MONROE - Michael Johnson, the new executive director of Green County Development Corporation, was reveling in his office this week, looking out a window from the second floor of the historic county Courthouse onto the Square in downtown Monroe.
"I miss the history and the culture," said Johnson, who hails from Hudson, a historic river town east of Minneapolis-St. Paul - "on the right side of the river," he added.
Johnson is back in Wisconsin, after several years of work and education that took him as far away as University of Oklahoma Economic Institute. He started his job with GCDC Sept. 25, replacing Anna Schramke who retired.
With his first degree in city and regional planning from Iowa State University, Johnson took a job as an assistant city planner in Norwalk, Iowa, south of Des Moines, and was later promoted to director of planning and building.
But as he advanced his training in economic development, he found his niche.
"I enjoy economic development more than code enforcement," he said.
Johnson and his wife Audrey, who is from Waterloo, Iowa, "wanted to get back to Wisconsin," he said, "and closer to family."
They drew a circle on the map - an area that would place them closer to her hometown and Lodi, where his parents now live.
"This (job) came open at a perfect time," he said. Returning from a visit to his parents this summer, he drove through the county and "loved downtown Monroe."
"It's busy all day long," he said, nodding to his observation window.
One little hitch came about during his scheduled interviews with the GCDC board - Henry, his and Audrey's first baby, was born Aug. 11 in Des Moines. Johnson said the board was very accommodating about rescheduling.
GCDC's new 3-year strategic plan, which outlines the organization's goals and schedules accomplishments, is a "great document," Johnson said.
His "first thing" to do is really multiple things written on colored sticky notes lining the edge of his desk.
He wants to get the county's new brand, "There's an art to it," infused into the GCDC website and printed materials. And he said he needs to make contacts and meet people, which include every municipal government body and just about every business owner in the county.
"I will really press business retention and expansion," he said. "When 80 percent of job growth comes from your current businesses, you want to spend about that much time with it. But we will burn our tails off to get new business."
The GCDC strategic plan calls for the director to contact regularly business with at least 50 employees, but Johnson wants to contact smaller businesses and schools too.
All those contacts will hopefully reveal to him how to work out any workforce issues that Green County is facing.
"We have the (training) resources, if there is a need," he said.
"I miss the history and the culture," said Johnson, who hails from Hudson, a historic river town east of Minneapolis-St. Paul - "on the right side of the river," he added.
Johnson is back in Wisconsin, after several years of work and education that took him as far away as University of Oklahoma Economic Institute. He started his job with GCDC Sept. 25, replacing Anna Schramke who retired.
With his first degree in city and regional planning from Iowa State University, Johnson took a job as an assistant city planner in Norwalk, Iowa, south of Des Moines, and was later promoted to director of planning and building.
But as he advanced his training in economic development, he found his niche.
"I enjoy economic development more than code enforcement," he said.
Johnson and his wife Audrey, who is from Waterloo, Iowa, "wanted to get back to Wisconsin," he said, "and closer to family."
They drew a circle on the map - an area that would place them closer to her hometown and Lodi, where his parents now live.
"This (job) came open at a perfect time," he said. Returning from a visit to his parents this summer, he drove through the county and "loved downtown Monroe."
"It's busy all day long," he said, nodding to his observation window.
One little hitch came about during his scheduled interviews with the GCDC board - Henry, his and Audrey's first baby, was born Aug. 11 in Des Moines. Johnson said the board was very accommodating about rescheduling.
GCDC's new 3-year strategic plan, which outlines the organization's goals and schedules accomplishments, is a "great document," Johnson said.
His "first thing" to do is really multiple things written on colored sticky notes lining the edge of his desk.
He wants to get the county's new brand, "There's an art to it," infused into the GCDC website and printed materials. And he said he needs to make contacts and meet people, which include every municipal government body and just about every business owner in the county.
"I will really press business retention and expansion," he said. "When 80 percent of job growth comes from your current businesses, you want to spend about that much time with it. But we will burn our tails off to get new business."
The GCDC strategic plan calls for the director to contact regularly business with at least 50 employees, but Johnson wants to contact smaller businesses and schools too.
All those contacts will hopefully reveal to him how to work out any workforce issues that Green County is facing.
"We have the (training) resources, if there is a need," he said.