Upper Midwest 2011 judging panel The success of the program relies on the efforts of our independent panel of judges. These Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Award winners and civic and community leaders devote significant effort to reviewing and deliberating the merits of each nominee. We deeply appreciate their dedication to this process.  | Darren Acheson
Darren is a managing director of Mill City Capital, a private equity firm based in Minneapolis. Prior to co-founding Mill City Capital, Darren spent seven years at Goldner Hawn Johnson & Morrison, one of the oldest and most respected private equity firms in the Midwest.
| |  | James Dolan
Jim is chairman, president and CEO of The Dolan Company, a leading provider of specialized business information and services to professionals in the fields of law, credit, finance and construction. Jim is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2001 Award winner, and in 2010, he was named to the Minnesota Business Hall of Fame. | | |  | Reatha Clark King, PhD
Reatha has many years of corporate and non-profit governance experience, including 32 years of service on corporate boards of directors. She is a past board member of the Council on Foundations' Commission on National and Community Service, appointed first by President George H.W. Bush and later by President Clinton. She has held careers in chemical research and academic administration. She is former president and board chair of the General Mills Foundation and vice president of General Mills, Inc.
| |  | Jack Link
Jack is CEO of Jack Link’s Beef Jerky. With a strong marketing program, solid sales and distribution, Jack Link’s share of the meat snack industry has achieved 50% market share and is the number one brand of jerky. Jack was a regional winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010 Award and a national winner in the Retail and Consumer Products category. | | |  | Mark Platt
Mark is the president and CEO of Multistack, LLC, as well as its chief engineer and a principal equity partner. He has primary responsibility for the strategic long-term direction of the company and is also directly involved in the company’s emerging technology, research and development. Mark received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2009 Award in the Industrial/Manufacturer category. | | |  | Ulice Payne, Jr.
Ulice is a managing member of Addison Clifton, LLC, an advisor regarding global trade compliance solutions and responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company. He previously served as the managing partner of the headquarters of the Foley & Lardner LLP law firm and also served as chair of the International Business Team at the firm, where he represented global and domestic companies in cross-border transactions. | | |  | John Romans
John currently serves as president and CEO of BioMedix Vascular Solutions, Inc., a diagnostic device, software and service company dedicated to enabling physicians to collaborate in the early detection, management and treatment of vascular disease. John is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2010 regional winner. | | |  | Julia Taylor
Julia was appointed as the first woman president of the Greater Milwaukee Committee (GMC) in December 2002. The GMC fosters public-private partnerships and is a catalyst for economic revitalization, education and quality of life. Prior to the GMC, Julia was president of the YWCA of Greater Milwaukee for 16 years. | | |
Return to the Upper Midwest program overview page |
| |
