Paula Veltum has been named the first Assistant Vice Chancellor of Real Estate Development and Administration, leading the establishment of UW-Madison’s real estate program. Her first day will be Dec. 4, 2023.
With more than 20 years of facilities experience in both the private and public sectors, Veltum brings a blend of real estate expertise, strong state relationships and a successful record leading large, complex projects to completion.
“Paula’s experience sits at the intersection of real estate and facilities, which will serve the university well,” Associate Vice Chancellor of Facilities Planning & Management Cindy Torstveit said. “We’re at an exciting time in campus development and Paula has the perfect toolset to help UW-Madison leverage our real estate assets.”
During her 14 years with the State of Wisconsin, Veltum held many roles, including serving as Division Administrator of the Division of Facilities and Transportation Services, where she was in charge of the Bureau of Real Estate Management, providing enterprise acquisition, disposition, and leasing services, as well as public-private-partnership (P3) developments for the state real estate portfolio.
As the first Assistant Vice Chancellor of Real Estate Development & Administration, Veltum will collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to identify real estate priorities, establish an organizational structure and build a new department.
“I’m really looking forward to building relationships and collaboration opportunities across the University and with external partners,” Veltum said. “It’s exciting to be a part of the long-range planning for UW-Madison and shaping the future of our real estate footprint for years to come.”
Veltum holds a bachelor of science in business administration from Herzing College in Madison and is a retired International Facilities Management Association (IFMA)-certified facilities manager. A Wisconsin native and long-time Badgers sports fan, UW-Madison appeals in many ways to Veltum.
“From the wide variety of facilities to the impressive academic programs, I am excited to be here,” said Veltum. “I also loved getting to know the FP&M team and hearing how passionate they are about the vision for the future of the program. I can’t wait to be part of this team and help drive key initiatives.”