COLLEGE PARK, Md - Virginia Meehan has been appointed the University of Maryland’s executive director for government relations, effective Jan. 1. She now oversees the university’s government relations strategy across federal, state and local levels, working closely with senior leadership to advance UMD’s legislative and policy priorities.
Meehan brings more than 19 years of government relations experience, including nearly a decade at the university. During her tenure, she has advanced its federal priorities in support of major research centers, presidential initiatives and academic programs, securing significant congressional funding and strengthening UMD’s national research profile.
Her accomplishments include leading the successful transition of the UMD Center for the Advanced Study of Languages (CASL) to a new federal government sponsor, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security. Under the new sponsor, CASL transformed into the Applied Research Lab for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS) and now receives roughly $100 million annually in federal funding. Meehan also helped secure $40 million in congressional funding for ARLIS to launch a quantum computing facility in partnership with the U.S. Air Force.
In addition, Meehan supported the transition and long-term funding of the university’s National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START), secured over $50 million in funding from Congress to launch the Joint Research Laboratory in partnership with the Army Research Lab, and helped advance initiatives such as the Prevent Gun Violence: Research, Empowerment, Strategies & Solutions (PROGRESS), the Maryland Small Business Development Center and upgrades to the Glenn L. Martin Wind Tunnel. With support from the Office of the President, she also expanded the federal relations team in 2024, increasing capacity to engage campus stakeholders and federal partners.
Before joining UMD, Meehan served as director of federal relations at Northwestern University and as a government relations associate at Lewis-Burke Associates. She began her career on Capitol Hill in legislative positions for U.S. Reps. Ron Klein and Robert Wexler. Meehan holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Miami University, where she graduated magna cum laude.
She steps into this role as the university also welcomes former Maryland Del. Jazz Lewis as director of state government relations.