Real Estate and Development | Economic Development
Senior vice president and executive director
Milwaukee 7 | Milwaukee
Before Milwaukee Tool decided to move 1,200 employees to downtown Milwaukee, before Amazon began building its sprawling Oak Creek distribution center or before gummy bear maker Haribo chose Kenosha as its first North American manufacturing facility, Milwaukee 7 was busy courting them to the region. As a senior vice president with the economic development organization, Jim Paetsch has been deeply involved in the major business deals happening in Milwaukee over the past 17 years. In 2021, he also assumed the role of M7 executive director.
Education: Bachelor’s, Northern Illinois University; master’s, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Northwestern University
Favorite place to visit: “A three-day trip to New York is always high on my list. Also greatly enjoy the Basque region of Spain.”
First car: “1970 Plymouth Barracuda, which was a rocket ship. I had it for only nine months, which was probably best for all concerned.”
Biggest risk you’ve ever taken: “I proposed to my wife by pulling over at the top of the Hoan Bridge in Milwaukee. That’s a long ride down the other side if the answer had been, ‘Well, perhaps we can discuss this later.’”
Nonprofit cause that has special meaning to you: “Literacy Services of Wisconsin, which provides adult literacy classes and tutoring for learners across southeastern Wisconsin.”