WEAC Board Appoints Meredith, Burke
The WEAC Board of Directors appointed during its November
meeting two staff members to management positions within the organization.
General Counsel Bruce Meredith will serve as the interim executive director,
and government relations specialist Bob Burke has been appointed the
director of the Political Action, Legislative, Federal and Agency Relations
(PALFAR) campus.
Meredith's appointment took effect November 15. Former Executive Director
Michael A. Butera left WEAC to take a position at the National Education
Association. Meredith joined the staff in 1976 as a staff counsel, and
has served as general counsel since 1996.
Meredith is a nationally recognized expert in school finance. He was
one of the lead counsels in the landmark case, Vincent v. Voight, that
challenged Wisconsin’s school finance system. In that case, the
Wisconsin Supreme Court established a new constitutional education standard
defining what constitutes “an equal opportunity for education.”
Meredith will serve as executive director until the board completes
the process of hiring a permanent executive director.
Burke is succeeding John Stocks, who has also taken a position at the
NEA. Burke's appointment took effect December 1.
Burke has worked in WEAC's government and affiliate relations campuses.
He joined the staff in 1994 to work on a special project that sought
innovative ways to engage the union's younger members. The project later
became a model for other NEA state affiliates.
As a government relations specialist—and since 1996 as WEAC's
legislative program coordinator—Burke has served as an advocate
for Wisconsin's children and public schools. He has played a key role
in influencing the state's policy on a number of education issues including
early childhood education and the SAGE class-size reduction program.
He has fought for special education funding and equitable collective
bargaining rights for teachers.
Prior to his career at WEAC, Burke worked in the Capitol as a senior
policy analyst in the state Senate, specializing in education, health
care and children's issues. He also served as a legislative aide to
Sen. Judy Robson of the 15th District.
Posted December 1, 2004