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Marketing and University Communication UW-Green Bay, CL 815 2420 Nicolet Drive Green Bay, WI 54311-7001 (920) 465-2626 E-mail: hildebrs@uwgb.edu Last update: 9/27/07 |
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In
the News Archive - Year:
April 13, 2004 Tom Perry column: Littig to retire, but not from service Tom Perry Commentary This is a column with good news and better news.
First, the good news: David Littig, professor of public and environmental
affairs and political science, is retiring after 30 years at the University
of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
OK, so maybe that's not necessarily good news for the university.
As a colleague, professor Harvey Kaye said Monday it's going to be almost
impossible for UWGB to replace Littig.
"How do you get somebody new to come into the university and commit
to the community the way David has?'' Kaye asked.
The answer is that you don't — at least not right away.
Still, the good news about Littig's retirement is that he's happily
looking forward to a well-deserved new chapter in his life.
The better news
Now for the better news: Littig said Monday that he plans to stay in
Green Bay and keep very involved.
"I'm going to still hang around,'' he said. "I'm going to have fun in
the city."
Littig is 66 and came to UWGB in 1974. He brought with him a strong
desire to get involved in community interests, which, frankly, isn't always
the case with university professors.
On Monday, Littig recalled his Madison years. He spoke about a distinguished
urban-politics professor at UW-Madison.
"He took great pride in the fact that he had never been to a local city
council meeting,'' Littig said. "I was just astounded."
To him, the professor erred in thinking that he could learn everything
he needed by retreating to stacks in the library.
Littig said the professor's attitude isn't especially surprising given
the nature of Madison, especially back in the late 1960s and early '70s.
"Madison was a bubble, an unreal place,'' he said. "Green Bay is a real
city."
Yes indeed, and Littig has made some real contributions over the years.
Among other contributions, Littig has served as chair of the Green Bay
Transit Commission. During his tenure, the city completed the new Green
Bay Transportation Center.
He also has been a go-to guy for local media whenever they needed insightful
political analysis. He's someone who always knows the score of the politics
game in his own back yard.
The big picture
And now he's going to devote his talent and insights to an organization
known as the Bay Area Community Council. He sees the group as becoming
a think tank of sorts that will look at the big picture of how to make
Northeastern Wisconsin a better place to live.
As Littig said Monday, the community has to confront 21st-century global
issues "basically with a 19th-century structure of local government."
When you ponder the challenges, he said, "There's an enormous amount
of work to be done."
And there may be no better person to lend a helping hand with that work
than David Littig.
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