{"id":130364,"date":"2024-02-20T13:02:50","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T19:02:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/?post_type=uwmnewsvideo&#038;p=130364"},"modified":"2026-04-14T12:08:39","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T17:08:39","slug":"uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin","status":"publish","type":"uwmnewsvideo","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/","title":{"rendered":"UWM alumnus leads the way in building a better Wisconsin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Gale Klappa took his bachelor\u2019s degree in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee\u2019s College of Letters &amp; Science and entered the public utility industry. He has more than 40 years of experience in that field, with more than 25 years at the senior executive level. He is executive chairman of WEC Energy Group, one of the nation\u2019s premier energy companies, serving 4.7 million electric and natural gas customers in Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Minnesota. In 2011, UWM honored him with an honorary doctorate in commercial science for his career accomplishments, his service to UWM and his leadership role in Milwaukee 7, an organization created to attract, retain and expand businesses in southeastern Wisconsin.<\/p>\n<p>Klappa received the UWM Lifetime Achievement Award from the UWM Alumni Association in 2024. This award is reserved for exceptional alumni who have had extraordinary success in their professional achievement; community involvement; advancement of UWM\u2019s mission; giving back of time, talent and treasure; and encouraging and inspiring future leaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Gale Klappa took his bachelor\u2019s degree in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee\u2019s College of Letters &amp; Science and entered the public utility industry. He has more than 40 years of experience in that field, with more than 25 years at the senior executive level. He is executive chairman of WEC Energy Group, one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":402,"featured_media":130374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","class_list":["post-130364","uwmnewsvideo","type-uwmnewsvideo","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>UWM alumnus leads the way in building a better Wisconsin - UWM REPORT<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UWM alumnus leads the way in building a better Wisconsin\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Gale Klappa took his bachelor\u2019s degree in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee\u2019s College of Letters &amp; Science and entered the public utility industry. He has more than 40 years of experience in that field, with more than 25 years at the senior executive level. He is executive chairman of WEC Energy Group, one [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UWM REPORT\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-14T17:08:39+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2024\/02\/20190129_TCF_IMC_0303.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"500\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UWMNews\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/video\\\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/video\\\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\\\/\",\"name\":\"UWM alumnus leads the way in building a better Wisconsin - UWM REPORT\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/video\\\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/video\\\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/41\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/20190129_TCF_IMC_0303.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2024-02-20T19:02:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-14T17:08:39+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/video\\\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/video\\\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/video\\\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/41\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/20190129_TCF_IMC_0303.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/41\\\/2024\\\/02\\\/20190129_TCF_IMC_0303.jpg\",\"width\":750,\"height\":500,\"caption\":\"LEC_Donor Recognition Wall Klappa\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/video\\\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Videos\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/video\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"UWM alumnus leads the way in building a better Wisconsin\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"UWM REPORT\",\"description\":\"News from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/41\\\/2017\\\/02\\\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/41\\\/2017\\\/02\\\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg\",\"width\":225,\"height\":224,\"caption\":\"University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uwm.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/UWMNews\"]}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"UWM alumnus leads the way in building a better Wisconsin - UWM REPORT","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"UWM alumnus leads the way in building a better Wisconsin","og_description":"Gale Klappa took his bachelor\u2019s degree in mass communications from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee\u2019s College of Letters &amp; Science and entered the public utility industry. He has more than 40 years of experience in that field, with more than 25 years at the senior executive level. He is executive chairman of WEC Energy Group, one [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/","og_site_name":"UWM REPORT","article_modified_time":"2026-04-14T17:08:39+00:00","og_image":[{"width":750,"height":500,"url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2024\/02\/20190129_TCF_IMC_0303.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_site":"@UWMNews","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/","name":"UWM alumnus leads the way in building a better Wisconsin - UWM REPORT","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2024\/02\/20190129_TCF_IMC_0303.jpg","datePublished":"2024-02-20T19:02:50+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-14T17:08:39+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2024\/02\/20190129_TCF_IMC_0303.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2024\/02\/20190129_TCF_IMC_0303.jpg","width":750,"height":500,"caption":"LEC_Donor Recognition Wall Klappa"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/uwm-alumnus-leads-the-way-in-building-a-better-wisconsin\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Videos","item":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/video\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"UWM alumnus leads the way in building a better Wisconsin"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/","name":"UWM REPORT","description":"News from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/#organization","name":"University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2017\/02\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2017\/02\/uwm-seo-logo.jpg","width":225,"height":224,"caption":"University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/UWMNews"]}]}},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/uwmnewsvideo\/130364","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/uwmnewsvideo"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/uwmnewsvideo"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/402"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130364"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130364"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}