Governor Ryan’s new Board of Trustee appointment will spend some time learning the ropes before her first meeting in April.

“I’m really at a learning curve at this point. I’ll have to get up to speed on the issues that we will be dealing with,” said Julie Ward, the recent BOT appointee.

“I’ll need to hear both sides of the issues as to what is going on and what direction the university wishes to take,” Ward said.

While Ward was serving on the EIU Alumni Association Board she was asked by the university if she would like to serve on the BOT, being that there were a couple of openings available at the time.

“I said that I definitely would,” Ward said.

Following the discussion she submitted her resume to the governor’s office.

“That was about a year ago and I guess they put it on file until now,” Ward said.

Ward was appointed to the BOT Feb. 28 to fill the spot left vacant by the late Mack Hollowell, who resigned from the BOT last August.

Ward is currently assistant director of governmental affairs, Illinois association of realtors in Springfield, where her duties include representing the association before the Illinois General Assembly, other elected officials and interest groups.

An alumni of Eastern, Ward served on the student government and was a student representative on the former governing board before graduating with honors in 1978.

Ward previously was a legislative and policy analyst for the Illinois House of Representatives.