David Ward

David J. Ward

July 2008 - May 2009

Dr. David J. Ward assumed his duties as interim chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay on July 1, 2008. In appointing Ward to the position, Universities of Wisconsin President Kevin Reilly said, “David has a unique knowledge of the UW-Green Bay campus and the local community. He brings an in-depth understanding of the region’s economic needs and the importance of our Growth Agenda for Wisconsin.”

Ward stepped into the interim chancellor’s role after former UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard left the University to become president of Western Washington University.

Born and raised in Green Bay, Ward began his college education at the two-year UW-Green Bay Center campus, as it was then called. After completing his undergraduate degree and Ph.D. at UW-Madison, Ward began his academic career at UW-Green Bay, which began offering junior- and senior-level courses in 1968.

He became a member of UW-Oshkosh’s faculty in the College of Business Administration, and went on to hold numerous positions at the campus including chair of the Department of Finance and Business Law, vice chancellor and chief academic officer, and acting chancellor.

During his career as a professor of finance, Ward was active as a financial and economic consultant, working with a number of private sector firms including Kimberly Clark, Honeywell, and Lands’ End. In 1982, he received the UW-Oshkosh Distinguished Teaching Award. In 2005, he was honored with the UW-Oshkosh Chancellor’s Medallion for his 18 years of service to the University.

In 1994, Ward began six years of service as senior vice president for academic affairs at Universities of Wisconsin Administration. As senior vice president, he was the chief academic officer for the Universities of Wisconsin and deputy to the Universities of Wisconsin president.

Ward is president and founder of NorthStar Economics, Inc., a Madison-based economic consulting and research firm he established in 2000. Since that time, he has given presentations on Wisconsin and the New Economy to more than 150 groups. He was a key player in developing the New North regional economic development movement, a collaboration of businesses and organizations in Northeastern Wisconsin.