Former Gehl Foods chief goes 'On the Issues' to discuss political reform and U.S. competitiveness

February 10, 2017

MILWAUKEE — Katherine Gehl, former president and CEO of Gehl Foods, will be the featured guest in an upcoming "On the Issues with Mike Gousha," Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. at Marquette University Law School's Eckstein Hall, 1215 W. Michigan St.

Since overseeing the sale of her family's Wisconsin-based business in March 2015, Gehl has emerged as a new voice in the debate about the state of our politics. A former Democrat, Gehl now refers to herself as a "proud independent" and says she is focused on reforming the nation's political process. Gehl says the current political system has become dysfunctional, and its inability to address key issues hurts U.S. competitiveness.

In addition to her experience in manufacturing, Gehl served as vice president at Bernstein Investment Research and Management, special assistant to Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley for technology and economic development, director of information technology services at Chicago Public Schools, and organizational development manager at Oracle. Gehl will discuss political reform, the changes she would like to see and whether she may run for office in the future.

Gousha, an award-winning broadcast journalist, is the Law School's distinguished fellow in law and public policy. His "On the Issues" series of conversations with newsmakers supports Marquette Law School's commitment to serve as a modern-day public square for the city of Milwaukee, the state of Wisconsin and beyond.

Through public programming such as the Marquette Law School Poll, debates featuring candidates in significant political races, Gousha's "On the Issues" conversations with newsmakers, public lectures by leading scholars and conferences on significant issues of public importance, the Law School serves as the region's leading venue for serious civil discourse about law and public policy matters.

The event is open to members of the public at no cost. Registration is required and is available online. Members of the media who are interested in attending should contact Chris Jenkins in the Office of Marketing and Communication.