Light the Hoan Hires First Executive Director

The nonprofit organization behind the Hoan Bridge lights named its first executive director Thursday.

Erika Smith will lead Light the Hoan, expanding the vision and programming started under cofounders Michael Hostad and Ian Abston.

“We are confident Erika will lead this organization in a way that will continue to champion our city in areas of STEAM, bridging art and innovation together and compelling people to call Milwaukee home for generations to come,” said Hostad in a statement.

The LED lights were installed in 2020 following a two-year, $3.5-million fundraising campaign. Since then, Light the Hoan has partnered with a variety of organizations to light the bridge for specific events or to allow students to program light shows.

“Light the Hoan is more than just the lights on the bridge,” said Smith. “Living in the Third Ward, I see the Hoan Bridge every day and I want everyone to know about our organization’s significance and deep impact in the community. I’m thrilled to begin a new era of Light the Hoan and to build on the momentum of the organization’s first few years.”

Smith, in a press release, announced her focus will be on expanding the organization’s Shine a Light campaign, which highlights one nonprofit a month. The new executive director said she is also looking to grow the annual Intern Challenge event, where college-age interns in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics roles work together to program light shows and participate in networking events, and expand the Code the Hoan program where students of all skill levels are shown how to program the digital light system.

The new executive director will also be responsible for fundraising for the remaining light installation. The 2020 installation included only west-facing lights on the bridge, with base infrastructure installed for a future east-facing installation. The remaining lights were previously estimated to cost $1.1 million.

“It’s amazing how much Light the Hoan has accomplished as a group of friends and volunteers since it was founded,” says Smith. “I’m honored to have been selected to lead and look forward to utilizing Light the Hoan as a platform to make the bridge a more interactive part of Milwaukee culture.”

Smith was previously a program manager with financial technology firm Fiserv. She had been with the company for eight years. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree from Cardinal Stritch University. Her role with Light the Hoan is full-time.

Built between 1970 and 1972, the Daniel Hoan Memorial Bridge is nearly two miles in length. It opened to the public in 1977, after being derided as the “Bridge to Nowhere” for five years. It is named after former Milwaukee Mayor Daniel Hoan.

The 2,600-light array is powered by Philips Signify technology. What’s visible from the top of the bridge is a substantial amount of heavy-duty wiring, hundreds of magnets and thousands of plastic cable ties. Lights run up the steel cables that connect the blue bridge structure to the yellow arch structure. Twenty-eight electrical cabinets, 14 on each side of the bridge, are connected via a fiber-optic cable loop and installed between the concrete barrier on the roadway and the steel structure of the bridge.

2020 On-Bridge Photos

Bridge Photos