Madeline Wade Quasney MPP’17 Finds a Path Through Policy

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Public problems rarely arrive in tidy form. They take shape through competing priorities, incomplete information and institutions that move at different speeds. For Madeline Wade Quasney MPP’17, that complexity marks the beginning of the work. 

Policy gives people practical tools for managing difficult problems. Those tools can clarify the next decision, bring the right people together and turn a broad concern into something that can be acted upon. That understanding has guided Madeline through more than a decade in public policy and government relations. 

Madeline began her career on Capitol Hill, working for a Member of Congress and managing a political action committee for the magazine industry. After earning her Master of Public Policy from the Sanford School of Public Policy, she joined Signal Group as a senior associate and quickly advanced to manager, then vice president and co-chair of Signal Outdoors. Her work helped organizations navigate complex policy questions and build strategies for moving their priorities forward. 

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Today, Madeline is a partner at Brumidi Group, where she helps clients turn priorities into policy strategy. Her work connects broad public goals with the detailed, often incremental steps required to advance them. That perspective feels especially relevant when national debates can make public challenges seem distant or immovable. Policy helps people determine what can happen next and begin moving toward it. 

In the Q&A below, Madeline discusses the experiences and convictions that have shaped the way she approaches that work. 

What impact has Sanford had on your professional and/or personal journey? 

I came to Sanford after working on Capitol Hill eager to expand my thinking, meet new people, and sharpen my energy and environment policy expertise. Working on Capitol Hill is a wonderful place to start a career, but it can be insular. 

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Sanford more than exceeded my expectations. I made lifelong friends who pushed me to see the world differently. I also learned a thing or two! I naively walked into Mac McCorkle’s class on politics thinking I had little to learn. How wrong I was. Of the many things Mac taught us, “don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good” is a mantra I go back to daily. Breaking down an issue, finding a hook, and understanding the purpose behind the policy issues I face every day can all be traced back to Mac’s course. 

Why does public policy matter in 2026 and beyond? 

Public policy touches every part of daily life - the air quality during a wildfire, what research gets federal funding, the rules governing a data center's water use, and on and on. In 2026, when national politics can feel wildly out of our control, understanding where the levers are creates agency. 

Sanford taught us the levers to pull. Now it’s up to us to put those learnings into practice. 

What is the most interesting highlight so far in your career? 

My business partner and I started our own lobbying firm, the Brumidi Group, in 2022. We work with clients across practically every sector. My focus, though, is on outdoor recreation, forestry, and corporate sustainability. With clients, I’ve used a drip torch to light a prescribed fire, boated on Lake Tahoe as we talked about how to limit aquatic invasive species, and spoke to a 1,000-person audience about agricultural research policy. So much of my day-to-day is spent on a Zoom call or in a Hill office talking about outdoor policy in the abstract. The most impactful days are when I get to see that work on the ground. 

Terry Sanford implored students to 'stand for something.' What do you stand for? 

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My first job out of college was working for a moderate Republican who cared deeply about finding climate solutions. Working in the government and now with industry, NGOs, and state government officials, I’ve seen multiple perspectives on how to achieve shared priorities. I’ve helped pass legislation funding public lands maintenance and reforestation on Forest Service land that were signed into law with unanimous Congressional support. I’m working on bills now that would make it easier to conduct prescribed fire while maintaining clean air standards and give Tribes and tribal organizations more opportunities to steward their ancestral lands – both tools to combat catastrophic wildfire. 

What I’ve seen, and truly believe, is that lasting change takes negotiation, compromise, and both sides not getting everything they want. Bipartisan climate solutions are necessary and worth the hard work. 

What seeds of change are you planting in your community? 

When we started Brumidi Group, we wanted to give back. As part of that mission, I lead Brumidi Group Gives Back (BGGB), our philanthropic arm that gives to organizations making a difference in DC. Last year, we worked with Thrive, an organization in DC with a mission to end and prevent homelessness, to create an art series for their clients. As a firm named after an artist, it was incredibly impactful to work with this amazing organization to foster healing through creative expression.