UW-Madison has selected Leslie Orrantia as the university’s next director of community relations, according to a Monday press release.
Orrantia, a member of the Madison community for several years, will be tasked with developing relationships and fostering university engagement with local organizations and the city of Madison as a whole.
She replaces former director Everett Mitchell, a pastor who was recently elected as a Dane County circuit judge.
Previously, Orrantia served for four years as the assistant director for the Wisconsin Collaborative Education Research Network within UW-Madison’s School of Education. She is currently the vice president of public relations for the Latino Professionals Association and is a board member of Sustain Dane, a nonprofit organization that works to create a sustainable society.
Vice Chancellor for University Relations Charles Hoslet said he is excited to welcome Orrantia to the position.
“Her knowledge of campus and her connections with the community will help the university continue to engage our community partners in meaningful and substantial ways in the best tradition of the Wisconsin Idea,” Hoslet said in the release.
Orrantia said in the release that she believes the university needs to be relevant to the community and the community needs to be relevant to the university. She said she will make sure the university listens to and engages with the greater Madison community to ensure its well-being.
“I feel strongly that this institution and the community share the same goals and deeply believe in the power of this university to help make change, all while leveraging the insight and resources that exist in our community,” Orrantia said in the release.
