The School of Public Policy Alumni Board offers on-campus representation for SPP’s network of over 3,000 alumni. The board organizes professional development events and community service programs and even has its own podcast, Policy Dialogues.
Each academic year, representatives are elected to one- or two-year terms. In addition to the returning members, the following new members will make up the Alumni Board this year:
Claire Haas ‘21 - Co-Chair, Steering Committee
Research Associate, Institute for Defense Analyses
Ella Clarke ‘21 - Co-Chair, Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) Committee
Community Planning and Development Specialist & Presidential Management Fellow, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Elise Johnson ‘19 - Co-Chair, Engagement Committee
Senior Research Associate, National Academy of Public Administration
Mollie Laniado ‘20 - Co-Chair, Communications Committee
Communications Coordinator, Feldman Strategies
Libby Farrell ‘19 - Co-Chair, Communications Committee
Graduate Student at Sciences Po Paris, Master of Public Policy, Cultural Policy and Management
Steph Wagner ‘20 - Treasurer
Energy Policy Research Intern, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
Jeffrey Mounts ‘91 - Member, Steering Committee
Comptroller, U.S. Department of State
Li Xia ‘16 - Member-at-Large
China Program Manager, Climate Reality X Phoenix TV Co. Ltd
Keara Richardson ‘21 - Member-at-Large
Data and Analytics Associate, Springboard Collaborative
Hugo Cantu ’20 will replace Jessica Messier ’19 as president of the Alumni Board, although Messier will remain a representative, and he will also serve on the DEI, Engagement and Steering Committees. Cantu received his B.A. in Public Policy in May 2020 and currently works as a Policy Analyst for Council Member Monique Anderson-Walker of the 8th District in Prince George’s County. He is deeply committed to supporting his fellow Policy Terps, and most recently supported fellow board member Raymond Nevo ’20 in his Prince George’s County Council campaign.
In addition to offering an alumni perspective within the SPP community, the Alumni Board intends to offer diverse viewpoints in terms of policy areas and sectors, years of experience, and personal background. The new members elected to the board and to leadership positions exemplify this commitment and the diversity within SPP.
"Every year our alumni board becomes more reflective of the greater SPP community as more undergraduates are elected to serve,” says Cantu. “But as a Latino, and now the first undergraduate to serve as President, I am excited to see the board further increase efforts to diversify our SPP family, and strengthen its support of former, current and future policy Terps."