Vice President for Government Relations named

COLUMBUS – Ellyn Perrone, former vice president for governmental affairs at Texas A&M University, will lead The Ohio State University’s government relations efforts. President Karen A. Holbrook will nominate Perrone to become vice president for government relations at the March 5 meeting of the university’s Board of Trustees.

Perrone will lead the university’s Office of Government Relations, which develops and coordinates all aspects of the university’s relationship with federal, state, and local government officials, representatives, and agencies. Perrone also will be responsible for implementing President Holbrook’s initiative to expand the federal relations efforts with elected officials and major funding agencies. She will work closely with faculty, staff, and students as well as the Office of University Relations, the Alumni Association and the Office of Development, to connect the vast resources and talent at the university with local and statewide needs.

“Ellyn’s broad experience leading a large government relations operation and working with faculty, staff, students, and alumni advocates will be a great asset to Ohio State,” Holbrook said. “Ellyn joins our first-rate team in government relations.”

As vice president for governmental affairs at Texas A&M, Perrone became the first woman to serve at the vice-presidential level on a permanent basis at one of the nation’s largest universities. During the three years she served in the position, Perrone represented the university in Austin and Washington D.C.

Duringher tenure, Texas A&M was successful in securing more than $400 million in state appropriations for the 2002-03 biennial operating budget, as well as additional federal and state funding for its research initiatives. She was also instrumental in gaining additional funding for the university via passage of a constitutional amendment by voters and lawmakers.

A native of Bryan, Texas, Perrone earned a master's degree in public administration at Texas A&M in 1986. She received her undergraduate degree at Stephen F. Austin State University in 1973. She worked in several areas of social services for 11 years before pursuing a graduate degree.

Since 1990, Perrone has been Texas A&M’s primary liaison with legislators and other top officials, rising through positions including assistant to the president, director of external relations, and from 1999 to 2002, vice president for governmental affairs. In October 2002 she took a temporary assignment as assistant vice president and special liaison to the George Bush School of Government and Public Service.

At Ohio State, Perrone will lead the development of strategies to effectively advance the university's academic agenda with policymakers and funding agencies, particularly at the federal level. Perrone, with the other members of the government relations team, will be an advocate of university priorities to decision makers at all levels of government. In addition, Perrone will lead the effort to develop support for the university's agenda by engaging the interest and commitment of external advocacy groups, institutional colleagues, policymakers, and Ohio's citizens. Perrone will report directly to the president.

Perrone’s appointment culminates a national search that attracted many strong applicants. A committee chaired by Bobby Moser, vice president for agricultural administration and executive dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, conducted the search.