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Jack O'Meara
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Jack O’Meara has served as PROFS’ Legislative representative since 1996. In this position, he develops and implements the government relations strategies for the organization. He serves as PROFS’ lead representative in discussions with Wisconsin state legislators, the Wisconsin governor’s office, state agency officials, the Wisconsin congressional delegation, and federal agency officials.
Jack focuses much of PROFS’ lobbying on competitive compensation and preserving state-funded fringe benefits for the faculty. Examples of success include passage of a budget provision that provides for immediate university payment of health insurance coverage for new faculty (new faculty previously had to wait six months) and a pension law that provides a major increase in pensions and lifts the interest cap on retirement accounts.
Jack also initiated a Federal Relations Program for PROFS. He travels to Washington, D.C. on a regular basis to develop positive relations with Wisconsin's congressional delegation and agency officials. As with the State Relations Program, Jack works closely with the UW-Madison Chancellor’s Office on the Federal Relations Program.
An example of success for the Federal Relations Program is the university’s successful campaign to have UW-Madison named as one of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s regional Transportation Research Centers. The campaign followed a personal meeting between Jack and Congressman Tom Petri (R-WI), Chairman of the Surface Transportation Subcommittee. The center is bringing nearly $9 million in federal, state, and private contributions to the university over five years.
Jack previously served as Senior Legislative and Press Assistant to Congressman Tom Barrett (D-WI) in Washington, D.C. He served in a similar capacity in the Wisconsin State Senate when Barrett was a State Senator.
Jack also served as
Communications Director and Senior Policy Analyst for the Wisconsin Senate Democratic Caucus; Committee Clerk for the Wisconsin Assembly Colleges and Universities Committee; and Legislative Assistant to State Representative Stan Gruszynski (D-Stevens Point). He holds a B.A. in Political Science from UW-Madison.
Jack meets regularly with the PROFS Board of Directors and the Steering Committee to update them on legislative proposals affecting the faculty, to establish the faculty position on legislation, and to decide action. In establishing faculty positions on issues, Jack and PROFS work closely with the UW-Madison Commission on Faculty Compensation and Economic Benefits.
In the course of his work for PROFS, Jack meets with individual legislators to discuss PROFS issues and urge support of the faculty's position. He also arranges for members of the University Committee and other faculty members to meet with legislators, state officials, the regents and the public, and arranges for testimony for or against key legislation.