Sarah Mathias receives national recognition for leadership in government relations

Chuck Clemens, Vice President for Government and Community Relations

Sarah Mathias, assistant vice president for federal government relations at the University of Florida, has been awarded the Betty Colden Memorial Lectureship by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Council on Governmental Affairs, one of the highest honors in her field.

The award recognizes Mathias as a national leader in congressional and governmental relations who has made significant contributions to the profession, the council and APLU. Mathias accepted the award and delivered the annual lecture during the council’s summer meeting in July.

“This is a special recognition of the esteem in which Sarah is held by her APLU colleagues and the contributions she has made in D.C. over the years,” said Chuck Clemons, vice president for government and community relations at UF.

Mathias established UF’s Washington, D.C., office and leads the university’s federal lobbying team, serving as UF’s liaison with federal agencies, congressional offices and higher education associations. Before joining UF, she worked for the University of California system and held positions with the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and the U.S. Senate.

The lectureship honors the late Betty Colden of Michigan State University and Wayne State University, who made significant contributions to the profession of governmental relations.

“The great thing about Betty Colden was she saw the value of building a strong community to support public education, and I am so grateful to be part of it,” Mathias said.

Mathias holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles.