Cheryl Blue has been named executive director of The 30th Street Industrial Corridor Corp., formalizing a position she has been in on an interim basis since July.
Blue also will be executive director of business improvement district #37.
“Cheryl’s experience as a resident and an organizer within the neighborhoods surrounding The Corridor will act as a real force to enable the businesses and residents to act together to add real value to The Corridor,” said Ted Matkom, Wisconsin market president of Gorman & Co. Inc. and president of The Corridor’s board.
Blue was born and raised on Milwaukee’s north side and graduated from North Division High School and the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
She joined The Corridor in 2015 as development manager after having worked in the nonprofit sector in Milwaukee and Philadelphia for a number of years. Her experience includes direct service, program management, grant writing, community engagement and project coordination.
“She has a fearless and positive attitude as she continues to remind those around her that ‘We all in this together,’ especially when it comes to engaging businesses with the residents,” said Beth Sahagian-Allsop, president of the BID board and owner of Vanguard Sculpture Services. “The inclusive nature of her narrative is what we believe will make the 30th Street Corridor a great place to live and do business.”
The 30th Street corridor stretches from Hampton Avenue on the north to Highland Boulevard on the south and is bounded by 27th and 35th streets on the east and west.
The corporation is a 25-year-old nonprofit that works to restore and maintain the economic vitality of a region that was once home to thousands of industrial jobs. The city has invested millions into the Century City Business Park at the heart of the corridor, near 31st Street and Capitol Drive. The site was formerly home to A.O. Smith and then Tower Automotive.
Blue noted the corridor was once home to some of the most successful industrial business in the country.
“The surrounding neighborhoods were populated with African-Americans that held the highest standard of living for African-Americans in America in 1960,” she said. “It is time that we work to restore this great legacy, and we can only do it together.”
