Wild named executive director of East-West Gateway
From Illinois Business Journal news services
ST. LOUIS – East-West Gateway Council of Governments’ board of directors has approved the selection of Jim Wild as the new executive director of the St. Louis region’s federally designated metropolitan planning organization.
Wild (left) had been serving as the interim executive director since June 30, after the former executive director, Edward Hillhouse, resigned. Wild had been deputy executive director since May 2012 and has worked at East-West Gateway for 22 years.
The eight-member executive committee, all members of the board of directors, had recommended the hiring of Wild in September. That executive committee consists of Mark Kern, St. Clair County Board chairman; Ken Waller, county executive of Jefferson County; Alan Dunstan, Madison County Board chairman; Francis Slay, mayor of the city of St. Louis; Steve Stenger, county executive of St. Louis County; Steve Ehlmann, St. Charles County Executive; John Griesheimer, Franklin County presiding commissioner; and Terry Liefer, chairman of the Monroe County Board of Commissioners.
Wild has worked at the agency since 1993, first as a transportation analyst. In 1994 he was appointed manager of project programming, in 2000 he became division manager, and in 2009 he was named senior manager. He also managed the development and implementation of Connected 2045 – the Long Range Transportation Plan for the St. Louis Region, and a Transportation Improvement Program for the region.
Prior to coming to East-West Gateway in 1993, Wild worked at the Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, the metropolitan planning organization for Peoria.
