PRESS RELEASE: September 20, 2012

MadREP, the economic development partnership for the eight-county Madison Region, announces Paul Jadin as its new President. Jadin’s past experience and proven track record of success in economic development make him uniquely qualified to lead MadREP and oversee implementation of the Advance Now Strategy.

MadREP recruited Jadin to participate in a nationwide search to fill the President position. He was identified as the best qualified candidate based on his direct experience at the local, regional, and state levels, as well as his proven ability to engage both the public and private sectors in economic development efforts.

“Paul’s professional background positions him well to lead a regional economic development organization like MadREP, where success is dependent on strong relationships and cooperation among municipalities, counties, and the state,” notes Mark Cullen, chairman of the MadREP board of directors. “His approach to economic development engages both the public and private sectors, another critical component to the success of regional economic growth initiatives. I have the utmost confidence in his leadership.”

In Jadin’s current role as the Secretary/CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, he has guided the organization through the creation of a four-year strategic plan and two years of operating plans. He will bring his deep understanding of the state’s economic development goals to his position at MadREP, preparing him to execute the strategies he developed at the state level in the Madison Region. Prior to his position at WEDC, Jadin served as President & CEO of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce for seven years and as Mayor of Green Bay for eight years.

Jadin has a profound understanding of the critical role that regional organizations like MadREP fill in the economic development ecosystem. He played a founding role in the creation of The New North, the regional economic development organization for 18 counties in the northeast portion of the state, and served as a member of The New North Executive Committee. He comes to MadREP with an established understanding of the organization and the goals of Advance Now based on his active involvement as a member of Strategy Committee that oversaw the plan’s development.

“The Advance Now Strategy poises the Madison Region for proactive, aggressive growth, and I look forward to joining MadREP to lead its implementation,” notes Jadin. “I am committed to achieving the goals and benchmarks outlined in the strategy so that we can move this region’s economy forward and become more competitive on the global economic development stage.”

Jadin will begin his post at MadREP in November 2012.

ABOUT PAUL JADIN
Since January 2011, Paul Jadin served as both the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary/CEO of the new Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. He was charged with transitioning from a state agency that had responsibility for economic development and regulatory activities to a public/private authority that is 100% focused on economic development. That reorganization has brought an expanded emphasis on international activities, with networks being developed in over a dozen countries; it has fostered a significant investment in entrepreneurship and innovation; and it has enabled the state to better understand and support its key industry sectors. The WEDC, under Jadin’s leadership, has also produced a new state brand to be unveiled in September 2012.

From April 2003 until his appointment, he was president and CEO of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, which has 1,400 members employing 93,000 workers. He directly oversaw economic development, government affairs, member services, and education functions. In partnership with Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, he led the development and growth of a 50,000-sq.-ft. business incubator, which has become a model for collaborative efforts involving small business activities.

From 1995-2003, Jadin served two terms as Mayor of Green Bay. He led economic development efforts that yielded a 50 percent increase in the tax base over his two terms in office. He also represented the city in all private and intergovernmental negotiations, including the Lambeau expansion agreement with the Green Bay Packers and the fee-for-service agreement with the Oneida Nation. In partnership with the Department of Commerce, he established the award-winning On Broadway Main Street Program.

Prior to his terms in office, Jadin spent 14 years in human resources management, first as personnel director for Portage County from 1981-1988 and then as director of personnel and labor relations for the City of Green Bay from 1988-1995.

Jadin was born in Green Bay and raised in Kewaunee, WI. He earned a B.A. in Political Science from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, and an M.S. in Public Administration from Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL. He and his wife Jane have four children and have been married for 30 years.

Contact: Betsy Lundgren
blundgren@madisonregion.org  |  608.443.1961

Excerpted from Wisconsin State Journal
By Barry Adams

Water skiers from China, Belgium and Australia are among those competing in this weekend’s World Water Ski Show Tournament on the Rock River at Traxler Park.

In the city’s downtown, shoppers looking for a bargain at Carousel Consignments debate politics over free cups of coffee. A few blocks east, barricades and Secret Service agents have become part of the landscape of the historic Courthouse Hill District.

There is a vibe in this city of 62,000 people and it goes beyond aqua-focused international visitors and Paul Ryan’s bid for the vice presidency, which has renewed the national spotlight on Janesville and caused residents to pay more attention to the campaign.

The energy that is gradually building here and throughout Rock County also extends to its battered but emerging economy. Since January 2010 there has been $600 million in capital investment that created 1,600 jobs primarily in the manufacturing and health care fields. About half of the available industrial space in the county has been filled and the county’s unemployment rate has dropped to 8.9 percent from 13.9 in March 2009.

“There’s no question we’re moving forward, but it was a deep hole,” said John Beckord, president of Forward Janesville since 2001. “We’re not back from where we were, but we’re definitely seeing some progress.”

The national media has descended on Janesville, and the General Motors assembly plant, now idle with weeds sprouting around it, is often a focal point. But with Ryan traversing the country — at least for the next seven weeks — and making his hometown a part of his campaign narrative, officials here say the exposure for the community is better than any planned marketing campaign.

Read the full article.

Excerpted from News.wisc.edu
by Kari Schrage

From dairy science to dance to vitamin D to stem cells, the University of Wisconsin–Madison has pushed the boundaries of what is known and the limits of what is possible for more than 160 years.

To mark this pioneering spirit, the campus will celebrate the Year of Innovation during the 2012-13 academic year.

The Year of Innovation focuses on three distinct themes.

The first theme reinvigorates the University’s longstanding commitment to innovation in how we teach, how we research, and how we operate.

The second theme explores campus and community interactions and examples of innovation through social entrepreneurship, engaged scholarship and service learning.

The final theme examines the real-world impact of UW-Madison innovations in the area of technology transfer and knowledge transfer.

“We have created an environment that stimulates the imagination and encourages discovery at UW-Madison,” says Interim Chancellor David Ward. “That culture has sparked innovative approaches that solve technological, medical and social problems. It also leads us to new and creative ways to advance the arts and humanities.”

Plans for the year are being led by a steering committee that draws its membership from across schools and colleges, student life, athletics, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, the Wisconsin Alumni Association, the Office of Corporate Relations and many more.

“My hope is that the Year of Innovation will expand entrepreneurship, discovery and creativity in ways that will engage and benefit the entire campus and the broader community,” says Ward.

Read the full article.

Excerpted from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
by Kathleen Gallagher

Two executives of a Madison start-up parlayed their company’s technology into a new use to win the grand prize and a total of $70,000 at a San Francisco technology contest this week.

Claus Moberg and Matt Lea teamed up with three other participants at the Disrupt SF Hackathon 2012 to best 146 other teams and win $5,000.

The technology at the heart of their entry, which they call livebolt, was a virtual rewards system where retailers use a small aluminum block to “stamp” people’s smartphones. The livebolt entry used the aluminum stamp to create a lock that can be attached to any door with Velcro and opened with a smartphone.

Livebolt also won a $65,000 award from Nokia for being the most innovative mobile product.

As for all the offers to move to California, Moberg says he’s got a standard answer.

“We have a great team in Madison, our company has been doing very well there, we have huge support from the Madison tech community and we’re very happy where we are,” he said.

Read the full article.

Excerpted from Janesville Gazette
by Ryan Broege

Comply365, a software design and development company, is relocating its headquarters to downtown Beloit.

The company will lease more than 4,000 square feet of office space in the Ironworks Campus. Established in 2007, Comply365 designs software platforms and applications that streamline documentation, training, compliance and workflow, according to a press release.

“The economics of Ironworks, coupled with its appealing high-tech environment for employees and clients alike, matched our location requirements. Wisconsin’s favorable business climate and its coordinated economic development approach were important factors, as well,” said CEO Kerry Frank in the press release.

Read the full article.