Having presided over the national embarrassment that is the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, WEDC leader Reed Hall now heads for the exit:
The state’s top economic development agency, stung by a series of scathing audits, media reports about questionable loans and accusations of mismanagement, is once again seeking new leadership.
After three years steering Gov. Scott Walker’s flagship job-creation agency through troubled waters, Reed Hall announced Tuesday he is retiring as Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. CEO on Sept. 25.
In a statement, Hall thanked Walker, the WEDC board, other cabinet secretaries and agency staff in saying “it is time for me to return to my previous retired status.”
Via WEDC CEO Reed Hall to leave troubled agency on Sept. 25 @ Wisconsin State Journal.
The best timing for Hall would have been to remain retired in the first place, but better late than never to depart.
The former Department of Commerce was a mess; the WEDC has been even worse.
Locally, there were a few development gurus in at the Community Development Authority who thought that WEDC support would prove both valuable and a public-relations boon to Whitewater.
Here we are, these years later, and all their proud claims are proved false: the WEDC has been – so very predictably – a state-funded failure.
When the WEDC, itself, will be shut down I cannot say, and in the meantime it’s sure to do more damage.
The local gentlemen who believed in it, against sound understanding, have espoused a sham economics.
Almost any sensible person, of Right or Left, would have crafted something better than this.
Someday, some of them will.
Previously: FW posts about WEDC negligence and waste.