The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute was established in 1999 by an unanimous vote of the California Legislature in honor of Senator Ken Maddy, becoming the first public policy and public affairs institute to be established by the California Legislature. In 2019, The Maddy Institute signed a ground-breaking agreement with the California State University campuses at Fresno, Bakersfield and Stanislaus, as well as the University of California, Merced (the San Joaquin Valley’s four public universities), becoming the first public policy and public affairs institute in the nation to operate under the auspices of four major regional universities.
Our mission is to help prepare current and future Valley leaders, inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
Over the years, The Maddy Institute has provided over 400 legislative interns to students from throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Maddy Alumni are now not only in elected office at the State and local level, but work in a variety of political offices, businesses and non-profit organizations across the Valley.
