The Changing World of International

The global marketplace is constantly changing and the Department of Commerce (Commerce) is adapting its strategies and organization to meet new challenges and opportunities. Commerce's Division of International and Export Services is being transformed into the Division of Investment and Export.

Mickey Judkins will head up Commerce's Division of Investment and Export and direct Forward Wisconsin.

The United States continues to be a major destination for foreign direct investment and the declining dollar is increasing this country's attractiveness. Encouraging overseas companies to locate facilities in Wisconsin will be added to the division's existing role of helping Wisconsin companies export. The Division will be headed by Mickey Judkins who will also direct the activities of Forward Wisconsin staff with oversight from Forward's board of directors.

"Mickey Judkins is a successful business owner with a strong sales and marketing background," said Commerce Secretary Mary Burke. "She will be a real asset to export development and in selling Wisconsin around the nation and around the world as a prime location for business development." Secretary Burke noted that the recently passed state budget includes $1.4 million over the biennium to help Forward Wisconsin and the Investment and Export Division promote Wisconsin as an optimum site for business development.

From 1987-present, Judkins has been owner/president of Details, Inc., Eau Claire, a fine apparel retail store, and since 1995 owner/president of Details Direct, an e-commerce site. She has been a partner since 1990 in Rochon Land Investments, also of Eau Claire. She has an extensive background in community service. In 2006, Governor Jim Doyle appointed her to the Healthy Wisconsin Task Force. Since 2004, she has served on the Wisconsin Development Finance Board, which oversees Commerce's Wisconsin Development Fund for business development. In 2003, she was president of the Eau Claire Economic Development Corporation (ECDC) (2003), and served on the ECDC board of directors from 2001-04. She has been a member since 2003 of the Eau Claire Chamber of Commerce Good Government Council. Judkins has a BA in Sociology from UW-Eau Claire.

Secretary Burke noted that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) recently adopted by the Forward Wisconsin board of directors will result in better coordination of Wisconsin's business attraction efforts, improved strategic marketing efforts, and more effective use of existing resources. Forward Wisconsin will retain its status as a nonprofit corporation, but it will no longer have a president, freeing up additional funding for business attraction.

"It is important to mobilize all of our development resources in the effort to attract new businesses to Wisconsin," Secretary Burke said. "Forward staff, Commerce staff, and local development professionals will work together as an effective team to encourage more businesses to locate facilities and headquarters in Wisconsin."

-- Stanley Pfrang