Missy Hughes will serve as the next secretary and chief executive officer of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp., Gov. Tony Evers announced Thursday.
Hughes will begin her new role on Oct. 1, according to a news release. She will become the final member of Evers’ cabinet team.
Hughes has served as chief mission officer and general counsel for Organic Valley/CROPP cooperative since 2003, and has also served as a member of the Organic Trade Association since 2013. She has previously served on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Advisory Committee on Biotechnology & 21st Century Agriculture.
“Having worked in a high-growth business for many years, with the goal of helping farmers stay on their farms now and for the coming generations, I am excited to bring my experience to the Evers Administration, and I look forward to helping all of Wisconsin thrive,” Hughes said in the release.
During the lame-duck session following Evers’ election last year, Republican lawmakers prevented the incoming governor from immediately appointing a new head of WEDC. Evers announced in July that he was launching a search to replace former secretary and CEO Mark Hogan. Evers wasn’t able to make a new appointment until Sept. 1.
“With her background helping small businesses and family farms, coupled with her experience navigating complex governmental, regulatory, trade, and business matters, Missy Hughes will be an incredible asset to our team as we work to grow an economy that works for everyone,” Evers said in the release. “I look forward to working with Ms. Hughes as we connect the dots on economic development in a way that encourages entrepreneurship and innovation while supporting our farm economy, our manufacturers, and the Main Street businesses, start-ups, and large-scale companies that help our communities grow.”
