WEDA 2002 Governor's Conference Speakers

Dr. Robert J. Kriegel is one of the country's leading authorities on change and innovation. He is a New York Times best-selling author of If It Ain't Broke ... BREAK IT! and Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers. His latest book is How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard: Rethinking the Rules, Reinventing the Game.

A commentator on National Public Radio's Marketplace program, Kriegel has taught at Stanford's Executive Management Institute and served on the California Governor's Council.

A former all-American athlete and pioneering sports psychologist, Kriegel has coached many Olympic and professional teams.

William Fruth is president of POLICOM Corp., a Florida-based firm that studies the dynamics of local economies. He has extensive experience in geographic economics and economic development. Fruth has statistically evaluated more than 600 local economies in the United States. He has written numerous articles and the book, Where the Money Is ... America's Strongest Local Economies.

Fruth has served as mayor of Tiffin, Ohio, and president of the Business Development Board of Palm Beach County. He was also named Florida's Economic Development Professional of the Year.

Joseph Hogan is president and CEO of GE Medical Systems, a division of General Electric Co. With nearly 25,000 employees world-wide, GE Medical Systems is recognized as a global leader in medical diagnostic technology and information systems.

Hogan began working for General Electric in 1985, holding positions in sales, marketing and product development. In 2000, he was named president and CEO of GE Medical Systems.

Craig Culver is co-founder, president and co-worker of Culver's Frozen Custard and Culver's Franchising System, Inc. He oversees the operation of more than 160 restaurants, including five family-owned training restaurants in Wisconsin.

Culver was named Wisconsin's 2001 Small Business Person of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Tim King is a principal of ION Consulting. He has been the lead consultant and advisor on municipal and campus projects across the country. King is a leading authority on positioning communities for the future.

He launched his first project in 2000, transforming Evanston, Ill., into a high-speed, citywide network. King has helped more than one dozen other cities with similar projects.

He has experience in strategic planning, community development and energy and communication services.

Don Nichols is director of the University of Wisconsin's World Affairs and the Global Economy (WAGE) Initiative. He is an expert in the fields of macroeconomic theory and policy and regional economic development policy.

Nichols has served on the Council of Economic Advisors to the President and the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. He was also Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Brad Buchner is a senior manager with Grant Thornton LLP's Management Consulting practice. He specializes in operational assessments, shop floor operational improvement, business process redesign, management development and change management initiatives.

Buchner has significant experience identifying, selecting and implementing manufacturing business systems and associated improvement activities.

He has also performed turn-around consulting for the automotive industry and worked in production management.

Scott Klug is the CEO of Trails Media Group, which publishes books and magazines including Wisconsin Trails and Corporate Report Wisconsin. He is also a member of the national Public Affairs Team at Foley and Lardner Law Firm.

Klug served eight years as a Wisconsin congressman. Before entering politics, he was an award-winning investigative reporter, working for TV stations in Seattle, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin.