Governor Doyle Names Zach Brandon Executive Assistant of Department of Commerce

MADISON – Governor Jim Doyle today announced the appointment of Zach Brandon as Executive Assistant of the Department of Commerce.

“Zach Brandon is a young entrepreneur whose knowledge of Wisconsin business will prove valuable to the Department of Commerce,” Governor Doyle said. “With his talent and vision, we will grow businesses in Wisconsin, create the jobs of tomorrow, and help Wisconsin companies compete in the global marketplace.”

“I am grateful to Governor Doyle for the opportunity to continue my public service as part of his administration,” Brandon said. “I will utilize my experience in both the private and public sector to help the exceptional team in the Department of Commerce energize growth and support retention and expansion of business within the state, while enthusiastically representing Governor Doyle’s economic development agenda.”

Brandon, 35, was part of the executive management team of three start-up companies, most recently President and COO of Laundry 101, which in 2003 topped USA Today’s “Best Places” to do laundry. He has been elected to the Madison City Common Council in 2003 and re-elected in 2005 and 2007, and is a member of the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission. As a Madison alder, Brandon helped create the Department of Economic Development and authored and passed a cutting edge workforce ordinance that requires contractors who do business with the city to provide apprenticeship programs and training, giving more Madison residents opportunities to obtain family supporting skilled labor jobs.

The Department of Commerce has approximately 400 employees who provide development assistance in areas such as marketing, business and community finance, exporting, and small business advocacy. The department issues professional credentials for the construction trades and administers safety and building codes. Commerce also regulates petroleum products and tank systems and administers the Petroleum Environmental Clean-up Fund.

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