Wisconsin Center Board Weighs CEO Marty Brooks' Future Over $145,000 Study and 6-Month Severance
Updated
Updated · Urban Milwaukee · May 26
Wisconsin Center Board Weighs CEO Marty Brooks' Future Over $145,000 Study and 6-Month Severance
2 articles · Updated · Urban Milwaukee · May 26
A fourth closed-session meeting ended without action, but multiple sources expect Marty Brooks to leave the Wisconsin Center District within the next couple of weeks.
The 17-member board is scrutinizing Brooks' use of his authority to commission a $145,000 convention hotel study without a board vote, a move several members said was pushed on them.
Brooks' 2025 contract has become a key obstacle: a for-cause termination would require 30 days' notice and no severance, while a convenience termination would trigger six months of pay on a deal topping $445,000 base salary.
The board cited a litigation-related exemption for Tuesday's session rather than the personnel exemptions used earlier, and a district spokesperson said Brooks remains CEO for now.
Brooks, 69, has also faced fallout from an alleged November assault of Common Council President José G. Pérez; prosecutors declined charges, and the controversy now overlaps with debate over the district's hotel strategy after its $456 million expansion.
Will a CEO's exit stop a $455M hotel plan from demolishing a historic theater?
Is the board ousting its CEO for bold planning or using a study as convenient cover?
How will the board justify a 'for cause' firing to avoid a costly severance package?