Jerry Franke President WISPARK LLC Milwaukee, Wis.
Jerry Franke not only has nearly 25 years in the commercial real estate industry, he also has almost 15 years of experience in the public sector. During that time, he has worked as the vice president of economic development for Forward Wisconsin Inc. – the state’s economic development marketing organization – director of community development for the City of Janesville and has held city planning positions in Des Moines and Waterloo, Iowa.
Franke’s company, WISPARK LLC in Milwaukee, has developed more than 4,000 acres of business parks and more than 11 million square feet of industrial, office and mixed-use buildings.
As one nominator said, “Jerry doesn’t stop after 5 p.m.” Franke presently is a member of the board of directors for WISPARK LLC; Johnson Bank; Kenosha Area Business Alliance (past chairman); Forward Wisconsin; CenterPoint WISPARK Land Company; and NAIOP, the Commercial Real Estate Development Association. In addition, he is a member of the Urban Land Institute, Wisconsin Economic Development Association and Investment Real Estate Managers.
Franke has also served as an adjunct professor in the Center for Real Estate program at Marquette University. He has also taught several courses for NAIOP.
Franke and two other local commercial real estate professionals are responsible for starting the NAIOP Wisconsin chapter in 2003. Franke also served on NAIOP’s national board of directors. Although he has transitioned to the NAIOP Past President’s Council, he continues to be a key leader of the organization. He has also continued to work with NAIOP’s national organization in setting up NAIOP chapters in other locations.
In addition, Franke is past president of the board of directors of the United Way of Kenosha County and was campaign chair in 1992. He is the past chairman of the board of directors of Downtown Racine Corp., past president of the Wisconsin Economic Development Association and past chairman of the Racine County Economic Development Corp.
