Tuesday, August 29, 2023

More Gopher Government-Academia Hanky-Panky

The University of Minnesota has filled the position of executive director of government and community relations with Melisa Lopez-Franzen, one-time Democratic Farmer-Labor State Senator and head of the Senate Minority. The lady declined to run for re-election less than a year ago after a re-districting issue. She basically replaces J.D. Burton, who left to take a similar position at Washington Univ. in Missouri. She was paid $67,550 annually in her Senate spot. Engaging former government colleagues and others on behalf of the UofM will push her salary up to $250,000 per year.

 Melisa López Franzen | Democrat for State Senatemelisafranzen.com 

Originally from Puerto Rico, Lopez-Franzen has traveled the familiar path to a position in high-powered academia, a political science degree from the UofM, a law degree from St. Paul's Hamline University, and in this case an elected interval in the Minnesota Senate. A seemingly required tenure at retailer Target Corporation was also part of her CV, as is founder and boss of pr firm New Publica.

Her husband is Nathan Franzen, a vice-president of development at National Grid Renewables, a regional operation involved in wind, solar and other forms of anti-fossil fuel alternatives.  He's also an alumnus of the UofM and Hamline.

Since the UofM is a member of the American Association of Universities, Lopez-Franzen's new job will include attempting to convince government and private interests to finance research on various topics, sure to include fighting climate change, renewable energy, epidemic diseases and other problems actuellement.

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