 Jim Doyle was sworn in as Wisconsin's 44th Governor on January 6, 2003. One month later, Governor Doyle addressed the 8th Annual Governor's Conference on Economic Development. During his first year in office, he has focused attention on strengthening Wisconsin's economy and attracting the very best jobs to our State. During his first State of the State message, Governor Doyle announced that he would bring together government, labor, and business to craft and implement a single, focused strategic plan to grow Wisconsin's economy.
Governor Doyle received his bachelor's degree from UW-Madison, and then served in the Peace Corps in Africa. In 1972, Governor Doyle earned his law degree from Harvard University.
He was elected Dane County District Attorney and served three terms from 1977-82. After leaving that office, he spent eight years building his private law practice until he was elected Wisconsin Attorney General in 1990. He was reelected as Attorney General
in 1994 and 1998.
 Richard Thieme, a business consultant, writer, and professional speaker, is difficult to pigeonhole. Mr. Thieme focuses his work on the human dimension of technology and the impact of technology on organizations and individuals. Mr. Thieme is a member of the "cyber avant-garde," according to CNN. His column, "Islands in the Clickstream," offers reflections to subscribers from over 57 countries on the relationship between technologies and the ultimate questions of life.
Thieme was born in Chicago and received his bachelor's degree from Northwestern University and his Masters in English Literature at the University of Chicago. He received a second Master's degree from Seabury-Western Theological Seminary where he then became an Episcopal priest and led parishes for sixteen years in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Hawaiian Island of Maui, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Timothy E. Hoeksema
Chairman, President, and CEO, Midwest Airlines, Inc.
 Timothy Hoeksema was named President of Midwest Express when the airline was incorporated in March of 1983. At that time, the airline was a subsidiary of consumer products manufacturer, Kimberly-Clark Corporation.
Under Mr. Hoeksema's direction, Midwest Express Airlines completed a highly successful initial public offering in September 1995, and now trades as Midwest Holdings (MEH) on the New York Stock Exchange. Since its inception, the airline has offered its passengers "the best care in the air"- a unique combination of impeccable, personal service and competitive prices.
Patrick C. Mackey
President, Mercury Marine
 Patrick C. Mackey has been President of Mercury Marine since October 2000. Mercury Marine, with approximately 6,400 employees worldwide, has been at the forefront of marine-engine manufacturing since the company's inception in 1939. Mercury products continue to meet with the evolving demands of discriminating and ecology-minded consumers.
Mr. Mackey is an experienced general manager and international executive. He spent 30 years in a variety of senior roles with E.I. du Pont de Nemours Corporation in Europe and was Vice President of Witco Corporation in Greenwich, Connecticut.
Roger Radley
Comedian
Roger Radley is a comedian who has been performing his brand of fast-paced original comedy for over fifteen years. Drawing upon his rural background, this Wisconsin native is able to craft a show that shifts from improvised audience interactions to imaginative characters. Mr. Radley has written and produced a radio show for syndication and performed in the Trump Castle in Atlantic City and the Opryland in Nashville. He is a winner of national comedy contests and has shared the stage with B.B. King, Loretta Lynn, Neil Sedaka, Bobby Vinton, Tammy Wynette and Willie Nelson.
Ross C. DeVol
Director, Regional Economics,
Milken Institute
 Ross C. DeVol is Director of Regional Economics at California's Milken Institute and oversees the Institute's research efforts on the dynamics of comparative regional growth performance. Mr. DeVol quickly put his group in the national limelight with groundbreaking research on technology and its impact on regional and national economies. He is an expert on the intangible economy and how regions can prepare themselves to compete in it.
His most recent research report, Best Performing Cities: Where America's Jobs are Created researched which cities are creating jobs and economic opportunity and described the factors determining long-term success. This is a continuation of the research published annually by Forbes. Prior to joining the Institute, Mr. DeVol was Senior Vice President of Global Insight, Inc. (formerly Wharton Econometric Forecasting), where he supervised their Regional Economic Services group.
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Mark Sabljak
Publisher, The Business Journal
Mark Sabljak has been the Publisher of The Business Journal Serving Greater Milwaukee since January of 1994. The publication is one of 41 business journals owned by American City Business Journals. Sabljak is a 1974 journalism graduate of Marquette University with a Master of Arts in Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has co-authored four nonfiction books including a history of the FBI's Most Wanted list.
Carl E. Gulbrandsen
Managing Director, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation
Carl Gulbrandsen is the Managing Director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF). Since 1925, WARF has served the University of Wisconsin-Madison scientific community by patenting the discoveries of UW-Madison researchers and licensing these technologies to leading companies in Wisconsin, the United States and worldwide.
Mr. Gulbrandsen received his B.A. from St. Olaf College, and a Ph.D. in Physiology and J.D. from the UW-Madison. Mr. Gulbrandsen has several years experience in private law practice, which concentrated on intellectual property with a specialty in patent prosecution and litigation. He was also General Counsel of Lunar Corporation and Bone Care International, Inc. and Director of Patents and Licensing at WARF.
John Byrnes
Executive Managing Director, Mason Wells
John Byrnes founded Mason Wells in 1998 and is responsible for its management, and for initiating investment opportunities, structuring and negotiating acquisitions, working with portfolio company management teams and arranging the disposition of investments. He has over 23 years of private equity investment experience. Mr. Byrnes serves as director of numerous public and private companies and is a member of the Wisconsin Technology Council and its Executive Committee.
Mr. Byrnes received his JD from the University of Wisconsin Law School and his bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame.
Mary Jurmain
Chief Executive Officer and President, Realityworks, Inc.
Mary Jurmain and her husband, Rick, invented the Baby Think it Over infant simulator. Ms. Jurmain has served as chief executive officer and president of Realityworks, Inc. since it was formed in 1994. Realityworks has been the recipient of several awards including Fortune Magazine Product of the Year 1994 for the Baby Think It Over infant simulator. In 2000, 2001, and 2002, Ms. Jurmain was a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition. In 2002, the Small Business Administration named Ms. Jurmain the "Wisconsin Small Business Person of the Year" and she was named first runner-up for the "2002 National Small Business Person of the Year". The Baby Think it Over Program has been the spotlight of over a thousand media venues, including stories in Forbes Magazine, USA Today, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. More than one million teens have experienced the program.
Ms. Jurmain has a Bachelor's Degree in Secondary Education from Auburn University, a Master's Degree in Library Science from the University of Alabama, and a Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering from Texas A & M University.
Kenneth E. Poole
Executive Director, ACCRA
 In 2000, Kenneth E. Poole was named the first Executive Director of ACCRA, a nonprofit organization promoting excellence in research for economic and community development. ACCRA, based in Arlington, Virginia, is a professional organization that informs, educates and develops economic development professionals.
Mr. Poole has served as Director of Domestic Economic Development at the National Association of State Development Agencies (NASDA) where he maintains a dual appointment. Mr. Poole has spent his entire 19-year career in the economic development field. Before joining NASDA, he was Director of Technical Assistance and Research for the Council for Urban Development. Mr. Poole earned his Ph.D. in Regional Economic Development Policy at The Institute of Public Policy at George Mason University.
James B. Wood
President, Wood Communications Group
James Wood is President of Wood Communications Group (WCG), a public relations and market researching firm specializing in strategic planning and governmental affairs. WCG operates in 21 states and Canada with offices in Madison, Wisconsin and Omaha, Nebraska.
Mr. Wood's career has included appointments as Executive Assistant to Governor Patrick J. Lucey, Deputy Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration, and founder and first president of a private "think-tank" dedicated to the research of cutting-edge public policy issues.
Since 1982, Mr. Wood has used his strategic communications skills to assist corporate, association and governmental leaders interact effectively with ever-changing media and public opinion. Mr. Wood holds a Bachelor and Masters degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a PhD from Duke University.
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