Search Committee Forms as UW VP Mai Plans to Retire

A search committee soon will begin work to find a successor to University of Wyoming Vice President for Administration Bill Mai, who has announced he will retire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Mai, who has served in his current role since 2013, will conclude his service at UW June 30. The vice president for administration oversees operations/facilities, campus security, auxiliary services, financial services and human resources.

“Vice President Mai has served as a stabilizing force and provided unwavering financial leadership to UW during a difficult time. He has hired a strong administrative team and leaves UW positioned for future success,” UW President Laurie Nichols says. “I appreciate all that Bill has given to UW in the past five years and thank him for his contributions. He will be missed.”

Members of the search committee, which intends to use a third-party consulting firm in the search, is chaired by Vice President for Information Technology Robert Aylward. Other members are Vice President for Student Affairs Sean Blackburn, General Counsel Tara Evans, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources Dean Frank Galey, Residence Life and Dining Services Executive Director Eric Webb, Internal Auditor Kathleen Miller, Faculty Senate representative Warrie Means, Staff Senate representative Kristin Blevins, UW Operations Executive Director John Davis, UW Police Chief Mike Samp, Auxiliary Services Director Carolyn Smith, Associate Vice President for Budget and Institutional Planning David Jewell and Associate Vice President for Human Resources Jeanne Durr.

Before coming to UW, Mai had a 24-year career in a variety of leadership positions in Wyoming state government. He has served as co-chairman of the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, the team charged with forecasting Wyoming’s biennial revenue and earnings to the state’s General Fund, and as lead staff to the Legislature’s Joint Appropriations Committee.

“I am grateful to have had the opportunity to return to the university to finish my career,” says Mai, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UW. “I will definitely miss the place and the people.”

The university’s vice president for administration has responsibility for more than 400 staff in the Division of Administration; manages an operational budget of $101.4 million; and oversees 785 acres on the Laramie campus, 149 campus facilities representing close to 6 million square feet and additional property located throughout the state.