Newsroom Archive for 08/, 2008

The Sorensen Institute announced today that Marc Johnson, a graduate of the College Leaders Program Class of 2003, has been promoted to Assistant Director and Director of Programs.

"I am excited at this new opportunity for me at the Sorensen Institute," Marc said. "Sorensen has been a wonderful place to work for the past four years and I continue to count myself privileged to be a part of an organization with such an important mission."

Executive Director Bob Gibson said, "Marc's hard work, dedication and familiarity with all aspects of Sorensen's mission make him an ideal director of the Institute's programs. He is a very capable and creative colleague, a great teacher, and I am fortunate to be able to turn to him as Sorensen's assistant director."

Marc recently earned his Master's Degree in Education from the University of Virginia, where he studied educational leadership, foundations and policy. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the College of William & Mary with a degree in government, where he was awarded the James Frederic Carr Memorial Cup, given to one member of the graduating class on the basis of scholarship, character and leadership.

Sorensen State Board member and alumna Jody Wagner (PLP Fall 94), former Secretary of Finance, has announed her candidacy for Lieutenant Governor.

Click here and here for news of her official announcement, which took place this past Friday.

Click here to visit her campaign website.

The Sorensen Institute has announced that it will sponsor a Congressional Issues Forum between Virgil Goode and Tom Perriello—candidates for Congress in Virginia's Fifth District. The event will take place on Wednesday evening, September 3, from 7:30-9pm at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville. The forum will be co-sponsored by the Danville Register & Bee. Sorensen alumni and friends are encouraged to attend.

The event is part of Sorensen's Southside Public Leadership Speakers Series, which welcomed former U.S. Attorney and Attorney General candidate John Brownlee to Danville in June and will see former Secretary of Transportation Whitt Clement speak on October 9.

The Sorensen Institute's Coy Barefoot, who also hosts a public affairs talk radio program in Charlottesville, recently recorded a one-on-one, sit-down interview with presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama.

Martina Hairston of Roanoke was selected by her class to speak at the graduation ceremony for the High School Leaders Program Class of 2008 this summer in Charlottesville.

Sorensen State Board member and former member of the Virginia House of Delegates Paul Harris was the keynote speaker at the High School Leaders Program Class of 2008 graduation ceremony this summer in Charlottesville. This is an incredibly inspiring and moving talk. Enjoy!

Sorensen graduate and State Advisory Board member Jennifer McClellan (PLP 2001, CTP 2005), a member of the Virginia House of Delegates, was followed for a day by Newsweek magazine during the Democratic National Convention. The result is a series of videos chronicling "A Day in the Life of a Superdelegate." The first installment has just been posted to the Newsweek site. Click here or the photo below to see the videos. Jennifer also wrote this essay for Newsweek that accompanies the video.