The Office of Federal Relations advocates on federal policies and issues that affect the university, facilitates congressional and administration meetings for university administrators, faculty and staff, coordinates issue briefings for members of congress and their staff, and serves as a liaison between the University and the federal government. Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Government and Corporate Affairs, the Office of Federal Relations works to advance UW–Madison’s interests in Washington DC and is responsible for sharing with campus stakeholders policy and funding developments that may impact the research, education or outreach missions of the University.
Our Staff
Mike Lenn
Position title: Director of Federal Relations
Email:
mlenn
Phone: 202-263-4524
Michael Lenn joined the Office of Federal Relations as its director in January 2017. Before coming to UW-Madison, Mike spent nearly 15 years on Capitol Hill, where he served in a number of roles for Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, most recently as chief of staff. He also served as an oversight counsel for the House Judiciary Committee and was the Vice President for Federal Affairs at the Insured Retirement Institute, a financial services trade association.
Mike, a Sheboygan native, earned a B.S. in political science and public administration from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a J.D. from the George Mason University School of Law. He is a member of the Wisconsin State Bar.
David Bagby
Position title: Associate Director of Federal Relations
Email:
david.bagby
Phone: 202-263-4521
David Bagby joined the Office of Federal Relations as its Associate Director in January 2023. Before coming to UW-Madison, David spent 14 years on Capitol Hill where he served as Deputy Chief of Staff or Legislative Director to four Members of Congress. For the four years prior to joining UW-Madison, David served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Congressman Mark Pocan and staffed him on both the House Appropriations Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee.
David earned his B.A. in Political Science from Rollins College, an M.Phil. in Comparative Social Policy from the University of Oxford, and a J.D. from the George Washington University Law School.
Contact Us
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Office of Federal Relations
federalrelations@uc.wisc.edu
100 Maryland Ave. NE, Suite 420
Washington, DC 20002
202-263-4521