Melissa Hunt Receives WEDA Andy Lisak Young Professional Award

The Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA) recognized Melissa Hunt as one of two 2022 Andy Lisak Young Professional Award winners at the 2022 Governor’s Conference on Economic Development held Feb. 9-11 in Madison, WI. The prominent award, given every other year, was established in 1985 to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions in the field of economic development early in their career.

“WEDA is excited to acknowledge Melissa’s tremendous contributions to the field of economic development. Her commitment to the profession and desire to work with communities, businesses, and other partners across the state to drive prosperity and growth should certainly be commended,” said WEDA President and CEO Mary Perry. “While she may still be at the front end of her career, Melissa is already a leader in the field, a key member of WEDA, and a huge asset to her organization and other economic development stakeholders throughout Wisconsin.”

Melissa currently serves as a Municipal Services Manager at Vierbicher, a leading community planning and engineering firm and proven partner for Wisconsin communities. Prior to her work Vierbicher, Melissa served as a Regional Economic Development Director at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and worked for numerous economic development organizations in northeast Wisconsin.

“I am grateful and honored to be recognized by my colleagues. I am also so thankful for the amazing group of folks I continue to work with around Wisconsin,” said Hunt. “This is even more special, as this is the first year the award is being named in honor of our esteemed colleague Andy Lisak, who I had the privilege of working with to help drive economic development success in Wisconsin.”

The Andy Lisak Young Professional Awrad was created by WEDA to acknowledge the rising stars of the economic development industry who are committed to meeting the economic challenges of today and positioning Wisconsin for a more successful tomorrow. The award is named after Andy Lisak, a former WEDA president and highly respected leader in Wisconsin’s economic development community who passed away in December 2020.