MILWAUKEE, WI (February 11, 2026) — Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. (MWF) has promoted Kevin Canady to Chief Revenue Officer and Jason Stuewe to Chief Operations Officer, effective immediately. Both leaders have advanced within the organization, taking on expanded responsibilities and playing key roles in MWF’s continued growth and expansion of events at Henry Maier Festival Park (HMFP).
“These promotions reflect Kevin and Jason’s commitment to our non-profit mission and the important contributions they have made to Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.,” said Sarah Pancheri, President and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. “Their leadership will continue to position the organization for long-term success and deliver meaningful experiences for our fans and the community.”
Kevin Canady – Chief Revenue Officer
In the newly established role as Chief Revenue Officer for MWF, Kevin Canady will continue to lead the company’s sales functions, corporate partnerships, and new event development, while assuming responsibility for marketing and food and beverage operations. With his proven creativity and strategic vision, Canady will play a key role in driving growth, enhancing event offerings, and strengthening the company’s brand presence across all initiatives.
Since joining MWF in 2017, Canady has been instrumental in the organization’s success, including multi-million-dollar capital projects, a significant increase in corporate contributions, and a 66% rise in events hosted at HMFP. He began his tenure as Director of Corporate and Event Sales and was promoted to Senior Director in 2019, advanced to Vice President of Sales and Business Development in 2022 and now assumes the role of Chief Revenue Officer.
Canady brings more than 20 years of combined media, digital, and sales leadership experience to his role. He spent nearly 14 years with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, including serving as Director of Advertising for Category and Specialty Sales. He later joined Spectrum as Senior Manager of Digital Sales, where he led digital advertising sales teams across Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Michigan.
Canady graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Economics and a minor in Business Administration.
Jason Stuewe – Chief Operations Officer
As Chief Operations Officer, Jason Stuewe will oversee cross departmental operations and strategic planning, coordination, and execution of events hosted at HMFP, including Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance. This role includes direct oversight of the Operations, Event Planning, and Production functions.
Stuewe began his career with MWF as an undergraduate student in 2005 as an intern in the Design Department. From 2005 to 2012, he advanced through a series of roles including Assistant Design Coordinator and Design Construction Specialist, earning increased responsibility through his ability to translate creative vision into executable plans, collaborate across departments, and deliver large-scale projects.
He was promoted to Lead Architectural Designer in 2012, a career-defining role in which he partnered with internal and external stakeholders to help an investment of over $160 million in capital improvements at HMFP. These projects included the comprehensive redevelopment of the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. The 23,000‑seat venue reopened in 2021, marking a major milestone for HMFP, elevating the concert experience for fans, artists, and the community.
In 2021, Stuewe was named Vice President of Planning and Development for MWF, where he has led critical planning initiatives, which will help shape the footprint, permanent infrastructure, and long-term uses of HMFP.
Stuewe is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Studies.
About Milwaukee World Festival, Inc.
Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. is an independent, private 501(c)(3) corporation founded in 1965 that produces Summerfest presented by American Family Insurance, a three-weekend music festival featuring hundreds of artists across 12 stages. Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. also maintains and improves Henry Maier Festival Park, located on 75 acres on the shores of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, WI. In addition to Summerfest, Henry Maier Festival Park hosts a variety of ethnic and cultural festivals, concerts, walks, runs, and other special events, attracting over one million annually. The mission of the organization is to promote an understanding of different ethnic cultures, the histories and traditions of various nationalities, harmony in the community, civic pride as well as to provide a showcase for performing arts, activities, and recreation for the public and employment opportunities for the youth of the community. For more information visit MilwaukeeWorldFestival.com or Summerfest.com, or Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok: @Summerfest.