The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) has named Buckley Brinkman to serve as the organization’s executive director and chief executive officer.
In this role, Brinkman will oversee the operations and management of WMEP, a nonprofit consulting organization that provides services to help Wisconsin’s small and midsize manufacturers grow and succeed. He also will lead WMEP’s advocacy efforts on behalf of state manufacturers, which include research studies, educational programs and initiatives to promote competitiveness, exports and sustainability.
“WMEP has a proven track record in providing services that deliver exceptional results to Wisconsin manufacturers,” Brinkman said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to build on the success of this terrific organization, and lead efforts to achieve our mission to make Wisconsin the best manufacturing economy in the world.”
Brinkman served as president and chief operating officer of U.S. Music Corp., an Illinois-based musical instrument manufacturer, and as chief operating officer of Minneapolis-based Manchester Companies, where he received the Turnaround of the Year award for his work with a medical device manufacturer. Most recently, he served as president of Vallon LLC, a Minneapolis-based interim executive placement firm.
“We’re very pleased to have Buckley Brinkman on board and wish him the best as he takes the helm of WMEP,” said Mike Erwin, chair of WMEP’s board of directors and president of Menomonee Falls-based Tailored Label Products Inc. “He is an enthusiastic and energetic proponent of manufacturing who will be a tremendous asset to the organization.”
Brinkman fills the position vacated by Mike Klonsinski, who left WMEP in January to become deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.
