UW Names Mai Acting VP for Governmental Relations

Bill Mai, longtime administrator in Wyoming state government and at the University of Wyoming, has been named the university’s acting vice president for governmental relations.

The appointment was approved today (Friday) by the UW Board of Trustees.

In his new, acting position, Mai will serve as the university’s chief liaison to the Wyoming State Legislature and other units of local, county, state and federal government. That role has been filled on an interim basis by Alex Kean, previously UW’s director of budget and institutional planning, since July 1. Mai has been serving as deputy vice president for administration.

With these changes, Kean becomes the assistant vice president for budget and institutional planning. And David Jewell, currently the associate vice president for financial affairs, becomes the deputy vice president for finance. These changes come about as part of UW’s comprehensive review of all areas of the campus to build efficiencies and reallocate resources -- including personnel -- for their best and highest purpose without increasing expenses.

“I appreciate the willingness of Bill, David and Alex to fill these important roles for the university,” UW President Ed Seidel says. “These changes will allow Alex to give more of his focus to budget matters during a critical time, although he’ll continue to assist in government relations. And, while Bill will continue to play an important role with UW Operations, his extensive experience in the legislative and executive branches of state government will help assure that the university’s relationship with lawmakers, the governor and others remains strong as a crucial 2021 legislative session approaches.”

Mai served as UW’s vice president for administration from 2013-18. Before coming to the university, he had a 24-year career in state government, including serving as an economic adviser to the governor; legislative analyst; senior legislative analyst; manager of the Budget/Fiscal Division of the Legislative Service Office; and administrator of the Economic Analysis Division of the Wyoming Department of Administration and Information. He also co-chaired the Consensus Revenue Estimating Group, the team charged with forecasting state government revenue and earnings.

Mai graduated from UW with a bachelor’s degree in range management in 1987 and a Master of Business Administration, with an emphasis in economics, in 1989.