Speaker Spotlight: Chris Hardie, CEO, 7 Rivers Alliance

Monday–Tuesday, March 30–31, 2026 | Havenwood Event Center | Sparta, WI

exploremonroecounty.org/conference

Chris Hardie has been the CEO of the 7 Rivers Alliance, one of nine regional economic development organizations in Wisconsin, since Sept. 2017. Prior to joining the 7 Rivers in September, Chris was the executive director of the Black River Area Chamber of Commerce for two years.

He spent more than 30 years in the newspaper industry as a reporter, editor and publisher, where he was the past president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association and has received numerous state and national journalism awards, including being nominated for a Pulitzer Prize in 2001.

He still writes a weekly column published in several state newspapers. He and his wife Sherry are proprietors of Brambleberry Winery in West Salem, WI.

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Community and Economic Development Associates (CEDA)

Xcel Energy