Jim Wyse joined the Fulton County Economic Development Corporation in April of 2025 as Executive Director. Jim began his professional journey as an insurance agent specializing in employee benefits before transitioning into public service. His twelve-year tenure as the Mayor of Archbold was marked by strong leadership and dedication to community development. In recognition of his contributions to economic growth, he was honored as the 2008 Archbold Citizen of the Year.

Beyond public office, Jim served as a Regional Manager for the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC), gaining valuable experience in workforce-related initiatives. More recently, he played a pivotal role as the Economic Development Coordinator for Archbold and as the Director of Strategic Networks at the Regional Growth Partnership (RGP). In these roles, he worked closely with local leaders across the RGP’s 17-county territory, strengthening regional economic collaboration and business expansion efforts.

Jim’s dedication to public service and economic progress has been widely recognized, most recently with the 2024 Excellence in Public Service Award from Fulton County. His leadership and strategic vision make him an excellent choice to lead the FCEDC into its next chapter of growth and prosperity.

Jim and his wife, Janet, reside in Archbold. They are proud parents of four adult children and grandparents to nine grandchildren.

Kate Huiskens joined the Fulton County Economic Development Corporation in August of 2023 as Director of Operations & Strategic Initiatives. Kate came to the FCEDC with experience in business development, market research, fundraising and managing non-profit organizations through serving as chairmen at the Fallen Timbers Ducks Unlimited chapter. Kate graduated from Lourdes University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Marketing, and Associates in Business Administration. She then went on to study at the International Institute for Procurement and Market Research where she obtained her certificate as a Certified Research Analyst. Shortly after Kate was accepted into Harvard Business School where she completed an online course through them in Business Analytics. Outside of the FCEDC Kate and her husband own a couple small businesses together and continue to grow their portfolio of investments.

Kate is dedicated to committing to & fostering economic growth and empowering businesses and entrepreneurs to reach their full potential. With a fervent belief in the transformative power of economic development, she has dedicated her career to creating opportunities that enable businesses to thrive. Kate has experience in using market research and data to develop and execute marketing and operational strategy. Driven to fully research and assist in finding effective solutions regarding challenges presented within company growth, she works to connect strong businesses and individuals with a valuable resource to assist in improving and advancing their current operations. Kate has a passion for discovering valuable insights within data to deliver actionable results.

During her spare time Kate enjoys managing her small businesses, hiking, spending time with her husband, or attending dog shows with her Basenji’s. Kate and her husband Jared live in the Village of Swanton in Fulton County.