Talent attraction - Who’s making Greater Green Bay home?

Fresh perspectives on Greater Green Bay –

Six people’s stories

The reasons people move to Greater Green Bay abound – career opportunities, they’re “accompanying talent” to a spouse or partner pursuing a career opportunity, family ties to the area, and let’s be honest, some are just plain die-hard Green Bay Packers fans who want to live in the shadows of Lambeau Field. In many cases, though, what they think about the community before arriving here and what they come to realize after immersing themselves in life here can be downright transformative and enlightening. That’s part of what’s prompting the work on talent attraction as part of the Greater Green Bay Economic Development Plan. (We’ll save the intricate details on what that all entails for another day, but work includes a community website to tell our story, co-branded advertising materials for employers and more.)

With talent attraction weighing heavily on the minds of employers across Greater Green Bay, there’s nothing like having someone share their experience here to learn what about our community clicks with them. Following, we share six stories of individuals who have relocated to the community and are finding ways to establish roots here.

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Green Bay “growing” in the right direction

By Katrina Marshall

As a Texas “transplant” now living in Howard, Preston D. Cherry, Ph.D., is a Certified Financial Planner™ (CFP®) with more than 14 years’ industry experience, as well as founder and president of Concurrent Financial Planning, LLC. Last April he made a long-term commitment moving to Greater Green Bay, simultaneously running his business virtually and teaching as an assistant professor of finance at the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay (UWGB).

“The university is all about growth and momentum,” said Dr. Cherry, whose role includes publishing financial planning-based academic research, as well as leading courses on household insurance, retirement and estate planning for the next generation of financial planners. He enjoys having transformative conversations with students about financial wellbeing and financial literacy, “bringing it back around.”

“We’re always learning; otherwise we’re not advancing our purpose in life,” he said. “Mentorship toward helping students become better people so that they can make sound decisions themselves ... that’s what we do, and that’s our great responsibility as educators.”

Dr. Cherry also is responsible for helping to build UWGB’s CFP Board® Registered Financial Planning Program. With a CFP® designation being the globally recognized top designation in the financial planning industry, goals of the developing program include increasing the number of financial planning internships and entry-level jobs in the area, as well as connecting with professionals to build a network of national resources and relationships.

“This program is so important to the Northeast Wisconsin community: Residents, students, financial planning firms...it’s really an opportunity to link everyone through sound personal finance practice,” he said. “We’re future-minded and like to attract people to come in and stay. It’s exciting to be a part of that growth and vision.”

Dr. Cherry draws parallels between the growth of this new program and the growth of Green Bay as a city and Greater Green Bay as a community.

“The Cofrin School of Business is growing continuously and extending its identity to this area. Likewise, the nucleus of Green Bay is trying to push forward, elevate the area and keep the city growing. It takes vision to do that; from the refurbished buildings downtown to the convention center to TitletownTech, I can just see the vision of what greater Green Bay aspires to be. It’s really refreshing.”

Originally from the international hub of Houston, Dr. Cherry believes a vibrant depth of diversity—in ethnicity, age and thought—is “probably the number-one gift of a city.” This “melting pot” aesthetic, combined with a midtown, family-oriented feel, hard work ethic, team spirit and Packers football pride, “are part of the nucleus of Green Bay. All that is what brought me here. And I’m glad to have neighboring cultural centers like Chicago right down the street!”

Dr. Cherry is a self-proclaimed believer in becoming an active member of any community he calls home. “Greater Green Bay is going to be my home for a while, for the foreseeable future, and I want to be a part of it,” he said. “Because I’m an entrepreneur and a business owner, I’m a champion of chambers of commerce.” He also “puts his money where his mouth is,” serving on several national and local boards, including the UWGB Council on Diversity and Inclusion.

“Wisconsin is unique socially; I’ve always watched it from afar,” said Dr. Cherry. “It’s been very welcoming. I’m glad to be a part of this growth stage of Greater Green Bay. I see cities all the time trying to grow; it takes both the leadership and the community to push forward. This area, with its vision and mission, is going in the right direction—and doing a fairly good job, because they got me here! It’s been a good journey.”

Midwestern values provide foundation for crosscountry perspective

By Katrina Marshall

While living in Los Angeles, Green Bayborn Tyler Ellison, co-founder and CEO of ChemDirect, was known as “the guy with the 40-foot hello.”

“That’s what we do in the Midwest!” he said. “It’s different. You don’t have that appreciation if you’ve never been here and come back. I think moving around gives great perspective.”

Throughout his career Ellison worked and resided in several major cities across the country, including Dallas and Portland. But his Midwestern roots run deep, and in 2019 they guided him back to Greater Green Bay—this time to start a business of his own.

Ellison was based in Chicago when he had the idea for what eventually would become ChemDirect, the first purpose-built e-commerce marketplace in the $5 trillion chemical market, funded by Microsoft. He made the decision to “go right to the top” and reached out directly to Craig Dickman, managing director of (then newly established) TitletownTech in his hometown. Not long after, Ellison traveled to Green Bay, where he met with Dickman and the TitletownTech team to continue the conversation that literally defined his next move.

“As an entrepreneur there are many appeals to the Midwest and a couple of key differences,” said Ellison. “Generationally in the Midwest, there seems to be a lack of entitlement, and a symmetry between effort and results. Everything you do, you have to work for. I think that’s just a mindset that’s passed on.” In a similar vein, Ellison noted a different work ethic here that he did not necessarily encounter during his myriad travels and employ. “In some of the coastal regions, I think people wake up every day thinking, ‘What can my employer do for me today?’ Here it’s more like, ‘What can I do for my employer?’ People feel compelled to contribute. There’s a level of humility in the Midwest that’s just better.”

With TitletownTech developed as a place to build, enable and invest in early-stage businesses, Ellison describes the organization’s value system as “very Midwestern.”

“Conceptually when you pitch an idea, investors either get it or they don’t. But here you could just feel the positive energy,” said Ellison. Instead of questioning, “What is our return?” or “What are the numbers?”, he recalled the group inquiring about, “What support is needed to make the business succeed?” and, “What can we do to make sure that this business wins?”

After successfully securing an investment relationship and office space with TitletownTech, ChemDirect launched in August 2018 and moved to its current location in March 2019. Today it is a thriving digital marketplace designed specifically for the chemical industry. The online company offers an innovative way to purchase and discover chemicals—just “point, click and buy!” Customers can shop hundreds of thousands of products from vetted and reputable manufacturers. risk any time you start a business. I think that risk is mitigated when you surround yourself with people of common values.” His like- minded and tech-savvy colleagues include several interns and recent college graduates, as well as fellow “boomerang” employees originally from the area who returned after spending time living and working as far away as Chicago, Los Angeles and even Europe.

“The worst thing to do is to have regrets. There are so many people with great ideas who can’t muster up the courage to pursue them. Doing so in an area of common values gives you a lot more confidence.”

As a native of this area, Ellison recalls a time when the Greater Green Bay brand was heavily industrial. He explained that employees of local paper mills and trucking companies, and even his own grandfather who was a Wisconsin farmer, have a great work ethic and provided the broad shoulders on which the community stands.

“It is now a much stronger industrial technology center. Here, the heads of big businesses have heard about us and know about us. You can showcase the TitletownTech offices and attract really great talent,” he said. “There’s a real intent and intentionality that the community wants to evolve their brand.”

To learn more about Ellison and ChemDirect, visit chemdirect.com.

For more information about TitletownTech, visit titletowntech.com.

Proactive positivity paves path to Packers

By Katrina Marshall

Joidon Jennings, digital UX coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, spent her 2020 Thanksgiving holiday and birthday weekend relocating to the area by way of Baltimore. Her first impression of Titletown?

“In a way, it reminds me of growing up in Alabama,” she said. “It’s slower than Baltimore, kind of like Southern charm. I feel like I can actually breathe. It’s refreshing.”

Although still getting used to the snow,

Jennings is enthusiastic about being a fresh transplant in the area. So far much of her shopping has been done at the Packers Pro Shop (“I didn’t know the variety of things they had!”) and she is open to local recommendations. “It’s a good change of scenery,” she said. “In Baltimore, everyone’s in a rush to get everywhere. Here, people let you merge over into lanes and wave at you! They say ‘thank you’ and hold open doors!” And speaking of doors ...

“Sports have really opened a lot of doors for me,” said Jennings, whose “team-first attitude” and journey into the world of athletics began at a young age playing basketball. “I encourage everyone to be part of a team,” she said, citing how one can learn to see things bigger than oneself and learn responsibility.

Jennings earned a basketball scholarship to attend the University of North Alabama, where she was a member of the women’s team, but soon realized that playing professionally was not going to be a realistic option moving forward. Instead she set her sights on a strategic trajectory to work behind the scenes, majoring in sports management before transferring to Miles College to concentrate on public relations and journalism.

“I found a passion for reporting, seeing sports through a different lens on and off the court,” she said. “Press releases, media guides, learning the design aspects…I discovered what I liked and didn’t like.”

But after graduating from Miles College in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Media Studies and still no clear idea of what she wanted to do full-time, Jennings decided to continue her education. In 2018, she pursued a Master of Computer Applications degree from Alabama State, which she received in 2019 while staying professionally active as the university’s sports information assistant.

“I had a lot of responsibilities, covering events from women’s basketball, softball and track and field to men’s soccer,” said Jennings, who explained that people generally see the “glamorous” side of working in sports—not necessarily the roundabout way of getting there, 40- to 60-hour internship work weeks, holidays spent away from home and need for constant availability in case of breaking news. “Being a woman in sports…I think that’s another challenge ahead of me: Managing work-life balance. But I knew what I wanted, and I knew that working in sports was something I wanted to do,” she said.

During the next few months, Jennings networked on social media and at numerous sports-related career fairs. She even paid for her own plane ticket and hotel when invited to attend the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. One Atlanta area hiring event in particular was “a wake-up call. I got a lot of positive feedback and constructive criticism. It was a good indication that I was on the right track, but I still saw that I needed to set myself apart,” she said.

Several interviews later, Jennings secured a digital media internship with the Baltimore Ravens and moved out East, achieving the first step of her dream to work in the professional sports industry. “Just believing in myself…that was a big turning point,” she said. Her next turning point came in early 2020 during the pandemic. “I was wrapping up my internship when COVID-19 hit,” said Jennings, who was caught in the midst of a five-month interview process for her current position with the Packers. “The Ravens called me in April and said they got approval from human resources to keep me on for a second season, so I said ‘yes’ and renewed my lease, but kept interviewing with the Packers.” When the Packers called Jennings in the beginning of July and offered her the job, she accepted but did not move here officially until November.

As a self-proclaimed “firm believer” in the Law of Attraction (the idea that positive or negative thoughts herald positive or negative experiences into one’s life), Jennings strives to be positive, confident and encouraging.

“I feel like a lot of times, just because things aren’t happening at the time you want them to, if you’ve been proactive and strategically working toward your goals … anything is possible.”

Community-building and placemaking in Packerland

By Katrina Marshall

“I was lucky enough to meet a Green Bay local in Los Angeles,” said Jackie Krutz, a native Texan who was attending graduate school in California when she met her future husband Michael. “Born and raised in Green Bay, he wanted to experience something outside the Midwest. We spent almost 12 years on the coast before deciding to pick up and move. That’s how I ended up here. I think a lot of other ‘boomerangs’ like him want to come back to be closer to family.”

After more than a decade of traveling to each other’s hometowns, Krutz and her family now reside in Green Bay and regularly visit her in-laws in De Pere. She had experienced the area for about 10 years before actually moving (including attending at least one Green Bay Packers game per visit!) and in that time witnessed the growth and change in Greater Green Bay.

“I remember the old Lombardi Avenue, with the Kmart and other businesses,” she said. “And the transformation of the Broadway District downtown…to see what it is today and how it looks completely different is incredible.”

Krutz has experienced the strategic planning and effort that goes into shaping the heart of a destination. In Los Angeles, she worked for a leading North American land developer and homebuilder, and her role as director of experience and community project manager for Playa Vista expanded significantly after an acquisition. “Much of my expertise has been in communitybuilding and placemaking,” she said. “Playa Vista is a 460-acre mixed-use community with 10,000 homes, two million square feet of commercial space and more than 200,000 square feet of retail space. The challenge was: How does one turn that urban oasis into a home? With that amount of space and that many residents, it’s not an easy feat and actually has been a longterm project for the company since the ’90s.”

While Playa Vista is still in progress, Krutz was instrumental in the goals of Playa Vista of bringing the community together through everything from small social projects and events to very large activities to attract more people. Krutz explains the goal was to retain homeowners who love where they live and share all aspects of the lifestyle with everyone there.

Although she enjoyed her work, Krutz explained that, “it’s tough to raise a family in a large urban city without family nearby.” As she began her job search, Krutz interviewed in Austin and was offered a position, which would have brought her closer to her family, but Michael suggested she also explore career possibilities in Green Bay. He had heard about the new development the Packers were building and thought that it could be a good fit with his wife’s experience.

Krutz’ career exploration highlights the connectivity of this area. “Someone always knows someone who can get you the information you need. So I emailed Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy, said I heard about the new development they were working on, and that I’d love to help build a community for this area.” In 2017, her job as Titletown programs and events manager, and most recently Titletown residential and programs manager for Titletown Development LLC, the real estate development arm of the Packers, fell into place. “Mark emailed me back directly and quickly— and that’s really amazing. I was very humbled to even get a response!” she said.

Today, Krutz’ vast experience in developing other locations is helping to build a stronger community in Titletown and Northeastern Wisconsin. Titletown is a thriving 45-acre mixed-use development just west of Lambeau Field, created with the intent of giving back to the community and offering guests 365 days of fun activities. As a member of both Titletown’s core development team and community relations committee, Krutz is able to use her diverse skill set in a myriad of capacities, including leading the strategic vision for Titletown’s public space by creating and overseeing the planning and production of many daily programs and large events annually.

“There’s really a mindset for future development, continued growth, increase in traffic and guest satisfaction,” said Krutz. “It’s one thing being an avid fan (like my husband) and knowing the Packers are a community-minded organization, but to know they actually live it…for me, I thought, ‘Wow, that shows and says a lot about the leadership within the Packers.’ ”

To learn more about Titletown and upcoming activities, visit titletown.com.

Beyond the reach of a (not-so-small) town

By Katrina Marshall

Originally from Guyana, South America, Jamila Seaton has experienced her share of travel—living in Virginia, attending graduate school in Florida and eventually moving to Wisconsin to work as a senior health care economics analyst for UnitedHealth Group.

“I first visited the area because of friends I met through my cousin’s wife. She went to Lawrence University in Appleton,” said Seaton. “I liked the pace, I liked the energy, I was a Packers fan … and let’s face it: Who wouldn’t want to live near Lambeau Field?!”

At the time, Seaton was living in Tampa and enjoyed her job, but wanted to expand her skills and “work on a few things professionally. I wasn’t being challenged in SAS [a health care programming tool], and that was something I really wanted to do.” When presented with an opportunity to join the team of UnitedHealth Group and turn her attention to analytics, she made the decision to move to Titletown. “My family was probably the most concerned that I hadn’t thought this through, but I said, ‘Why not?’ ”

Six years later, Seaton still loves her job—and the city she now calls home. She explains the health care industry is all about finding solutions, and from her perspective, Green Bay is one of the best places to find solutions because of its population size. “It’s an opportunity to see the impact of intervention a lot faster,” she said.

Looking ahead to UnitedHealth Group’s move to De Pere, Seaton says these are exciting times for the company. “I didn’t know that this is what my career would look like, but I’m very solution- oriented, and when I think about the future, I really hope to get more involved in the business’ leadership and decision-making.” Reflecting on her early years of living in Green Bay, Seaton wishes she had sooner tapped networking and resources like those the Greater Green Bay Chamber provides to learn what activities and businesses exist and get the best understanding of the local (professional) climate. “I think that applies to any new area,” she said, encouraging other ‘transplants’ to do their research and get involved in the community early on.

“The biggest thing that was a surprise that helped make the transition easier is that Green Bay isn’t as isolated as I thought it would be. It has a much bigger reach than I expected, with many big corporations headquartered here! It’s actually a great spot to be in—a good hub from east to west. That’s the appeal of the Midwest for me, from a traveling perspective.

“The other thing is to have patience,” she said. “I think it’s easy to think of Green Bay as a ‘small town,’ and like with many small towns, their traditions and culture are lasting. At first you might feel like an outsider, but the more you learn, the more you realize Green Bay has a much bigger reach, and the people are culturally more open to the concept of ‘other.’ Any time there is a lot of ‘new,’ people have to adjust. I definitely think people want to learn and are curious.”

Today, Seaton remains actively involved with several local initiatives, including the Emerging Leaders Society young professional group of Brown County United Way, the Partners in Education board of the Chamber and Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northeast Wisconsin as a Big Sister and board member. Seaton adds that connecting with the Northeast Wisconsin Alumnae Chapter of her Delta Sigma Theta sorority also gave her a way to “root here a little bit more.”

To learn more about UnitedHealthcare, visit uhc.com.

Safety specialist gets along swimmingly in Greater Green Bay

Taylor Seyfried’s path into the safety world was pretty much a given from early on; her mom is an environmental attorney and her aunt is a safety manager. What wasn’t as well-established was where she would pursue her safety career – one that brought her to Greater Green Bay about a year ago.

Seyfried grew up in Noblesville, Ind., a suburb near Indianapolis. She always was drawn to the water; she lettered in swimming in college, was named academic all-state, her varsity swim team reached state twice, she served as diving team captain and even worked as a lifeguard during her early college years. College took her to the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, and her first internship wasn’t far from there at Nucor Steel Marion, Inc., in Marion, Ohio. What introduced her to a different environment was her second internship in Phoenix with PepsiCo in summer 2016.

“I quickly learned the West Coast isn’t my style. I definitely missed green trees and everything that grows outside [in the Midwest],” she said. “I realized how much I like the seasons and the people in the Midwest.”

After a final co-op for BP in Toledo in summer 2017, Seyfried graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental,

Science & Occupational Health Management. She knew who her employer was before she finished; Georgia-Pacific recruited her during a Future Safety Leaders Conference during her senior year. What she didn’t know was where she’d be heading after participating in the company’s entry-level professional training in Atlanta. Soon, she learned it would be Pennington, Ala. When she saw an opening at Georgia-Pacific in Green Bay, it appealed to her because it was closer to home. She visited Greater Green Bay for the first time in November 2019; like many, she was wowed by Lambeau Field, especially how the stadium is tucked into a neighborhood as well as the developments including Hinterland and the Titletown District. She and her boyfriend (now fiancé), Russell, moved to the area in January 2020. And while she had dabbled in several outdoor winter activities as a native of Indiana, Green Bay was her introduction to ice fishing, one of her favorite pastimes now on the Peshtigo River.

“I like to get up early, go out on the ice, set everything up and sit in the peace and calm and be in sync with nature,” she said.

The couple’s dogs, Rambo and Avery, also tag along; in addition to joining them for ice fishing, they like to go for walks and hikes in the snow although the Alabama-heralding dogs hadn’t been to exposed to snow previously. The foursome likes to walk in their neighborhood, which is on the edge of the Suamico/Pulaski border, as well as visit different dog parks in the area. Dog parks have also been a great social spot for the couple, who have made new friends there as well as through church and their gym. “The community does a great job with public amenities such as dog parks,” she said.

Seyfried appreciates how close they are to Howard if they need to run to the grocery store – it’s about a 15-minute ride – as well as her commute to work in Green Bay.

“It’s a really short commute – the shortest one I’ve had in my life – but it’s enough time to wake up and enjoy my coffee,” she said.

She admits to often stopping at Maplewood Meats on her way home from work; she and Russ count

the meat market’s ribeye steaks among their favorites. They are big fans of charcoal grilling year-round; the night he proposed to her on their patio, under the stars, was one they grilled out for dinner as well.

When they’re not grilling on the patio, the couple enjoys tacos at Vintage Cantina, pizza at Rustique and beer sampling at Badger State Brewing Company and Hinterland. “We were surprised by the number of breweries here,” she said.

Seyfried loves cheese curds, counting Hinterland’s among her favorites, as well as frozen custard from Zesty’s. “I consider myself a cheese curd connoisseur now and try them everywhere. And we have frozen custard back home but this is great,” she said.

She has noticed the variety of neighborhoods in the community as well, each with its own vibe. She likes the contrast between downtown Green Bay, for example, and their county neighborhood in Pulaski, and enjoys elements of both. The couple loves where they live because they have a big backyard for the dogs and it’s quiet and close to a lot of the outdoor activities they enjoy. A new outdoor activity they experienced for the first time this past year was making maple syrup. A friend’s family welcomed them to help tap trees, boil the sap and make maple syrup over a wood-fire stove outdoors. “We loved seeing the whole process from the sap coming out of the tree to just enjoying being outside,” she said.

Seyfried’s safety career aligns well with her personal values, and Georgia-Pacific has offered her opportunities to use her skills and talents while also becoming a more well-rounded person. She is working on further improving her soft skills as well as her knowledge, and adapting to changes as a result of the pandemic. “It’s definitely made me stronger,” she said. “And Georgia-Pacific has been great about investing in me and giving me tools to do my job.”

She’s buoyed by how passionate people are as a whole, including about what they do. “Green Bay definitely moves at a faster pace than the south and that challenges me and everybody else to be stronger and smarter, which is good,” she said. Being new to the community was a little scary, she admits, but when you show your commitment and involvement in the community, people respond, she said. She hasn’t met anyone more friendly than people attending Packers tailgating parties, though; her first tailgate experience was during the playoffs last year. “I was right next to the stadium and people were more relaxed than I thought they’d be,” she said.

Come April 3, the couple will have new reason to toast: They will marry at a location halfway between their two families – in the Smoky Mountains National Park.

Learn more about Georgia-Pacfic at gp.com.