For Immediate Release

Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) Sheds Light on Impact of State Budget on Walworth County
WISTAX President To Be Featured Speaker at Business Briefs Breakfast Meeting July 10

ELKHORN, Wis. — (June 29, 2009) — Todd A. Berry, President, Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) will be the guest speaker at The Walworth County Economic Development Association’s (WCEDA) July 10 Business Briefs Breakfast Meeting at 8 a.m., with a continental breakfast beginning at 7:30 a.m.  The meeting, sponsored by WCEDA, will be held at the Elkhorn Campus, 400 County Road H, in Room 112. The topic is “The Wisconsin State Budget - The Dollars and Their Impact.” Attendees will learn the budget scope and its impact on taxpayers and area businesses. The meeting is open to the public. For reservations or membership information, contact Fred Burkhardt at (262)741-8528.

Todd Berry has been President of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX) since 1994. His career spans the public, private and nonprofit sectors. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, he was Assistant Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue and Executive Director of the Governor's Tax Reform Commission. From 1983 to 1993, he was a marketing executive with one of Wisconsin's oldest family firms. Todd served as a member of the Dane County Board, the Jefferson School Board and the CESA #2 Board of Control. He also served 14 years on the North Central College (IL) Board of Trustees.  A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Todd holds Master's degrees in Planning/Policy Analysis (Harvard) and Business Administration (University of Chicago).

The monthly Business Briefs Breakfast features regionally and nationally known speakers presenting topics of timely interest to the business community.The June meeting featured representatives from the Walworth County Visitors Bureau who discussed the economic impact of tourism on the area.

The Walworth County Visitors’ Bureau (WCVB), located at 203 East Walworth Street, Elkhorn, WI, is dedicated to promoting tourism throughout Walworth County, Wisconsin. The Bureau is located in a historic building featuring antiques and vintage items, where visitors can browse through area travel literature and enjoy WIFI and a coffee bar. Lake Geneva, one of the County’s more well-known destinations, was named among the 2009 Dozen Distinctive Destinations by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington, D.C. For additional information, contact the WCVB at (262) 723-3980 or visit its website at www.VisitWalworthCounty.com.

WCEDA is the only county-wide business development and support organization in Walworth County. It is committed to ensuring that its members have the three most critical forms of support: 1) Individualized, affordable consulting services including business planning, marketing, succession planning and business expansion assistance; 2) business education and training through the nationally recognized Kauffman Foundation FastTrac entrepreneurial programming; and 3) monthly quality business-to-business networking and showcasing opportunities. WCEDA is a certified provider of: Kauffman Foundation for Entrepreneurship Programming; Edward Lowe Foundation -  2nd State Entrepreneurship Programming; University of Minnesota Duluth - Business Retention, Expansion and Attraction Programming; and the USDA - Rural Development Revolving Loan Fund. For additional information, visit www.walworthbusiness.com or call (262)741-8528.

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Contacts:

Name: Fred Burkhardt
Company: Walworth County Economic Development Alliance
Phone: 262-741-8528
Email: fred.burhardt@walworthbusiness.com

Name: Marilyn McGair
Company: Marketing Images
Phone: (262) 523-3940 Ext: 102
Cell phone: (262) 751-9403
Email: marilyn@marketingimages.com