City economic development official resigns
Photo 
Victor Grassman
JANESVILLE — Janesville’s economic development director resigned Friday, and a top city official said the community would use Vic Grassman’s departure as an opportunity to expand strategies for business expansion and job creation.
City Manager Eric Levitt said Grassman resigned for personal reasons, effective at the end of the day Friday.
His salary was $96,913, Levitt said.
Reached later Friday, Grassman declined to comment on his resignation.
Levitt said the city would soon determine whether to fill Grassman’s position in a similar fashion or restructure the department with more of a team approach.
He said the city recently committed more funding to economic development and will consider spreading Grassman’s responsibilities among one or more people or contracting with outside organizations for specific economic development functions.
In a Friday memo to city council members, Levitt said the city has enjoyed economic development success through its collaboration with Rock County 5.0 and the Rock County Development Alliance.
“We plan to continue our existing efforts such as developing the Janesville Innovation Center and downtown revitalization along with our promoting job expansion,” he wrote. “This is an evolving and changing world, and we are working to create more adaptability to the varying demands.”
Levitt praised Grassman’s work in bringing the innovation center off Beloit Avenue to fruition. An outside consultant manages the 22,000-square-foot incubator, which has several prospects.
He said Grassman played an important role in other economic development successes, including the expansions of several local companies and the additions of some new ones.
Levitt said Grassman was instrumental in the city being one of the first areas of the state to have a certified shovel-ready site available for development. While no business has moved to the site, Levitt said he is confident one will in the future.
Levitt said economic development would continue to be a top priority for the city, although it will take some time to transition to a new strategy after Grassman’s departure.
That assessment comes on the heels of a survey of city residents last year that indicated economic development and job creation were top priorities.
Grassman was hired in the fall of 2009 from a pool of five finalists to succeed Doug Venable, who retired after 22 years with the city. Grassman came to Janesville from Denver, where he was an economic development officer for that city.
Grassman graduated from Sparta High School and has a bachelor’s degree from UW-La Crosse, a master’s degree in urban planning from UW-Milwaukee and an MBA with a marketing emphasis from Keller Graduate School of Management in Milwaukee. He is a certified economic developer through the International Economic Development Council.
He also worked for the city of Milwaukee in economic development, the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, the UW-Whitewater Small Business Development Center and in the private sector.
Mar 28, 2013 at 12:33 p.m.
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What, no follow up from the gazette like they did for the milton school super? dig dig dig
Mar 23, 2013 at 1:54 p.m.
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The guy leaves and will be paid till July???? WHY??? What is the story behind this?
Mar 20, 2013 at 8:39 a.m.
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aflack112 - love the city. Don't love what the city government is doing lately. Do you ?
Mar 19, 2013 at 3:58 p.m.
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From the other breaking story about the city manager it looks like the upper echelon of the ranks are jumping ships. Could it be they are looking at the true budget numbers and realize there is no way to run the City with the current debt load and limits on tax collection? And the fact we have another round of cutters running for City Council on the “I will cut the fat” ticket?
I know it’s great sport to bash the Government about waste, overspending and do nothing employees but are the people doing this talking actually aware of real operational numbers or is it just a fun talking point to keep grinding away on?
As I have said before about 80% of the budget is in Police and Fire protection so that leaves very little to cover Wastewater, Garbage collection and disposal, Street maintenance, Traffic control, Street lights, Fresh Water distribution and another hundred or so other “services” people expect to have happen every day.
Mar 18, 2013 at 2:02 p.m.
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I agree with MrItalian's descriptive. Very well spoken!
Mar 18, 2013 at 12:14 p.m.
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greyghost,
The city isnt saving 96K. In fact, there will be a cost associated with replacing Mr grassman and it is likely that this person will earn more money. Net lost to the city.
Mar 18, 2013 at 11:24 a.m.
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the position should NOT be filled, this is an example of the city's grossly OVERPAID MAKE WORK WASTE OF THE taxpayers $$$$$
Mar 18, 2013 at 8:14 a.m.
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I don't know the reason why Vic resigned. he will be missed.
The City Manager is already talking about not hiring an Econominc Development Director. Taking his responsibilities and dividing them up among other staff members. What is he thinking? This is one of the most important jobs for Janesville growth. You couple that with a terrible looking downtown and a waterfront that offers no attarction and you get a community with little to no grwoth prospects.
We have done a poor job in attracting serious businesses to Janesville( believe me not Vic's fault). Ouiside of Shine technologies the City, Rock County 5.0 and Forward Janesville have accomplished nothing in terms of bringing in a major employer into Janesville. I know they have had many inquiries but no takers. WHY?
One opportunity they are not focusing on is the opportunity to build a Bio-tech Park. You have Northstar in beloit and Shine technologies comming into Janesville. This is a no brainer.. start reaaching out to affliated type companies. You can begin to change the face of Janesville . Right now we are nothing more than a down trodden manufacturing company ruled by unions. What company wants to relocate to a community like that.
I think Vic was disgusted with half a__ attempts by all parties concerned.
We need to turn Janesville around with a serious strategies for reconstruction and revitalization of the downtown and the development of the waterfront. The city and the powers at be have played lip servcie to both. It can be done you just have to commit time and resources. Until this happems and until we turn our attention to a market waiting for us to go after it(bio-tech) Janesville will never reach it's full potential. It does have potential
Mar 17, 2013 at 10:01 p.m.
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If I made that kind of money, I sure as hell wouldn't live in Janesville. It's becoming a giant cesspool except we don't realize it because we live by the phrase "Well, at least we're not Beloit."
Mar 17, 2013 at 8:49 p.m.
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Best of luck to you, Mr. Grassman.
Mar 17, 2013 at 5:59 p.m.
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There have not been any "unearned spite bonuses for city union employees".
Mar 17, 2013 at 5:23 p.m.
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lovemycountry hates his city. Beautiful.
Mar 17, 2013 at 9:25 a.m.
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Maybe he got tired of watching the city do everything possible to drive business away...wheel tax, unearned spite bonuses for city union employees, sidewalks to nowhere, increasing red tape, water fee increases. It's more difficult to open and run a business in Janesville, WI than in the average U.S. city.
Mar 17, 2013 at 8:17 a.m.
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It's peple like Vic who have a genuine passion for helping Janesville recover economically and trying to lure good paying jobs to this area.
I can only hope that his hard work will be continued by someone with the same attitude and professionalism.
Mar 17, 2013 at 2:13 a.m.
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maybe the 96,000, we are saving now, can fix some of the city streets!
Mar 16, 2013 at 11:27 p.m.
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yeah, cuz now Janesville doesn't need ANY further development. Fine the way it is. No questions need to be (or should be) asked. Got it.
Mar 16, 2013 at 11:20 p.m.
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Let me see. The guy started almost four years ago. We have a shovel ready site with no tenants. We built an incubation center. It's mostly if not entirely empty but gee it has propects and is managed by consultants. Can you say 'no brainer'?
Mar 16, 2013 at 10:36 p.m.
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I agree, gray_ghost. It's possible it's a family illness or something that came up suddenly; however, it's always curious when there is absolutely NO notice or discussion prior to the departure.
Mar 16, 2013 at 9:47 p.m.
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the question remains, why did he resign? sounds fishy to me.
Mar 16, 2013 at 9:28 p.m.
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Sorry to see Vic go as well. Great person to know personally and professionally. Big loss to the city of Janesville.
Mar 16, 2013 at 8:39 p.m.
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Why the random sentence about his salary? I realize some people might want to know, but it seems irrelevant to the article.
Mar 16, 2013 at 6:31 p.m.
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This is a big loss. Vic was a pro and a lot of good things are happening as a result of his skills. Sorry to see him go.
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