Tom Swain

Areas of Expertise

Civic, volunteer, and charitable activities; athletic management; institutional relations

Biography

Tom Swain has a resume full of notable contributions to higher education, politics, corporate affairs, and health care, stretching back six decades. Swain has served the State of Minnesota in a variety of roles, including as chief of staff to former Minnesota Governor Elmer Andersen, as an executive with Saint Paul Companies and State Fund Mutual Insurance Company, and as executive director of Minnesota's Statehood Centennial Commission. Called out of retirement at 75, Swain became acting vice president for Institutional relations at the University of Minnesota, where he reformed the selection process for the Board of Regents and organized a lobbying effort that increased the legislature's funding of the University.

Swain has been involved in many charitable, civic, and volunteer activities. He chaired the Minnesota Health Care Commission, from its inception in 1992 through 1995. Swain also has served as director of the Courage Center and director of Select Care and as president of the Citizens League and of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. He is the recipient of numerous local and national awards, including an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Minnesota (1998), an award from the national Governors Association (2004), and an Outstanding Achievement Award from the University of Minnesota (2008).

Swain currently serves as the mayor of the City of Lilydale. He also is a chair for Schubert Club 125th Anniversary Endowment Fund Campaign, a advisory council member for the Humphrey School of Public Affairs, a director at Twin Cities RISE! and Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library, the vice chair of the University of Minnesota Inter-Collegiate Athletics Advisory Committee, a member and former chair of the State of Minnesota Compensation Council, and a member of the personnel committee for Osher Life-long Learning.

Swain is a graduate of the University of Minnesota.

Resume (PDF)

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