- Welcome
- For Prospective Students
- For Students
- Degree Programs
- Focus Fields
- Faculty and Staff
- Research
- Public Service and Outreach
- Career Development
- For Alumni and Friends
Alumni and Friends: Board of Visitors
The La Follette School has shared an advisory Board of Visitors with the Department of Political Science since the board's inception in May 2001. The board's members are mostly alumni who have pursued a wide variety of careers. They help the La Follette School engage influential individuals and organizations to sustain and improve performance in a competitive environment. Members, who usually serve three-year terms, also provide a refreshing connection to real-world attitudes and opportunities, and help the school choose and reach ambitious but feasible goals.
Governance and Public Policy Advisory Board Members
- David Adamany
- David Adamany is president of Temple University in Philadelphia, and professor of law and political science there. His past positions include president, and professor of law and political science at Wayne State University in Detroit, plus several roles in state government in Wisconsin and Michigan. He holds undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard University, and masters and doctoral degrees in political science from the UW-Madison.
- Robert Barnett
- Robert Barnett is a senior partner with the Washington, D.C., law firm Williams & Connolly LLP. He represents major corporations and individuals in litigation matters, corporate work, contracts, crisis management, transactions, government relations, and media relations. He has served as debate advisor for seven Democratic presidential and vice presidential campaigns, including vice presidential candidate Senator John Edwards. During his almost 30 years of practice, he has represented clients before almost every executive department and administrative agency in Washington, D.C. He earned a bachelors degree from UW-Madison.
- Rita Braver
- As a national correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning, Rita Braver reports on everything from arts to national politics to foreign policy. Prior to that, Braver worked for CBS News as a White House correspondent and as a law correspondent. She has filed stories on the Columbia space shuttle explosion, the Iran-Contra controversy, and Bill Clintons 1996 presidential campaign. She has interviewed Attorney General John Ashcroft and shoe designer Manolo Blahnik. Her honors include five Emmy Awards. She holds a bachelors degree in political science from UW-Madison.
- Michael Bright
-
Michael Bright, business strategist and entrepreneur, created Bright Consulting in 1995. A former contract lobbyist, he has now recovered and is enjoying management consulting with private, public and third sector enterprise. Bright is also Head of Post for the UK’s diplomatic mission to the State of Wisconsin. Appointed by the British Foreign Office and authorized by the U.S. State Department, he serves officially as H.M. British Consul (Hon.) Prior to starting his firm, Bright was Chief of Staff to the Wisconsin Joint Committee on Finance, and Executive Budget and Policy Analyst in the Governor’s Budget Office. Bright holds a BA from American University, and a MPA from the La Follette Institute at UW-Madison.
- Anthony Carroll
- Anthony Carroll is managing director of Manchester Trade Ltd., which promotes economic relations between developed and lesser developed areas of the world. His clients have included leading companies in pharmaceuticals, oil and gas exploration and production, finance and banking, and textiles manufacturing. He has advised the World Bank, the United Nations, the U.S. government, and many African governments about trade and investment. He is a 1980 graduate of the La Follette School of Public Affairs, and holds degrees in law and economics from the University of Denver. He was a graduate fellow at the Colorado School of Mines.
- Edward B. Cohen
- Edward B. Cohen is vice president for government and industry relations for Honda North America. Prior to joining Honda, he served as deputy solicitor for the U.S. Department of the Interior; a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine; deputy special assistant to President Jimmy Carter; and counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a law degree from Georgetown University.
- Richard A. Davies
- Richard A. Davies is senior managing director for defined contribution services with AllianceBernstein Institutional Investments. He is responsible for delivering investment services to large 401(k) and public defined contribution plans in the United States. He also coordinates the firm's global defined contribution strategy. He took on these responsibilities in July 2006 after heading retirement and college savings businesses for AllianceBernstein’s retail organization. Prior to 2003, he headed global marketing and product management for the company’s mutual funds group. He received a bachelor of arts in economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his master of business administration from the Harvard Business School.
- George C. Edwards III
- George C. Edwards III is Distinguished Professor of Political Science at Texas A&M University and holds the Jordan Chair in Presidential Studies in the Bush School. He has held visiting appointments at Oxford, University of London, Peking University, Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and West Point. A specialist in the presidency, he edits Presidential Studies Quarterly and has written or edited 20 books on American politics and public policy making. He has also advised leaders in a number of other countries and frequently comments on politics in the national press.
- Gayle Haller
- On sabbatical from the telecommunications industry to focus on her family, Gayle Haller is a consultant for the National Executive Service Corp. After earning her master's of business administration from the University of Chicago, she spent her career with Motorola in a variety of marketing management roles. She led data product and network product marketing for the launch of the Nextel cellular phone and directed the marketing effort for a line of next generation cellular phones. After moving to New York, she remained with the company as a consultant. She received a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Douglas Kiel
- With a background in broadcasting, Douglas Kiel is president of Journal Communications Inc., a diversified, employee-owned media and communications company. He had been executive vice president there and president of Journal Broadcast Group Inc. Kiel is a graduate of UW-Madison, and completed the Advanced Executive Program in the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
- James Klauser
- James Klauser is a senior vice president with Wisconsin Energy Corp. He served as secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Administration for 10 years, and he served on the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents. A regent of the Milwaukee School of Engineering, he serves on the boards of the Milwaukee County Research Park Corporation, the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, Spirit of Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership. He is a director of Joy Global Inc.
- Kathy N. Lefco
- In her 31 years as a law librarian, Kathy Lefco has served the last 12 years as director of library services at Chicago-based Winston & Strawn LLP. Previous positions include senior legal reference librarian at Cravath, Swaine & Moore in New York City, as well as reader services librarian at the Wisconsin State Law Library in Madison. She received her bachelor's degree in political science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her master of arts in library science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
- Terry Lierman
- Terry Lierman is management director of Health Ventures LLC and vice chair of Employee Health Programs. He has served as an administrator at the National Cancer Institute and was staff director of the U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations, as well as the Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. He has a bachelors degree from Winona State University and a masters degree in public policy from the La Follette School of Public Affairs.
- Ronald Luskin
- Ronald Luskin handles marketing and business development for Arnold & O’Sheridan Consulting Engineers, which has offices in Madison and Milwaukee. He graduated from the Center for the Study of Public Policy and Administration, the La Follette School's predecessor, in 1979. His graduate studies focused on health-care policy and public information. Prior to joining Arnold and O'Sheridan, he was vice president and director of marketing for Marshall Erdman & Associates, a national firm specializing in design and construction of health-care facilities. He earlier worked for many years in strategic marketing planning, advertising and public relations. Just before relocating to Madison, he was the director of business development for Hammel, Green & Abrahamson.
- Jeffrey Lyons
- Formerly the president of Charles Schwab’s $400 billion asset management business, Jeffrey Lyons now focuses his energy on community involvement and board service. Jeff worked for 22 years at Schwab in marketing, strategy and general management jobs and served on the executive committee. He received his bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Wisconsin-Madison and his master's in business administration from the University of California-Berkeley.
- Robert Milbourne
- Robert Milbourne is president of the Columbus Partnership, a civic-improvement group of central Ohio business and community leaders to develop a long-term vision for the Columbus metropolitan area. Prior to that, he led the Greater Milwaukee Committee, a similar group of business, labor and education leaders that he joined after a career in business and government in Wisconsin. Milbourne earned a bachelors degree in economics and a masters degree in public policy at UW-Madison. He also attended Harvard Business School.
- Patti McGill Peterson
- Dr. Peterson is senior associate at the Institute for Higher Education Policy in Washington, D.C. She served as executive director of the Council for International Exchange of Scholars and vice president of the Institute of International Education from 1997 to 2007. Previously, Peterson was senior fellow at Cornell University's Institute for Public Affairs where her work focused on the nonprofit sector and its role in shaping public policy in the United States and abroad. She is president emerita at Wells College and St. Lawrence University. Peterson has a bachelor's degree from the Pennsylvania State University, an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin and did post-graduate study at Harvard University. She serves on the boards for the Council of International Education Exchange and the Ford Foundation’s International Fellowship Program.
- Ronald Rose
- Ronald Rose manages his own real estate portfolio and consults with LoopLender, an affiliated commercial mortgage brokerage firm of LoopNet Inc. This follows a 30-year career in commercial real estate with Metropolitan Life, The Federal Home Loan Bank, John Hancock Real Estate Financial Services and LoopNet Inc. Rose chairs the Regents Committee at the University of San Francisco and is co-chair for the school's capital campaign. In addition, he co-produces new works with the Magic Theatre in San Francisco. He holds an undergraduate degree in political science from UW-Madison, a masters degree in government and planning from the University of Arizona, and a masters degree in finance from the University of San Francisco.
- John Stanoch
- John Stanoch is Minnesota president of Qwest Communications International. Earlier he was chief deputy attorney general for Minnesota following eight years as a Hennepin County district court judge.
- Judith Hicks Stiehm
- Judith Hicks Stiehm is professor of political science at Florida International University where she served as provost and academic vice president for four years. She has taught at the University of Wisconsin, University of California at Los Angeles, and the University of Southern California and has been a visiting professor at the U.S. Army Peacekeeping Institute and at the Strategic Studies Institute at Carlisle Barracks. She earned a bachelor's degree in East Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin, a master's degree at Temple University in American History, and a Ph.D. in political theory from Columbia University. She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and holds the U.S. Army Distinguished Civilian Service Medal. She has authored numerous books on gender and military issues. Her most recent book is "Champions for Peace: Women Winners of the Nobel Peace Prize."
- David Tabacoff
- David Tabacoff is an executive producer of The O’Reilly Factor and The Radio Factor with Bill O’Reilly at the Fox News Channel. Prior to his time at Fox, he worked for many years at ABC News in a variety of positions including executive producer of 20/20 Downtown, senior broadcast producer of 20/20, and senior producer of Nightline. He has an undergraduate degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a master's degree in political science from Rutgers University where he was a fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics, and a law degree from Fordham Law School. He also was a Fulbright Scholar studying political science at Auckland University in New Zealand.
- Robert Trice
- Robert Trice is senior vice president for business development at Lockheed Martin Corp. He is responsible for worldwide business strategies and operations. Before he joined Lockheed, he was vice president-international at General Dynamics Corp. Prior to that he was vice president and general manager of business development at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace. Trice holds a bachelors degree from the College of William and Mary, and a masters degree and doctorate in political science from UW-Madison.
- Doris Weisberg
- Doris Weisberg is professor emeritus of speech-language pathology at the City College of the City University of New York, where she was director of the Speech and Hearing Center, and Speech Department chair. After her retirement, she produced television cooking shows. She was part of a team that conceived, developed, and produced the TV Food Network. She is an adjunct professor at the New York Universitys School of Continuing and Professional Education where she develops lecture series. She holds a bachelors degree from UW-Madison, and masters and doctoral degrees from Columbia University.
- Michael Youngman
- As vice president of government relations for Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Michael Youngman works on legislative and regulatory matters at the federal, state and local level. Prior to joining the company in 1986, Youngman was a legislative assistant in the Wisconsin Assembly. He became a fellow of the Life Management Institute in 1990. He served as president of the Wisconsin Association of Life and Health Insurers and as president of the Association of Wisconsin Lobbyists. Youngman holds a bachelors degree and a masters degree in public policy and administration from UW-Madison.
Former Members
- P. Bai Akridge
- Bai Akridge is president of Worldwise Services Inc., a consulting firm that focuses on international education, commerce, and policy. His career has included government relations and philanthropy in international business and university teaching and research, in addition to 17 years with IBM.
- Eloise Anderson
- As director of the Program for the American Family at the Claremont Institute in California, Eloise Anderson develops policy approaches to welfare, education, employment and health. She was director of the California Department of Social Services, and was administrator of the Division of Community Services for the Wisconsin Department of Health and Social Services. Her career includes many positions in state and local government. Her undergraduate degree is from Central State University in Ohio, and she has done graduate work at the UW-Milwaukee and at Harvard University.
- Martin Begun
- Martin Begun is managing partner of Reiter/Begun Associates, a New York management and marketing consulting group. He worked for more than 35 years at New York University School of Medicine and Medical Center as senior associate dean and vice president for external affairs. Begun serves on many boards and committees, including the New Milford Hospital Foundation board, the New York City Parks Council, and the Community Services Board of the New York City Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Alcoholism Services.
- Edwin Behrens
- Formerly the director of national government relations for Procter & Gamble, Edwin Behrens now works as a consultant. He served as senior advisor to the Progress and Freedom Foundation, coordinating its research and educational activities regarding online privacy. He received bachelors and masters degrees in chemical engineering from UW-Madison, and a masters degree in business administration from Xavier University. Behrens chaired the University of Wisconsin Foundation committee for the greater Washington, D.C., area.
- Jay Carlson
- Jay Carlson is a partner in the Washington, D.C., law firm of Miller & Chevalier, where he specializes in corporate tax litigation. He earned a bachelors degree at UW-Madison and a law degree at the George Washington University Law School. His family established the Laurie Carlson Lecture Fund through the La Follette School of Public Affairs.
- Bernard Cohen
- Bernard Cohen is emeritus professor of political science and emeritus vice chancellor at UW-Madison. He also served on the faculty of Princeton University. His bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees were completed at Yale University.
- Charles Fischbach
- As a practicing attorney, Charles Fischbach represented unions in the private and public sectors. He negotiated labor agreements containing precedent-setting unisex pension provisions, the first flex-time work schedule arrangement in a major municipality, and landmark health-care benefits for extended-care, catastrophic and rehabilitation-care coverage. His arbitration practice covers more than 25 industries. Fischbach earned a bachelors degree in political science and history, and a law degree at UW-Madison, and a masters degree in political science and labor relations at Rutgers University.
- Tom Hefty
- An attorney with Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren SC, Tom Hefty is the former president, chairman and chief executive officer of Cobalt Corp. and its subsidiary, Blue Cross and Blue Shield United of Wisconsin. He served as Wisconsins deputy insurance commissioner, assistant general counsel for the Sentry Insurance Group, and as an attorney for the Bureau of Competition of the Federal Trade Commission. He holds a masters degree in health-care economics from Johns Hopkins University and a law degree from UW-Madison.
- Charles O. Jones
- Charles O. Jones is Hawkins Professor Emeritus of Political Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a non-resident senior fellow in the Governmental Studies Program at The Brookings Institution. Jones has written or edited 18 books and contributed more than 100 articles and book chapters. His most recent books focus on the presidency and Congress. They include The Trusteeship Presidency: Jimmy Carter and the United States Congress, The Reagan Legacy: Promise and Performance and The Presidency in a Separated System. Jones served as treasurer, vice president, and president of the American Political Science Association.
- Philip Kaiser
- Philip Kaiser is former U.S. ambassador to Senegal, Mauritania, Austria and Hungary, and minister to Great Britain. He was President Trumans assistant secretary of labor for international affairs, and special assistant to former New York Governor Averell Harriman. He graduated from UW-Madison with a bachelors degree in classics and philosophy, and from Oxford University as a Rhodes scholar with a degree in politics, philosophy and economics.
- Tom Loftus
- Tom Loftus was special advisor to the director general of the World Health Organization from 1998 to 2005. He joined the University of Wisconsin Board of Regents in 2005. He served as U.S. ambassador to Norway and longtime speaker of the Wisconsin Assembly. He has a masters degree in public policy from the La Follette School of Public Affairs.
- Karl Meyer
- Karl Meyer, editor of World Policy Journal since 2000, is a writer and commentator on international affairs, a former editorial writer for the New York Times and the Washington Post, author of a dozen books, and a visiting professor at Yale, Princeton, Tufts, and Bard College. He earned his bachelor's degree in history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his master's degree in public affairs and Ph.D. at Princeton University. He has been a visiting fellow at Oxford University and Berlin's Institute for Advanced Study.
- Theresa Mintle
- Theresa Mintle is the manager of government and community relations for the Chicago Transit Authority. Her experience prior to joining CTA includes working with not-for-profits on formulating and recommending policies and governmental strategies on a portfolio of issues, including tax reform, affordable housing, transportation policy, and community outreach. She has represented the University of Illinois in the Illinois State Capitol and served as Mayor Daleys City Council manager. Mintle holds a bachelors degree in political science from the University of Illinois-Urbana and a masters degree in public affairs from UW-Madison.
- Felicia Norwood
- Felicia Norwood is national head of Medicaid for Aetna Inc., one of the nations leading diversified health-benefits companies. There, she has held several positions, including national head of small group and individual markets and president of Aetna Government Health Plans. She joined Aetna in 1994 as state government relations counsel and served as Midwest region general counsel prior to her appointment as general manager in 1999. She earlier served as executive assistant for health and human services for former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar. She received her bachelor of arts degree from Valdosta (Georgia) State University; a masters degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and her law degree from Yale Law School.
- Joy Picus
- Joy Picus served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for many years. Her major public policy achievements were in garbage and hazardous waste, and dependent care and the creation of a family-friendly city. She is nationally recognized for her promotion of opportunities for women. Picus serves on many civic committees and boards in Los Angeles. She earned a bachelors degree in political science from UW-Madison.
- Phillip Schemel
- Phillip Schemel is managing director in the Derivatives and Financial Products Group at the Societe General Bank in New York. Previously, he was an associate in the Derivatives Group at Citibank in New York and a floor broker at the Chicago Board of Trade for Dean Witter in Chicago. He earned a bachelors degree in political science and economics from UW-Madison and a masters degree in business administration from the University of Chicago.
- John Karl Scholz
- John Karl Scholz is a professor of economics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a past director of the Institute for Research on Poverty at UW-Madison. His research has examined the effects of the earned income tax credit and other policy interventions to assist low-wage workers. He also has explored the degree to which families prepare adequately for retirement.
- Allan Selig
- After many years of distinguished participation in baseball and the Milwaukee community, Allan Selig was elected the ninth baseball commissioner. He served as chair Major League Baseballs executive council, and he contributed to numerous changes to the sport, including the opening of many stadiums. He earned a bachelors degree in history and political science from UW-Madison.
- Lee Shapiro
- In her former capacity as director of media services for Voter News Service, a cooperative venture of major television networks, Lee Shapiro assisted more than 125 national and local news organizations in producing their election night coverage. Working with newsroom staff, she helped develop political stories and provide election analysis. Previously she was with the CBS News election and survey unit. She is a political science graduate of UW-Madison.
- Joel Skornicka
- Joel Skornickas partnership, Herndon, Mays & Skornicka, assists executives and organizations in identifying capital funding strategies and growing through changes and transitions. Prior positions include mayor of Madison, assistant chancellor at UW-Madison, director of development at the University of California-Davis, and senior vice president of the University of Wisconsin Foundation. Skornicka earned a bachelors degree and a masters degree in political science at UW-Madison.
- Lon Sprecher
- Lon Sprecher is chief officer for business to business solutions and the international area at CUNA Mutual Group in Madison, Wisconsin. Previously he was the senior vice president of credit union protection and employee solutions. Prior to that, he was the senior reinvention officer and head of the international division. He also worked for Wisconsin Physicians Services, the Central Life Assurance Co., the State of Wisconsin and the City of Madison. He has published several books on budget and tax administration and is an adjunct faculty member of UW-Madison, where he earned a master's degrees in public affairs and business administration.