MADISON, WI (WSAU) — Two finalists have been named in the search for the next president of the UW System, including the current Chancellor at UW Eau Claire and the Chairman and CEO at a Milwaukee-area law firm.
James C. Schmidt has served UW EC since July of 2013 and has also served in various leadership roles at Winona State University and Riverland Community College in Austin, Minnesota. He completed undergrad work at WSU and holds a Master’s from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
Jay O. Rothman, chairman and CEO of the law firm Foley & Lardner LLP in Milwaukee. He has served in that role since June 2011 and has been a member of the firm’s Management Committee since February 2002. He joined Foley in October 1986 and has been a partner since February 1994. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and a law degree from Harvard Law School.
Both men will interview Tuesday with the Special Regent Committee and other groups, including shared governance representatives, chancellors, and UW System executive leaders. UW Regents President Edmund Manydeeds and Search and Screen Committee chair Karen Walsh, the Regent Vice President, announced that because of the extraordinary public input in the process so far, there will be no public session with the finalists.
Following the interviews, the special committee will select a preferred candidate and forward the recommendation to the full Board of Regents for consideration. Their decision is expected sometime in January.
Should the candidate accept, they would be the first permanent UW System President since Ray Cross left in late 2019. A search committee initially recommended one candidate, University of Alaska System President Jim Johnsen, but he withdrew his name amid controversy about a lack of diversity and representation on the search committee.
Former Governor Tommy Thompson has been serving as the interim President for the last year but announced he would be stepping down this spring.
