Wisconsin Academy: Welcomes four new council members

Contact: Jason A. Smith, communications director

MADISON—The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters is pleased to announce the election of four new members to its governing body, the Wisconsin Academy Council: Eric Englund, Reed Hall, William Malkasian, and Thomas Pleger. The Wisconsin Academy Council serves as board of directors for the statewide programs of the Wisconsin Academy, offering guidance and support for the Academy Evenings lecture series, the James Watrous Gallery, the Wisconsin Idea at the Wisconsin Academy, and the quarterly magazine of the Academy, Wisconsin People & Ideas.

“The diverse expertise of our Council members and their ability to bring visibility and support to the Wisconsin Academy have always been key to our success,” says Wisconsin Academy executive director Margaret Lewis. “We are more than thrilled to have these four new Council members bring their bounty of talent in health care, nonprofit management, education, and the arts to our organization.” Englund, Hall, Malkasian, and Pleger began their four-year term on the Wisconsin Academy Council in January of 2010. More information on each new Council member can be found below.

Eric Englund retired from the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance in 2008, where he served as president for 22 years. Prior to working for the Wisconsin Insurance Alliance, Englund was executive director of the Wisconsin Society of Architects from 1980–1986. Englund received his BA from Macalester College and his JD from the University of Denver. He currently serves as chair of the external board of directors for the Center of Tobacco Control and Intervention. Englund has been a member of the board of directors for the American Red Cross Badger Chapter, a driver for Meals on Wheels, and a mentor and fundraiser for the Interfaith Hospitality Network. From 2004–2006 Englund served as an adjunct professor for the University of Wisconsin–Madison Law School, where he is now again adjunct professor and director of the Law and Entrepreneurship Clinic. He lives in Middleton.

Reed Hall lives in Marshfield, where he has served as executive director of the Marshfield Clinic since January 2000. From 1976 to 2000, he served as the Marshfield Clinic’s general counsel. Hall received his BA from UW–Madison, a JD from the University of North Dakota, and an MS in health law from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health. Hall is on the executive committee of the board of directors of the Wisconsin Alumni Association and he served as national chair of the board from 2008–2009. Hall is also a member of the Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce board of directors and its executive committee; Wisconsin Covenant advisory board; AAA Wisconsin advisory board; Auto Club Group Public & Government Affairs Committee; and trustee of the Marshfield Clinic Retirement Plans. Hall has served on the board of directors of Forward Wisconsin, Family Health Center, Board/Advisory Board, US Bank Wisconsin Rapids/Marshfield, and the Wisconsin Idea board of visitors. He has also been active in the Marshfield Rotary Club.

William Malkasian is president of the Wisconsin Realtors Association—a position he has held for 32 years. Malkasian received his BA in political science from UW–Madison and he completed a six-year association education and management designation program at Notre Dame University, which was sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Malkasian has served at the governor’s invitation on the Telecommunications Task Force—reviewing Wisconsin’s communications infrastructure—and the governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Jobs for the 21st Century, Wisconsin Legislative Council Study Committee on Land Use. Within the city of Madison, Malkasian has chaired the Madison Central YMCA Board and the Dane County Housing Authority. In 2003, Malkasian was recognized by REALTOR® Magazine as one of the 25 most influential people in the real estate community in America. In June of 2004 Madison Magazine named Malkasian as a statewide leader in Wisconsin real estate. He lives in Muscoda.

Thomas Pleger is campus executive officer and dean at the University of Wisconsin–Baraboo/Sauk County, a position he has held since 2007 (interim 2006, appointed permanently in 2007). Prior to his appointment at UW–Baraboo/Sauk County, Pleger served as associate campus dean and associate professor of anthropology/archaeology at UW–Fox Valley in Menasha. He received a BA with honors in political science from UW–La Crosse, and earned his MA in anthropology and PhD in anthropology/archaeology from UW–Madison. His PhD and subsequent research has focused on the archaeology of the western Great Lakes region. Pleger received the 1999 UW–Fox Teacher of the Year Award and the 2000 Rotary Cutting Edge Award, as well as the Lapham Research medal from the Wisconsin Archaeological Society in 2001 for distinguished service in anthropological research. Pleger served as president of the Wisconsin Archaeological Survey in 2000–2001, and he has held appointments at UW–Madison, UW–La Crosse, UW–Marinette, UW–Fox Valley, and Lawrence University. Pleger has been a public lecturer for the Wisconsin Humanities Council Speakers Bureau since 1999.

About the Wisconsin Academy

Founded in 1870, the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters has a rich history of connecting people and ideas for a better Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Academy provides a place where people who care about culture, nature, and the challenges of our times can gather for fruitful discourse and meaningful action. Wisconsin Academy programs include the James Watrous Gallery at the Overture Center, a gallery by and for Wisconsin artists; Wisconsin People & Ideas, our quarterly magazine about Wisconsin thought and culture; Academy Evenings, our statewide series of public forums; and the Wisconsin Idea, a public policy program—the most recent of which focuses on “The Future of Farming and Rural Life in Wisconsin.” For more information on our programs and events, visit wisconsinacademy.org .