Fall 2025 Quarterly Update

Summer and Fall quarter were a whirlwind of activity as we welcomed President Robert J. Jones to Seattle and the UW, began introducing him to tribal, local, regional, state and federal leaders, and continued emphasizing the UW priorities with policymakers at all levels of government. Some highlights and updates are listed below.

2026 Washington State Legislative Session Outlook

The 2026 legislative session will begin on January 12 and run for 60 consecutive days. This year, Washington is projected to face another operating budget deficit. Given the challenging fiscal outlook for 2026, the UW has not submitted any new operating budget requests. Instead, the University will focus its advocacy efforts on mitigating potential budget cuts and their impact to the UW’s education, research, and public service missions. The full agenda is available on our State Relations Website.

Introducing President Jones to the U District

In October, President Robert J. Jones toured the Ave with Regional & Community Relations and U District Partnership (UDP) staff to learn more about the neighborhood and meet local business owners. He made stops at the University Bookstore, Shiga’s Imports, Sweet Alchemy and Boba Up.

Tribal Relations, President Jones Attend Annual ATNI Convention

This fall, the Office of Tribal Relations represented the UW at the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI) annual convention. ATNI is an Inter-Tribal nonprofit organization that represents and advocates for the 57-member Tribal governments and their elected leaders. On the opening day of the convention, President Jones joined to address Northwest Tribal leaders and ATNI members. During his remarks, he pledged to continue the UW’s strong commitment to collaboration with Washington Tribes and support for Indigenous students, faculty and staff.

Advocacy in D.C.

President Jones met with several members of Washington’s congressional delegation during a trip to our nation’s capital this October. In these meetings, he emphasized the challenges and opportunities facing the University. For more news and updates on federal issues, check out the Office of Federal Relations’ website.

Partners in Spokane

In September, President Jones visited Spokane to meet with students, faculty and UW leadership. He was joined by Gonzaga University President Katia Passerini for a tour of Regional Initiatives in Dental Education’s (RIDE) new training center. The center houses the expanding program, which is doubling the number of dental students from 32 to 64 and adding a second year of instruction in Spokane thanks to investment from the state legislature.

Welcome Kevin Chang

The Office of External Affairs is excited to announce that Kevin Chang has joined the University of Washington as Associate Director of State Relations. He succeeds Morgan Hickel, who was appointed Director of State Relations in September. Prior to the UW, Chang served as a senior advisor at the United States Senate in Washington, D.C., leading legislative efforts on education, health care, and social security policy. He is a graduate of the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in international studies.

Morgan Hickel takes on new role as Director of State Relations

Morgan Hickel has been named the next Director of State Relations at the University of Washington, UW Vice President for External Affairs Joe Dacca announced Wednesday. Hickel’s appointment is effective September 9. She succeeds Joe Dacca, who was appointed Vice President for External Affairs in July.

The Office of State Relations serves as the principal liaison between the University and state government. Staff work with state legislators, statewide elected officials and state agency officials to advance the University’s academic and legislative priorities.

“I’ve worked closely with Morgan since she joined the UW. She is a proven leader who is ready to step in as Director of State Relations,” Vice President Dacca said. “She brings a wealth of experience, strong relationships both inside and outside the UW, and deep knowledge about the opportunities and challenges facing our University.”

Hickel has been with the UW since November 2018, when she joined the Office of State Relations as Associate Director. In this role, she worked on multiple key budget requests and pieces of legislation supporting the University. Prior to the UW, she worked in government relations at the federal, state, and local levels for multiple trade associations. She also managed a successful campaign in Tacoma, Washington. Hickel graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in communications.

“I look forward to continuing to advocate for the UW in state government,” Hickel said. “In this role, I remain committed to working collaboratively with state leaders, community partners, and the UW community to advance our public-service mission and impact across Washington state.”

Joe Dacca named vice president of External Affairs, starting July 2, 2025

Joe Dacca has been selected as the next Vice President of the Office External Affairs, University of Washington President Ana Mari Cauce announced Thursday. Dacca’s appointment is effective July 2. He will succeed Randy Hodgins, who is retiring on July 1 after 21 years leading External Affairs.

“Joe’s unique blend of experience across several levels of government as well as his deep institutional knowledge make him well positioned to take on this role,” said Hodgins. “His expertise in advocacy, knowledge of regional public policy, and commitment to this University will be critical as the UW navigates upcoming campus leadership changes and a challenging political landscape.”

With nine years of service to the University as Director of State Relations, Dacca brings a wealth of experience in public policy, government relations, and higher education advocacy to his new role. Prior to his work at the UW, he served on staff for former U.S. Representatives Derek Kilmer and Norm Dicks as well as a legislative assistant in the Washington State Senate. A proud UW alumnus, Dacca graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science.

“I am grateful to President Cauce for the opportunity to serve my alma mater in this important role and I am honored to continue to work alongside the talented and dedicated External Affairs team,” said Dacca. “Building on the foundation led by Vice President Randy Hodgins, we will continue to strengthen partnerships both inside and outside the University and work collaboratively to advance the dynamic, public-facing mission of the UW.”

The Office of External Affairs is responsible for government and community relations at the federal, state, regional, and tribal levels. Units within External Affairs advocate for the UW’s priorities on a wide variety of issues, provide advice on legislative strategy, build and maintain relationships with leaders across Washington state, and raise awareness of emerging issues and opportunities. The Vice President of External Affairs reports directly to the UW President.

During this transition, Morgan Hickel will serve as interim director of State Relations beginning on July 2.

The full release from UW News is available on their website.

Public Notice: FCC Application

On December 13, 2023, The University of Washington Bothell, applicant for a new Low Power FM station on 105.7MHz serving Bothell, Washington, filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission for a new Low Power FM Construction Permit. Members of the public wishing to view this application or obtain information about how to file comments and petitions on the application can visit the following websites: https://enterpriseefiling.fcc.gov/dataentry/api/download/draftcopy/FL/25076ff38b25b703018b3a51f737050e
and https://www.fcc.gov/sites/default/files/lms-how-to-file-pleadings-and-appeals.pdf.

Last updated on: January 12, 2023

Aaron Hoard named Director of Regional & Community Relations

Aaron Hoard has been named Director of Regional & Community Relations at the University of Washington, UW Vice President for External Affairs Randy Hodgins announced Tuesday. Hoard’s appointment is effective September 5.

The Office of Regional & Community Relations links the University with neighborhoods surrounding the Seattle campus, civic groups and local government. The Director of Regional & Community Relations reports directly to the Vice President for External Affairs.

“With more than two decades serving in this office, Aaron knows the Regional and Community Relations world like the back of his hand,” Hodgins said. “His vast institutional knowledge and experience as well as strong connections inside and outside the University will continue to strengthen the UW’s relationships with local lawmakers and community stakeholders.”

Hoard has been with the UW for 23 years serving first as a Special Projects Manager and then as Deputy Director for the Office of Regional & Community Relations. While with the UW, he has worked on a variety of projects including affordable housing, public safety, transit, the Campus Master Plan, North of 45th and served on local boards and committees. He was formerly a Comprehensive Planner and Geographic Information Systems Analyst for the City of Bellevue. He graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in geography.
“I look forward to continuing my work to connect campus with local government and the surrounding community,” Hoard said.

Hoard takes over the director position from Sally Clark who was recently named Vice President of Campus Community Safety.