It’s been just about a month since I started with WEDC, and I just wanted to say “thanks” for the warm welcome Wisconsin’s business and community leaders have already given me.
I’m excited to be part of WEDC’s highly motivated, professional team. We have great people in every part of the organization and every corner of the state who are dedicated to making sure that every community in Wisconsin thrives.
Every day, I learn more about the great things WEDC is doing for Wisconsin. I’ve learned that one of the keys to WEDC’s success is its diversity: WEDC has more than 30 programs that support everything from startups to advanced manufacturing, from downtown redevelopment to international exports.
I’ve also found that while some observers have focused on a handful of high-profile projects, WEDC has always had a 72-county economic development strategy. Last year, for example, WEDC assisted projects in 52 counties—and we are always looking for ways to do more.
Coming from my own background in building consensus among rural leaders, it’s been reassuring to find that WEDC relies on a bottom-up, rather than top-down, approach to development. At WEDC, we understand there are organizations on the ground that are often closer to the businesses in their community than we are, and that jobs are not created by government representatives in Madison but by companies themselves, in partnership with these community leaders.
In the coming months, I look forward to working with Governor Evers, lawmakers and our partners throughout the state—businesses, local governments, planning commissions, workforce organizations, educational institutions, industry and trade groups, local and regional economic development organizations and our key strategic partners—to advance Wisconsin’s growth.
Most of all, I look forward to working with you. I hope you’ll take the time to share your ideas, insights and suggestions for how we can work together to build Wisconsin’s prosperity for generations to come.
Thank you,
Missy Hughes
