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STATEMENT FROM MMAC:
"We continue to have significant concerns about the mask mandate passed by the Milwaukee Common Council on Tuesday. This mandate shifts the burden of convincing people to wear masks entirely to businesses and their front-line employees. It requires employees to act as the ‘mask police.’ The mandate also carries the threat of an arbitrary and drastic enforcement provision: the possibility that a business may not have its license renewed based on the individual actions of customers. There are no clear guidelines on what actions would threaten a revocation of a business’s license to operate. This mandate applies a geographic patchwork approach to regulation with no real effect on stopping the spread of COVID. Vaccinations and booster shots are the most effective way to turn COVID-19 from pandemic to endemic. MMAC has been consistently communicating this to its vast membership. Masks (especially those of N95 quality or similar) are part of the protection protocols that can help stop the spread. Many Milwaukee Region employers, public-facing venues and educational institutions have implemented mask requirements. Many individuals embrace personal responsibility and choose to wear masks in public indoor spaces."
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Download a copy of the slide deck from the Jan. 11 edition of MMAC's monthly Business of Metro MKE webinar series below. In this episode, Tim Sheehy was joined by Dr. John Raymond, Dr. Laura Cassidy and Dr. Benjamin Weston of the Medical College of Wisconsin. A replay of this webinar will be available on MMAC's YouTube channel. 
 “Vaccinations and booster shots are the most effective way to turn COVID-19 from pandemic to endemic. MMAC has been consistently communicating this to its vast membership. The region’s hospitals are full right now, and the vast majority of patients who are sick with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. Masks (especially those of N95 quality) are part of the protection protocols that can help stop the spread. Many Milwaukee Region employers, public-facing venues and educational institutions have implemented mask requirements. However, an unenforceable mask mandate shifts the burden of convincing people to wear masks to the business community and its front-line employees. It requires employees to act as the ‘mask police.’ Personal responsibility is front and center to living with COVID. A myriad of Swiss cheese regulations applied to a mobile population will not be effective.“ 
STATEMENT FROM MMAC PRESIDENT TIM SHEEHY "We congratulate Mayor Barrett on his confirmation as ambassador, and thank him for all he’s done on behalf of Milwaukee. Mayor Barrett has been a consistent champion for economic development here, and we wish him all the best in his new role. We look forward to continuing our work to improve metro Milwaukee as a place to invest capital, grow business and create jobs with the respected leader of the Common Council, Cavalier Johnson, in his new role as Acting Mayor." STATEMENT FROM JIM PAETSCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MILWAUKEE 7 REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP “We congratulate Mayor Barrett, who was a valued founding partner of the Milwaukee 7. Mayor Barrett was an early champion of regionalism, and he recognized that what was good for the region was good for Milwaukee. He put economic development among his highest priorities and on his watch, Milwaukee drew in a significant amount of investment and job creation. We wish Mayor Barrett all the best in his next chapter and look forward to working with Acting Mayor Johnson, who shares our commitment to economic development.” In the December edition of MMAC's Business of Metro MKE webinar series, we're featuring Dr. John Raymond of the Medical College of Wisconsin and Cathy Jacobson of Froedtert, MMAC's new Board Chair. A replay of this event will be available on MMAC's YouTube channel shortly after the live event concludes. To download today's presentation, click below:
MMAC leaders highlight Milwaukee Region’s progress, challenges at 160th All Member Meeting11/30/2021
Chamber’s Region of Choice initiative documents growth in diverse hiring and advancement MMAC announced progress by Milwaukee Region employers toward diverse hiring and advancement goals and reiterated its support for a sales tax increase to fund critical quality of life services for the City and County of Milwaukee during its 160th All Member Meeting on Tuesday night. During the meeting, held at the newly remodeled Bradley Symphony Center in downtown Milwaukee, MMAC also recognized health care and business leaders for their efforts during the pandemic and presented its Champion of Commerce award to Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin. MMAC President Tim Sheehy thanked Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup, for providing steady leadership during his two-year term as MMAC’s Board Chair. He also welcomed incoming Chair Cathy Jacobson, President and CEO of Froedtert Health, along with several newly elected board members. Region of Choice initiative: Progress on diverse hiring and advancement In 2019, MMAC ranked Milwaukee against 20 peer metro areas using 7 measures of prosperity. We found that Milwaukee has the largest gap in prosperity between its White population and its African American and Hispanic/Latino populations. To help close these gaps by improving the recruitment, retention and advancement of diverse talent, MMAC launched an employer-led effort to make Milwaukee a Region of Choice (ROC) for All. Employers participating in the initiative pledged to collectively increase African American and Hispanic/Latino employment -- as a percentage of their overall employment -- by 15%, and management by 25%, over five years. Since announcing the Region of Choice initiative in 2019, employer participation grew by 94% to 120 organizations that employ 119,700 people in the region. On Tuesday, MMAC announced the first round of results:
“This initiative highlights what we do best: collaborate to improve our standing as a place to work and live,” Prising said. “The Region of Choice initiative is not a moment, but a movement committed to producing a measurable impact. We can be pleased with our progress so far, but not satisfied. We know we have more work to do.” Survey of Milwaukee Region managers MMAC also commissioned a survey of management employees within companies that are participating in the Region of Choice initiative. More than 2,000 management employees answered two questions:
Their responses were scored on a scale from 1-10 using a widely accepted measurement called a Net Promoter Score. Those that rate their experience a 9 or 10 are considered “promoters” – enthusiastic supporters. Those giving a rating between 1 and 6 are considered “detractors.” The 7s and 8s are regarded as “passives.” The score is calculated by setting aside the passives, then subtracting the detractors from the promotors. For example, if 60 percent are promotors, and 40 percent are detractors, the score is 20. In our survey, the experiences of the management employees reflected positively on the companies, with a total average score of 61. The ratings vary widely by race. The rating from White managers was 69, while it was 46 from Hispanic/Latino managers and 21 from African American managers. Overall, 92 percent of survey respondents said they believe their employer has made a greater commitment to equity and inclusion over the past two years. “When asked what would improve equity and inclusion at their companies, managers offered a range of ideas, including providing anti-bias training to all employees, increasing diversity within candidate pools and search committees and holding open and transparent listening sessions with top leadership,” MMAC Executive Vice President Julie Granger said. Next steps for MMAC include:
The survey also applied the Net Promoter Score to our second survey question, “Would you recommend Milwaukee as a place to live?” This is the first time the net promoter score has been used to rate a region, making it difficult to draw comparisons to other cities. The Net Promoter Score for metro Milwaukee from all respondents was plus-16. The most important takeaway was the vast difference in ratings by race. Metro Milwaukee’s rating among White managers was 23, while it was 6 for Hispanic and Latino managers -- and minus-37 for African American managers. “Managers gave high marks to metro Milwaukee’s restaurants, sports, entertainment, vibrant downtown and natural beauty. The biggest negatives were crime, racial segregation, income inequality and political divides,” MMAC Vice President of Community Engagement Corry Joe Biddle said. “Both workplace and community affect Milwaukee’s ability to attract and retain talent. Next steps include meeting with local and state elected leaders to share these findings and identify actions that we can take to improve our assets and address these liabilities.” MMAC support for sales tax Tuesday’s meeting included a panel discussion of regional budget challenges and potential solutions with Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Milwaukee Common Council President Cavalier Johnson and State Senator Dale Kooyenga. Noting that competition between regions to attract talented workers is intensifying, MMAC President Tim Sheehy called budget issues “a clear and present danger to the region’s livability.” Sheehy reiterated the Association’s support for legislation that would allow a sales tax increase. “Wisconsin law prohibits the City of Milwaukee from levying a sales tax, and Milwaukee County from levying an additional sales tax,” Sheehy said. “And for the past decade the state has broken its commitment to share its growing revenue from sales and income taxes generated here. This places a unique fiscal constraint on the City and County, impacting their ability to support key quality-of-life services.” MMAC Champion of Commerce award: Dr. John Raymond, Medical College of Wisconsin To honor his contributions to MMAC and the Milwaukee Region’s business community, we presented John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, President and CEO of MCW, with the Champion of Commerce award. In a time of great confusion and disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, having consistent access to vetted, accurate information has been critical to business and community leaders. And this was only possible thanks to the work of Dr. Raymond and the MCW team. “We’re so thankful to Dr. Raymond and the Medical College team for their tireless work on behalf of the Milwaukee community,” Sheehy said. “This is unlike any crisis we’ve seen in our lifetimes, and accurate information made all the difference as businesses had to make difficult decisions in the best interests of their companies, their employees and their customers. We at MMAC also needed information to frame our regular discussions with local and state health departments. From the beginning of the pandemic to where we are today, we knew we could count on Dr. Raymond and the MCW team.” During the initial stages of the pandemic, Dr. Raymond briefed the MMAC’s Board of Directors on a weekly basis. The Medical College team provided health and safety toolkits that MMAC distributed to members of the business community. Dr. Raymond and Sheehy also hosted a series of webinars to inform the community -- appearing six times a week during the first several months of the pandemic, reaching thousands of virtual audience members. Those webinars continue today, now on a monthly cadence, and Dr. Raymond and Tim also appear on a weekly segment on WTMJ Radio. “As a health and science leader, when something of this magnitude happens, I feel it is our responsibility as an institution to step up and care for our communities with the depth of collaborative expertise we have,” Dr. Raymond said. “I am honored that our work here at MCW can continue to make an impact during this extremely challenging pandemic.” MMAC leadership update To conclude Tuesday’s meeting, Prising concluded his two-year term as Board Chair by welcoming Jacobson as MMAC’s 77th Chair. “Thank you, Jonas, your global perspective helped us see the pandemic early, speeding our reaction. Your leadership of the Region of Choice initiative is foundational to the region’s prosperity. And we are all appreciative of your energetic leadership over the past two years,” Jacobson said. “I’m honored to serve as Chair, and genuinely excited to get to work.” MMAC also welcomed the following new board members, recently elected by the membership: Jon Adams, Columbus McKinnon Corp Dana Guthrie, Gateway Capital Partners Bob Hau, Fiserv Adam Jelen, Gilbane Building Co. Chris Miskel, Versiti Andy Nunemaker, Groupware Technologies About the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce For more than 150 years, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has been serving area businesses as a private, not-for-profit organization. Today we represent approximately 1,800 member businesses with 300,000 employees in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties and beyond. Our mission is to improve metro Milwaukee as a place to invest capital, grow business and create jobs. mmac.org If your company is already a member of MMAC, thank you for your investment in growing your business and building the Milwaukee Region. If your company is not yet a member, but is interested in exploring the benefits of joining, please contact our membership team. Download a presentation from the November edition of MMAC's Business of Metro MKE webinar series. In this episode, Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, gave an overview of current health trends and answered your questions. A replay will be posted on MMAC's YouTube channel shortly after the live webinar concludes.
STATEMENT FROM MMAC:
“We share President Biden’s goal of increasing the rate of vaccination among our eligible population. The COVID-19 vaccines have been proven safe and effective, and they are the best path for dealing with this pandemic. Many Milwaukee region employers, public-facing venues and educational institutions have implemented vaccination requirements. However, there are significant regulatory, logistical and human resource issues that accompany this mandate on businesses, not to mention the financial burden of potential fines. We will continue to encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated, but this mandate shifts the burden of convincing people to get vaccinated almost entirely to our business community.“ Hispanic Heritage Month ended Oct. 15, but the size and impact of the growing Hispanic demographic really require year long attention and investment. So what do you need to know to help inform your diversity, equity and inclusion efforts? Watch a replay of a recent informational briefing with the Hispanic Collaborative, an MMAC affiliate. This event provided an update on the latest 2020 Census data highlighting Hispanic workforce numbers, and suggested ways you can invest in and support this important segment of the labor force. A copy of the event presentation also is available:
To learn more about the Hispanic Collaborative, visit its website.
Download a copy of Dr. John Raymond's presentation during the October edition of MMAC's monthly webinar series:
Replays of MMAC webinars can be found on our YouTube channel.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) is launching a new initiative to promote startups and entrepreneurship in the Milwaukee Region.
Goals for the new initiative include:
“The Milwaukee Region has experienced considerable success in corporate expansion and attraction over the past 15 years, thanks in large part to the outstanding efforts of the Milwaukee 7 Development Partnership,” MMAC President Tim Sheehy said. “Startups and entrepreneurship are an equally important part of regional economic development, but the successes we’ve seen in this area are not as widely known. Through this new initiative, which is guided by input from the Milwaukee startup community over the past several months, MMAC hopes to play a larger role in amplifying Milwaukee’s existing startup success stories, finding new ways to strengthen our region’s startup muscles and ultimately attract even more founders and funders to our region.” This initiative is in partnership with MMAC Board Member Chris Abele, the managing director of CSA Partners and former Milwaukee County executive. It was driven by a working group of founders and funders who want to raise the profile of what’s working in the Milwaukee Region and the assets we have, while also surfacing new ways for the region to grow its startup and entrepreneurship landscape. The new initiative is being resourced with more than $500,000 to get it off the ground. “Milwaukee has an active startup scene, with the potential for massive growth,” Abele said. “But people may not be aware of some of the success stories that started here or the value proposition Milwaukee offers to entrepreneurs and investors. Through this initiative, we hope to raise awareness of everything that is possible here. As is the case with many things here in Milwaukee, we have a much better story to tell than the one we’re actually telling right now.” As part of this initiative, MMAC has launched a website dedicated to educating the Milwaukee community on startup and entrepreneurship activity in Milwaukee. The MKE Startup News website is live at https://mkestartup.news/. MMAC also has hired Anna Lardinois in a newly created role, startup storyteller. She will produce content for the site, serve as a connector within the Milwaukee startup and entrepreneurship community and assist members of the media who are writing about startups and entrepreneurship in our region. Lardinois is a local author and historian who previously served as the narrator at the Pfister Hotel. As this initiative evolves, other planned projects include:
Sheehy and Abele will further discuss the launch of this initiative on the MMAC’s Business of Metro MKE webinar on Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 11 a.m. This webinar is free and open to the public. Registration is required and available online.  Seeking new avenues to build enthusiasm and interest in technology careers within the next generation of the Milwaukee Region’s work force, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) is announcing a partnership with the MKEsports Alliance.
Formed in 2020, the MKEsports Alliance’s mission is to grow the culture and connectivity of the regional esports groups, gamers, businesses and community partners. Through these efforts, the alliance also hopes to advance metro Milwaukee’s standing as a national leader in this space, poised for future infrastructure and development. Short for electronic sports, esports refers to competitive video gaming watched by spectators – both online and, when possible, in person. It is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the worldwide sports and entertainment economy. “Any worldwide industry that’s on track to produce a billion dollars-plus in revenue and captures millions of eyeballs should grab our attention as a region,” MMAC President Tim Sheehy said. “While the sports may be virtual, the benefits are tangible: Developing an engaged and enthusiastic esports community will help grow the Milwaukee Region as a place that welcomes the next generation of talented tech professionals to put down roots and grow their careers.” MMAC will look for opportunities to involve the Milwaukee Region’s business community in the esports community. This partnership aligns with MMAC’s broader talent development and retention goals and initiatives. “A growing number of regions nationally, very similar in size and demographic to Milwaukee, are investing heavily into the development of their esports ecosystem,” said Brandon Tschacher, Founder of the Alliance. “These potential investments include brick-and-mortar facilities, large-scale events and tournaments, all the way up to passing supportive tax incentives from city and state legislature. Engaging our business community through the MMAC, alongside supportive partners in areas such as education, tourism and local government, is going to be pivotal to capturing this once in a generation opportunity.” According to an estimate from Business Insider Intelligence, total esports viewership is expected to grow at a 9 percent compound annual growth rate between 2019 and 2023, up from 454 million in 2019 to 646 million in 2023. Deloitte estimates that investments in the esports industry totaled $4.5 billion in 2018, up from $490 million the year before. The Milwaukee Region currently features an esports team sponsored by the Milwaukee Bucks, along with developing esports initiatives at our higher education institutions and private efforts. According to the alliance, Wisconsin benefits from more than $330 million added to the local economy thanks to the growing video game industry’s impact on the state. The alliance’s name is pronounced “Milwaukee esports alliance.” For additional information, visit mkeesports.com About the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce For more than 150 years, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has been serving area businesses as a private, not-for-profit organization. Today we represent approximately 1,800 member businesses with 300,000 employees in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties and beyond. Our mission is to improve metro Milwaukee as a place to invest capital, grow business and create jobs. mmac.org If your company is already a member of MMAC, thank you for your investment in growing your business and building the Milwaukee Region. If your company is not yet a member, but is interested in exploring the benefits of joining, please contact our membership team. In the Sept. 14 edition of MMAC's monthly webinar, Business of Metro MKE, we heard from the following guests: • Dr. Benjamin Weston, MCW Associate Professor and Medical Director at the Milwaukee County Office of Emergency Management • Kari Atkinson, Vice President of Employee Rewards and Experience, ManpowerGroup • Mark Goldstein, President, Goldstein Law Group Video replays of MMAC webinars are available on our YouTube channel. Dr. Raymond had a scheduling conflict, but did provide this update:
 On Sept. 9, President Biden announced the Administration’s “Path Out of the Pandemic” plan. It may be weeks before our business community receives specific details from the federal government on the general policies that were announced. In many respects, there are more questions than answers. The following is an overview of what we know right now about the plan and how it may affect your business. We'd especially like to thank MMAC member Michael Best & Friedrich LLP for sharing their initial takeaways, many of which are incorporated here.
Members also are welcome to attend MMAC’s Business of Metro MKE webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to noon. In that program, experts from public health, human resources and law will discuss efforts to contain the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, what a return to the office looks like in this environment, and what we know about the new Biden administration plan. If you are already registered for the series, we’ll see you on Tuesday. If not, register for free on MMAC.org. Our perspective: MMAC shared the following statement Thursday evening: Our businesses, and you as business leaders, have already borne a significant and unprecedented burden during the COVID-19 pandemic. We remain committed to helping you, your companies and your employees navigate these obligations. Plan overview: Through a Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS), employers with 100 or more employees must ensure their workforce is fully vaccinated or require any unvaccinated workers to produce weekly negative test results before coming to work. The Administration’s plan also includes the following obligations:
When will OSHA release its rule implementing the President’s requirements? And when will it go into effect? Currently, the plan does not estimate when it will be released or when it goes into effect, or how long employers will have to prepare. We hope that more guidance addressing employer concerns will be available in the coming days or weeks. Who will be responsible for payment of weekly testing of unvaccinated employees? The plan does not address who must pay for additional costs of testing unvaccinated employees on a weekly basis, including the time to get the negative test results. Who is responsible for the PTO the plan is requiring for employees who get vaccinated? The plan does not address who is financially responsible for the PTO, nor does it indicate whether the PTO requirement will be in addition to any employer-provided PTO benefit. Will the vaccination requirement apply to remote workers and remote employees? The plan lacks clarity whether remote workers will be required to get vaccinated, but the “before coming to work” language suggests that vaccination requirements may not apply to remote workers. Will the vaccination requirement apply to federal employees, and to contractors and subcontractors that do business with the federal government? The President has signed an Executive Order to require all federal executive branch workers to be vaccinated, “subject to exceptions required by law.” The President also signed an Executive Order directing that this standard be extended to employees of many contractors and subcontractors that do business with the federal government. These orders do not, as we read them, allow for employees to remain unvaccinated by providing a weekly negative test result. How will the vaccination requirement affect schools? The plan does not require teachers, staff, or students to be vaccinated. Nor does it require schools or school districts to adopt vaccination or testing requirements. However, the plan calls for governors to require vaccinations for teachers and school staff. Additionally, the plan calls for the Department of Education to make additional funding available to school districts for implementing COVID safety measures. Will existing mask rules stay in place? The plan calls for continued strong mask requirements to help slow and contain the spread of the virus and COVID-19 transmission keeping in place mask mandates at the federal level. President Biden’s executive order, “Promoting COVID-19 Safety in Domestic and International Travel,” directed applicable agencies to take action to require mask-wearing in airports and on certain modes of public transportation, including on many airplanes, trains, maritime vessels, and intercity bus services. TSA has extended its implementing orders for air and ground travel through Jan. 18, 2022, and the President’s plan will double fines for those who are not in compliance. The President’s plan will also ensure that masking requirements remain in place on the other modes of transportation as the country continues to battle COVID-19. Also, President Biden’s executive order, “Protecting the Federal Workforce and Requiring Mask-Wearing,” requires masks and specific physical distancing requirements in federal buildings, on federal lands, on military bases and other overseas locations consistent with CDC guidance. President Biden’s plan will ensure that these requirements remain in place as the nation continues to battle COVID-19. Again, thank you to Michael Best for sharing their perspective. Your partner in challenging times We will continue to share details on these new policies as they emerge. MMAC is here to help businesses and business leaders through this challenge and whatever comes next. If your business is already a member of MMAC, thank you for your investment. Our work would not be possible without you. If your company is not yet a member, our team would love the opportunity to speak with you.  STATEMENT FROM MMAC: “We share President Biden’s goal of increasing the rate of vaccination among our eligible population. The COVID-19 vaccines have been proven safe and effective, and they are the best path for our society to finally reach the end of this pandemic. Many Milwaukee Region employers already have chosen to require their employees to get vaccinated. Many public-facing venues have required the same of their customers. The same is true at some of our colleges and universities. However, we are concerned that this new federal requirement for any business with 100 or more employees to require vaccinations or regular testing of their entire workforce is a blunt instrument that will create a significant regulatory and logistical burden for businesses. We will continue to monitor this policy as it become more fully developed by the U.S. Department of Labor, including the possibility of subjecting businesses to financial penalties for the actions of employees who do not comply with requirements. In the meantime, we will continue to encourage everyone who is eligible to get vaccinated.” The White House announced that Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will be nominated as the U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg.
STATEMENT FROM MMAC PRESIDENT TIM SHEEHY "We congratulate Mayor Barrett on his upcoming ambassadorial appointment, and thank him for all he’s done on behalf of Milwaukee. Mayor Barrett has been a consistent champion for economic development here, and we wish him all the best in his new role. We look forward to continuing our work to improve metro Milwaukee as a place to invest capital, grow business and create jobs with the respected leader of the Common Council, Cavalier Johnson, in his new role as Acting Mayor." STATEMENT FROM JIM PAETSCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MILWAUKEE 7 REGIONAL PARTNERSHIP “We congratulate Mayor Barrett, who was a valued founding partner of the Milwaukee 7. Mayor Barrett was an early champion of regionalism, and he recognized that what was good for the region was good for Milwaukee. He put economic development among his highest priorities and on his watch, Milwaukee drew in a significant amount of investment and job creation. We wish Mayor Barrett all the best in his next chapter and look forward to working with Acting Mayor Johnson, who shares our commitment to economic development.”  MILWAUKEE – To recognize some of our region’s most inspiring business stories, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) is announcing 15 finalists for the 2021 Focus on the Future awards.
Winners in each of five categories will be revealed at the Focus on the Future awards luncheon on Friday, Sept. 24 at the Italian Community Center. An additional group of companies is being recognized as honorable mentions. Download a copy of the slides from the July edition of the MMAC Business of Metro MKE webinar series. This episode featured guest host Jim Paetsch, Executive Director of the Milwaukee 7 Development Partnership, along with Milwaukee City Development Commissioner Lafayette Crump and Todd Battle, President of the Kenosha Area Business Alliance. Dr. John Raymond, President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, also gave a regional health update. Replays of this and other webinar episodes are available on MMAC’s YouTube channel.
The Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce recognizes the foundational role a democracy plays in supporting a free-market economy. As such, we affirm these principles:
 To continue its work to advance economic development efforts in the seven counties of Southeastern Wisconsin, the Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership is reorganizing its leadership roles. These changes become effective July 1.
As a result of this reorganization:
O’Brien was named the inaugural Executive Director of M7 after it was created in 2005 to bring together the seven counties of Southeastern Wisconsin to collaborate and advance economic development efforts in the region. O’Brien also previously served on a part-time basis as leader of MDC, an MMAC affiliate focused on catalytic real estate development with $37 million in assets. O’Brien will now focus on this role on a full-time basis. “During Pat’s tenure, M7 has matured from a fledgling concept to a fully grown regional economic development partnership,” MMAC President Tim Sheehy said. “M7 has worked on talent development programs, international trade, entrepreneurship, and region building with its local, state, and federal partners. On behalf of everyone in the Milwaukee Region’s economic development and business communities, we thank Pat for his important work in making this vision a reality.” Paetsch also has been with M7 since it launched in 2005, previously serving as Vice President of Corporate Expansion and Attraction. During that time, M7 has recorded 113 attraction and expansion project wins, adding a total of 24,000 pledged jobs, $1.3 billion in annual payroll and $3.2 billion in capital investment. “Jim is a dynamic leader who has become the driving force for our region’s corporate attraction and expansion efforts,” Sheehy said. “His promotion to Senior VP and Executive Director is in recognition of these terrific efforts. Jim has a proven track record of collaborating to deliver results, including major projects such as Haribo, Milwaukee Tool, Komatsu Mining, Nexus, and Ingeteam, to name just a few of more than 100. Jim will also oversee the role M7 plays in economic development. This promotion and new role will allow for continued coordination with our local and state partners, while delivering best-in-class attention to our development prospects. We congratulate Jim on this well-deserved acknowledgement of his efforts.” In her newly created role, Olberding will integrate economic development programing across M7 and MMAC to support members, investors, and regional and state partners. She brings a breadth of experience to the organization, most recently as President of the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce in Iowa. She has an MBA from the University of Iowa. “We’re proud to welcome Lynn to the team, and excited for her to get started,” Sheehy said. “As we emerge from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic and refocus on the M7 Prosperity 2025 campaign, Lynn will lead the strategy development of this critical effort to ensure the future prosperity of the Milwaukee Region.” About the Milwaukee 7 Regional Partnership The Milwaukee 7 is the regional economic development partnership of the seven Southeastern Wisconsin counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Racine, Walworth, Washington and Waukesha. Launched in 2005 by founding partners MMAC, the City of Milwaukee and the Greater Milwaukee Committee, M7 is dedicated to bringing the Milwaukee Region’s business and economic development community together to grow, expand and attract businesses and develop talented employees. mke7.com About the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce For more than 150 years, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) has been serving area businesses as a private, not-for-profit organization. Today we represent approximately 1,800 member businesses with 300,000 employees in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee counties and beyond. Our mission is to improve metro Milwaukee as a place to invest capital, grow business and create jobs. mmac.org |
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