UW-Madison: Six UW-Madison graduates join Wisconsin Alumni Association Board of Directors

CONTACT: Kate Dixon, 608-265-8769, news@uwalumni.com

MADISON – Six accomplished graduates of the University of Wisconsin-Madison have been named new members of the Wisconsin Alumni Association (WAA) board of directors.

“These dedicated alumni give their time and talents to provide counsel and stewardship that helps connect UW-Madison alumni and friends back to this great university, and to each other,” says Paula Bonner, WAA president and CEO.

New WAA board members include:

– John Baumann ’82, president, The Swiss Colony Inc., Monroe, Wis.;

– Kenneth W. Ciriacks ’58, retired vice president of technology, Amoco Corp., Tucson, Ariz., and Chicago;

– Tom Emmrich ’83, MBA’84, president of Dassault Systemes Americas Corporation, Charlotte, N.C.;

– Georgia Herrera ’82, JD’85, private-practice attorney and court commissioner, Racine, Wis.;

– Christopher Kozina ’92, chief of staff, MillerCoors, Hartland, Wis.; and

– Martha Vukelich-Austin ’81, president, Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools, Madison.

As members of the WAA board, these alumni partner with the association’s executive leadership and staff to drive the strategic thinking and direction of the independently financed, nonprofit organization, serving more than 376,000 living alumni. WAA board members provide governance and financial oversight for WAA, and serve as ambassadors for the association and the university to strengthen constituent relationships with the campus, the corporate community, state government, and alumni in Wisconsin and around the world.

Peter C. Christianson, an attorney at DeWitt, Ross & Stevens S.C., in Madison, has been named chair of the board for 2009-10.