Mayor Soglin Announces Appointment of Director of Economic Development
posted
Madison Mayor Paul Soglin today announced the appointment of Aaron Olver as the City of Madison's Director of Economic Development. Olver has served as interim director for the past five months. He previously served as the Secretary of Commerce under Governor Jim Doyle. Prior to that appointment, Olver was Deputy Secretary of Commerce where he was responsible for the management of internal operations and Executive Assistant for the Department of Commerce where he managed policy and external relations. Olver earned an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a graduate degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics from Oxford University, Oxford, UK, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. As Director of Economic Development, Olver will lead efforts aimed at fostering prosperity and helping to ensure that prosperity is broadly shared in the community. The Economic Development Division is responsible for programs aimed at facilitating and sustaining a city with strong businesses, good paying jobs, quality affordable housing, healthy neighborhoods, and sound public infrastructure. Programmatic functions include responsibility for business outreach, supporting entrepreneurship, administering economic development assistance programs such as Tax Increment Financing and Tax-Exempt Revenue Bonds, providing grant and loan assistance to businesses and individuals, fostering safe affordable housing, buying and selling real estate on behalf of the City, supervising street vending programs, and leading economic policy initiatives. "Aaron has done an outstanding job in his interim position for the past five months. The City is involved in a number of innovative development projects and he has been invaluable. His high level experience in State government will certainly serve the city as we move ahead and I look forward to continuing to work with him," said Mayor Paul Soglin. The Common Council will vote on Olver's appointment at their September 6th meeting.
Departments:
