Sean Casey (MPP ‘82), respected public policy consultant and educator, passed away in December 2025 following a battle with cancer.
Raised in the Shipyard neighborhood of Marblehead, Massachusetts, Sean was a proud "lifelong Marbleheader." A graduate of Merrimack College and the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy, he was named a Truman Scholar in 1977. Upon graduating with his MPP, Sean spent three years as the Ford School's assistant director. From the outset, Sean's academic and professional path was guided by thoughtful inquiry and service grounded in respect for others.
Sean was one of my two closest friends while we got our MPP degrees," said Jeff MacKie-Mason (MPP ‘82). "He was a force of nature. From the first week, everyone could tell he would have a huge impact. He was an incredibly smart policy wonk, wickedly funny, and full of empathy and concern for others. He epitomized ethical, compassionate, informed leadership. Virtues in desperately short supply today."
As an administrator, teacher, and advisor at U-M, Sean worked to broaden access to public policy education by supporting students from diverse economic, political, and academic backgrounds. He believed that nontraditional perspectives strengthened the program and the field, and he helped many students see paths forward they might not otherwise have imagined.
"I met Sean when I walked into ‘Mr. Casey's office as a junior at the University of Michigan to find out what this thing called ‘Public Policy' was all about," said George Napier (MPP '85). "Sean helped me get into a first-of-its-kind (PPIA JSI) summer program that introduced prospective minority candidates to Public Policy. That was a great experience. Were it not for that, I doubt I would have pursued the degree."
Over the course of his 30-year career, Sean worked as a regulatory consultant primarily for federal agencies, including the U.S. Departments of State, Energy, Defense, Agriculture, and Homeland Security. His expertise lay in translating complex regulatory frameworks into actionable frameworks, often involving multi-stakeholder processes governed by the Federal Advisory Committee. He pursued public policy consulting in all 50 states and several foreign countries, including a large recovery program in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina.
Outside of his professional life, Sean was active in his hometown, where he served on Marblehead's Charter Committee and devoted significant time to researching the town's history during World War II.
The Ford School extends its heartfelt condolences to Sean's family, friends, and all who were shaped by his guidance and friendship.
To honor his legacy, Ford School alumni, friends, and colleagues have established the Sean Casey Memorial Fund. The Fund provides tuition and internship support to Ford School Master of Public Policy students, prioritizing first-generation graduate students and those with a demonstrated interest in fostering public engagement in the public policy process.
Supporting the Sean Casey Memorial Fund helps students access the Ford School he cared deeply about, a place whose culture reflects the intellectual rigor, humaneness, curiosity, and integrity he embodied." George Napier (MPP ‘85)
The Ford School invites others to sustain Sean's legacy by contributing to the Fund here.