Like the iconic red granules of sand flowing through the neck of the hourglass in “The Wizard of Oz,” the countdown is on to the 2025 NFL draft — and no organization is feeling the pressure quite like Discover Green Bay.
President and CEO Brad Toll sat for his cover story interview exactly 100 days out from the event, which is taking place around Lambeau Field and the Titletown District April 24-26. After a decade of pursuing the possibility of Green Bay hosting the draft, being 100 days away from it becoming a reality must have felt a bit surreal.
Securing the 2025 draft took immense effort, vision and persistence. It required Toll and his team to look critically at the landscape of Green Bay hospitality and expand its limits.
While Toll would insist that hosting the draft is a collaborative effort shared by numerous entities, I think it’s fair to say that Discover Green Bay shoulders a significant part of this heavy lift. As Brown County’s destination marketing organization, Discover Green Bay is responsible for rolling out the red carpet to visitors — and when we’re talking about the draft, that means 300,000 of them. It’s an epic task, but one Discover Green Bay and its collaborators are ready to tackle.
Turn to page 20 to get a look behind the curtain of the great and powerful Discover Green Bay and the magic it works bringing in meetings, conventions and, now, the 2025 NFL draft — which is the largest event ever hosted by the city.
Last month, I had the opportunity to participate in a course through the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. Fifty women from around the world attended to learn how to better utilize LinkedIn as a connection tool in their careers. I left the virtual session feeling energized by the new information I learned and, most importantly, by the many new connections I made.
I appreciated the experience a little differently after reading contributor Nikki Kallio’s talent feature on page 31. In the age of “the Great Detachment,” companies are leaning into leadership development to re-engage employees and instill greater meaning to their work. Pa Lee Moua, executive director of the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership, offers insights for the story that make it feel especially full circle.
This issue is filled with many more insights from local leaders and experts. I hope you find something that resonates with you.
