Sam Austin (MIPA ’08) joined the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) as a senior policy advisor in December 2019.

Abby Swetz (MPA ’19) spoke about the need for housing for survivors of domestic violence in Wisconsin during a segment of PBS Wisconsin’s Noon Wednesday on November 6, 2019.

Richelle Andrae (MPA ’17) announced her candidacy for the Dane County Board of Supervisors, District 11. Andrae is a strategic policy analyst at Deloitte, where she works with Wisconsin Medicaid’s eHealth & Quality Team to support the state’s health IT priorities.

Katie Sanders (MIPA ’05) has joined the Milwaukee Public Museum as chief planning officer after nearly six years as executive director of Safe & Sound. In her new role, she will coordinate the planning of exhibits and visitor experiences, space planning, partnerships, lobbying, public relations, and building and construction planning.

Darin Harris (MA ’95) left his position in UW–Madison’s Office of Strategic Consulting in September to focus on the leadership and consulting company he co-founded three years ago – Living, Giving Enterprises. The company serves leaders who want to thrive in today's complex, fast-changing conditions.

The most recent episode of the Thank You, 72 podcast features Daniel Speckhard (MA ’82) and Laura Bunn, a student in the La Follette School’s Master of International Public Affairs (MIPA) program.

Several members of the La Follette School Class of 2009 got together in late August for a 10-year reunion. Alumni came to Madison from as far as Oregon and Massachusetts, enjoying a reception at the Memorial Union with spouses, significant others, and a few children.

Since graduating from the La Follette School, Andrew Behm (MPA ’15) has moved between the private and public sectors, but his work has always involved helping municipalities pay the bills. His new position as a capital finance officer at the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) is in the same vein.

After 11 years with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), Alexis MacDonald (MPA ’08) has accepted a position as a professional staff member for the US House of Representatives’ Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. MacDonald also recently received the Badger of the Year Award from the Wisconsin Alumni Association’s DC Chapter.

May was a busy month for Bryan Gadow (’05 MPA). On May 3, he graduated from the Wisconsin Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program. A week later, he was the Graduation Ceremony Keynote speaker for the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture (DPLA) master’s degree program in urban and regional planning at UW–Madison.