MSU names Katie John vice president for Government Relations
August 13, 2026 - J. Reuter
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State University President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., today announced the appointment of Katie John as vice president for Government Relations.
“Katie’s years of experience and her deep commitment to the transformative power of higher education make her uniquely qualified to lead Government Relations at Michigan State University,” said Guskiewicz. “With more than 20 years in public service, Katie has earned widespread respect as a steady, collaborative leader who understands our land-grant mission and is deeply invested in maintaining and expanding relationships at the local, state and national level to the benefit of the MSU community.”
John’s appointment is effective immediately, with formal consideration by the MSU Board of Trustees scheduled for the September meeting. John has served Michigan State for the past four years as associate vice president for state relations and previously served as interim vice president for Government Relations in 2024.
“As a proud Spartan, I am honored to serve in this role at such an important time for higher education,” John said. “Michigan State has a profound impact in every corner of our state, and I look forward to partnering with university leaders and lawmakers to advance MSU’s priorities and to champion the transformative work that is moving our state forward.”
During her time at MSU, John has been an integral part of advocacy efforts that yielded increased state operational funding, expanded support for MSU Extension and AgBioResearch, and secured legislative endorsement and state investment for a wide range of strategic initiatives, including the most recent state investment in the Leinweber Center for Engineering and Digital Innovation.
Before joining MSU in 2022, John spent 17 years in government relations leadership at Western Michigan University, serving as assistant vice president and later associate vice president for government relations. During her time at WMU, she helped secure more than $80 million in additional supplemental state appropriations.
John began her public service career in the Michigan State Senate. As a policy analyst, she evaluated and advised key state budget areas, including higher education, community colleges and capital outlay. She also served as a legislative assistant to Senate Minority Leader Bob Emerson and as a community relations specialist for the Senate Democratic Caucus.
A proud Spartan alum, John earned her Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies in social science and public policy from Michigan State University and holds a master’s degree in public administration from Western Michigan University.
