Adam Ruechel

Adam Ruechel is an economic development professional who has long focused on how communities can grow without losing what makes them worth calling home, balancing responsible development, infrastructure planning, and long-term community character while working with residents, businesses, and leaders.

Guiding Freedom’s Growth with LongTerm Vision

Freedom has grown beyond its roots as a small farming community. With more than 6,300 residents, the town is seeing more interest in residential, commercial and industrial development. For Ruechel, the challenge is making room for that growth without losing the rural character residents value.

His perspective began taking shape in the Village of Hobart, where he started his career as assistant administrator. Hobart was one of Wisconsin’s fastest-growing communities, giving Ruechel experience with residential subdivisions, multifamily apartments, commercial and industrial projects and tax increment financing districts. He saw development from both sides, understanding the limitations municipalities faced while hearing directly from developers about their challenges.

That experience still guides his decisions. He listens to elected officials, residents, developers and businesses before deciding what makes sense for the community. Not every project is right simply because it brings development. The question is whether it fits Freedom’s priorities and can be supported over the long term.

Aligning Development with Financial Responsibility

That judgment matters when a project requires new infrastructure. For a small municipality, extending a road or bringing water and sewer to a site can require substantial investment before there is any guarantee of when development will follow. Ruechel looks closely at who takes on that risk and what it could mean for taxpayers.

Freedom has moved many of its tax increment financing initiatives toward pay-as-you-go financing. Developers take on infrastructure costs while the taxes generated by the development can be returned through an incentive. Grants and financial analysis also help the town reduce infrastructure costs. Its AA credit rating reflects the financial discipline behind those decisions.

Ruechel has seen how that approach can translate into results. During his time as city manager in Platteville, he helped and worked with volunteers, sponsors and government officials in securing nearly $2 million for an inclusive playground. The project gave residents a new amenity and brought visitors into the community. He also worked with volunteers, sponsors and government officials to secure approximately $7 million in federal funding for a new fire station.

Successful economic development isn’t about choosing between growth and preservation. It’s about creating a path where communities can achieve both.

For Ruechel, those projects show what economic development can look like beyond business recruitment. A playground can draw people to a city, while a new fire station strengthens infrastructure for future growth. Both required him to bring people together around community needs.

Strengthening Leadership through Collaboration and Peer Learning.

Ruechel does not believe good ideas have to originate within one municipality. Through the Wisconsin City Managers Association and Fox Valley Economic Development Partners, he talks with peers, compares experiences and learns from other communities.

Those conversations cover what worked, what failed and how leaders responded when circumstances changed. He also stays connected with chambers of commerce, planning organizations and state and county officials. For a community with a small staff, those relationships matter.

That approach is shaping Freedom’s next steps. The town is preparing to update its comprehensive plan and comprehensive outdoor recreation plan, with public input helping determine where future development should fit and what should remain open and rural. A significant donation of parkland has also given Ruechel another opportunity to consider the community’s long-term needs.

He approaches leadership with little interest in ego. His focus is on listening, working through difficult issues with the people involved and being willing to change direction when circumstances call for it. A decision is not permanent simply because it has been made.

That is also how Ruechel thinks about his legacy. He wants the next administrator to inherit more than completed projects. He wants to leave behind sound policies, responsible financial practices and public assets ready to serve the community.

For Ruechel, those are the “stepping stones” that matter most: work that gives Freedom a stronger foundation for what comes next while allowing it to remain recognizably itself.