Kujawa named new chief of police, director of public safety
Tomas J. Kujawa is the new director of public safety and chief of police for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, effective today (Monday, Aug. 8).
He was most recently a captain with the Marathon County Sheriff’s Department in Wausau. He succeeds Randy Christopherson, who retired earlier this year after 18 years as director.
Kujawa brings more than three decades of law enforcement experience to the position.
As captain of administration for the Marathon County force since 2005, Kujawa has extensive experience in budget, policy development, technology, grant writing, personnel and workflow processes. He was previously captain of investigations and support services for the department, and a detective and sergeant with the detective bureau. He joined the department in 1979 and spent a decade as a uniform patrol officer and deputy investigator before his promotion to detective.
Kujawa specialized in drug enforcement and commanded an anti-gang task force during his time in Wausau. He was coordinator of a joint regional initiative targeting methamphetamine use. On the state level, he is a member of the steering committee for the Wisconsin Alliance for Drug Endangered Children.
He also worked with, or oversaw, child support investigations and the department’s special response, hostage negotiations and dive teams.
His first position in law enforcement was a two-year stint in the late 1970s as a fingerprint specialist with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Washington, D.C.
Kujawa’s experience in higher education includes 25 years as an adjunct police sciences instructor with Northcentral Technical College, Wausau. He earned a master’s degree in organizational leadership and quality improvement from Marian University in Fond du Lac, and a bachelor’s in public administration from Upper Iowa University. He also completed a training course with the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
In his community, Kujawa has been active as a United Way committee member, softball coach and contributor to youth-education initiatives. During his tenure the Sheriff’s Department helped produce award-winning videos including “Breaking the Cycle,” “Meth or Death,” and “Ecstasy: Dancing on the Edge.”
As director of the Office of Public Safety at UW-Green Bay, Kujawa will lead an 11-member police and security force that patrols facilities and grounds on a 24-hour basis, year-round. The team consists of six police officers with arrest authority, including himself and shift supervisors Sgts. Jeff Gross and Paul Haag, along with five campus security officers.
Public Safety is responsible for promoting crime prevention and security awareness campuswide. The office coordinates emergency management and crisis communication via the University’s public address system, GB Alert emergency text messaging system, and various email and web-based notification systems.
The director also oversees several full- and part-time staff members in parking enforcement, dispatch, record keeping, and key and building access. Kujawa reports to UW-Green Bay’s vice chancellor of business and finance, Tom Maki.
Although located in the city of Green Bay, UW-Green Bay and its police force have investigative jurisdiction for all crimes, complaints or dangerous situations that occur within the boundaries of the 700-acre campus. Assistance from Green Bay police, fire, ambulance or other emergency services is provided upon request. About 2,100 of the University’s 6,500 students live on campus. UW-Green Bay has a workforce of more than 500 faculty and staff and attracts numerous visitors each week for educational and entertainment programs.
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