July 16th Edition
AWSA Update
School Administrators Alliance Welcomes Cody Lundquist as Director of Government Relations
The Wisconsin School Administrators Alliance (SAA) has named Cody Lundquist as its new director of government relations.
Lundquist brings more than a decade of experience in education leadership with a background in state and federal policymaking. He will help advance the organization's advocacy efforts on behalf of Wisconsin students.
Starting August 1, Lundquist will serve as a key voice for more than 4,000 educational leaders across Wisconsin, representing the alliance before education associations, the Wisconsin legislature, the Department of Public Instruction, the governor's office, and other state agencies.
In addition to leading SAA's advocacy efforts, he will oversee the organization's operations, develop evidence-informed policy recommendations, and engage members in support of high-quality public education policy.
For Lundquist, the opportunity represents the culmination of two lifelong passions. Although he began his career in politics, he intentionally shifted his professional path to public education in 2010 to make a more direct impact on students and schools.
His connection to education began long before entering the classroom. His mother served as an administrative assistant at his high school, while his own experiences included working as a camp director during college in Pennsylvania and later serving as a tutor in Washington, D.C., while working on Capitol Hill.
After transitioning into public education as a special education paraprofessional while attending graduate school, Lundquist became a special education teacher before moving into school leadership. Most recently, he has served as the Principal of Mount Horeb High School since 2019. He said those experiences have provided a perspective that is often missing from education policy conversations.
“Working directly with students, families, and educators has given me a ground-level understanding of what our schools truly need to succeed,” Lundquist said. “That practical experience is invaluable when developing policies that support public education.”
Lundquist's professional background includes legislative experience in the offices of Wisconsin State Rep. Gordon Hintz, U.S. Rep. Jason Altmire, U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh, and U.S. Rep. Ron Kind. Throughout his career in education, he has led community campaigns supporting school referendums and presented at state conferences on topics including school safety, student mental health and key drivers to improve student outcomes.
His experience implementing education policy at the local level for more than 10 years positions him to help connect policymaking with the realities facing Wisconsin schools and educational leaders.
AWSA Executive Director, Jim Lynch said “Cody knows that the success of any education policy ultimately depends on how it works in schools and classrooms. His experience as a classroom and school leader will help bring the voices of school and district leaders into conversations at the state level. That practical understanding will serve SAA well as it advocates for policies that strengthen school leadership and improve student outcomes.”
Cody joins SAA as it is spending the summer developing its legislative advocacy agenda for the upcoming school year while positioning itself for its next chapter of service to Wisconsin's educational leaders. As the organization prepares for the upcoming legislative session and school year, Lundquist is looking forward to working alongside educational leaders across the state to ensure their voices help shape policies that benefit Wisconsin’s students, educators, and communities.
The School Administrators Alliance (SAA) is a statewide organization that provides four associations of public school administrators with government relations services and a unified political voice. The SAA is an alliance of:
- Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA)
- Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials (WASBO)
- Wisconsin Council of Administrators of Special Services (WCASS)
- Wisconsin Association of School Personnel Administrators (WASPA)
As the combined government relations arm of these four associations, the SAA represents the interests of Wisconsin students and Wisconsin public schools before the State Legislature, the Office of the Governor, and the state agencies. The SAA supports legislation that improves Wisconsin public schools and the quality of education for Wisconsin school children. The SAA actively participates with other groups in addressing issues of mutual concern.
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