Principal

Vic Klatt has been involved in Federal education policy for more than three decades—as a senior education official in the executive branch, the top education staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives and now a principal of Penn Hill Group. Klatt was named in 2022 and 2023 as one of the 500 most influential people shaping policy in Washington D.C. by the Washingtonian magazine. 

Before joining Penn Hill Group, Klatt served as a vice president at Van Scoyoc Associates from 2000–05 and 2008–10, where he created one of the most significant education policy shops in Washington, DC.  Prior to that, Klatt served three years as GOP staff director for the U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor where he helped guide the committee’s deliberations on education, workforce, and social policy issues, including higher education, elementary and secondary education, labor policy, Head Start, welfare reform, job training, and civil rights issues. Klatt previously spent seven years as education policy director for the Committee as well. 

Klatt first began specializing in education in 1989, when he served as director of legislation and deputy assistant secretary for congressional affairs at the U.S. Department of Education. With Secretaries Lamar Alexander and Lauro Cavazos, Klatt helped coordinate the legislative dimension of President George H.W. Bush’s education policy.

Klatt also worked for the Republican National Committee and managed the initial campaign of Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), his hometown congressman. After a successful campaign, Klatt then joined Upton’s staff as deputy staff director and press secretary, where he served for more than two years and also managed Upton’s re-election bid.

Klatt has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Kalamazoo College in Michigan.

You can reach Vic at vklatt@pennhillgroup.com.