BY PRESS TIMES STAFF
GREEN BAY – Paul Jadin was the recent recipient of the On Broadway Impact Award — an honor that will now carry his name.
“Paul Jadin’s leadership and influence over three decades has resulted in the revitalization of the Broadway District. Serving as mayor for the City of Green Bay for eight years, Jadin led the charge to create and fund On Broadway, Inc. as a catalyst to drive change,” a release from On Broadway stated.
“That change included cutting crime in the district by 80%, securing multi-million-dollar investments to make streetscape enhancements, securing grant dollars to buyout and relocate establishments and signing into law the Broadway moratorium which prohibited further expansion of liquor licenses in the district without a super-majority vote by council.
“After keeping his promise not to serve a third term as mayor, Jadin became president of the Green Bay Area Chamber of Commerce where he continued his commitment to Broadway by moving the chamber’s offices to the district.
“Then, as Secretary/CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation he led the launch of the Connected Communities program to assist downtowns throughout the state which didn’t have full time staff, helping them grow into Main Street communities.
“The Broadway District is one of Wisconsin’s most talked about comeback stories and Paul Jadin is responsible for so much of the good that has happened. This was the driving reason for renaming the Impact Award the Paul Jadin Impact Award.”
“Paul’s remarkable contributions to the revitalization of the Broadway District have spanned several decades and through multiple roles,” said Brian Johnson, On Broadway, Inc. executive director. “It’s impossible to think of another person who has had a greater direct impact than Paul Jadin. His passion for the district is evident in every conversation, and he leads by example when securing support for On Broadway initiatives. It’s only fitting this Impact Award be memorialized with his name to inspire future recipients to positively impact the Broadway District just as Paul did.”
Jadin continues to serve the Broadway District in his retirement through a role on the Green Bay Public Market capital campaign cabinet.
“It’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly 30 years since we launched On Broadway as a Main Street program in an area that was synonymous with ‘slum’,” said Jadin. “When being honored like this I recall the work of Nan Nelson and Carol Karls at the chamber to kick off the effort and of people like Bill Bongle who led the Broadway community policing team that became the number one program in the world in 1998.
“I remember too how Greg Larsen, who passed away just last month, gave his heart and soul to the district.
“Finally, On Broadway could not flourish without the great directors and volunteers who helped make it one of the top five Main Street programs in the country in 2004. I’m delighted to see that dedication and commitment continue with Brian and his great team and I am grateful to my successors in the mayor’s office and all the alder people over the last three decades who recognized the need to invest in the core of the community.”