Craney Honored by UW-Eau Claire with Distinguished Alumni Award

Commerce's Terry Craney, administrator of the Division of Administrative Services, was among seven Wisconsin-Eau Claire receiving awards from the UW-Eau Claire Alumni Association May 17 at a luncheon and ceremony in conjunction with spring commencement.

"It's an honor to recognize the creativity, intelligence and diligence of these people and the myriad of ways they have found to serve society," said John Bachmeier, director of alumni relations. "The university is well represented by such talented alumni, who give so much of themselves to their communities."

Terrance Craney will receive the Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award, which recognizes distinguished service to the community, state or nation that brings credit upon the recipient and the university.

Craney, who graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 1974 with a degree in education, had a major in physics and a minor in mathematics. He earned a master's degree in physics education in 1977. He began his career in 1974 as an instructor of applied physics and math at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay. He served 23 years in the Wisconsin Technical College System.

During that time, Craney became involved with the Wisconsin Education Association Council and the National Education Association. From 1977-83, he was elected to represent the Wisconsin Technical College System on the WEAC board of directors. From 1986-91, he served the WEAC membership, representing Wisconsin on the NEA board of directors. In 1991, he was elected vice president of WEAC. Craney was elected president of WEAC in 1995, becoming a statewide leader of 90,000 teachers, WTCS instructors and education support personnel. Major public policy initiatives that he helped develop during his presidency include: the largest increase in public sector retirement benefits in state history; major revisions in state K-12 teacher preparation and licensure procedures; and a nationally acclaimed class size reduction program for the elementary grades. He also initiated the great schools community relations program, promoting the quality of public schools in Wisconsin.

President Bill Clinton appointed Craney to the National Skill Standards Board in 1994. In 2003, Gov. Jim Doyle appointed Craney executive director of the Governor's Work-Based Learning Board. Under his leadership, the GWBLB administered two successful statewide technical education programs, Youth Apprenticeship and Tech Prep.

Since 2005, Craney has served as manager of the administrative services division of the Wisconsin Department of Commerce, where he manages a $4.8 million budget and supervises 45 staff members and six managers in four bureaus.

-- UW-Eau Claire News Service