Elizabeth Burmaster

Burmaster received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She has honorary doctorates from Beloit College and Edgewood College. Her 45-year career in public education includes teaching positions in the Madison, WI Metropolitan School District at Sennett Middle School, Longfellow Elementary, and Madison East High School. 

She was the principal of Hawthorne Elementary and Madison West High School.  She was elected for two terms as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction in WI, first by 60% and then by 62%.{{Cite web|title=Wisconsin Superintendent of Public Instruction|url=https://ballotpedia.org/Wisconsin_Superintendent_of_Public_Instruction|access-date=August 9, 2021|website=Ballotpedia|language=en}} She served on the University of WI System Board of Regents from 2001 to 2009.{{Cite web|date=2001–2002|title=State of Wisconsin 2001–2002 Blue Book|url=https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=header&id=WI.WIBlueBk2001&isize=M}}

Burmaster served for five years as president of Nicolet College in Wisconsin and for seven years as president of Frederick Community College in Maryland. In 2021 the Board of Trustees of Frederick Community College awarded her President Emeritus status.Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes May 2021 FCC The Frederick County Executive declared June 13, 2021, Elizabeth "Libby" Burmaster Day in honor of her leadership in Frederick County, Maryland.

In 2018 the Frederick Community College faculty had a vote of no-confidence in Burmaster{{Cite web |last=Etzler |first=Allen |title=Faculty affirms no confidence vote in FCC President |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/faculty-affirms-no-confidence-vote-in-fcc-president/article_e5db42ba-d6ba-5208-816c-9208d760ff38.html |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=May 12, 2018 |language=en}} and the Board of Trustees extended her contract.{{Cite news |title='We're in a police state': Is this community college president a leader or a bully? |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/were-in-a-police-state-is-this-community-college-president-a-leader-or-a-bully/2018/12/16/36b2d05e-d7ad-11e8-83a2-d1c3da28d6b6_story.html |access-date=2022-06-03 |issn=0190-8286}} Faculty also alleged that their concerns about Burmaster had not been addressed and that her problematic behavior had escalated; Board members responded by expressing support for Burmaster.{{Cite web |last=Etzler |first=Allen |title=FCC board of trustees affirms support for school president with contract extension |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/learning_and_programs/fcc-board-of-trustees-affirms-support-for-school-president-with-contract-extension/article_45c4bd48-905a-5aa9-9504-2d3ba84b3300.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=May 18, 2018 |language=en}} The no confidence vote by the Faculty Association was later affirmed by the other two campus affinity groups, for administrators and support personnel.{{Cite web |last=Etzler |first=Allen |title=Current, former faculty at FCC continue call for changes due to president's behavior |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/continuing_coverage/election_2018/current-former-faculty-at-fcc-continue-call-for-changes-due-to-presidents-behavior/article_3a188b98-9b5f-56d3-8f1d-b8e791771b40.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=June 30, 2018 |language=en}} Faculty members alleged Burmaster created a hostile working environment at the college.{{Cite web |title=Embattled Md. college president gets contract extension |url=https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/education/embattled-md-college-president-gets-contract-extension/65-566089334 |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=wusa9.com |date=June 20, 2018 |language=en-US}} Employees at the college described a culture of fear on campus and bullying behavior from Burmaster, and retired and former employees shared letters with the Board about their concerns regarding Burmaster's behavior.{{Cite web |last=Etzler |first=Allen |title=Current, former faculty at FCC continue call for changes due to president's behavior |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/continuing_coverage/election_2018/current-former-faculty-at-fcc-continue-call-for-changes-due-to-presidents-behavior/article_3a188b98-9b5f-56d3-8f1d-b8e791771b40.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=June 30, 2018 |language=en}} Faculty wrote a letter to Burmaster, asking for an apology and changes, such as the hiring of an ombudsperson, to improve campus morale.{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Emma |title=Letter from faculty demands apology from FCC president, hiring of ombudsman |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/schools/higher_ed/frederick_community_college/letter-from-faculty-demands-apology-from-fcc-president-hiring-of-ombudsman/article_259898a4-0005-5232-a4da-b5e6feb98864.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=July 23, 2018 |language=en}} Faculty members also protested Burmaster's alleged bullying and the lack of action from the Board.{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Emma |title=Frederick Community College faculty members protest President Burmaster at convocation |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/frederick-community-college-faculty-members-protest-president-burmaster-at-convocation/article_ac6b92da-eb8b-5903-94fd-ed1ae931b5e6.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=August 23, 2018 |language=en}} The Frederick News-Post published an article called "A pattern of abuse: Frederick Community College president has history of harassment complaints" that describes situations such as a six-month investigation into Burmaster when she was a principal in Wisconsin and concerns about her leadership and alleged bullying behavior at Nicolet College.{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Emma |title=A pattern of abuse: Frederick Community College president has history of harassment complaints |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/a-pattern-of-abuse-frederick-community-college-president-has-history-of-harassment-complaints/article_1ebb0f1b-f394-590b-991b-63309064192a.html |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=October 15, 2018 |language=en}} An article published the same day reported that the chair of the Board said she did not know about Burmaster's alleged history of problematic behavior, despite having conducted a comprehensive presidential search and applicant screening, complete with a visit to Nicolet College.{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Emma |title=FCC board of trustees chair says she didn't know about Burmaster's alleged history of abuse |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/fcc-board-of-trustees-chair-says-she-didn-t-know-about-burmaster-s-alleged-history/article_07a34f2a-5ddb-53dd-b998-fdffd11dd024.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=October 15, 2018 |language=en}} The Board of Trustees responded to the investigative report by expressing support for Burmaster.{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Emma |title=FCC gets visit from outside reviewer in wake of complaints |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/schools/higher_ed/frederick_community_college/fcc-gets-visit-from-outside-reviewer-in-wake-of-complaints/article_4045a9eb-300e-5cb2-a3ce-7a6fa87884a9.html |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=November 13, 2018 |language=en}} A Maryland state delegate asked the Board to arrange for independent investigations of the complaints about Burmaster.{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Emma |title=Delegate Folden calls for independent review of claims against FCC president |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/schools/higher_ed/frederick_community_college/delegate-folden-calls-for-independent-review-of-claims-against-fcc-president/article_5175d68c-7634-5853-9d9b-44a28773e4a8.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=October 17, 2018 |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Emma |title=FCC trustees vote to request investigations of Burmaster allegations |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/fcc-trustees-vote-to-request-investigations-of-burmaster-allegations/article_91d58f87-d497-5efd-b85f-90c00e87ff99.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=October 22, 2018 |language=en}} The Frederick News-Post published two editorials indicating that the Board had made mistakes and needed to take action related to the employee concerns about Burmaster.{{Cite web |title=More trouble at FCC |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/opinion/editorial/more-trouble-at-fcc/article_fd46250e-236a-5387-983a-745ef5d7cf7c.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=July 29, 2018 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=FCC trustees need to clean up their own mess |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/opinion/editorial/fcc-trustees-need-to-clean-up-their-own-mess/article_d74cadcb-8f35-5376-8337-7fd096c4b044.html |access-date=2022-06-04 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=October 28, 2018 |language=en}} An external reviewer, recommended by the Middles States Commission on Higher Education, then visited the campus to conduct an assessment of college governance, based on a strategic priority previously set by the Board.{{Cite web |last=Kerr |first=Emma |title=FCC gets visit from outside reviewer in wake of complaints |url=https://www.fredericknewspost.com/news/education/schools/higher_ed/frederick_community_college/fcc-gets-visit-from-outside-reviewer-in-wake-of-complaints/article_4045a9eb-300e-5cb2-a3ce-7a6fa87884a9.html |access-date=2022-06-03 |website=The Frederick News-Post |date=November 13, 2018 |language=en}}

Elizabeth and her husband, John Burmaster, have been married since 1980. They have three adult children and seven grandsons.

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Category:Politicians from Baltimore

Category:People from Frederick, Maryland

Category:Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin

Category:Educators from Maryland

Category:Educators from Wisconsin

Category:20th-century American women educators

Category:20th-century American educators

Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:Superintendents of public instruction of Wisconsin

Category:Women in Wisconsin politics

Category:People from Rhinelander, Wisconsin

Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education alumni

Category:21st-century American women educators

Category:21st-century American educators

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