{"id":1104,"date":"2025-11-25T09:29:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-25T15:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/graduation\/?page_id=1104"},"modified":"2025-11-25T09:31:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-25T15:31:13","slug":"commencement-speaker","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/graduation\/commencement\/commencement-program\/2025-december-commencement-program\/commencement-speaker\/","title":{"rendered":"Commencement Speaker"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Gale Klappa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Chairman of the Board of WEC Energy Group<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gale<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Based in Milwaukee, WEC Energy Group is one of the nation\u2019s premier energy companies, serving nearly 4.7 million electric and natural gas customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klappa has more than 45 years of experience working in the public utility industry, and more than 30 years at the senior executive level. With his extensive experience, Klappa leads the board with a deep understanding of the investment decisions and public policy issues facing large public companies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klappa joined Wisconsin Energy as president in April 2003. He was elected to the company\u2019s board of directors in December 2003. From May 2004, Klappa served as chairman and chief executive officer of Wisconsin Energy and We Energies. Under his leadership, the company successfully completed its 2015 acquisition of Integrys Energy Group, at which time he assumed those same roles for WEC Energy Group. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klappa served as non-executive chairman of WEC Energy Group after retiring as CEO in May 2016. In October 2017, Klappa resumed the role of chairman and chief executive officer to provide leadership and continuity following a medical setback that sidelined his successor. He returned to the non-executive chairman role in May 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before joining the company, Klappa held executive leadership roles at Southern Company, a public utility holding company based in Atlanta serving the southeastern United States. Klappa is a 1972 graduate cum laude of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, with a bachelor\u2019s degree in mass communications. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klappa is a member of the board of directors of Associated Banc-Corp. He is co-chair of the Milwaukee 7 regional economic development initiative and serves on the 51ÁÔÆæ College of Business Advisory Council. In addition, Klappa has owned a minority interest in the Milwaukee Bucks NBA franchise. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honors and Awards<\/h3>\n\n\n\n