Evan Barrett, will serve as the Chief Business Development Officer for the State of Montana.

After nearly 19 years of working in Butte, Evan Barrett is moving on to an even bigger challenge as the top economic development official for the state.

Montana Gov.-elect Brian Schweitzer on Wednesday named the Butte man to head his Office of Economic Opportunity.

By Leslie McCartney of The Montana Standard

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2004/12/09/newsstate_top/hjjfihjajifehi.txt

"It’s a great challenge and a great opportunity to work with the new governor who brings unique skills to the table. He’s energetic, creative and intelligent and has vision," said Barrett, the longtime executive director of the Butte Local Development Corp., shortly after notifying the board of his new job. Barrett begins work Jan. 3.

Barrett has spent nearly 35 years building a resume that includes work with two Montana governors, Congressman Pat Williams and former U.S. Sen. John Melcher. In fact, Barrett will occupy the same office he had nearly 30 years ago when working for Gov. Thomas Judge.

"It’s got much nicer walls now," Barrett joked.

EVAN BARRETT

807 West Silver

Butte, MT 59701

406-782-4671 (H)

406-723-4349 (W)

406-490-4349 (C)

406-723-4672 (F)

[email protected] (Home E-Mail)

[email protected] (Office E-Mail)

In addition, Barrett has held several key positions with economic development organizations and has built a broad base on relationships on both sides of the legislative aisle.

Issues surrounding Barrett’s replacement will be taken up at the BLDC’s board meeting next Thursday.

"I think Evan’s done an outstanding job in economic development in Butte. He’s done a lot of innovative things like the creation of TIFIDS that help drive economic development," said Bill Kebe of Butte, who has been a longtime BLDC board member. "He will be sorely missed and I think Brian Schweitzer, by putting him into this important position, has obviously recognized Evan’s capability and expertise." A TIFID is a Tax Increment Finance Industrial District.

Barrett said his new job will be about action and "putting deals together," but said he is especially proud of the growth he has overseen at the BLDC and being part of economic teams both locally and at a state level. "Economic development is a team sport," Barrett said.

Dick King, president and chief executive officer of the Missoula Area Economic Development Corp., said he is encouraged by Barrett’s appointment, especially given his knowledge on local development organization’s issues, structures and challenges.

"I think he will serve the state very well," King said.

Under Barrett’s tenure in Butte — which was sometimes stormy, especially during the years when he clashed with then Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Jack Lynch — the BLDC has grown from 1¼ people to a staff of five. Its annual budget has grown from about $80,000 to nearly $450,000. The development corporation also boasts one of the most active revolving loan programs and a net worth of anywhere from $5 million to $6 million, Barrett said.

"We’ve saved or created thousands of jobs; we’ve accomplished a lot for the good of the city," he said.

Barrett is also proud of being part of a strong local team that brought back mining and recruited Advanced Silicon Materials Inc. to Butte, one of the county’s top 10 private employers.

"It’s extraordinarily fulfilling to keep paychecks coming … it’s not just about the economy, it’s about making sure people have a job and they can sustain their family," he said.

Barrett’s family, including wife Gail (Seccomb) Barrett and their two children, will remain in Butte while he works in Helena. He will always keep Butte his home, he said.

Barrett thinks the change at the BLDC is a fertile opportunity.

"Every organization needs to be renewed periodically," Barrett said, pointing out that changes in leadership have also occurred at the Chamber of Commerce and in county government.

At the state Capitol, Barrett, along with the new administration, will be put to work immediately with the transition and the Legislature that meets in January. In the new job, emphasis will be placed on "helping deals happen," including work with Montana’s American Indians.

"There will be a real focus on trying to bring some real growth on Indian reservations," Barrett said.

Barrett also pledged to spend little time with processes and reorganizations, since most of the groundwork has been laid by former economic czar Dave Gibson, who has taken a job with the state university system.

"Hopefully, we’ll be about ‘doing,’" Barrett said, adding that he is excited to work with Schweitzer and his other picks for top jobs, including Tony Preite, head of the commerce department, whom Barrett considers a mentor.

"Hopefully I can take my skills and experience and put them to the best use to serve the people of Montana," Barrett said.

— Reporter Leslie McCartney may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].

****************

Congratulations, Evan!

http://www.mtstandard.com/articles/2004/12/09/newsstate_top/hjjfihjajifehi.txt

Schweitzer picks Barrett

BLDC director named state’s top economic official
By Leslie McCartney of The Montana Standard – 12/09/2004

After nearly 19 years of working in Butte, Evan Barrett is moving on to an even bigger challenge as the top economic development official for the state.

Montana Gov.-elect Brian Schweitzer on Wednesday named the Butte man to head his Office of Economic Opportunity.

"It’s a great challenge and a great opportunity to work with the new governor who brings unique skills to the table. He’s energetic, creative and intelligent and has vision," said Barrett, the longtime executive director of the Butte Local Development Corp., shortly after notifying the board of his new job. Barrett begins work Jan. 3.

Barrett has spent nearly 35 years building a resume that includes work with two Montana governors, Congressman Pat Williams and former U.S. Sen. John Melcher. In fact, Barrett will occupy the same office he had nearly 30 years ago when working for Gov. Thomas Judge.

"It’s got much nicer walls now," Barrett joked.

In addition, Barrett has held several key positions with economic development organizations and has built a broad base on relationships on both sides of the legislative aisle.

Issues surrounding Barrett’s replacement will be taken up at the BLDC’s board meeting next Thursday.

"I think Evan’s done an outstanding job in economic development in Butte. He’s done a lot of innovative things like the creation of TIFIDS that help drive economic development," said Bill Kebe of Butte, who has been a longtime BLDC board member. "He will be sorely missed and I think Brian Schweitzer, by putting him into this important position, has obviously recognized Evan’s capability and expertise." A TIFID is a Tax Increment Finance Industrial District.

Barrett said his new job will be about action and "putting deals together," but said he is especially proud of the growth he has overseen at the BLDC and being part of economic teams both locally and at a state level. "Economic development is a team sport," Barrett said.

Dick King, president and chief executive officer of the Missoula Area Economic Development Corp., said he is encouraged by Barrett’s appointment, especially given his knowledge on local development organization’s issues, structures and challenges.

"I think he will serve the state very well," King said.

Under Barrett’s tenure in Butte — which was sometimes stormy, especially during the years when he clashed with then Butte-Silver Bow Chief Executive Jack Lynch — the BLDC has grown from 1¼ people to a staff of five. Its annual budget has grown from about $80,000 to nearly $450,000. The development corporation also boasts one of the most active revolving loan programs and a net worth of anywhere from $5 million to $6 million, Barrett said.

"We’ve saved or created thousands of jobs; we’ve accomplished a lot for the good of the city," he said.

Barrett is also proud of being part of a strong local team that brought back mining and recruited Advanced Silicon Materials Inc. to Butte, one of the county’s top 10 private employers.

"It’s extraordinarily fulfilling to keep paychecks coming … it’s not just about the economy, it’s about making sure people have a job and they can sustain their family," he said.

Barrett’s family, including wife Gail (Seccomb) Barrett and their two children, will remain in Butte while he works in Helena. He will always keep Butte his home, he said.

Barrett thinks the change at the BLDC is a fertile opportunity.

"Every organization needs to be renewed periodically," Barrett said, pointing out that changes in leadership have also occurred at the Chamber of Commerce and in county government.

At the state Capitol, Barrett, along with the new administration, will be put to work immediately with the transition and the Legislature that meets in January. In the new job, emphasis will be placed on "helping deals happen," including work with Montana’s American Indians.

"There will be a real focus on trying to bring some real growth on Indian reservations," Barrett said.

Barrett also pledged to spend little time with processes and reorganizations, since most of the groundwork has been laid by former economic czar Dave Gibson, who has taken a job with the state university system.

"Hopefully, we’ll be about ‘doing,’" Barrett said, adding that he is excited to work with Schweitzer and his other picks for top jobs, including Tony Preite, head of the commerce department, whom Barrett considers a mentor.

"Hopefully I can take my skills and experience and put them to the best use to serve the people of Montana," Barrett said.

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/12/09/build/state/60-barrett.inc

http://www.helenair.com/articles/2004/12/09/montana_top/a08120904_01.txt
Butte’s development leader to head state business office

By CHARLES S. JOHNSON
Gazette State Bureau

HELENA – Gov.-elect Brian Schweitzer on Wednesday named Evan Barrett, a longtime Democratic political figure and a leader in Butte economic development efforts for nearly two decades, as the state’s chief business officer.

Barrett, 59, will succeed David Gibson, who last week accepted an economic development job with the Montana University System. Barrett’s annual salary will be more than the $84,000 that Schweitzer’s Cabinet appointees will make but slightly less than the $93,000 that the new governor will be paid, spokeswoman Sarah Elliott said.

Barrett will resign Jan. 3 as executive director of the Butte Local Development Corp., a job he has held for 18 years.

”Evan Barrett has been a face of economic development, and he’s been involved with programs across Montana," Schweitzer said.

Barrett was an informal political adviser to Schweitzer in his race for governor. He worked behind the scenes with a group of people who met regularly for several months before the election to compile a transition plan for Schweitzer in case he won.

In an interview, Barrett said, "Economic development is not easy. If it was easy, it would have been done already. But it’s a great challenge, and one I think we’re going to meet."

He said it’s important to know that economic development is not a partisan issue, but one in which the Schweitzer administration must work with everybody. Likewise, Barrett said, "it’s a team sport," and the state office must work closely with local and regional development organizations.

"We want to hit the ground running," Barrett said. "Most of the preparation, most of the groundwork is done. We’re going to work on identifying deals and putting the weight of the state of Montana behind them to make them happen."

Barrett said the Office of Economic Opportunity is there to help Schweitzer accomplish his goals of growth in natural resource industries where appropriate, energy-related development, technical-related development and value-added agriculture.

Schweitzer was asked at a press conference whether Barrett’s appointment signaled support for Destination Montana, a controversial project pitched by Barrett on behalf of its promoters, but which the 2003 Legislature rejected.

"Well, I think that folks from Butte themselves have suggested that these investors are probably moving on to another venue," Schweitzer said. "So I haven’t heard much of Destination Montana, I haven’t seen anything or any legislation."

The Destination Montana project would have legalized wide-open gambling in 10 Butte casinos, with no limits on bets, prizes or hours. Other elements included a theme park, three professional golf courses, 30 musical theaters like those in Branson, Mo., six high-altitude sports camps for professional and Olympic teams, a sports stadium and thousands of new hotel and motel rooms.

Barrett has had some notable successes and some failures in Butte economic development efforts. His resume cited his participation in restoring copper mining to Butte, recruiting Advanced Silicon Materials Inc.’s $600 million plant and building up the largest economic development revolving loan program in Montana.

Failures include his participation in attempts to land a canola oil bottling plant in Butte, a Micron plant and a pasta company.

Barrett lobbied a 1989 special legislative session to lower business equipment property taxes just for the canola plant, but Republican Gov. Stan Stephens insisted these taxes drop on equipment for all businesses. The canola plant never materialized, but it started a series of cuts in business equipment taxes for the next decade that shifted more of the property tax burden onto homeowners.

Barrett said the governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity will immediately staff up fully to its allotted six employees, counting his job. At present, three people work in the office.

A Red Lodge native, Barrett is a graduate of St. John’s University. He served as executive director of the Montana Democratic Party from 1971 to 1974 and later managed a number of Democratic political campaigns. He worked on the staffs of these Democrats: Govs. Forrest H. Anderson and Thomas L. Judge, U.S. Rep. Pat Williams and U.S. Sen. John Melcher. Barrett was Montana’s Democratic national committeeman for 12 years.

From Great Falls Tribune

New Eco-Devo Czar: We Need to Market Montana as Business Magnet

Thursday, Nov. 9

By MIKE DENNISON

Tribune Capitol Bureau

HELENA _ The state’s new economic development "czar" said Wednesday that Montana is a good place to do business – but the state must do a better job getting out that message.

"I think we’ve made Montana a good place to do business, but we’ve failed to tell people about it," said Evan Barrett, who was named by Gov.-elect Brian Schweitzer as the state’s chief business officer. "We need to tell this country and this world why this is a good place to do business, in a very aggressive way."

Barrett, 59, of Butte, has been a mainstay of Democratic Party politics in Montana for years and has led the Butte Local Development Corp. since 1986.

Before that, he worked for some of the state’s top Democratic officeholders, including U.S. Sen. John Melcher, U.S. Rep. Pat Williams and Govs. Tom Judge and Forrest Anderson.

Barrett will succeed David Gibson, who became the state’s first chief business officer in 2001, shortly after the office was created by the Legislature.

Gibson, appointed by outgoing Republican Gov. Judy Martz, took a similar job this week with the state university system.

Barrett said Gibson did a good job establishing some basic initiatives, and that he hopes to build on those programs.

However, he said the office needs a bigger marketing budget – which was cut severely under the Martz administration and Republican-controlled legislatures, which faced budget pressures.

Barrett also said a major reason he took the job was the man who appointed him.

"I think (Schweitzer) brings a unique set of skills to the table that can really help economic development," Barrett said. "He has energy, vision, creativity and commitment.

"I think he’s going to be a huge asset for economic development. He’s perhaps our best salesman for Montana."

Barrett is the second local economic development officer appointed to a statewide post by Schweitzer, who chose Tony Priete of Missoula to lead the Department of Commerce.

Under Barrett’s leadership in Butte, the local development office there has helped lure the $600 million Advanced Silicon Materials plant to Butte, worked on re-opening copper mining in Butte twice, and built a revolving loan fund to help local business, he said.

Schweitzer also reappointed two Martz cabinet members to their posts: Corrections Director Bill Slaughter and Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director Jeff Hagener.

Slaughter, 53, served as a Republican sheriff of Gallatin County before being tabbed in 2001 to head the Corrections Department, which oversees the state prison system.

Hagener, 50, also was appointed by Martz in 2001. Originally from Havre, Hagener has degrees in wildlife biology and agriculture, and earlier worked for the old Department of State Lands in mine reclamation and other areas.

http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/12/08/build/state/20-schweitzer-appointments.inc
http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/12/09/mtracker/news/36gov.txt
http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041208/NEWS01/41208001
Schweitzer keeps 2 Martz Cabinet members

By BOB ANEZ
Associated Press

HELENA (AP) – Gov.-elect Brian Schweitzer said Wednesday he will retain two members of Gov. Judy Martz’s Cabinet and appointed a Great Falls physician to head the state’s largest agency.

He also selected a longtime Democratic leader and economic development official from Butte to be Montana’s new economic czar.

In an announcement at the Capitol, Schweitzer said Bill Slaughter will remain as director of the Corrections Department and Jeff Hagener will stay on as Fish, Wildlife and Parks director.

He named Dr. Robert Wynia to head the Department of Public Health and Human Services and selected Evan Barrett as the state’s chief business officer in the Office of Economic Opportunity.

The latest appointments bring to nine the number of major positions Schweitzer has filled in his administration. He takes office Jan. 3.

The Democrat earlier chose directors for four state agencies – Agriculture, Commerce, Environmental Quality, and Natural Resources and Conservation – as well as a budget director and Montana Lottery director.

He has yet to appoint directors for the departments of Administration, Labor and Industry, Military Affairs, Revenue and Transportation. He also must name Montana’s two members to the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, and fill dozens of seats on various boards and commissions.

In addition to operating a private practice, Wynia is a medical examiner for the Federal Aviation Administration and a past president of the Montana Medical Association. He was a Republican candidate for the state Senate this year, but lost in the primary.

Wynia, 72, replaces Gail Gray who was not interested in continuing as head of the state’s largest agency. It has 2,900 employees and an annual budget of about $1.2 billion.

Schweitzer praised Wynia as “a man of a great deal of integrity” and “one of the great minds of Montana, with decades of experience in health care.” He cited Wynia’s experience working with government when he was president of the Montana Medical Association.

Slaughter has been corrections director since 2000. He was a Republican sheriff in Gallatin County for three terms before Martz tapped him for the corrections post.

Slaughter, 53, said he and Schweitzer agreed that he would continue as director through the legislative session and assess then whether will remain in the job. “He needs to trust me and I’ve got to earn that,” Slaughter said.

Like Slaughter, Hagener was appointed by Martz in 2000. He began working for the state in 1981 as range-reclamation specialist for what was then called the Department of State Lands. He later worked for the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation after reorganization combined the two agencies.

Barrett has been executive director of the Butte Local Development Corp. for the past 18 years and served as lobbyist for the Montana Economic Developers Association for 11 years. He also is a former Democratic National Committee member.

Schweitzer said Barrett has a proven record of success and that creating good jobs and boosting business “will be at the forefront of our agenda.”

Barrett replaces Dave Gibson, who took a job with the Montana university system to promote higher education’s role in improving the state’s economy.

The selections of Wynia and Slaughter, with their GOP credentials, reflect Schweitzer’s campaign promise to create a bipartisan administration.

Wynia said he favors reversing a $3 million cut last year in a program that provides cash to needy families, if the money is available. The program has amassed a $22 million surplus since benefits were cut.

He also said he would like to see an increase in rates paid to those providing health care to Medicaid patients and described his general philosophy on welfare as one that supports funding for programs that provide safety nets to the most needy, but opposes “nonsense spending.”

Wynia said he was in the process of closing his medical practice when he decided to take the department’s top job.

EVAN BARRETT
807 West Silver
Butte, MT 59701

406-782-4671 (H)
406-723-4349 (W)
406-490-4349 (C)
406-723-4672 (F)
[email protected] (Home E-Mail)
[email protected] (Office E-Mail)

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