Matt Blomstedt named chief university lobbyist

Matt Blomstedt, Nebraska's former commissioner of education and a lifelong Nebraskan with decades of experience in education and public policy, has been named the University of Nebraska's next associate vice president for government relations, President Jeffrey P. Gold, M.D., announced.

Blomstedt, currently a principal at Foresight Law + Policy, a Washington, D.C.-based education law firm, will begin his new role Oct. 1.

As associate vice president, Blomstedt will serve as the university's chief lobbyist and will represent the NU System to the Governor's office, Nebraska Legislature, agencies of state government, and Congress and federal agencies. He will work closely with government relations leads across the university campuses to build productive relationships with government officials and other community leaders, and will advise the president, Board of Regents and senior NU leadership on all government relations matters.

"I'm very pleased to welcome Dr. Matt Blomstedt to our team," Dr. Gold said. "As a native Nebraskan and University of Nebraska alum, Matt knows our state and university well, and he has built strong and trusted relationships that will serve us as he advocates for our students, faculty and staff. I look forward to the leadership and energy that I know Matt will bring to the University of Nebraska."

Dr. Gold credited the search committee, chaired by Dr. Chris Kratochvil, interim vice president for external relations for the NU System and vice chancellor for external relations for the University of Nebraska Medical Center, for its work in evaluating candidates. Dr. Kratochvil was joined on the search committee by Matt Hammons, assistant vice president and director of federal relations for the NU System; Erin Cooper, assistant director for government relations for the NU System; Victoria Kohout, chief of external relations for the University of Nebraska at Omaha; and Jeff Kratz, director of government relations for UNMC.

"As a committee, we were impressed by Matt's extensive breadth of leadership experience, his deep policy knowledge, and most importantly, his passion for education and the success of every Nebraska student," Dr. Kratochvil said. "He will be great fit in leading government relations work across the University of Nebraska System. I'm excited to have him on board."

Blomstedt said: "I am excited to help advance the University mission and Dr. Gold's vision. Nebraska is a special place and the University provides many important pillars for the success of the state's education and economic future. I hope to bring my talents and experiences, many that I owe to my education at NU, to this important role. I'm excited to join a group of dedicated and talented people that share this passion from the regents through the whole system and campus communities."

From 2014 to 2023, Blomstedt was Nebraska's commissioner of education, providing leadership for the state's school system and serving as the administrative head of the Department of Education, responsible for an agency with 530 employees and a $2 billion budget. As commissioner, Blomstedt championed education issues with a broad range of stakeholders, including policymakers at the local, state and national levels.

He led the development of a new assessment and accountability policy that supported improved educational expectations and outcomes, and launched multi-agency efforts to share data for crucial state policy functions in education, health and workforce from early childhood through postsecondary education. Blomstedt also led the Department of Education through the pandemic, establishing protocols for students to safely return to school by fall 2020.

Previous to his service as commissioner, Blomstedt was executive director of the Nebraska Educational Service Unit Coordinating Council, which organizes statewide programs and services to maximize opportunities for students and schools. He has also served as a research analyst for the Legislature's Education Committee and executive director of the Nebraska Rural Community Schools Association, among other roles touching education, policy and law.

Blomstedt is a product of Nebraska's K-12 public schools and earned his bachelor's degree in political science, master's in community and regional planning, and Ph.D. in educational leadership and higher education all from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

About the University of Nebraska

The University of Nebraska is the state's only public university system, made up of four campuses - UNL, UNO, UNK and UNMC - each with a distinct role and mission. Together the campuses enroll nearly 50,000 students and employ 16,000 faculty and staff who serve the state, nation and world through education, research and outreach. For more information and news from the University of Nebraska, visit www.nebraska.edu/news.