UW-Green Bay’s Swan to take vice president position at Western Washington

GREEN BAY — Steve Swan, assistant chancellor for university advancement at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay since February 2004, has been named vice president for university relations at Western Washington University.

Swan will begin his duties at Western Washington in Bellingham, Wash., on Jan. 5.

Steve SwanUW-Green Bay Interim Chancellor David Ward today thanked Swan for his service to UW-Green Bay, the Green Bay community and the New North region.

“Steve’s success at UW-Green Bay speaks for itself,” Ward said. “Thanks in large part to Steve’s leadership, the University has experienced tremendous success in building community support and friendship.”

Ward will appoint Dan Spielmann, UW-Green Bay director of major gifts and government relations, to fill the assistant chancellor’s position on an interim basis. Spielmann has served the University in numerous capacities since 1976.

At Western Washington, Swan will rejoin Western President Bruce Shepard. Shepard served as UW-Green Bay chancellor from 2001 through June 2008.

Swan said he is eagerly looking forward to once again working with Shepard.

“Under his leadership great things happened at UW-Green Bay, and I know the same will be true at Western Washington University,” Swan said.

He said the decision to move to Western Washington was especially difficult because of what he and his wife, Karen, will leave behind.
“UW-Green Bay is a special place,” Swan said. “It has a bright future because of its outstanding faculty and staff and the strong support from friends throughout the region and state.”

Karen Swan is director of counseling and health services at UW-Green Bay. She will remain at the University through the spring semester.

A De Pere native, Swan is in the fifth year of his second tenure of leading UW-Green Bay’s Advancement Division. He supervises the Alumni, Development, Government Relations and Marketing and Communication offices. He has guided the $25 million Campaign for UW-Green Bay.

Swan returned to UW-Green Bay in February 2004 after working as president of Ultimate Sports Apparel of Green Bay, a company he founded in 2000. He previously served as executive director of University Advancement at UW-Green Bay from 1995 through 1999.

Dan SpielmannBefore moving into university administration, Swan was an assistant men’s basketball coach at UW-Green Bay from 1985 to 1995. He was the sports information director, men’s basketball recruiter and an assistant football coach at UW-Stevens Point from 1977 to 1985. In 1976 he served as press secretary to U.S. Rep. Robert J. Cornell in Washington, D.C. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from UW-Eau Claire. The Swans have two daughters.

Spielmann rejoined UW-Green Bay in 2003 after serving as athletics director at Northern Michigan University. At UW-Green Bay he has worked with the state Legislature and other government agencies, provided legal representation to the campus community, has taught courses in law and served as UW-Green Bay athletics director.

Spielmann has a law degree and bachelor’s degree in political science from UW-Madison. He and his wife, Elizabeth, have two sons.

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