MU Alum, COT Chair Named as Government Relations Honorees

Michael Warfel ’84, senior vice president of government affairs at Highmark and chairman of Millersville University’s Council of Trustees, and Michael Barley ’04, chief public affairs officer for Pace-O-Matic, were named to City & State Pennsylvania’s 2026 Government Relations Honorees.

According to the news organization, Warfel was named to the list for his contributions to improving the region’s healthcare over the last three decades. He was also recently named a 2025 Health Care Hero by Central Penn Business Journal. In his role at Highmark, where he’s worked since 1995, he oversees state and federal legislative public policy and regulatory issues.

Warfel earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Millersville in 1984 and went on to earn a master’s degree in governmental administration from the University of Pennsylvania. He previously served as a director on the Millersville University Foundation Board and on the Millersville University Alumni Association Board. He also serves on the Pennsylvania State Board of Higher Education

A consistent supporter of Millersville University, Warfel is a member of the Fiat Lux Society and the Hobbs-Wickersham Society. His gifts have led to the creation of the International Flag Project on campus, as well as the Michael G. Warfel ’84 Fund for International Student Experiences and the naming of the Michael G. Warfel ’84 Center for International Programs & Services.

Barley earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Millersville in 2004. As chief public affairs officer for Pace-O-Matic, Barley leads a team of 80 lobbyists and consultants in nearly a dozen states, spearheading the legislative effort to regulate Pennsylvania’s skill games industry.

According to a Jan. 2025 interview with City & State Pennsylvania, his “first career was answering the phones for the Republican State committee, which led me to become Deputy Political Director, Communications Director, and eventually Executive Director.” He left the state committee to serve as campaign manager and senior advisor to Gov. Tom Corbett and Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley and then joined Long Nyquist and Associates, advocating for issues dealing with education, energy, broadband, gaming, “and everything in between.”