By AP/KWMU
Edwardsville, Ill. – Former Illinois Congressman Glenn Poshard has been picked to be the new president of his alma mater, Southern Illinois University.
The announcement was made today (Friday) via e-mail to faculty and staff at SIU's Edwardsville campus.
In that email, SIU Board of Trustees Chairman Roger Tedrick praised Poshard for his "honorable public service career," adding Poshard is a "uniquely qualified individual who not only knows where SIU has been, but where it would like to go."
A formal announcement was planned for noon Friday in Carbondale.
Poshard will replace current SIU president James Walker, who plans to retire and who has also been on medical leave recently.
Poshard is likely best known to most Illinoisans as the man who lost a close race for governor to George Ryan in 1998. He also served ten years in Congress, representing southern Illinois, before that.
In 2004, Gov. Rod Blagojevich appointed Poshard to sit on the SIU Board of Trustees. He rose to become chairman of the board, before retiring earlier this year to apply for the president's job.