Mark Agnello, a graduate student at UAlbany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy, was hired in January as a John M. Reilly legislative intern. He joins intern Matt Annis to help handle UUP’s political action and outreach efforts.

Agnello is working 20 hours a week tracking proposed legislation, researching and analyzing issues for potential legislation, arranging visits to lawmakers’ offices, and handling other duties associated with the union’s Legislation Department.

Agnello is pursuing a master’s degree in public adminis-tration, with concentrations in homeland security and public finance. He earned his bachelor’s degree in history, with a minor in political science, from UAlbany. He spent his junior year at the University of Nottingham in England, completing coursework in international political and security studies.

Prior to joining UUP, Agnello was a planning intern with the state Office of Emergency Management. Before that, he was a field operations clerk for the U.S. Census Bureau, and an intern for U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.

“Mark has proven himself as an asset to UUP’s legislative efforts, which comes as no surprise considering his personal and professional experiences,” said UUP Secretary Eileen Landy, who heads the Legislation Department.

The internship is named in honor of John Reilly, UUP’s president from 1987-1993.

— Karen L. Mattison