Joan Gillman
Director of Special Industry Programs, Executive Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business
608-262-9982
jgillman@facstaff.wisc.edu
A native of Pittsburgh, Joan Gillman received her B.S. from Indiana University in art education and radio and TV, and her M.S. in business. Since coming to Madison in 1968, she has worked for the departments of Preventive Medicine, Psychology and Waisman Center. She has been Program Coordinator, then Director of Madison's Small Business Development Center until 1996, when she started her two new programs. The Madison-SBDC serves area businesses and also individuals thinking about going into business by offering one-on-one counseling and courses in the areas of marketing, management, finance, and business feasibility/strategic planning.
Today, as Director of Special Industry Programs, Executive Education, for the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, Joan's office acts as a conduit between University resources and the business community. Her duties span Executive Education from small business and entrepreneurship to teaching managers and designing executive programs. She has taught in both the Small Business Development Center (Business Planning) and Executive Education for the Supervisory Management Series. She was co-director of the Agribusiness Executive Management Program that assisted farmers and agribusinesses in Wisconsin. As founder of The Family Business Center-- a regional membership program which addresses the special needs of the family business dealing with succession, communication, and strategic planning issues -- she successfully completed succession planning for the center. Recently, she stepped back in as Interim Director and aided in finding a second successor.
From 1989-2006, Joan's national duties have included Executive Director for USASBE-United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship, the national division of the International Council for Small Business. She coordinated the functions of a comprehensive organization of 1100+ outstanding researchers, scholars, teachers, administrators, and policy makers interested in entrepreneurship and small business. Joan also coordinated activities with The Coleman Foundation, the Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, and The Edward Lowe Foundation. Currently, Joan serves on the School of Business Advisory Board, Edgewood College, Madison School District's Business & Education Partnership, and as secretary for the Board of Directors - International Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, JJ Strossmeyer University, Osijek, Croatia.
An avid traveller, Joan recently has been to Russia and also to Croatia, Macedonia and Bulgaria for the Open Society Institute, the nonprofit foundation of George Soros, where she is starting centers for Entrepreneurship. Another claim to fame is being the second woman ever to publicly address men in Saudi Arabia. Our radio talk show co-host also is the proud mother of two and remains active in many local organizations. |
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