Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - When University of Wisconsin-Platteville alumnus Scott Fromader was offered a prominent position in the state government, his career outlook changed but his commitment to youth and education never wavered.

"I planned on being a career teacher, but then a gentleman named Tommy Thompson came along," Fromader said.

The Darlington native and 1977 UWP graduate worked for 12 years as director of operations in the executive office of Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson. Now an educational consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Fromader will be inducted into the UWP Arts and Letters Hall of Fall this fall. Fromader graduated from UW-Platteville with degrees in elementary education and vocal music, and began teaching grade school in Orangeville, Ill. In 1978 he joined the faculty at the grade school in Kendall, and it was there that he fortuitously met a teaching colleague: Sue Ann Thompson, wife of the man who later became governor. Eight years later, Tommy Thompson was elected governor of Wisconsin, and began serving the first of his four elected terms, the most of any governor in the history of the state. Thompson asked Fromader to join his staff, which he did in January of 1987.

"In politics it's not what you know, but who you know," Fromader said.

As director of operations for Thompson's office, Fromader had a first row seat to the inner machinery of the state government. It was an education in itself for a man who had previously taught how a bill becomes a law to children in grade school civics units.

"It was eye-opening," Fromader said. "It's much different [in actual practice], where everybody lines up on their side and starts strategizing how you can convince people your idea is the better of the two. It was just fascinating to see them work."

With the governor's staff, Fromader was able to visit every county in the state and travel all over the country and to points abroad. One of the accomplishments of the Thompson administration he was most proud of was the enactment of the W-2 welfare to work program in 1996, which served as a national model for welfare reform. With his education background, Fromader worked closely with many of the youth components of that legislation.

Prior to Thompson joining the George W. Bush administration in Washington, D.C. as secretary of Health and Human Services in 2001, Fromader left his post at the governor's office in 1998. He has worked for the state Department of Workforce Development ever since, and currently coordinates programs designed to help at-risk youth in the Division of Workforce Solutions.

"It's certainly a slower pace, but I have a lot more impact directly. In the governor's office, it was a much bigger, broader picture. Here you talk on a daily basis with a lot of people that provide services," he said.

With his experiences, Fromader developed a deep level of respect for civic leaders on both sides of the aisle.

"You work with a variety of people that are diverse, not all with the same philosophical beliefs," Fromader said. "It didn't matter if they were a Democrat or a Republican, we just enjoyed doing things. We left what happened in the office in the office."

In fact, Fromader remembers visits to the office of who was then the attorney general of the state: Jim Doyle. The current Wisconsin governor was among a rabble of state officials across the political spectrum who would join in pickup basketball games at a court near the state capitol.

"When we could skip out - when Gov. Thompson couldn't find us - on noon hours we'd go down and play basketball for about an hour. [Future] Gov. McCallum played as well. Most of us couldn't play on a regular basis, but most of us would try to play once a week," Fromader said.

In fact, when Doyle administration officials were planning his inauguration in 2003, the Democrats enlisted Fromader's help. Fromader also gave them advice on how to organizationally structure the governor's office staff.

"It's very friendly. Friendship goes a long way," he said.

Fromader lives in Madison, about seven blocks from the capitol. When he has time, he enjoys teaching after-school programs with children and coaching youth basketball teams. He will be inducted into the UWP Arts and Letters Hall of Fame along with professor emeritus Gerald Darrow during the College of Liberal Arts and Education Recognition Banquet Oct. 8.

The Arts and Letters Hall of Fame recognizes alumni, teachers or friends with outstanding performance in arts and letters activities or contributions to the UWP arts and letters programs. Nominations may be made by any UWP alumnus or any past or current faculty or staff member.

Contact: Pat Bromley, assistant dean, College of Liberal Arts and Education, 608-342-1724, bromleyp@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Dan Lehnherr, UWP Public Relations, 608-342-1194, lehnherd@uwplatt.edu