Nick Lardinois (MPA ’16) was recently promoted to director of budget policy and analysis at Minnesota Management and Budget. In this position, he will manage and direct a team of executive budget officers who provide financial management and public policy analysis regarding the development and implementation of the state budget to the Governor’s office, agency leadership, and the legislature. He will oversee the environment and energy, transportation, and public safety and judiciary portfolios.
Y. Amy Wang (MIPA ’16) started a new role as chief of staff for Malama Health, an organization that aims to improve maternal and infant outcomes in the U.S. Previously, Wang worked as head of operations at Dispute by LegalPine. She is a partner at Commonwealth Research.
Emma Cleveland (MPA ’20) started a new role as the State Implementation Plan and administrative rules coordinator for the Air Management Program within the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. This position manages any changes to the SIP through the Environmental Protection Agency and manages the administrative rules process for the program. Previously, Cleveland worked as a policy analyst for the same program within the DNR.
Andrew Busker (MPA ’21) was promoted to senior staff analyst at the City of Houston Mayor’s Office. His work will support the City of Houston’s economic development goals and the regional economy. Previously, Busker worked as a staff analyst for the Mayor’s Office, and prior to that he worked for Houston Audubon.
Peter Kolanowski (MPA ’21) started a new role as a renewables analyst and policy manager at RENEW Wisconsin, a nonprofit organization that promotes renewable energy in Wisconsin. Previously, he worked as a program and policy analyst for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
Kaylin Hewitt (certificate in public policy ’22) co-wrote a paper that outlines how a recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule sets new standards for state agencies to better engage Medicaid enrollees and their families in the Medicaid decision-making process. The report, which was written for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities where Hewitt is interning, includes recommendations for state partners to assist in the implementation process. Hewitt is currently a second-year Master of Public Policy student at American University.
Amalie Zinn (certificate in public policy ’22) co-wrote a paper titled “The Great Inequality Transfer: Unpacking the Relationship between Homeownership and Intergenerational Transfers.” The paper’s findings suggest that while homeownership is a critical wealth-building tool, increasing access to homeownership alone will not be enough to close the racial wealth gap. Zinn is a research analyst at the Urban Institute and is helping to organize a site visit to the D.C.-based think tank that conducts economic and social policy research as part of the January 2025 La Follette in D.C. trip.
Angela Maloney (MPA ’24) started a new position in Representative Donald Norcross’s office within the U.S. House of Representatives. While at UW, Maloney worked as a long-term strategic planning and moving officer for Zoe Bayliss Student Housing Cooperative in Madison.