Readers of CogDis remember the name Jim Villa, he is the Walker Crony who was a hit at ALEC conventions. Villa was also just appointed to a job that was created just for him within the University of Wisconsin system - Vice President for university relations.
While there were numerous actually qualified candidates, and the interview team was adamant that Villa NOT be hired, Jim Villa was hired anyway(surprise, surprise).
In one email, university official Vicki Keegan, who sat in on the interviews with all five finalists, offered her thoughts to Aaron Brower, the interim chancellor at UW Colleges and UW-Extension. Keegan, the executive director of marketing and enrollment at UW Colleges, listed Villa, along with one other finalist, as unacceptable picks.The Alec superstar Villa, has been handed a job where he is paid well in excess of $200,000/yr(with no experience).
"I have other thoughts on this but prefer not to put it in an email," she wrote Brower on March 21. She encouraged Brower to call her back on her cellphone.
Keegan did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment Monday.
Patricia Wanninger, an alumna from Milwaukee, also wrote Cross about her concerns over Villa's hiring.
"The corruption of the once-great University of Wisconsin system is complete, with the appointment of Jim Villa to a disgustingly highly paid, obviously partisan political post," Wanninger wrote. "You will have to put Jim Villa to work grubbing money out of corrupt politicians in Madison, because you won't be getting any more from me."
Villa has barely been in the job a month and his first official action proves Ms. Keeganknew exactly what she was talking about!
A newly hired top-level communications director for the University of Wisconsin System was fired last year as University of Arkansas spokesman following a disagreement over that school's handling of an open records request filed by a newspaper.
The UW System announced Friday that John Diamond had been selected as interim associate vice president for external relations and strategic communications. Diamond was fired in August 2013 by the University of Arkansas from a similar position for insubordination after a confrontation with his direct supervisor.
BUT WAIT, there's more:
Diamond also claimed that his supervisor at Arkansas, vice chancellor Chris Wyrick, made inappropriate remarks about religion and race and created a hostile and threatening work environment.
Yes, if you are upset over inappropriate racist remarks, the one place you do not want to be is working for Scott Walker!
In July 2010, then-Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker’s then-chief of staff, Thomas Nardelli, sent an email to his deputy, Kelly Rindfleisch, and other unknown recipients that consisted of an email forward recounting the story of a “nightmare,” involving waking up black, gay, Jewish, and disabled.
Posts
