Capitol Eat & Greet features La Follette alumni with deep government experience
La Follette is partnering with the Department of Political Science to host the State Capitol Eat & Greet, where alumni working in and around the capitol are invited to meet the next generation of policy leaders. The networking event, which takes place September 30 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. in the Assembly Parlor of the State Capitol, will also include a panel featuring La Follette alumni Rachel Janke (MPA ’12) and Sarah Barry (MPA ’01). The accomplished government leaders will share their unique experiences and career pathways with students.
Janke currently works for the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau (LFB), a team staffed by many La Follette alumni, as the general government and justice team leader. The LFB staffs the 16-member Joint Committee on Finance and is responsible for providing fiscal advice to all 132 legislators and their staff. “Truly, the best part of my job is the people I work with and for,” Janke says about her work. “The cultivation of relationships across years, even decades, is critical to providing excellent service.”
Even after her time at La Follette, Janke came back to attend the Wisconsin Women in Government Leadership Seminar, a joint initiative between La Follette and the nonprofit organization aimed at providing professional development opportunities to women working in government. Janke’s people-focused approach is reflected in her advice to current La Follette students. “Take as many opportunities as possible to connect with people—fellow students, alumni, professors, researchers, and visitors to campus to name a few,” Janke says. “Be humble. Think of networking connections as long-term investments and really listen to what people have to say with an open mind. People are the reason we do policy work.”
Barry has had many roles in state government across her 25 years of experience. Prior to her current position as Senator Jamie Wall’s chief of staff, she served in Governor Evers’ administration as deputy secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and as division administrator at the Department of Safety and Professional Service. She has also served as chief of staff for six state senators and as legislative director for a former Wisconsin State Senate Minority Leader. Barry has also spent time in government affairs as the executive director of a non-profit issue advocacy organization and lobbyist for Clean Wisconsin.
Barry routinely gives back to the La Follette community by attending speed networking events, as well as hosting and hiring La Follette students in the Senate office. She also emphasizes the importance of connections for La Follette alum, encouraging them “to take every opportunity to network with professionals engaging in work that interests you.”
“I have not filled out a job application in over 20 years, and I have had at least a dozen different roles,” Barry says. “I have stayed connected to La Follette over the years, which has been invaluable.”
At La Follette’s Eat & Greet event series, alumni share their distinctive, often winding career paths, which provides valuable perspective for La Follette students. “As a student I thought I would follow a non-partisan path during my career, but instead my passion has led me down a more partisan path. Twenty-six-year-old me would likely be pleasantly surprised by that development,” Barry says.
– Story by Kirsten Reither