Keisha N. Harrison has been selected to serve as the Madison Public Market’s first Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the board of directors of the Madison Public Market Foundation announced on Monday.
In this role, Harrison will “have responsibility for shepherding the final phases of the facility construction, leading the tenant build-out phase, and establishing the Madison Public Market as the premier regional market location,” according to a press release from the Market. The City of Madison is currently repurposing the former Fleet Service Building at the high-traffic corner of First and East Johnson streets along the bustling East Washington corridor in downtown Madison.
“I’m thrilled to join the vibrant community of Madison as CEO of the Madison Public Market Foundation. Together, we will create a dynamic and inclusive space that celebrates local food and entrepreneurship, and brings fresh opportunities to our city,” Harrison said in a statement.
Harrison was most recently the executive director of the Indianapolis City Market Corporation where she led activities related to the operation and restoration of the historic city market. She earned a bachelor of arts degree in English at Dartmouth College and a master of science degree in Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Harrison will provide strategic, operational, and financial leadership while fulfilling the mission and vision of the MPMF and the Market, according to a press release, “to create a vibrant, year-round public marketplace where entrepreneurs and businesses owned and operated by women, first-generation immigrants and people of color can get their start.”
Harrison will begin her position as CEO in mid-July. The Market is currently scheduled to open in late spring 2025.
