Ed Senn

Ed Senn of Washington, DC retired as vice president of state government relations with Verizon Communications, concentrating on state public policy issues across the country. Prior to joining Verizon in 1996, Ed worked as the federal lobbyist for NYNEX, Bell Atlantic from 1991-1996. He spent ten years on Capitol Hill as the Legislative Director for Congressman Tom Tauke (R-IA), focusing on energy, environment, and telecommunications legislation. After graduating from Grinnell, Ed was a field organizer for John Anderson's 1980 presidential campaign in Boston, Austin, Kansas City, and Pittsburgh.

Ed currently is the past-president of the Grinnell College Alumni Council; he has been on the Council since 2010. Ed also serves as a GRASP volunteer, on his class committee, and has provided externships for students over the last five years. Ed previously served as a Grinnell College Innovator for Social Justice Prize reviewer and a mentor for both students in the Grinnell-in-Washington program and for recent alumni via GrinnellLink DC. He established the Jenny Erickson Endowed Scholarship, the John and Emily Pfitsch Scholarship, and the Katie Brown Anderson ’49 and Mary Lou Brown ’56 Experiential Learning Endowed Fund. Ed was also a major donor to the Richard T. Cervene ’51 Scholarship. He joined the Grinnell Board of Trustees in 2016.

Ed is active in the St. Andrew’s Society, Sons of the American Revolution, the Society of Colonial Wars, and the Descendants of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence. He is also an avid rider of RAGBRAI, having completed eight rides, including the last six with the Grinnell alumni group. Ed is a co-owner with his sister and nieces of Ketchen Place Farm in Rock Hill, SC where they breed and raise warm-blood thoroughbred horses.

Ed received a bachelor’s degree in biology from Grinnell College in 1979 and has done graduate work in Telecommunications Studies at George Washington University.