In March 2010 the Milwaukee Water Council announced that it had selected Dean Amhaus to serve as its first Executive Director. The Water Council was formed with the express purpose of growing the Milwaukee region into the world hub for water research, education and economic development. The Milwaukee Water Council; the only organization of its kind in the United States, is successfully coalescing these attributes together into a powerful force. Created by business and education leaders, the Water Council is convening the region's water companies and research clusters, developing education programs to train our talent, and building partnerships that cut across all sectors and geographic boundaries. More recently Dean served as the President of The Spirit of Milwaukee which is dedicated to enhancing Milwaukee's image. Dean has served as the President of Forward Wisconsin, the state's economic development organization, and Executive Director of the Wisconsin Sesquicentennial Commission. For six years, Dean was with the Wisconsin Arts Board; first as Deputy Director and later as Executive Director. During the 1980's Dean worked in government relations in Washington, D.C. Schooled in Wisconsin, Dean received his M.B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and his B.S. in Business from the University of Wisconsin- Platteville.