Seal of Dane County County of Dane
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County Executive's Office

Falk Announces Staff Changes

April 09, 2004
Topf Wells, 266-9069-w, 231-3037-h
County Executive

Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk today announced that Jim Arts, the County’s Director of Policy Innovation and Program Improvement, is leaving county service on April 23rd. Falk has appointed Elizabeth Kluesner to fill that position. Falk said: “Jim has done a great job over the last four years. He has been especially productive in helping the county meet land use, transportation, and agricultural challenges in the near and far future. Jim played a key role in bringing communities together to preserve their quality of life in the face of the Highway 12 projects. He developed innovative and effective ways for the county to support traditional and new forms of agriculture. He led the effort to identify solutions to the environmental challenges posed by the U.W. power plant. Finally, he has been a tremendous help to me in developing Attain Dane!, my proposal to improve the way Dane County grows for the next fifty years. I thank Jim for his great work and wish him the best in his future endeavors.” Elizabeth Kluesner has served the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from 1992-2004 as the agency’s Permit Coordinator, Legislative Liaison, and, most recently, as Executive Assistant to DNR Secretary Scott Hassett. In those positions, Ms. Kluesner has worked closely with environmental and business organizations on a variety of complex, regulatory issues. Falk commented: “We are very lucky to have Elizabeth joining Dane County government. She has worked on some of the most difficult issues facing the DNR in terms of environmental protection and economic development. She has demonstrated great results in her work and, very important to me, has always done so by treating people with the utmost respect and honesty. She has the sharp intellect and the positive, helpful communication skills to help us find better ways to protect the natural resources and promote the healthy growth of our Dane County communities.” Ms. Kluesner will focus on long-term programs and innovations designed to protect natural resources, promote sustainable economic development, improve transportation, and strengthen agriculture. Among her specific responsibilities are Attain Dane!, Transport 2020, and the ongoing efforts to coordinate traffic improvements and well-planned development in the Highway 151/C intersection area. Ms. Kluesner, her husband, Dave, and their two children, Katherine and Teddy, live in Waunakee. She has a Master’s in Public Administration from the LaFollette Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her B.S. from UW Madison. The Director of Policy Innovation & Program Improvement is a half-time position; Ms. Kluesner’s starting salary will be $40,133. # # #
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