New Report Shows Wisconsin Leads the Nation in Manufacturing Job Growth and Continues to Lead All Its Neighbors in Overall Job Growth

Governor Jim Doyle today announced the appointment of Mary Burke as Secretary of the Department of Commerce. Burke replaces Cory Nettles who left at the end of 2004 to join the private sector.

Governor Doyle said. "Her business experience stretches from Wisconsin to Europe and Asia, from small business to Fortune 500 companies. She understands what it means to compete in the global marketplace, and she's had the experience of starting her own business."

Most recently, Burke was Director of Forecasting and Planning for Trek Bicycle. There she was responsible for forecasting the sales of more than a million bicycles a year, predicting market demand not only in the United States, but also in China, Japan, and the rest of the world. Prior to that, Burke was Director of European Operations for Trek, helping to start and oversee companies in the UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Spain, Austria, and the Netherlands.

As Commerce Secretary, Burke will play a key role in continuing the implementation of Governor Doyle's "Grow Wisconsin" plan that is helping Wisconsin companies compete in the global marketplace. Governor Doyle has signed the vast majority of "Grow Wisconsin's" provisions into law including legislation to eliminate the tax on creating jobs, enact the most aggressive regulatory reform policy in the Midwest, and expand access to venture capital.

"Governor Doyle has done a tremendous job getting Wisconsin's economy back on track," Burke said. "I am honored to join his cabinet and I look forward to working with him to find new ways to grow Wisconsin's economy and create good, family-supporting jobs."

Burke also appreciates the important role businesspeople can play in the community. For the past three years she served as President of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County where she helped spearhead a $6 million fundraising drive to open a second location in Madison.

Mary Burke holds a degree in Finance from Georgetown University and a MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a member of the Dean's Advisory Board at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Business School and is on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County.

New Jobs Numbers Announced
The appointment comes on the same day as new figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that Wisconsin led all its neighbors in job creation over the past year - with nearly 70,000 new private sector jobs.

The report also shows that Wisconsin has created more manufacturing jobs in the past year than any other state. Wisconsin created more manufacturing jobs than the next four best states combined. Meanwhile, states like Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania are losing tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs.

- Ethnie Groves, Office of the Governor

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Please send comments or questions to Barbro McGinn, editor.