WEDC Deputy Secretary Braun receives national recognition as a top economic development official in North America

MADISON, WI. SEPT. 12, 2018 – Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer Tricia Braun has been named one of the top economic development officials in North America by a national consulting firm.

Consultant Connect, a consulting agency designed to bridge the gap between economic developers and site consultants, this week named Braun to its list of “North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers” for 2018.

“This annual list is designed to acknowledge the hard work of the top leaders in this field and elevate the conversation around economic development and job creation,” said Ron Kitchens, managing partner of Consultant Connect. “Each of the leaders represented on this year’s list is beyond deserving of this recognition for their efforts in building our communities.”

Braun, who has 20 years of economic development experience in three states, has been with WEDC since 2013 and was named deputy secretary in February 2015. Before joining WEDC, Braun was the director of economic development in Riverside, Calif., a city of more than 300,000 people, and served as community development director in Zumbrota, Minn., a Twin Cities suburb.

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, Braun also served as executive director of the River Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

The economic development professionals selected for this list were nominated by their colleagues in both the economic development industry and the site consultant community for excellent practices, innovation and success in building the communities they serve.

James Otterstein, economic development manager for the Rock County Development Alliance, was also named to the list.

Each top 50 economic developers from Sept. 17 through Nov. 30 through the selected social media channels of LinkedIn and Twitter. Each of the award winners will share their expertise in the field and a few leadership insights they’ve learned along the way. Each recipient will receive the award at Consultant Connect’s ECONOMIX event in Nashville in December.