The Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. has released the names of several new directors on its board, including Milwaukee leaders Joe Kirgues and Darryl Morin.
Kirgues is co-founder of Milwaukee- and Madison-based startup accelerator gener8tor.
Morin is president and chief executive officer of Franklin-based IT firm Advanced Wireless Inc.Â
Both were appointed this week by Gov. Tony Evers.
The WEDC board is meeting today. On the agenda is a vote on officer elections, as well as a vote on the chief executive officer.
According to a WEDC spokeswoman, the new board members also include: assembly minority leader Gordon Hintz (D-Oshkosh), who appointed himself; Henry Newell, former CEO of Wausau Paper, who was appointed by Evers; Joel Brennan, former Discovery World CEO and now Department of Administration secretary; John Brogan, CEO of the Bank of Kaukauna, appointed by Evers; John Peterson, owner and CEO of Schuette Metals in Rothschild, appointed by Assembly speaker Robin Vos; John Oathout, president and CEO of American Bank in Beaver Dam, appointed by Senate majority leader Scott Fitzgerald; retired state Rep. Mary Williams, appointed by Vos; Mike Kunesh, president of Place Perfect Realty in Green Bay, appointed by Vos; Department of Revenue secretary Peter Barca; Rebecca Cooke, owner of Red’s Mercantile in Eau Claire, appointed by Evers; retired We Energies executive Thelma Sias, appointed by Evers; and state Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee), appointed by Senate minority leader Jennifer Shilling (D-La Crosse).
No longer on the board are: David Drury, partner at Wing Capital Group in Milwaukee; former Rep. Dana Wachs; Raymond Dreger, president and CEO of Seed and Stuff Market Inc. in Colfax; former Sen. Caleb Frostman; and non-voting members Richard Chandler, secretary of the Department of Revenue, and Ellen Nowak, secretary of the Department of Administration.
Remaining on the board are: chair Lisa Mauer, president of Rickert Industries in Milwaukee; vice chair and secretary Nancy Hernandez, president and founder of ABRAZO Multicultural Marketing & Communication in Milwaukee; Sen. Daniel Feyen (R-Fond du Lac); Rep. Rob Hutton (R-Brookfield); Jim Ladwig director of global community affairs at SC Johnson in Racine; and Randy Hopper, president of Mountain Dog Media in Fond du Lac.
Under lame-duck legislation passed by the Legislature after Evers was elected, the Legislature appoints more of the seats on the WEDC board, and Evers cannot appoint the CEO of the organization until September.
