KIN board expands to include representation from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and Kenosha Area Business Alliance
The Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, Inc. is pleased to welcome Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) CEO and Secretary Missy Hughes and Kenosha Area Business Alliance (KABA) President Nicole Ryf as new board members, expanding the project’s leadership and governance board to 13 members.
While the current board membership boasts both local and international representation, Secretary Hughes and Ryf contribute additional and significant expertise to the KIN as the group seeks to establish Kenosha as an innovation anchor for Southeastern Wisconsin. The two new members will support the board in developing the KIN as a unique, neighborhood-centric site for residents and visitors to live, work, learn and play, leveraging public-private partnerships to serve as a statewide model of inclusive, innovation-driven economic growth.
“Part of our goal at WEDC is to attract businesses to Wisconsin and help existing businesses expand into thriving communities,” said Secretary Hughes. “The KIN’s mission to encourage entrepreneurship and innovation while addressing the unique needs of the Kenosha residents is something that I am honored to support through joining such a great group of leaders.”
“The KIN’s mission is a very natural extension of KABA’s vision of making Kenosha County the premier destination for new investment and talent,” says Nicole Ryf, KABA President. “I am incredibly proud to be joining a team of individuals who share this mission for Kenosha and look forward to furthering our strategic partnerships.”
Secretary Hughes and Ryf join an established board of individuals with a wide range of leadership expertise in the areas of economic development and equity, education, innovative management, and business development, including:
- Tim Mahone, Board President
Founder & President, Mahone Strategies
Chairman, The Mary Lou & Arthur F. Mahone Fund - Mark Fedyk, Board Vice President
President & COO, Jockey International - Wes Saber, Board Treasurer
Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, HARIBO of America - Arthur Harrington Esq., Board Secretary
Attorney, Shareholder, Godfrey & Kahn S.C.
Member of Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency Practice - Vicky Arroyo
Director of Economic Equity, BMO US - Iain Boyd
Vice President, Operations Development, Snap-on - Tim Casey
Director of City Development, City of Kenosha - Debbie Ford, former KIN Board President
Chancellor, Indiana University Southeast - Anthony Jefferson
Founder and Owner, Five Star Moving Crew - Dr. Ritu Raju
President & CEO, Gateway Technical College
“We eagerly welcome these highly accomplished individuals to the board,” said Tim Mahone, Board President of the KIN. “The KIN is more than a project. It’s a place and an initiative reimagining our city’s future. Secretary Hughes and Nicole Ryf share our vision and passion for Kenosha and their leadership will help ensure that Kenosha increasingly grows into a desirable place for current and future generations to call home.”
More information about the KIN can be found at www.kin-kenosha.org.
About The Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, Inc.:
The Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood, Inc. is a non-profit organization led by a volunteer board of directors composed of local and regional leaders dedicated to fostering economic recovery, improving economic sustainability and resiliency, and ensuring equitable community access to prosperity through the development of the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood (KIN). The KIN, the revitalization and transformation of 107 acres of vacant land in the heart of Kenosha, is a collaborative, mixed-use project that is bringing the community together to define and deliver a regional destination with sustainable, innovation-focused office, medical, educational, commercial, residential and recreational space that meets the unique needs of neighbors, the broader Kenosha community, visitors and end-users.
Learn more about the Kenosha Innovation Neighborhood at www.kin-kenosha.org.