Interim UW System President Tommy Thompson will resign his post in March. In a letter to Board of Regents President Edmund Manydeeds, Thompson said he took the interim position with the understanding he was needed, and that it would be temporary.
Manydeeds said Thompson has worked to shepherd the UW System through the coronavirus pandemic while being “a relentless champion of the University of Wisconsin.”
“President Thompson stepped in during a critical moment for UW System and our state, and he has provided strong and decisive leadership” said UW Madison Chancellor Rebecca Blank. “He has been an extraordinary advocate for our students, faculty and staff over these past 18 months, as he has been for the state of Wisconsin over his many decades of public service.”
Wisconsin’s longest serving governor was brought aboard in July 2020, after a failed search to find a replacement for the retiring Ray Cross. In his letter, Thompson noted the regents will soon identify a candidate to become the full-time president.