Russ Cleary
Russ Cleary grew up on La Crosse’s north side. He attended Franklin Grade School and Logan High School where he was President of the Student Council, Editor of the Class Yearbook, and Captain of the Debate Team. In a class of 300 students, he graduated 14th in 1951.
He attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for three years and then transferred to the University of Wisconsin Law School, graduating in 1957 with a Doctor of Law Degree. He practiced law and managed La Crosse’s largest real estate brokerage company from 1957 to 1960. In 1960, Cleary joined the Heileman Brewing Company as House Counsel and Assistant to the President. In 1971, he was elected President, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer and served in that capacity until 1989.
Under Cleary’s direction, Heileman grew rapidly over the years from 15th place to 4th place in the Brewing Industry, to 5th place in the Baking Industry, and ultimately to the 3rd largest publicly held industrial corporation in Wisconsin. This congenial, self-described “small town lawyer” was responsible for taking a tiny company and making it to the 267th largest company on the Fortune 500 list of the nation’s largest corporations.
You could say that Cleary has now come full circle, as he is President of Cleary Management Corporation. He is involved heavily in business and real estate development and banking.
Mr. Cleary has a very long and distinguished career in service to various large national and international corporations as a member of Board of Directors and is a trustee for the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation.
In addition, he has been recognized both in La Crosse and around the country as a distinguished citizen and businessman. In 1969 he was named as one of the 100 Outstanding Young Men in America. In 1979, he was named the number one citizen of La Crosse by the Mayor and the City Council. In 1980, he was named Executive of the Year by Corporate Report Magazine. In 1986, he was named Entrepreneur of the Year by Arthur Young. In 1987, he received the CEO of the Year-Beverage Industry Award from Financial World Magazine, and the list goes on.
Cleary is unquestionably a La Crosse Civic Booster. He is credited with the development of Harborview Plaza which subsequently sparked new construction and the revitalization of existing buildings in the downtown area. He has served La Crosse by his involvement with the United Way, Gundersen Medical Foundation, Chamber of Commerce, UW-L Foundation, Oktoberfest, the Interstate Fair, and the Redevelopment Authority. He is especially proud of his induction into the Logan High School Wall of Fame in 1985.
When time permits, Cleary enjoys cruising down the Mississippi on his La Crosse made Skipperliner Houseboat with his wife Gail and daughter Kristine and Sandra.
