Samp to Take Reins of UW Operations From Retiring Selmer

A mainstay of the University of Wyoming’s physical plant for more than 40 years -- whose insights and leadership have been essential in the expansion of campus over the past decade -- has announced his retirement from UW.

Forrest “Frosty” Selmer, who has served as the associate vice president of UW Operations for the past two years, will step down next month, bringing an end to a UW career that began in 1980.

He’ll be succeeded Aug. 1 by former UW Police Chief Mike Samp, who retired May 31 after working in the UW Police Department (UWPD) for 26 years, the last 11 as its chief.

“Frosty has been a terrific leader for us for a long time, and he will be greatly missed. He has certainly more than earned the opportunity to do some more of the things he can’t do currently due to a very demanding schedule,” Vice President for Campus Operations Bill Mai says. “While Mike will take over the Operations Department Aug. 1, Frosty will remain with us until Sept. 1 to ensure a smooth transition. Mike’s knowledge of the campus will be instrumental in continuing the modernization and maintenance of our facilities, and we look forward to his steady approach as we move forward.”

Selmer began working at the UW Physical Plant one year after his graduation from UW in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. He moved to the Facilities Planning office in 1993 before transferring back to the Physical Plant in 2004. He became UW’s deputy director of utilities management in 2007 and then associate vice president of UW Operations in 2021.

Among UW’s accomplishments under Selmer’s leadership was what Mai describes as the “game-changing” construction of the West Campus Satellite Energy Plant, which has allowed for major growth along Lewis Street, including the Engineering Education and Research Building, the Science Initiative Building and the Michael B. Enzi STEM Facility -- and set the stage for the current construction of new student residence halls along 15th Street.

“I was very fortunate to land an engineering job in Laramie, where I came to really love the people, town and area. My UW mechanical engineering degree really prepared me for my career, and working at UW afforded me the opportunity to increase my knowledge through additional coursework along the way,” Selmer says. “Fred Crowell (former UW engineer), Roger Baalman (campus architect), Frank Barrows (facilities engineer), Jim Scott and John Davis (Operations AVPs) and Bill Mai (Campus Operations VP) all were great mentors and excellent to work with. I consider myself very fortunate to have had my career at UW; the positions I held were always rewarding and made work very enjoyable. It was a very difficult decision to finally leave a job I love.”

Samp graduated from Chadron State College with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. He joined the UWPD in 1997 as a patrol officer; was promoted to sergeant in 2000; became a detective in 2008; was named assistant chief in 2009; and took over as chief in 2012. During this time, he has developed an extensive knowledge of UW’s physical facilities and related systems. He also has established working relationships across campus and with local and state governments that will ease the transition into the new role.

“Frosty has left a legacy on this campus throughout his career, and his institutional knowledge of the facilities is nearly irreplaceable. Both he and John Davis before him greatly improved the level of service provided by UW Operations staff,” Samp says. “I’m excited to be given the opportunity to continue serving the campus community in a new capacity and help lead the professional team within UW Operations.”