Forward Janesville - TheReport -Second Quarter 2022

Fond Farewells Gale Price, former City of Janesville Economic Development Director Twenty years after coming to Janesville, former City of Janesville Economic Development Director Gale Price said he did not imagine that he would still be here or that he would be doing what he is today, as the new Vice President of Business Banking at Blackhawk Bank. Looking back, the completion of the Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club project highlighted Price’s construction background and led to City Manager Steve Sheiffer and Community Development Director Brad Cantrell asking Price to take over the building division. “This is something that I said I would never do. The old saying ‘never say never ’ came true. I was fortunate to have a great team. I learned a lot about supervising a skilled group, finding the grey in the regulations to help clients, and the importance of collectively working with businesses to help keep them on track,” said Price. “There were challenges, like some citizens feeling not enough time was being placed on building enforcement, that I was too heavy handed in the demolition of the old Case Feed building, or that the review process was too cumbersome and difficult. It is at times challenging to satisfy everyone in a diverse community.” Price’s experience working with diverse interests truly came into its own in his next role. “When the Economic Development Director job opened, another life redirection presented itself with the opportunity to bring all my experiences together for the benefit of the community. I could be a stronger advocate for business, lay out the processes for clients, provide guidance to avoid the hiccups, and put together deals that advanced the goals of the Rock County Development Alliance, Forward Janesville, and the City,” he said. “I also had the opportunity to work alongside and be mentored by Rock County’s James Otterstein and Forward Janesville’s John Beckord. Together with the help of supportive councils, teammates, and administration, there were great things achieved in my last seven years at City Hall.” These great things included more than 40 projects, $350 million-plus in investment, and an incredible Janesville evolution. “Seeing projects complete, and knowing residents have opportunities that were not available before, was the most fulfilling piece of the job. Educating the community on Tax Increment Financing, why it is a good thing, and why the City must be a partner with the business community was probably the most challenging thing. Some people believe that TIF is just a handout, but any project needs to have a return on the investment for a developer or a financial institution to make the investment. Janesville is a better community because of its economic development strategy,” said Price. So, what is Price most looking forward to now in his new role? “Today, I get to continue to use all my experiences, skills, and relationships to continue to help the community achieve the same goals, just from a different chair at the table.” Paul Woodard, former City of Janesville Director of Public Works The winner of the 2018 APWA Top Ten Public Works Leaders of the Year—a coveted national recognition— Paul Woodard spent nearly four decades in public service, serving one state transportation agency and a handful of different communities in Wisconsin and Illinois, before finishing out his career in Janesville as Director of Public Works. "It was a pleasure working for the City of Janesville and working with the various downtown groups, ARISE Now, Forward Janesville, DJI, the BID. It was rewarding working with those groups and the community on the revitalization of downtown and the Town Square improvements,” said Woodard. During his tenure, Paul oversaw: the construction of the central fire station project, the replacement of all city-owned streetlights with energy-saving LEDs, the removal of Monterey Dam, and the replacement of the Milwaukee Street bridge and removal of the parking plaza over the Rock River, and he worked with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation on the design of the I39/90 interstate corridor reconstruction through the city, incorporating about one million dollars of Community Sensitive Design features. Woodard was also an integral part of many of the ARISE downtown revitalization plan elements, including the multimillion-dollar public-private ARISE Town Square transformation. “There were challenges along the way on the Town Square project—like any other construction project—but we were able to successfully work through them to accomplish a great end-product. It was truly a private/public partnership that will benefit the Janesville community for years to come,” he said. Fresh Faces Jimsi Kuborn, City of Janesville Economic Development Director Arguably one of the most vital roles in our community, the search for a new City of Janesville Economic Development Director to replace Gale Price was extensive and thorough. At the close of the process, one clear candidate emerged: Jimsi Kuborn. Kuborn comes to Janesville with an impressive track record of community involvement, which includes serving as Chair of the SATX Regional Partnership and membership in the International Economic Development Council, the Urban Land Institute, and the Alamo Area Council of Government. “Born and raised in the Rockford area, I started my career in the real estate sector, progressing into marketing, business development, assisting small start-up businesses, and then eventually recruited into economic development. I have been an ED professional for approximately nine years. I am now a self-proclaimed economic development geek. I started this path working for the Rockford Area Janesville Rising Laura Barten • Barten & Associate If it takes a village to raise a child, what does it take to raise a city? An infrastructure teeming with talented professionals pushing for smart and sustainable development, perhaps? If so, our region is fortunate to have played host to and welcomed more than our fair share of forward-thinking leaders. “Seeing projects complete, and knowing residents have opportunities that were not available before, was the most fulfilling piece of the job. Educating the community on Tax Increment Financing, why it is a good thing, and why the City must be a partner with the business community was probably the most challenging thing.” • Gale Price "It was a pleasure working for the City of Janesville and working with the various downtown groups, ARISE Now, Forward Janesville, DJI, the BID. It was rewarding working with those groups and the community on the revitalization of downtown and the Town Square improvements.” • Paul Woodard 6 • W W W . F O R W A R D J A N E S V I L L E . C O M