Office of Federal Relations Team
Associate Vice President
Chris Simmons
Associate Vice President, Office of Federal Relations
(919) 668-6270
chris.simmons@duke.edu
Chris came to Duke in 2006 after having served in advocacy roles for the Association of American Universities (AAU) and the American Council on Education (ACE). Prior to his years of federal relations work with these associations, Simmons was a policy analyst for the National Commission on the Cost of Higher Education and Assistant Director of Admissions at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon.
He currently serves as Chairman of the Board for the North Carolina Museum of Life and Science and is a member of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) Board of Directors.
Simmons is a graduate of Willamette and received a Master of Education degree from Harvard University. He lives in Chapel Hill with his wife, two daughters, and son.
Assistant Director
Melissa Vetterkind
Assistant Director, Office of Federal Relations
(919) 668-0761
melissa.vetterkind@duke.edu
Melissa came to Duke in 2003 after serving for almost six years as a Legislative Assistant and Systems Administrator to Congressman David Obey (D-WI). She began her career serving as an intern in Congressman Obey’s office while she was an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Superior. Melissa returned to the congressman’s office full time after graduation, and has been involved in legislative matters ever since.
Public Affairs Specialist
Land "Landy" Douglas Elliott
Public Affairs Specialist, Office of Federal Relations
(919) 668-2968
landy.elliott@duke.edu
Landy joined the Federal Relations staff in December of 2008 after completing an MS in Student Affairs in Higher Education from Colorado State University. While at CSU, Landy worked with international graduate student populations and discovered an interest in policy through an internship with the general counsel’s office. Prior to graduate school she spent two years juggling development, board relations, and special events roles at the National Park Foundation in Washington, DC. Landy is a graduate of Duke.
Project Coordinator
Michaela Davidai
Project Coordinator, Office of Federal Relations
(919) 668-6286
michaela.davidai@duke.edu
Michaela came to the Office of Federal Relations in March 2009. Prior to joining the OFR team, Michaela served as the assistant to the Director of the Duke Clinical Research Unit, several years in the private sector, and over a decade at Durham Technical Community College as the assistant to the Dean of the Health Technologies Department.