Ald. Brandon tabbed as executive assistant in Department of Commerce
Gov. Jim Doyle has picked Madison Alder Zach Brandon for the job as executive assistant in the Department of Commerce.
Brandon, 35, has served as Alder from District 7 on the city's southwest side since being first elected in 2003 and won re-election when he was unopposed in both 2005 and 2007.
Doyle tapped him for the high-ranking job in the Department when the agency is without a leader. Former Department of Commerce Secretary Jack L. Fischer resigned from office on July 16 after questions were raised about his spending on state-paid trips to Europe.
On the Common Council, Brandon has gained a reputation as a budget conservative, but he and Doyle were both early supporters of the presidential bid of U.S. Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill. Brandon, at one time in 2007, was the only elected official in Wisconsin who was endorsing Obama.
In his appointment of Brandon to the executive assistant post in Commerce, Doyle pointed to Brandon's experience as an owner and operator of a small business as among his qualifications.
"Zach Brandon is a young entrepreneur whose knowledge of Wisconsin business will prove valuable to the Department of Commerce," Doyle said. "With his talent and vision, we will grow businesses in Wisconsin, create the jobs of tomorrow, and help companies compete in the global marketplace," the governor said.
Brandon has most recently been running Laundry 101, a laundry which in 2003 topped the USA Today's list of "Best Places" to do laundry.
Along with his council duties, he has been a member of the Capital Area Regional Planning Commission and helped create both the Department of Economic Development while on the council as well as an ordinance that requires contractors who do business with the city to provide apprenticeship programs and training.
The Department of Commerce employs about 400 people, providing development assistance to businesses, issuing professional credentials for the construction trades and administering safety and building codes. The department also regulates petroleum products and tank systems.
Brandon
