Higher Education Government Relations Workshops

Reserve September 23-24, 2026

Reserve October 28-29, 2026

Save the Dates!

Our government relations workshops will be held on September 23-24, 2026 and October 28-29, 2026. Agendas will be forthcoming. For details, please contact Chris Mather, Director of Business Development for Higher Education.

Now more than ever, higher education leaders need proactive strategies to define their institution’s message in Washington, D.C. Please join us for our invite-only workshop designed for higher education leadership to learn, network, and discuss navigating a federal government in flux.

Building a Smarter Government Relations Strategy in a More Complex Washington

These workshops will give higher education leaders practical, actionable tools to strengthen their federal advocacy efforts. Through expert‑led discussions, real‑world case studies, and networking with peers, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to effectively engage with congressional offices and federal agencies in an evolving policy environment.

Workshop Topics Include:

Attendees Will:

Government relations in the Trump Administration.
Competing for and diversifying funding under the new administration’s priorities.
Discerning political rhetoric from reality using strategic intelligence.

Develop an actionable government relations strategy in a curated one-on-one session with an in-house expert.
Network with higher education peers and influencers.
Leave the workshop with the knowledge and resources needed to secure funding and influence in Washington.

What are attendees saying about the workshops?

“My colleague and I attended the McAllister & Quinn Government Relations Workshop and found it very beneficial. The experienced team at McAllister & Quinn did a great job providing a roadmap of how to improve and elevate our government relations efforts. The sessions were informative, practical and full of good takeaways. This was one of the best workshops I have attended and I highly recommend it.

"I can’t recommend the Government Relations Workshop enough. The content and the speakers were exceptional and provided timely, relevant, and actionable information. I left the workshop more confident in my understanding of what is happening in Washington, DC and much more confident in my future interactions with elected officials. We now have stronger intentionality to how we approach our government relations work and see far more opportunities than we did before attending the session.

Meet the Workshop Facilitators

John Mcallister

Government Relations Workshop Facilitator

John McAllister
Founding & Managing Partner at McAllister & Quinn

Over 100 colleges and universities have benefited from John’s extensive experience in securing federal and foundation funding. His unique approach and effective strategies have helped higher education institutions nationwide. John is a former Legislative Director for a U.S. Congressman and an appropriations lobbyist.

Jessica C. Gerrity

Government Relations Workshop Facilitator

Jessica C. Gerrity, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President and Leader of the Higher Education Practice.

Dr. Jessica C. Gerrity manages a broad range of the firm’s higher education clients and helps to develop and implement the practice’s strategic goals.

Before joining M&Q, Dr. Gerrity was the Research Manager for the Congress and Judiciary Section in the Government and Finance Division at the Congressional Research Service (2010-2014), where she led research and consultative work on congressional administration, legislative branch appropriations, federal elections, and judicial nominations and administration for members of Congress, congressional staff, and committees.

Maeve Connolly

Government Relations Workshop Facilitator

Maeve Connolly
Senior Vice President, Higher Education

Maeve has worked at McAllister & Quinn for over fifteen years supporting the growth of the higher education practice and its small and mid-sized higher education clients. As Senior Vice President, she partners with clients to establish and execute an annual grant seeking and government relations strategy, including engaging with Capitol Hill staff and securing earmark funding. Maeve also leads the practice’s business development and marketing efforts.

Ed Williams

Government Relations Workshop Facilitator

Ed Williams
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Ed draws on 15 years of experience in government to provide strategic advice to clients on a wide range of public policy issues. An expert on the budget and appropriations process at the Federal level, Ed’s guidance on external funding opportunities has proven invaluable.

Ed previously served as a congressional staff member in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. Ed served in a number of positions in Congressman Paul Kanjorski’s Capitol Hill office, including the role of Appropriations Director, before moving to Senator Bob Casey’s staff. On the Senator’s Washington staff, Ed oversaw and directed the budget and appropriations, transportation and infrastructure, and economic development portfolios for several years until being named as the Senator’s State Director and Senior Counsel.