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February 23, 2026
NORTHEAST WISCONSIN – After nearly 15 years leading Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin – and combined decades of nonprofit and community engagement experience – Patti Habeck is settling into her new role as president and CEO of Northeast Wisconsin’s economic development corporation, New North, Inc.
“I was aware of New North and the work they did while I was at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, and I was really excited [by it], but I never imagined I’d have the opportunity to lead it,” she said.
Following the retirement of New North’s longtime previous CEO, Barb LaMue, Habeck said she officially entered the organization as its new leader Dec. 1, 2025.
Though she moved around as a child, Habeck – a Northeast Wisconsin resident since 1997 – said she chose to build her career in the region.
“I was born in Wisconsin, but grew up all over [the country],” she said. “I came back to college in Wisconsin, and that’s where I met my husband, who’s from Shawano. So, through my husband’s family here, visiting the area [and] visiting the region, we knew early on we wanted to settle in… Northeast Wisconsin.”
Habeck said she began her nonprofit career in the early 2000s – first with the Building for Kids Children’s Museum in Appleton and the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and eventually with Feeding America Eastern WI in 2011.
“I really learned to love the generosity and impact of both the nonprofit sector and the philanthropy sector in the region,” she said.
When she started at Feeding America Eastern WI, Habeck said it was to establish its Appleton-based food bank.
Though, she said her role as the nationwide nonprofit’s Eastern WI CEO kept her away from home more often than she preferred.
“I just missed the [Northeast Wisconsin] area so much,” she said. “The fact that I could return to my home community full-time was a really big part of my decision.”
Now, Habeck said she’s excited to put her specific skill set to work at New North as she helps advance Northeast Wisconsin’s economic outlook.
An ‘upstream’ extension
Habeck said she and New North began having initial, “quiet conversations” regarding her potential as the organization’s next CEO in the summer of 2025.
However, she said the transition wasn’t possible until Feeding America Eastern WI was through some incomplete projects.
“I wouldn’t have stepped out at that time,” she said. “Barb LaMue was retiring, [but she] agreed to stay on and let the timeline work out to benefit both Feeding America and New North.”
Habeck said she views LaMue as one of “the biggest advocates and stewards of” Wisconsin’s northeast region.
“She didn’t want to take away from another nonprofit in the community,” she said. “I really appreciate the fact that she was able to extend her timeline so much.”
Though initially reluctant to leave Feeding America Eastern WI, Habeck said she couldn’t escape the feeling that leading New North was the next step in her mission to make a positive impact on the region.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it, so eventually I agreed to the conversation, and that got the ball rolling,” she said.
Framing her transition as an “upstream” extension of her work at Feeding America Eastern WI, Habeck said, made it easier.
“[It’s just] a different part of the opportunity chain,” she said.
Regional interconnection
In her previous work, Habeck said she and her team battled existing systems impacting residents’ access to food.
Whereas, at New North, she said her work will focus on establishing new systems and increasing access to economic opportunity, resources and support.
“I get really excited when I think about the possibility of New North’s role – not only in economic development but also in building thriving communities,” she said.
A resident of the region herself, Habeck said she truly believes in what the 18-county New North region has to offer – emphasizing that the region’s nonprofit community is incredibly interconnected.
“When we talk about abundance, about businesses, neighbors and individuals that are really wanting this area to thrive and be successful, many times we’re talking about the same people,” she said. “Many times, the people who participate in New North are also participating in… Feeding America, but now we can do it more systematically.”
Though the region’s donor network is expansive and also interconnected across organizations, Habeck said responsible philanthropy remains a challenge for some – making collaboration increasingly important.
“I remember one specific donor said, ‘It’s really hard to give away money well,’” she said. “There’s so much demand out there in the philanthropy sector, but what really impressed me about this region is the donors would all communicate with each other and talk about what needs to happen to keep a vibrant community.”
As she settles into the role as CEO, Habeck said the New North team is meeting with regional leaders to develop its next five-year strategic plan.
“In doing that…, we get to have all the conversations with community stakeholders and learn what it is the community wants from New North, and how are we going to deliver on that?” she said. “To me, that’s exciting.”
Regardless of her title, Habeck said she embraces the same stewardship responsibility as her predecessor.
“I always say, ‘This is an organization that I get to steward – it’s not my organization,’” she said. “I’m excited to hear the feedback from all the different groups that make up New North and ask, ‘What do you get excited about?’”
Convening for a ‘bright future’
One of the biggest changes Habeck said she’s getting used to is the size of New North’s organization as compared to Feeding America Eastern WI.
“Relearning how to operate in a small staffing environment and optimize that has been one of the biggest challenges, which sounds funny, but it’s also something I was aware of before I took the job,” she said. “Growing your career isn’t always about expanding… Sometimes it’s about getting very, very specific, narrow and utilizing small systems instead of big systems.”
Though she was aware of New North and its work prior to becoming its CEO, Habeck said she didn’t fully understand the breadth of its impact until she was part of the organization.
“Now that I’m in it, I realize you know how deeply the formal economic development of New North actually impacts the region,” she said. “It’s really hard to see from the outside, because you don’t get to look at the everyday, but working with this team and seeing what they do and how that impacts communities – how we attract businesses, invite them [in] and introduce them to the power of what Northeast Wisconsin has to offer.”
Beyond attracting new opportunities for economic growth, Habeck said she’s also excited to connect established leaders across industries to collaborate on regional initiatives.
“How do we make these connections between business, government and education…?” she said. “By bringing these conversations together, it’s just amazing what this team has been able to do for the region.”
The role of a convener, Habeck said, is one she knows well.
She said her recent recognition as a Titan 100 Hall of Fame recipient reflects not only the impact she made during her tenure at Feeding America, but also her continued efforts to support and strengthen Northeast Wisconsin’s business community.
Habeck said her “Titan helmet” has now found a spot in the New North office.
“My entire career has been built on establishing collaborations and partnerships, and that will continue,” she said. “That’s the only way I believe to go forward. This is about [asking], ‘How do we align side by side so we can have the largest impact possible?’”
Because she’s experienced firsthand the lack of awareness surrounding New North’s impact, Habeck said another major focus of her work will be to help tell the organization’s story and represent the growing potential of Northeast Wisconsin.
“My goal as I go forward is to really look at the work we do and make sure we’re telling our best stories, so people really understand the impact New North is actually making and how many of the good things we have in this community are because New North exists,” she said. “This transition is exciting, and I think there is a really bright future for the New North region.”
