Madison, WI – After 16 years as executive director of the State Bar of Wisconsin, George Brown has announced that he will retire on June 30, 2017. By the time he retires next year, Brown will have served almost 30 years in various State Bar roles.
“In his 30 years of service to the lawyers of Wisconsin, George has become not only the face of the State Bar, but a champion of quality service to our members,” said State Bar President Ralph Cagle. “He is a warm friend who has been a delight to serve with. We will find a successor, but a replacement for George – that will be a very, very tall order.”
For more information contact Katie Stenz, public relations coordinator, State Bar of Wisconsin. She can be reached at org kstenz wisbar wisbar kstenz org, or by phone at (608) 250-6025.
Brown has served in the State Bar’s chief executive officer role since May 2000, guiding program and policy direction and the implementation of policy decisions set by the State Bar’s 52-member board. Under his leadership, the State Bar has become a viable organization with more tools to assist its 25,000 member base.
“George's impact on the State Bar has been perhaps the most consequential of any person in the recent history of the organization,” Cagle said. “He has built an organization and professional staff that provides one of the most complete arrays of services to members of any bar association in the country.”
Brown moved up the State Bar ranks, starting as the organization’s public affairs director in 1986. Brown had been working at the Wisconsin Legislature, rising to acting deputy director of the Wisconsin Assembly’s Democratic caucus staff. He also served as chief aide to the Joint Finance Committee’s co-chair.
As the State Bar’s public affairs director, Brown helped establish strong and positive relationships with the legislative, executive, and judicial branches in Wisconsin.
Brown left briefly in 1997, serving as a government relations advisor to Quarles and Brady, LLC. But the State Bar lured him back in 1998 to serve as assistant executive director. He served almost a year as interim executive director before taking the permanent executive director job in May 2000, where he has remained since.
A South Chicago native from a blue collar family, Brown used a strong work ethic, high intellect, and an interest in history and politics to drive his ambitions. He came to Madison to attend U.W., earning a master’s degree in American history in 1978.
