Events

The Sorensen Institute hosted another installment of our Southside Public Leadership Series on Monday. Gov. Jerry Baliles spoke on leadership at Danville's Instiute for Advanced Learning and Research, focusing on the six things he believes political candidates need to be effective leaders: humility in power, hard work, public speaking skills, a broad education, knowledge of law and political enthusiasm.

The event, which attracted more than 50 people, was sponsored by the Sorensen Institute and the Danville Register & Bee.

Coverage of the event is available online at the Danville Register & Bee.

Leigh Middleditch, co-founder of the Sorensen Institute, presented Sorensen's first Founders Award at this month's Gala. Award-winner Walt De Vries' Institute of Political Leadership in North Carolina was the inspiration for the Sorensen Institute. De Vries was also responsible for bringing Middleditch and co-founder Michael Bills together in 1993.

Michael Pearlmutter, executive director of the Institute of Political Leadership in North Carolina, accepted the award on behalf of Walt De Vries.

The 2013 Sorensen Gala on April 2 brought nearly 400 Virginians together in Richmond to honor our current and former Lieutenant Governors and Attorneys General.

Cooper Center director John Thomas began the evening with a heartfelt tribute to Sorensen's founding executive director Bill Wood, who passed away Nov. 16.

Watch the Newsroom for more video of this event in the upcoming week, and keep an eye on our Facebook page for a wealth of Gala photos coming soon.

Jerry Baliles, former Governor of Virginia, will speak in Danville on Monday, April 22, at the at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.

Baliles, a native of Patrick County, will discuss his path to leadership as part of the Southside Public Leadership Series sponsored by the Sorensen Institute and the Danville Register & Bee.

The 7 p.m. talk, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a Sorensen reception. The public is invited to attend both the talk and the reception and to participate in the question-and-answer period. The media is welcome and cordially invited to attend.

Baliles is Director and CEO of the Miller Center, a nonpartisan institute that seeks to expand understanding of the presidency, policy and political history, providing critical insights for the nation’s governance challenges.

He previously served as a Virginia legislator, Attorney General and Governor. During his tenure as Governor, he served as Chairman of the National Governors Association.

Baliles serves on the Boards of Altria and Norfolk Southern, is on the board of the Council on the Study of the Presidency and Congress, served as Chairman of PBS for multiple terms, and has served on several other civic and corporate Boards, including Newport News Shipbuilding, the Nature Conservancy in Virginia, the Virginia Historical Society, and the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education. 

The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership will host its annual Spring Gala on Tuesday, April 2 at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.

This year's event honors Virginia's Lieutenant Governors and Attorneys General. Speakers will include Mary Sue Terry, Jerry Kilgore, Don Beyer, John Hager and keynote speaker Jim Lehrer of PBS NewsHour.

You can have your business or organization sponsor a table! Contact Colleen Smith at 434-982-4910.

Visit sorensengala.com for directions, tickets and sponsorship opportunities.  

Gov. McDonnell and eight former Governors of Virginia at Sorensen's 2012 Governors Gala

You Are Invited!

What
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership
7th Annual General Assembly Reception

When
Tuesday, January 29
5:00pm - 8:00pm

Where
Hunton & Williams
Riverfront Plaza, East Tower, 20th Floor
951 East Byrd Street, Richmond

RSVP
By Tuesday, January 22
rachel.casebolt@virginia.edu

This event, which has become a must-attend gathering in the Richmond political social calendar, recognizes our alumni in the Virginia General Assembly. Sorensen is proud to honor our 22 alumni currently serving.

This event is free and open to all Sorensen alumni, supporters and members of the Virginia General Assembly.

Sorensen wishes to thank our Event Sponsors:
Advantus Strategies
Alliance Group
Hunton & Williams
Kemper Consulting
Lindl Corporation
Macaulay & Burtch
The Vectre Corporation
Virginia Association of Health Plans

*Image courtesy taberandrew

The Sorensen Institute is cosponsoring the only televised debate between Rep. Robert Hurt and challenger John Douglass. It will be held from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 10, at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville.

Moderator Bob Gibson, executive director of the Sorensen Institute, will be joined on the panel questioning the candidates by Sharon Gregory, news anchor, NBC29 in Charlottesville; Len Stevens, news anchor, WSET-TV in Lynchburg, and Tiffany Holland, reporter, Danville Register & Bee.

The event will be free and open to the public and is sponsored by the Sorensen Institute, the Danville Register & Bee, NBC29 and WSET-TV.

The live television broadcast is 7-8 p.m. on NBC29 and WSET-TV.

The Danville-Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce and the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership are proud to cosponsor an informational forum on uranium mining in Virginia to be held Oct. 2 at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville.

The forum will feature four panelists, two each on either side of uranium mining issues, and will be free and open to the public from 7 to 8:30 p.m. that Tuesday evening.

Panelists will include Patrick M. Wales, project manager of Virginia Uranium Inc.; Stephen S. Fuller, director of the Center for Regional Analysis in George Mason University's School of Public Policy; Jay Poole, spokesman for the Alliance for Progress in Southern Virginia; and Bob Burnley, an advisor to the Alliance for Progress in Southern Virginia.

Moderator of the forum is Bob Gibson, executive director of the Sorensen Institute and a 34-year veteran political writer from Charlottesville.

Jefferson addressed the ELP class.

Everyone at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership is proud of this inaugural class of Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) graduates. The class produced and defended three legislative proposals dealing with improvements to state policy for highway safety, returning ex-offenders to society and helping service members reenter Virginia's workforce and higher education system.

Each member of this outstanding class crafted a personal statement about their own leadership goals. They are quite likely to show solid leadership for the Commonwealth of Virginia. 

Sorensen thanks Colonial Williamsburg and State Farm for their sponsorship of this first-ever Emerging Leaders Program.

To learn more about the members of the 2012 ELP class, visit their new class page.

The 2012 Governors Gala was a historic event, gathering together all eight former governors of Virginia, as well as Gov. McDonnell. Video recording of the governors' remarks was provided courtesy of VDOT's Communications Division. Videos can be viewed in HD at 1280X720 on our YouTube channel.