Contact: Tom Thieding, 608-210-6767 tom.thieding@wedc.org
MADISON – Paul Jadin, CEO and Secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), today announced his departure from the WEDC to accept an offer to become the President of Thrive, effective Nov. 1. Thrive is the economic development partnership for an eight-county region in south central Wisconsin.
Paul was appointed secretary of the Department of Commerce by Governor Walker in January 2011. He became CEO of WEDC when it was created as a private-corporation as part of Governor Walker’s special session on jobs to replace the Department of Commerce to focus on economic development programs for the state.
“I’m proud of the work done by the WEDC staff and our economic development partners in such a short time to rebuild Wisconsin’s approach to economic development,” said Jadin. “One of the unmet needs at WEDC is to establish a more robust extended enterprise, and my role at Thrive will allow me to create the model.”
From April 2003 until his appointment, Paul was president and CEO of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce. Paul served two terms as mayor of Green Bay from 1995-2003.
About Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation
Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), formed in 2011 as a public-private entity, leads economic development efforts for the state and nurtures business growth and job creation by advancing Wisconsin’s business climate. In addition to the state’s strong legacy industries of agriculture and manufacturing, recent economic growth has occurred in multiple specialty sectors: water technology, renewable energy, bio-medical research and technology, healthcare systems, and food processing. In 2012 Wisconsin was ranked No. 20 in CEO Magazine’s “Best States for Business” list and No. 17 as a top state for business by CNBC. WEDC partners with more than 600 economic development organizations throughout the state to serve businesses looking to start, grow or relocate. WEDC has four core areas of focus: business and industry development, economic and community development, entrepreneurship and innovation, and international business development. Visit wedc.org or follow WEDC on Twitter @_InWisconsin to learn more.
