Evers' transportation secretary will resign in September to take a job at UW-Madison

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Gov. Tony Evers' transportation secretary plans to resign next month to take a job at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The governor's office announced Friday that Craig Thompson will leave his post on Sept. 11 to accept a position as vice chancellor for university relations at the state's premier university. Deputy Transportation Secretary Kristina Boardman will succeed Thompson, becoming the first woman to hold the position of transportation secretary, the governor's office said.

Evers appointed Thompson as transportation secretary in December 2018, shortly before Evers began his first term. Republicans in the state Senate at the time expressed concerns about Thompson's past work as a lobbyist for the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin, which has pushed hard for tax and fee increases to fund road improvements. But the Senate ultimately confirmed him in 2021.

Evers' office said Thompson worked to improve more than 7,400 miles of roads and 1,780 bridges during his tenure.

The Department of Transportation was able to achieve these improvements without increasing the state's gasoline tax, one of the main sources of funding for road construction. That tax hasn't been increased since 2006. However, the first state budget Evers signed did increase registration and vehicle fees, two other sources of funding for road construction.

The $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package signed by President Joe Biden in 2021 and the increase in electric vehicle registration fees in Wisconsin's 2021-23 state budget also provided additional funding for road construction during Thompson's tenure.

Thompson, a UW-Madison graduate, will replace Charles Hoslet as vice chancellor for university relations. Hoslet retired earlier this year, university officials said in a news release.

Thompson will oversee a broad range of relationships the university has with state government, federal agencies, Congress, businesses and other stakeholders, the press release said.

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