The Green Bay Packers' executive committee will introduce Northwestern University athletic director Mark H. Murphy this afternoon as its candidate to replace outgoing chairman Bob Harlan. To gain appointment, the Packers' 45-member board must approve the nomination of Murphy by a simple majority. However, as many as one-third of the board's members appear ready to vote against Murphy's appointment, according to a survey by the Green Bay Press Gazette. Factions of the board want to hire an insider candidate, such as team vice president Jason Wied or board member Tom Olejniczak, rather than bring in an outsider to run the team for the first time. For ongoing coverage of the board meeting today, visit www.biztimes.com, which also includes SBT's daily roundup of headlines from newspapers across the state.

The executive committee of the Public Policy Forum's board of trustees has selected Rob Henken, the top administrative official in Milwaukee County government, as its next president.
Henken will succeed Jeff Browne at the Forum's annual meeting in early March.
Henken has served in several high-level research and administrative positions in Milwaukee County government and has extensive experience in policy research. Since early 2007, he has been director of the Milwaukee County Department of Administrative Services. Before that, he was director of the county's Health and Human Services Department for almost three years. He also has been research director and budget analyst for the county board.
"Rob's background, experience, and standing in the community will serve the Forum well," said F. William Haberman, Forum chairman and a member of the search committee that selected Henken. "His work in the public policy and nonprofit sectors will enhance the Forum's almost 100-year tradition of solid, nonpartisan research on issues affecting all of southeastern Wisconsin."
Before joining the county in 1998, Henken was executive director of the Milwaukee Jobs Initiative and the Alliance for Future Transit, both nonprofits. Prior to that, he worked in Washington, D.C., as staff director for the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs, and as a legislative aide for two U.S. Congressmen.
Browne is stepping down to work on establishing closer economic and cultural ties between southeastern Wisconsin and Vietnam, a Forum spokesman told SBT.
The Milwaukee-based Public Policy Forum, which was established in 1913 as a local government watchdog, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to enhancing the effectiveness of government and the development of southeastern Wisconsin through objective research of regional public policy issues.

Rosemary Potter is resigning from per position as executive director of Transit NOW and the KRM (Kenosha, Racine, Milwaukee) rail project to become the special assistant to the chancellor for legislative affairs for the University of Wisconsin Colleges and Extension.
"Although I will be officially leaving Transit NOW and KRM, my passion for KRM continues, and I will be cheering from the sidelines," Potter said.
Kerry Thomas will assume the interim executive director of Transit Now and KRM. She can be reached at (262) 246-6151.

With the addition of $20 million, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is expanding its four-year commitment to $125 million to help build 322 additional Habitat for Humanity houses in 42 states in 2008.
Called Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity ( www.thriventbuilds.com), the alliance between the two nonprofit organizations will expand to reflect the growing interest and involvement by thousands of Thrivent Financial members.
Based in Appleton and Minneapolis, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a nonprofit organization helping nearly 3 million members achieve their financial goals and give back to their communities.
"Having made the largest four-year commitment in Habitat's history, Thrivent Financial has created an incredible model for corporate involvement," said Jonathan Reckford, chief executive officer of Atlanta-based Habitat for Humanity International. "It has helped us increase the number of U.S. Habitat homes built by nearly 6 percent and added a new dimension for those interested in building homes abroad. It is difficult to express how grateful we are for Thrivent Financial's incomparable financial support and volunteer efforts of thousands of its members."
"It makes a difference to Thrivent and to our members that we can help more families with this large step toward economic self-sufficiency," said Bruce Nicholson, chairman, president and CEO of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. "Thrivent Builds with Habitat for Humanity has provided a way for us to positively affect so many people's lives - both now and in the future. Our members have supported our involvement by volunteering by the thousands. We are all proud of this alliance and the positive impact we can make together in the coming years."

Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett are both seeking re-election.
Walker officially announced Sunday night that he will seek a second four-year term. His announcement came at his campaign headquarters at 1470 S. 84th St. in West Allis.
Barrett is scheduled to announce his reelection campaign at a 5 p.m. reception today at Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee.

Chad Schultz of Innovative Signs Inc. is the 2008 chairman of the board of the Greater Brookfield Chamber of Commerce.
Other officers elected at the chamber's annual meeting include: vice-chairs Mike Krause of North Shore Bank, Brookfield, and Tom Krumenacher of Ryan Kromholz & Manion S.C., Brookfield; and treasurer, Sue Greulich of Sitzberger, Widmann & Company S.C., Brookfield.
Additional directors include: John Allen, Allen & Murphy, Brookfield; Bill Bulloch, Waukesha County Technical College, Pewaukee; Brad Fenzl, AT&T, Brookfield; Dan Hansen, Park Bank, Milwaukee; Sandra Hendrickson, Investment Title & Closing Services, Brookfield; Jeanie Martin, I/O Technologies, Inc., Germantown; Jim Palzewicz, ActionCoach Business Coaching, Elm Grove; Elizabeth Sternkopf, R.A. Smith & Associates Inc., Brookfield; Chad Swalheim, M & I Bank, Brookfield; D-J Swant, Brookfield Rehabilitation & Specialty Care, Brookfield; and Randy Winkler, Lincoln State Bank, Brookfield.
Non-voting board representatives are: Gloria Albrecht, Town of Brookfield; Patrick Drinan, City of Brookfield Economic Development Department.; Sally Piefer, The Schroeder Group, legal counsel; and Rod Raschka, Brookfield Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The continued investment of tax dollars in NASA for space exploration is critical for America's future, according to Daniel Brandenstein, author of today's Milwaukee Biz Blog.

The BizTimes Stock Index gained .98 points to close at 168.96 Friday, but local stocks began the new week by retreating in early morning trading today. The largest local decliners this morning were Rockwell Automation Inc. (down $1.08 to $66.81) and Johnson Controls Inc. (down 88 cents to $37.74). The largest local advancers this morning were Bucyrus International Inc. (up $1.33 to $89.04) and Fiserv Inc. (up 63 cents to $51.96). The BizTimes Stock Index was created by Small Business Times and is monitored by North Shore Bank. The index, which measures the stock values of publicly held companies based in southeastern Wisconsin, is updated daily and can be viewed at www.biztimes.com.

The board of directors of the Green Bay Packers today approved the appointment of Northwestern University athletic director Mark H. Murphy as the team's new president to succeed Bob Harlan.
Murphy, who has held the Northwestern job since June 2003, has a diverse career and background.

He graduated from Colgate University, where he was captain of both the football and baseball teams, in 1977. He holds a master's degree in business administration from American University and a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He worked on his MBA in the off-seasons while he was a player for the Washington Redskins pro football team.

Murphy was a safety for the Redskins from 1977 through 1985. He played in two Super Bowls and named a Pro Bowl player in 1983. When he completed his playing career, he served as assistant executive director of the National Football League Players Association.

After receiving his law degree, Murphy was a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice. He also served as a commentator for National Public Radio for 10 years, analyzing football games and commenting on other sports issues.

Murphy, 52, became Colgate's athletic director in 1992. During that time, he significantly improved the school's athletic facilities, including a new fitness center, an Astroturf stadium for field hockey and lacrosse, a cross-country trail, and improvements to numerous other athletic facilities.

Murphy and his wife, Laurie, who also is a Colgate graduate, have four children.

Harlan had planned to retire earlier this year in May, but at the request of the organization's executive committee, he agreed to remain the organization's principal executive while John Jones, then the team's president and chief operating officer and his heir apparent, took a leave of absence. After further review, Harlan decided that he was not comfortable with Jones as his successor and agreed to hold the position until a new candidate was found.

Murphy was recommended for the position by a search committee appointed by the Packers' 45-member board of directors. The committee introduced him to the full board today. The board then voted to approve his appointment.

Murphy will come on board as a Packer employee Jan. 1. Harlan will remain as the Packers' chief executive officer through the end of the current football season.

The massive Pabst Farms commercial and residential development at Interstate 94 and Highway 67 in Oconomowoc announced today that it has selected Beechwood, Ohio-based Developers Diversified Realty Corp. to develop the project's regional mall.

The 1 million-square-foot regional mall, to be called Pabst Farms Town Center, will be built northeast of I-94 and Highway 67 and is expected to be open by 2010. Construction is expected to begin in 2008.

Originally, Chicago-based General Growth Properties Inc., one of the nation's largest mall operators, had planned to build the regional mall at Pabst Farms, but the company dropped out of the project, prompting Pabst Farms to look for a new partner.

Developers Diversified Realty is a real estate investment trust (REIT) that develops, leases and manages retail and office space. The company owns and manages about 740 retail operating and development properties in 45 states, in addition to Puerto Rico, Brazil, Russia and Canada, totaling more than 160 million square feet.

The change in developers will not affect the project's timeline, Pabst Farms spokesman Thad Nation said.

"We still expect to have it open by 2010. That is part of the agreement we signed today," he said. "Obviously, to make a 2010 open date, construction is going to have to begin fairly quickly."
The regional mall will be an open-air, lifestyle shopping center as originally planned, Nation said.