EAST LANSING, Mich. - Mark Burnham has been recommended as Michigan State University's vice president for governmental affairs, effective Feb. 1, pending approval of the MSU Board of Trustees at its Feb. 11 meeting.
Burnham, who has been MSU's associate vice president for governmental affairs in Washington D.C., succeeds Steven Webster, who has accepted the position of CEO and chairman of the Prima Civitas Foundation, a Lansing-based non-profit economic and community collaborative that serves the state of Michigan.
"We are fortunate that a person of Mark Burnham's caliber is ready to step in and assume this critical position," MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon said. "He knows MSU and, having worked in governmental affairs for 13 years, knows the workings of government very well.
"Meanwhile, Steve's new appointment means that we can continue to enhance our relationship with Prima Civitas as we work together to move Michigan toward a knowledge economy. Steve has provided exceptional service to MSU and he will be a great partner."
MSU was one of the founding partners of Prima Civitas, an organization whose mission is to work with universities, colleges and other entities in order to facilitate local, regional and state growth in today's knowledge-based economy.
Webster will retain an MSU connection, holding an adjunct appointment to provide state relations consulting services through June 30.
Burnham held his federal relations role at MSU since April 2006. Prior to joining MSU, he served as the director of federal relations for research for the University of Michigan.
From 1998 through 2003 he was a member of Lewis-Burke Associates, a lobbying firm representing universities and scientific consortia. In addition to his career as a higher education advocate, Burnham worked as an attorney for the law firm JonesDay.
Burnham has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the Boston College Law School.
He is a member of the Massachusetts and District of Columbia bars.
Succeeding Burnham as associate vice president for governmental affairs in Washington D.C. is Sarah Walter. Walter comes to MSU from the University of Michigan where she was director of federal relations for research. Prior to that she served in a similar capacity for Vanderbilt University.
##
Michigan State University has been working to advance the common good in uncommon ways for more than 150 years. One of the top research universities in the world, MSU focuses its vast resources on creating solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges, while providing life-changing opportunities to a diverse and inclusive academic community through more than 200 programs of study in 17 degree-granting colleges.