A peer learning network for mayors and city leaders.
Biography Mary joins the High Road Strategy Center and the Mayors Innovation Project (MIP) with prior experience in television news reporting, community building, and health care and university communications. After attending Iowa State University and receiving a BA in Journalism, she attended the Robert M. LaFollette School of Public Affairs to receive a master’s in …
Biography Lindsey Hess, CMP, is the Events and Administrative Associate for High Road Strategy Center. She grew up in central Wisconsin, moving to Madison in 2002. She has worked for two Wisconsin Associations as their administrative assistant and meeting planner. She found a passion with planning events and decided to get her meeting professions certification. …
Biography Kylah Kehoe is an undergraduate student majoring in Economics and Political Science. She grew up in California where she gained experience working in legal operations. Outside of work she enjoys reading and hiking.
Biography Quincy Midthun (she/her) is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she received bachelor’s degrees in political science and sociology. As an undergraduate student, she interned with the High Road Strategy Center and supported the Mayors Innovation Project (MIP). Now, in addition to MIP, she assists on the State Smart Transportation Initiative, …
Biography JOEL ROGERS is the Noam Chomsky Professor of Law, Public Affairs, and Sociology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where he also directs Havens Wright Center for Social Justice and the High Road Strategy Center, the national resource and strategy center on high-road development that also operates the Mayors Innovation Project, State Smart Transportation Initiative (with …
Biography Chloe Sieman (she/her) is an undergraduate student at UW Madison, hoping to finish December 2026 to be in the first cohort of Public Policy students in the new major. She is also majoring in International Studies, where she hopes to deepen her understanding of cross-cultural contexts, issues, and ideas. After growing up in the …
Biography Katya Spear is the Co-Managing Director of the Mayors Innovation Project. Katya has prior experience in reporting, policy, public engagement and local government at the State Environmental Resource Center and Greater Wisconsin Committee. She received her BA in Journalism and Mass Communication from UW–Madison and a Graduate Certificate in Sustainability Leadership from Edgewood College.
Biography Leslie Vasquez works as the Outreach Specialist at High Road Strategy Center. She grew up in Selma, California (the raisin capital of the world). Before moving to Wisconsin in 2021, Leslie attended the University of California, Berkeley where she earned degrees in Political Science and Public Policy. Prior to joining High Road Strategy Center, …
