Newsroom Archive for 01/14, 2008

Congratulations to Shonda Copeland, a gradate of the College Leaders Program Class of 2006. Shonda recently announced her engagement to be married to Dudley Ridley.

Shonda is currently attending the University of Michigan School of Law. Dudley is an Electrical Engineer currently earning his Master's Degree at Norfolk State University.

Click here to watch a video of Dudley's proposal.

Congratulations!

Marc Johnson, Director of Youth Programs at the Sorensen Institute and himself a graduate of the College Leaders Program Class of 2003, recently earned his Master's Degree in Education from the Curry School at UVA.

Marc earned his degree in the Curry School's department of Leadership, Foundations and Policy.  The degree is in Social Foundations of Education, a field that is concerned with placing education in its historical, social and cultural context in order to better understand educational goals and practices. 

Marc focused his studies on education policy and civic education. He wrote his master's thesis on teacher training reform, surveying best practices in how different countries prepare and certify their teachers with the goal of determining ways to improve U.S. policy in this area.

Way to go Marc!

Doug Denneny, a graduate of the Candidate Training Program Class of 2007, and a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Congress in the 11th District, recently shared with us his new campaign website.

Congressman Tom Davis first won election to this seat in 1994.

The election will be held in November 2008.

Some recent news from graduate of the College Leaders Program Class of 2007:

Christian Amendola, University of Richmond, spent his winter break tutoring students at the King/Robinson Inter-district Magnet School; K-8 grade public school in New Haven, CT. He taught second graders at the international baccalaureate school.

Ara Freidman, Randolph College, will be interning during the spring semester with Senator Jim Webb in Washington, D.C. through the American University Capitol Semester program.

Amy Richardson has accepted a position as the Deputy Director of the Virginia Redistricting Coalition, a bipartisan effort to create a fair and balanced redistricting process in Virginia.

Diane Kaufman, a graduate of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2007, was recently elected to her first term as Chair of the Norfolk Democratic Committee.

And Jen Little, who won her first elective office in November 2007 to the Mathews County School Board, was also recently re-elected Chair of the Mathews County Democratic Committee.

Congratulations!

THIS JUST IN: Andrew Lamar, an alumnus of the College Leaders Program Class of 2006, has joined the professional staff at Rhumb Line, a full-service state government affairs firm in Richmond.

Rhumb Line describes their new hire as follows: "Having most recently served as campaign manager for Speaker Bill Howell’s successful re-election campaign, Andrew Lamar is currently a Virginia coordinator
for Huckabee for President, and continues to play an active, leading
role in political campaigns in the Commonwealth. Drawing on his
campaign and issue research experience, he will assist clients with
grassroots management, issue research, and government affairs outreach.
A rising star in Virginia politics, Andrew brings campaign-style enthusiasm and focus to Rhumb Line – joining with us to continue to
produce bottom-line results for our clients.

Andrew
is a graduate of the Sorensen Institute's College Leaders Program and
the University of Mary Washington, where he earned a degree in
Economics and Political Science."

Congratulations Andrew!

The Sorensen Institute will host its spring Gala, our major fund-raising event of the year, on April 25 at the Ritz-Carlton in Arlington.

We will be honoring U.S. Senator John Warner for his years of service to Virginia and the nation. Senator Warner serves as the Honorary Chairman of the Sorensen Institute's State Board.

Please join us for the event. We thank you in advance for your investment in the Sorensen mission.

Click here for full details about the 2008 Gala.

The Sunday January 13 edition of the Richmond Times-Dispatch includes this article—Build Stronger Schools or Face More Prisons—co-authored by Andy Block of Charlottesville, a graduate of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2006.

Our political leaders should continue to honor Virginia's civil rights legacy by funding an educational system that meets the needs of all of our students, including those same children of color for whom so many fought so hard -- and many of whom still grow up in poverty in communities across the commonwealth...Indeed, a recent study published in the American Economic Review found that a one percent increase in school completion rates can reduce violent crime by 30 percent, motor vehicle theft by 20 percent, arson by 13 percent, and burglary and larceny by about 6 percent. Put another way, for every child who fails to finish high school, the odds go up dramatically that we might one day need a prison bed. So our policymakers face a tradeoff: Build stronger schools for the children or build more prisons for the adults. Virginia legislators need to take the lead in addressing this vital issue.

Click here to read the full story.

Governor Tim Kaine again recognized the leadership of our alumni by recently appointing more Sorensen graduates to boards and commissions.

David Bulova of Fairfax County, a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, was appointed to the new Commission on Climate Change. David is a graduate of the Political Leaders Program Class of 1997.

Ralph Northam of Norfolk, a pediatric neurologist at the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters in Norfolk, was appointed as well to the Commission on Climate Change. Ralph is a graduate of the Candidate Training Program Class of 2007.
 
Carlos Soles of Arlington, an HIV training specialist at the Office of Minority Health Resource Center, was appointed to United Nations Day in Virginia. Carlos is a graduate of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2006.
 
William S. Hastings, Jr. of Chesterfield County, an ecology teacher at Thomas Dale High School was reappointed to the Board for Geology. Bill is a graduate of the Political Leaders Program Class of 1998 and Sorensen's first Candidate Training Program Class of 1999.
 
Michel Zajur of Chesterfield, president of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was reappointed to the Latino Advisory Board. Michel is a member of the Sorensen Institue's State Advisory Board.
 
Edda Collins Coleman of Fairfax, Legislative Director of Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus, PC, was reappointed to the Board of Trustees of the Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation. Edda is a graduate of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2005.
 
Charniele L. Herring of Alexandria, President and CEO, Solaris Enterprises, Inc., was appointed to the Council on the Status of Women. Charniele is a graduate of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2006.

We are proud to announce that Chris Wrobel, a graduate of the College Leaders Program Class of 2005 and a Youth Programs Manager for the HSLP 2005 and full 2006 season, has recently joined the staff at the Sorensen Institute.

Chris will be working through the spring as an Assistant to Marc Johnson, Director of Youth Programs, providing support in the planning and recruitment for the College and High School Leaders Programs. 

Chris graduated with Distinction from the University of Virginia in 2007 where he studied History and Economics. He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, and the Raven Society. Chris was also the recipient of the Katherine Underwood Murray Scholarship in 2006, which is awarded on the basis of merit to a student with a future in public service.

The Sorensen Institute is currently accepting applications for the College Leaders Program Class of 2008 and the High School Leaders Program Class of 2008—both of which will be held this summer on grounds at the University of Virginia. Click here to access the online applications or contact Chris Wrobel for more information at (434) 243-2470 or christopher.wrobel@virginia.edu