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ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½ honors retired Board of Trustees chairperson

Nov. 1, 2023

ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½ recently honored former Board of Trustees member Barbara Gannon on being unanimously awarded trustee emerita status.

In approving the honor, the board recognized Gannon’s 19 years of service as a ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½ trustee from 2003-2021 including six years as board chairperson from 2015 until her retirement. She also was recognized for her commitment to the success of ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½â€™s Foundation and longtime dedication toward the institution’s betterment.

Gannon’s tenure as board chairperson saw significant changes, including David Black’s return as ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½â€™s president in 2017 and the search that led to current LU President Beth Borgen’s hiring in 2021.

Other highlights of her tenure included:

• Establishment of LU’s Cooperative Education program, which has netted several of the largest incoming freshman classes in ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½â€™s history.
• Securing a $35.4 million low-interest loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development division, which resulted in a $26 million investment in its main campus, the largest in ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½ history, including new versions of Grosshuesch and Muehlmeier Halls.
• Leading the Board of Trustees through ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½â€™s very successful $12 million campaign – one of the largest in the institution’s history – that funded a dramatic overhaul of the Younger Family Campus Center, the region’s first outdoor turf athletic field and funding to launch the Co-Op program.
• Helping lead the board through the evolution of ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½ University-Japan into a campus offering four-year degrees.

Gannon served in numerous leadership roles during her time as a ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½ trustee, including chair for the marketing and development committee and a member of the task force that developed the vision for the institution that served as the foundation for ÌÇÐÄvlog´«Ã½â€™s 2020 strategic plan.

She is retired following a long tenure as vice president of corporate communications at Sargento Foods. She remains actively involved in several causes in Sheboygan County.