MANHATTAN — When the final gavel falls this legislative session, Sue Peterson, chief government relations officer and assistant to the president for Kansas State University, sets her sights on a new initiative: retirement. Peterson will retire after nearly 34 years of service to the university on April 7. “Sue has had an amazing career at K-State that has led to immeasurable impact for our university,” said Richard Linton, Kansas State University president. “She has been a tireless advocate for the university, but her legacy is even bigger than that — she has laid the groundwork for incredible growth both within the university and across our region and state.” Peterson joined the university in 1989 and has direct responsibility for all university liaison activities with the state and federal legislature. She has also served as an instructor in the political science department since 1992. She serves as a member of the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities Council on Governmental Affairs, including three terms on the Executive Committee and two terms as secretary. She is a founding member of the Kansas Board of Regents Council on Governmental Relations and helped found the Big 12 Council of Governmental Relations Officers. Peterson serves as the Agriculture Authorization team lead and a Council on Governmental Affairs liaison to the Budget and Advocacy Committee, and she is a member of the Agriculture Committee on Legislative Planning, which provides recommendations to Congress for upcoming farm bills. She has served on the Higher Education Government Relations Conference Task Force since 2016 and served as chair in 2019. Throughout her distinguished career, Peterson has been recognized for her work. Notable honors include the 2011 Marvin D. “Swede” Johnson Achievement Award and the 2016 Flinchbaugh Family Wildcat Pride Award. In 2019, she delivered the Betty Colden Memorial Lectureship and also received the Career Excellence Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Council on Governmental Affairs. “It has been my honor to represent Kansas State University, my alma mater, with Kansas policy makers over the past three decades,” said Peterson. “During this time, I have worked with four university presidents in advocating for higher education and Kansas State University.” Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree and a doctorate from K-State and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas.
