Madison Gas and Electric, begins her one-year term as the association’s president. “I am honored to serve the members of WEDA as their president in 2016,” says Christenson. “WEDA, like other trade associations, exists to serve its members; to best represent their interests and work on the issues and opportunities that individual economic development practitioners do not have the time or capacity to address. As WEDA President I will work hard for our members over the next year. They should expect nothing less from their association.”
Edward White, Economic Development Program manager for the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, is WEDA president-elect and will serve as president in 2017.
Six new board members join existing members to make up the 2016 WEDA Board of Directors. The board hit the ground running, taking over at the end of the legislative session, where WEDA worked diligently to see several Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) bills come to the floor for a vote.
“TIF is a valuable economic development tool for our members to advance their local economies,” says WEDA Executive Director Brian Doudna. “WEDA is truly fortunate to have a leadership and board that are all proven leaders and have a shared vision for the association.”
Newly elected board members are: Bob Dennick, vice president, VJS Construction Services; Rob Keman, senior vice president of Economic Development, Oshkosh Chamber of Commerce; Lisa Herr, executive director, 7 Rivers Alliance; Seth Hudson, senior manager of Economic and Community Development Services, Cedar Corporation; Jason Monnett, vice president, Wisconsin Business Development Finance Corporation; and Lynn Nelson, executive director, West Central Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.
Existing board members are: Christine Berry, regional account manager, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; Robert Duffy, director, Oconomowoc Bureau of Economic Development; Carol Karls, manager of Business and Community Development, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation; Ryan Kauth, director, Small Business Development Center, Green Bay; Kim Kindschi, president, Manitou Associates; Brent McFarland, COO, LDF Business Development Corporation; Matthew Mikolajewski, director of Economic Development, City of Madison; Christian Tscheschlok, executive director, Washington County; Heather Wessling, vice president of Economic Development, Kenosha Area Business Alliance.
Board Ex-Officio Members: Barb LaMue, vice president of Economic and Community Development, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation; Becky Kikkert, policy advisor, Department of Workforce Development.
