I recently had the honor to lead the start-up of Wisconsin’s effort to figure out how the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) affects the state and help prepare Wisconsin for its obligations under the act. Now that I have completed my role and the Office of Recovery and Reinvestment moves into its next phase, I’d like to reflect upon my experience.

Office of Recovery and Reinvestment startup

As the structure of the ARRA became clear it also became clear where the Office of Recovery and Reinvestment startup needed to focus its early efforts. Since the majority of dollars would be flowing through existing programs in the state, we needed a mechanism to connect people who had an interest in the ARRA dollars with the state agencies and others administering these funds. In today’s world, user-friendly, web-based communication was determined to be the best way to provide needed information. The people assigned to the Office of Recovery and Reinvestment quickly analyzed the programs funded under the legislation and within a week after the bill was signed, contact information for each program was available on the Wisconsin recovery Web site. In fact, the Federal Chief Information Officer later cited Wisconsin’s recovery Web site as an example for other states to follow.

Expectations exceed dollars

While the $787 billion provided under the ARRA is a lot of money by any standard, the expectations for the dollars still far exceed the available funding. Whether it is repairing our aging infrastructure, improving education, providing a safety net for individuals in need or rebuilding the economy, these are long-term efforts that are going to take time and resources beyond the ARRA to address.

Transparency, accountability, reporting

The transparency, accountability and reporting requirements under the ARRA are rigorous — and appropriately so. Those who are tapping into the ARRA funds should be prepared for heightened disclosures.

Office of Recovery and Reinvestment team

The team assigned from state government to the early effort was outstanding. In addition to in-depth knowledge of the agencies, they brought a wide variety of skills and a ‘can do’ attitude. This was critical to the early effort where there was no template for what was needed, and we were starting from scratch. The people assigned to the initial ORR effort were highly competent, committed and some of the best people I’ve ever worked with.

Volunteerism

The business community has insights and skills that can help solve problems and address the challenges faced by our communities and our state. Many people in the private sector regularly step up and volunteer for a wide variety of activities, often without much fanfare. Collaboration of the business community with others in the public and private sectors can create a powerful force to get things done. We have an obligation to volunteer our time and talents when we can be of help.

I want to thank Governor Doyle for giving me the opportunity to lead the ARRA start-up effort. While there is much to be done, much has already been done in a short period of time. It was a privilege to be part of this effort.

Gary J. Wolter is the chairman, president and chief executive officer of Madison Gas and Electric Company. He was appointed as a voluntary leader of Wisconsin’s Office of Recovery and Reinvestment by Governor Jim Doyle and served in that role from January through May 2009.