The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) has announced that Jennifer Jin has been named the organization’s new chief legal officer.
Jin previously served as senior legal counsel at Husch Blackwell LLP (formerly Whyte Hirschboeck Dudek, S.C.) in Milwaukee since 2008. Her areas of practice include compliance, audit defense and litigation relating to state and local taxes, and international trade.
The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) leads economic development efforts for the state by advancing and maximizing opportunities in Wisconsin for businesses, communities and people to thrive in a globally competitive environment. Working with more than 600 regional and local partners, WEDC develops and delivers solutions representative of a highly responsive and coordinated economic development network.
“Jennifer has extensive experience in the areas of compliance, state and federal tax law, and international business,” said Mark R. Hogan, secretary and CEO of WEDC, the state’s lead economic development organization. “She will play a key role in ensuring WEDC continues the significant progress we have made in adhering to the highest levels of ethics, transparency and accountability, and will provide strong legal guidance in the development of programs to support Wisconsin’s businesses and communities.”
Jin replaces Hannah Renfro, who joined the Department of Commerce in October 2010 and played an instrumental role in the formation of WEDC, according to the agency. Jin currently chairs the Wisconsin State Bar International Practice Section and is a board member of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s World Trade Association.
“Jenn has long been a champion for Wisconsin businesses in her private practice,” said Paul Eberle, Husch Blackwell’s Milwaukee-based deputy chief executive officer. “The expertise she has developed at Husch Blackwell, particularly in international trade and tax law, is a terrific fit for WEDC’s mission of maximizing opportunities for Wisconsinites in a complex global marketplace.”
Jin earned her bachelor of science degree in finance from the University of Illinois and earned her juris doctor at the University of Notre Dame. She also has a graduate certificate in state and local taxation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Jin will join WEDC on May 15.
