General
Sep 7 2010 - 9:51am
The Sorensen Institute is proud to announce that the application process for the 2011 Political Leaders Program and the 2011 Candidate Training Program has begun! Below, you will find some helpful information concerning the two programs.
The Political Leaders Program is a leadership development program for residents of Virginia interested in becoming more active in public service. Participation in this program has become a traditional “first step” for future political leaders in the Commonwealth. Participants spend one weekend a month from March through December traveling across the state along with 30-32 other civic minded individuals. Cost of the Political Leaders Program is $2250.
The Candidate Training Program is an intensive, four-day program focused on the fundamentals of running a winning campaign for office. Participants will explore the nuts and bolts of building a strong campaign from the ground up- all within the context of ethics and principled public service. Cost of the Candidate Training Program is $750 for a double room and $900 for a single room.
The Sorensen Institute seeks participants from all political affiliations, socio-economic backgrounds andprofessions from Virginia. Scholarships and tuition assistance are available. For an easy way to apply, click the button to the right! If you have any questions, feel free to contact our office at 434-982-4943 or email our Director of Programs, April Auger at ala2w@virginia.edu.
The application deadline for the 2011 Political Leaders Program and Candidate Training Program is 5:00 pm, November 8, 2010.
Aug 26 2010 - 12:11pm
Gov. Bob McDonnell will speak in Danville next Monday, Aug. 30, at the Institute for Advanced Learning and Research.
McDonnell will talk and respond to questions from Virginians about his administration's plans for the future at a town hall meeting as part of the annual Southside Public Leadership Series sponsored by the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia 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 at 8:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend both the town hall meeting and the reception and to participate in the question-and-answer period. The media is welcome and cordially invited to attend.
McDonnell will present a PowerPoint discussion of his plans for government reform and ABC privatization at the next to last "Virginia Speaks: A Conversation about Jobs, Government Reform and Our Future" town hall meeting.
His presentation precedes the question and answer portion of the meeting. McDonnell was sworn in as the 71st Governor of Virginia on January 16, 2010. As the state’s chief executive, he has expressed a commitment to implement policies and initiatives to create more jobs and opportunities for all Virginians, promote economic development, and lead to greater innovation in state government.
McDonnell's event is the second of three Sorensen-sponsored programs at Danville's Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in a two-month period. The first featured Todd Haymore, Virginia's Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry, who spoke to a crowd of more than 70 people at the Institute on Aug. 24. Haymore, a native of Pittsylvania County, spoke about leadership, public service and current issues in agriculture and forestry.
The third event will be an issues forum featuring Fifth District Rep. Tom Perriello, D-Ivy, and Republican nominee Robert Hurt, who will face off in a one-on-one televised debate Oct. 21 at the Institute in Danville moderated by Sorensen and co-sponsored by the Danville Register & Bee and WSET-TV and WVIR-TV, which will broadcast the debate live from 7-8 p.m.
McDonnell's town hall meeting at 7 p.m. on Aug. 30 is free and open to the press and public. For more information, please call Bob Gibson at 434.982.4998.
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*Update: For coverage of this event please go to GoDanRiver.com.
Aug 26 2010 - 9:20am
On October 7, 2010, the Engaging the Mind Program in partnership with the Danville Pittsylvania County Chamber of Commerce presents a half-day workshop, “The Power of Ideas: Creativity for the Danville Region.” Instructor, Rachel Brozenske, adjunct faculty at the University of Virginia and Vice President of Allison Partners, a company founded with the belief that people are at the core of an organization’s success will lead this hands-on workshop. Uniquely designed to assist attendees in problem solving and learning practical tools to help generate new ideas to build the economy, strengthen our organizations, and improve our lives. This workshop is made possible by the Engaging the Mind Program in the University of Virginia’s Office of Engagement with funding from the E. Stuart Grant Trust. For more information about this workshop: www.virginia.edu/
Aug 13 2010 - 10:11am
This year, the Sorensen Institute is proud to claim several congressional candidates as our Alumni. These Sorensen grads are running in United States Congressional races all across Virginia and are striving to implement the lessons they learned at Sorensen into their campaigns. These candidates give hope to the Sorensen idea that politics can be about the heated clash of ideas, but that our differences do not have to divide us. Below you'll find a link to each of the candidates websites.
Democrats
Republicans
Independents
Aug 12 2010 - 10:18am
The Sorensen Institute has been actively trying to establish new ways for our alumni, staff and potential program participants to stay in contact with one another. One of the easiest ways to stay updated on the exciting things going on here at the Sorensen Institute is to follow our Twitter account. You can find our account at SIPLUVA. Follow us, recommend us, and stay up to date on the exciting events that Sorensen will be hosting in the near future.
Apr 27 2010 - 11:15am
As lawmakers in Washington begin work on reforming the financial regulations for Wall Street, Virginia Senator Mark Warner and Tennessee Senator Bob Corker are setting a strong example of bipartisan cooperation that may provide the key to a successful legislative package. A recent article for Businessweek titled "Dancing Across the Aisle" reads in part:
"Warner and Corker, both members of the Senate Banking Committee, are working across party lines on a compromise on one crucial aspect of the effort to strengthen the federal government's ability to stave off another Wall Street crisis. Their collaboration contrasts with congressional acrimony on health care and other topics. "The word from the Republican leadership is for the most part: Don't cooperate on Obama's agenda," says Thomas Mann, a political analyst at the Brookings Institution. The Banking panel "is the only place in the entire Congress where Democrats and Republicans are actually talking together."
Click here to read the full article.
Click here to watch Senator Warner, a founding Board member of the Sorensen Institute, call for bipartisan cooperation in the U.S. Senate.
Feb 23 2009 - 11:04pm
The Miller Center of Public Affairs at the University of Virginia hosted the most recent event in its National Debate and Policy Series this past weekend. The debate was held at the National Governor's Conference and focused on federal investments in infrastructure. Sorensen graduates may find the conversation quite interesting. Click here for the video. This debate will be broadcast on PBS in the spring.
Jan 8 2009 - 11:39am
A message from our Executive Director Bob Gibson.
Happy New Year.
It is my pleasure to share with you some goals and plans our board members and staff have recently developed as we consider the future of Sorensen.
Last year members of the State Advisory Board formed a Strategic Planning Committee to consider Sorensen's next five years. Comprised of current and former state and regional board members and alumni, this group included Board Chairman Barbara Fried, Michel Zajur, Delegate Jennifer McClellan, Delegate John Cosgrove, Kelli Palmer, Mary Loose DeViney, Daniel Carey, Teresa Gregson, Brian Cannon, and long-time Sorensen supporter Fred W. Scott, Jr., who served as the Committee's Chairman.
Fred Scott reported the results of the Committee's work to the State Advisory Board at its meeting in October. The plan was unanimously adopted and went into effect that day. Staff members have been busy developing a series of action items as we work towards these goals. The Strategic Planning Committee has done a wonderful job at outlining a positive path for Sorensen's future. I would like to briefly draw your attention to a few key items in the strategic plan.
* First, Sorensen's staff and board members are fully engaged in maintaining an ideological balance in all of our programs. Having a strong balance among class participants is a key factor in shaping the effectiveness of the programs. Our renewed and aggressive commitment to this goal is already paying off, as evidenced by the incredibly strong and diverse applicants pools we have seen for the 2009 Political Leaders and Candidate Training Programs.
* Raising the Sorensen profile across Virginia is vitally important to our work. We will create and capitalize on new opportunities to strengthen our outreach in a multitude of ways. Our alumni can be enormously helpful in this regard, and we look forward to your participation in helping us communicate the ideals at the heart of the Sorensen mission.
* We are committed to developing new programs for our alumni so that you will enjoy opportunities to engage with your fellow graduates. We will invite you to join us soon in helping to launch these exciting new programs and events.
* The Sorensen Institute receives no public funding to support our programs. We continue to rely on our board members, alumni, and friends in these difficult economic times to help in our development efforts, and we appreciate all that you do to help cultivate financial support for the Institute.
Below you will find a link to the proposals and goals outlined by the Strategic Planning Committee. I encourage all of our alumni and friends to take a moment to read this document. And I certainly appreciate any feedback and thoughts you may have.
I would also like to thank the members of the Strategic Planning Committee who graciously volunteered their time and energies on this important work. Your commitment to the Sorensen mission is critical to our success, and I speak for the entire staff and our many alumni when I say thank you, we are in your debt.
I hope this is a fantastic and memorable year for us all. Thank you for your continued support and interest in the Sorensen Institute.
Very best,
Bob Gibson
Executive Director
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership
(434) 982-4998
bob.gibson@virginia.edu
Jan 7 2009 - 3:11pm
In keeping with Sorensen's strong commitment to strengthen the quality of our programs, we have added a new request on the About Us page of the website for comments and suggestions. We would especially like to hear from our alumni as to how you think Sorensen might improve or broaden our programs, events, and offerings. You have benefited from the Sorensen experience. Tell us now what we can do better. We'll look forward to your feedback. All comments and suggestions can be directed to Executive Director Bob Gibson.Bob can be reached at his office in Charlottesville by phone at (434) 982-4998 or by email bob.gibson@virginia.edu.
Jul 29 2008 - 10:09am
In a recent email to alumni, Sorensen's Executive Director Bob Gibson announced that Amber Capron (PLP 04) would be leaving our staff to pursue an exciting new opportunity, and that a search was underway to hire a new Development and Events Coordinator:
I am sorry to report that Amber Capron, our Development and Events Coordinator, is leaving the Sorensen
Institute after three years of dedicated service to the organization. As a Political Leaders Program graduate, we are excited to see Amber moving to a great new career opportunity with a nonprofit environmental institute, but as an outstanding member of the staff team, we are sad to see her go.
As a result, we have begun searching for someone to fill this position. Potential applicants must use the Jobs@UVA system to apply for the job. Please note that on the Jobs@UVA website, the job is listed under our parent organization here at UVA, the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service
We will begin review of applications in early August, so please encourage those who might be interested to apply online soon. If you are interested, please follow the application protocol as outlined on Jobs@UVA. Please forward this information to others who may be interested. — Bob Gibson
If you are interested in applying for or learning more about the position, please click here then under Search Postings, search for listings in the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service in which the Sorensen Institute is located.
