Wausau City Hall. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau Mayor Doug Diny has nominated four residents for the city’s Ethics Board as the current group prepares to hold a hearing on his handling of a locked, unsecured municipal drop box, which the City Clerk had intended to install as a ballot dropbox for the last Presidential Election.
In a press release on Monday, Diny said three candidates would replace the current members on expiring terms. The fourth would serve a brief term as an alternate member and would only be called into action in the event of recusals or absences.
Diny provided a list of the nominees and a brief biography of each, also noting how long each would serve:
- Lon Roberts, former Managing Partner of the Ruder Ware law firm. He is also the former SWIB (State of Wisconsin Investment Board) Chairman and also former Secretary of the Wis Department of Financial Services. (Term: 5/1/25-4/30/2028)
- Dr. Thomas Garver, a retired orthopedic surgeon at the Marshfield Clinic, a USMA at West Point graduate and a graduate of the Uniformed Services University of Health Services. He currently serves on the Wausau Police and Fire Commission. (Term 5/1/25-4/30/2029)
- Debra Hadley, a retired Wausau businesswoman and co-owner of Hadley Office Products. She served on the Wausau School Board and the Wausau City Council, where she served as Council President. (Term: 5/1/25-4/30/2030)
- Kevin Hermening, a Wausau Private Wealth Advisor who holds an undergraduate and graduate degree in business administration from UW Stevens Point. (2nd Alternate Term: 4/29/2025-4/30/2026)
“These are well respected, qualified individuals who will serve the City with [d]istinction in this capacity,” the Mayor said in a press release.
The terms of current members Brian Mason, Robyn DeVos, and Doug Hosler expire on April 30th. That’s the same day that the Board is scheduled to hold a formal hearing on a complaint filed by a group of residents against Diny for his handling of the box.
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Diny plans to put the nominations before the City Council next Tuesday, April 29th, a move that will likely be met with pushback. Alders tabled a previous nominee to the Ethics Board, questioning the optics of the Mayor nominating someone to the board during an open investigation into his actions.
Council President Lisa Rasmussen says she has concerns with the timing of the nominations, issuing the following statement to WSAU News: “The council deferred action on the last nominee based on timing given the active complaint in process. Legal guidance indicates expired members may serve until replacements are confirmed by the council. They were clear that their intention was to hold off on appointments to that board until the current matter is completed or the need arises whereby quorum could not be reached consistently.
“I’m hearing from people locally today with concerns about some of the nominees. Some stated they heard one nominee apparently offer comments on the radio surrounding the topic of the current complaint, as well as about city staff, witnesses and elected officials which has people wondering about objectivity. Some residents have commented the political optics of these nominations could not be worse.”
Attorney Eric Larson, hired by the city to help guide the board through their investigation, has noted that the three members with expiring terms can continue serving until their replacement is confirmed. Similar action allowed Fredrick Prehn to remain on the Wisconsin Natural Resources Board past the expiration of his term.
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