The 2-year-old Milwaukee Water Council trade group, which leads the city’s ambitions to become a global center of water technology, on Friday announced that it has hired its first executive director.
The high-profile position went to Dean Amhaus, 51, who currently works as president of Spirit of Milwaukee Inc., a one-man civic promotion agency that’s charged with reshaping the image of Milwaukee.
Amhaus has been active in the seven-county Milwaukee 7 economic-strategy consortium since its inception four years ago. The M-7 helped launch the Water Council to organize the region’s existing cluster of water-technology industries in an effort to redefine the region’s economic identity, catalyze research projects, draw investment and create new jobs.
“Water is a game changer for Milwaukee,” Amhaus said.