Shortly after her departure in April of 2015 from her presidency at Cornerstone Alliance in Benton Harbor, Vicki Pratt landed a new gig with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation in Madison where she was responsible for the manufacturing, defense manufacturing and advance materials sectors. Now, she has assumed a new dual role as Executive Director of the Jefferson County (Wisconsin) Economic Development Corporation and CEO of the Glacial Heritage Development Partnership.
Pratt had been President of Cornerstone Alliance, Berrien County's lead economic development agency, for two years and was eventually replaced by Rob Cleveland, the current President there.
Pratt was one of 30 applicants for the position in Jefferson, Wisconsin about half way between Madison and Milwaukee. She was already a resident in that community and became one of the final three before being hired in August for the job she started last month following the departure of Genevieve Coady who had taken a new role in July as Executive Director of the Plan for Economic Growth & Jobs with World Business Chicago.
Jim Schroeder is Jefferson County Board Chair and he told Jefferson Daily Union Reporter Alexa Zoellner, "The clear consensus of everybody involved in the (final) interviews was Vicki as our choice." He added, "We're really excited to have her with her long record of success in cities across the United States and the same level of energy that we saw in our last economic development director."
In her new position Pratt will assume the mantle of lead executive of economic development efforts for Jefferson County reporting not only to the two organizational boards, but also to the Jefferson County Administrator, Ben Wehmeier.
For her part, Pratt told Zoellner following her hiring, "I've been doing economic development for 25 years. It's just very exciting for me to be able to be part of an organization like this right here in the county where I live." She added, "I've loved working for WEDC (in Madison) — it's a great organization, but, my goodness, when I have the opportunity to build something like what is being proposed here — and this fits in my wheelhouse — I've done this before and I'm excited about being able to do it here."
The photo of Vicki Pratt accompanying this story on Moody on the Market.com is courtesy of Alexa Zoellner of the Daily Union and is used here with her permission, and the permission of her Editor.
