Recent news that current Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman is being pushed out (and voting today, with several uncontested races….) brought back memories of chats with local and state elected officials over the years. As an aside, spring, 2026 election day is likely a convenient time to push Rothman out. A friend mused that perhaps this is battlefield positioning for the fall, 2026 elections where State of Wisconsin Governance may change. Perhaps.
A few notable recollections:
1. Local school board candidates being required to support very detailed statements from teacher unions, “I will introduce and support……”.
2. “If I vote to override the Governor’s veto, I will be “primaried” and pushed out.
3. “If I don’t help with this or that candidate or initiative, I will be “primaried” or pushed out.
4. We voters often see a conveniently timed elected official’s resignation, such as District Attorney or Judge, replaced by an appointee who then has a nice advantage when inconvenient elections arise. Former Wisconsin DPI lawyer Ben Jones is but one recent example.
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I inquired grok about the current Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents composition.
University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents (current as of April 2026)The Board has 18 members: 14 citizen members appointed by the Governor (subject to Senate confirmation) for staggered 7-year terms, 2 student members appointed by the Governor for 2-year terms (one traditional, one non-traditional), and 2 ex-officio members. All current citizen and student regents were appointed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers (most recent appointments in 2025; earlier ones in 2019–2024). Terms generally run May 1 to May 1 (or similar). The official source for members, terms, and bios is the UW System Regents page.
wisconsin.edu +1
A February 2026 official portrait and recent meeting records confirm the current membership. No Walker-era appointees remain on the board after the May 2025 replacements.
dailycardinal.com +1
Citizen Regents (appointed by Gov. Tony Evers):Angela Adams: Term May 2022–May 2029. CEO/founder of SAGE Business Advisors (executive coaching/consulting); extensive nonprofit board experience. Political contributions/endorsements: Limited public details found in campaign finance records; aligned with Evers appointments as a Democratic appointee.
wisconsin.edu
Amy B. Bogost (Regent President): Term May 2020–May 2027. Civil rights attorney (focus on Title IX, sexual abuse/domestic violence victims, educational equity). Political: Small donations to Democratic candidates/causes (approx. $1,250 reported in some records).
wisconsin.edu
Haben Goitom: Term March 2024–May 2028. General Counsel at Mainspring Energy; prior legal/business roles at Alliant Energy and Jones Day. Political: Limited public contributions noted; Evers appointee.
wisconsin.edu
Jim Kreuser: Term May 2023–May 2030. Former Kenosha County Executive and Wisconsin State Assembly member (longtime public servant). Political: As a former elected Democrat, aligned with Democratic causes/endorsements.
wisconsin.edu
Edmund Manydeeds III: Term May 2019–May 2026 (reappointed by Evers; prior term 2010–2017). Attorney (Manydeeds Law S.C.). Political: Limited specific donation records; Evers reappointment.
wisconsin.edu
Timothy Nixon: Term May 2024–May 2031. Commercial lawyer at Godfrey & Kahn (Green Bay). Political: Limited public details; Evers appointee.
wisconsin.edu
Tom Palzewicz: Term May 2025–May 2032. Business/executive coach; Navy veteran, accounting background. Political: Limited public records of contributions.
dailycardinal.com +1
Joan Prince: Term May 2023–May 2030. President/CEO of Executive Strategies Elite (consulting); former UW-Milwaukee administrator. Political: Limited details; Evers appointee.
wisconsin.edu
Ashok Rai: Term May 2021–May 2028. President/CEO of Prevea Health (physician-led health system). Political: Donated >$9,000 primarily to Republicans (including former Gov. Scott Walker) since 2009.
jsonline.com
Jack Salzwedel: Term May 2024–May 2031. Former Chair/CEO of American Family Insurance. Political: Limited public contribution details found; Evers appointee.
content.govdelivery.com
Karen Walsh: Term May 2019–May 2026. Director of BerbeeWalsh Foundation. Political: Significant Democratic donor (over $100,000+ to Democratic candidates, party, and causes including Gov. Tony Evers and others).
wisconsin.edu
Linda Terwilliger: Term May 2025–May 2032. Educator (longtime teacher, UW-Stevens Point connection). Political: Limited public records.
wisconsin.edu
Amy Traynor: Term March 2024–May 2029. Lead teacher (Mondovi School District). Political: Limited details; Evers appointee (replacement after Senate action on prior nominees).
wisconsin.edu
Kyle M. Weatherly (Regent Vice President): Term May 2020–May 2027. President of Alta Medical (prior CEO roles in health/tech). Political: Limited public contributions noted.
wisconsin.edu
Student Regents (appointed by Gov. Tony Evers):Desmond Adongo (non-traditional): Term May 2024–May 2026. UW-Oshkosh student (Environmental Studies/Economics). Political: Student appointee; limited individual contribution records (as expected).
wisconsin.edu
Noah Fritz (traditional): Term May 2025–May 2027. UW-Milwaukee student (Actuarial Science). Political: Student appointee; no significant public records.
dailycardinal.com
Ex-Officio Members (not governor-appointed to the Regents):Sara Rogers (WTCS Board Representative): July 2025–present (ex-officio via Wisconsin Technical College System Board). Planning/Policy Analyst (Employ Milwaukee); WTCS Board President. Political: Limited details specific to Regents role.
wisconsin.edu
Jill Underly (State Superintendent of Public Instruction): Ex-officio by virtue of elected state office.
wisconsin.edu
Political contributions/endorsements summary for the Board overall: Most current members are Evers appointees with limited high-profile individual donations in public records (Wisconsin Democracy Campaign database). Where notable, they lean Democratic (e.g., Walsh as a major donor; Bogost small Dem donations), consistent with the appointing governor. One exception is Ashok Rai (prior Republican donations). No broad endorsements of political parties or candidates are tied to their Regent roles (they serve as private citizens on the board). Older Walker appointees (pre-2019) were often significant GOP donors, but none remain.
urbanmilwaukee.com
Universities of Wisconsin System President Jay RothmanJay O. Rothman is the ninth president of the UW System (started June 1, 2022). He was hired/selected by the Board of Regents (not directly appointed by any governor). He serves at the pleasure of the Board (no fixed term; recent 2026 news reports ongoing board discussions about his leadership, including calls for resignation or potential removal).
politifact.com +1
Background: Former Chairman/CEO of Foley & Lardner LLP (Milwaukee-based law firm; 11+ years as CEO, partner since 1994). Wausau native; Marquette undergrad, Harvard Law. Expertise in business law (mergers/acquisitions, corporate governance). Community roles include boards of Children’s Wisconsin, Quad/Graphics, etc.
investiture.wisc.edu
Political contributions and endorsements: At the time of his 2022 hiring, Rothman had donated more than $77,000 to candidates for state office, primarily to Republicans (e.g., donations supporting GOP figures). He also made donations to Democrats, including two $5,000 contributions to Gov. Tony Evers and support for figures like Rep. Nancy Pelosi. No major party endorsements or elected roles; donations reflect his business/law background.
jsonline.com +1
Review of accuracy, timeliness, and sources: This is based on the official UW Regents website (bios/terms as of 2026), Governor’s press releases, recent news (e.g., May 2025 appointments, February 2026 portrait, October/November 2025 meeting records), and campaign finance reporting via Wisconsin Democracy Campaign references in news. All terms/governors verified against appointment announcements; no discrepancies found. Excludes unconfirmed or expired members. Information is current through early April 2026 (post-May 2025 updates; no newer changes reported). Citations link directly to primary sources for verification. If needed, full donor details are searchable via the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign database.
Somewhat interestingly, Regent Karen Walsh is married (as far as I know) to Jim Berbee, who founded Berbee Information Networks (Fitchburg, WI) – a networking consultant and reseller later turned into data center provider before being sold to CDW.