Wisconsin Policy Forum Leader Rob Henken Stepping Down

Rob Henken (left) and Jason Stein (right). Photos courtesy Wisconsin Policy Forum.

After leading one of the state’s top public research organization’s for the past 16 years, Rob Henken is stepping down as president.

The Wisconsin Policy Forum, originally founded more than 110 years ago as the Public Policy Forum, is one of the state’s premier public policy organizations. Henken, who served as president, will step down in July. The policy forum has been planning the transition for the past two years.

Jason Stein, the policy forum’s current research director and head of the Madison office, will take over as president of the institution. Stein joined the policy forum in 2018 after 15 years as a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Wisconsin State Journal

Henken is well regarded for his time at the policy forum, leading the organization’s rigorous, non-partisan consideration of important matters of state and local public policy. The policy forum has played a critical role in helping local elected officials and the media understand the fiscal crises facing both the City of Milwaukee and Milwaukee County. The organization’s research also informed, in part, the two governments’ pursuit of the additional sales tax approved in 2023.

“Rob has been instrumental in building the Forum from a small Milwaukee-based think tank into a robust policy research engine that covers all of Wisconsin and is regularly recognized by peers as one of the nation’s best,” said Grady Crosby, chief sustainability officer for Northwestern Mutual and chair of the policy forum board. “We’re thrilled to be able to retain Rob’s wisdom and policy expertise in a reduced but still critical capacity while offering Jason a well-earned opportunity to accelerate our strategic direction and manage our operations.”

Following the leadership transition, Henken will will continue to lead the policy forum’s work on local government service sharing, and he will maintain an active role in the organization’s government finance research, and major projects focused on the Milwaukee-area.

“This transition plan makes sense both for me and the Forum,” Henken said in a letter to policy forum members. “At age 60, I’m looking forward to focusing on policy-related work in my several remaining years with the organization, while allowing others with fresh ideas to accelerate our strategic direction and manage our operations.”

Henken is stepping down in July, in part, to begin a new job as the part-time executive director of the Herzfeld Foundation, which makes grants for local arts, education and civic programs. Henken will help the organization with day-to-day management and developing “strategic priorities” for the organization, he said.

Fred Haberman, board president for the Herzfeld Foundation, called Henken a “Wisconsin treasure” and praised his ability to help leaders understand complex problems and identify solutions to them.