Political Leaders Program
Dec 11 2009 - 11:28am
This weekend in Charlottesville the Political Leaders Program Class of 2009 will gather for its last session together. Tomorrow morning in the historic Dome Room at the University of Virginia Rotunda, the class will celebrate its graduation with friends and family.
The board members, alumni and staff of the Sorensen Institute would like to extend our sincere congratulations to each member of this fantastic class. It is an honor to welcome you to the Sorensen family.
Nov 9 2009 - 11:49am
This morning's edition of the Staunton News Leader spotlights the success of Sorensen graduates in the recent elections.
The University of Virginia's Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership offers two political training programs to those interested in becoming more active in public service in Virginia – be they Republicans, Democrats or independents. In the wake of Tuesday's elections, it's clear that the programs are working.
Sep 10 2009 - 11:25am
For the first time in the 15-year history of the Sorensen Institute's programs, our Political Leaders Program will be gathering for a class session in far southwest Virginia.
On Friday afternoon, members of the PLP Class of 2009 will travel to Buchanan County to tour a coal mine (literally-- helmets and all); then it's on to Abingdon for a weekend of learning, civil debate, and discussion.
In the past the PLP has often paid visits to Roanoke, but has never ventured much further into Virginia's beautiful and historic southwestern region. This will be a first. By the way, Abingdon is over 360 miles from Alexandria and more than 400 miles west of Virginia Beach!
Sorensen's Political Leaders Program meets one weekend a month for ten months in various locations throughout the Commonwealth. Participants have the benefit of experiencing the diversity of Virginia up close, as well as seeing for themselves the many implications of policy decisions that are made in Richmond.
Applications are now being accepted to the PLP Class of 2010.
Sep 8 2009 - 11:41am
The Sorensen Institute will host a series of recruiting receptions throughout Virginia in the coming weeks. These receptions offer a wonderful opportunity for prospective applicants to meet with staff, alumni, and board members to learn more about our Political Leaders and Candidate Training 2010 Programs. Alumni are encouraged to bring applicants to these receptions. The Sorensen Institute relies on the willingness of its alumni to help us recruit next year's classes. RSVPs are not required but will be very much appreciated. Please contact our Recruiting Coordinator April Auger at 434-243-2470, april.auger@virginia.edu.
Recruiting receptions for the 2010 Political Leaders and Candidate Training Programs are scheduled as follows (click links for locations and directions):
September 10th— Lunch reception at Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon.
Time: 12 noon.
October 5th— Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Time: 5pm
October 12th— Breakfast reception at the Virginia Discovery Museum in Charlottesville.
Time: 8am
October 13th— Riverviews Artspace in Lynchburg.
Time: 5pm
October 20th— Harrisonburg Reception (location TBA)
Time: 6pm
For more information contact April Auger at 434-243-2470, april.auger@virginia.edu.
Apr 3 2009 - 9:39am
The Political Leaders Program Class of 2009 travels to Roanoke today for its second session. An optional tour this afternoon will take class members to the Catawba Mental Health Facility to discuss mental health policy in Virginia with Victoria Cochran (PLP 07), State Coordinator for Criminal Justice and Mental Health Initiatives, and James Reinhard, Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation and Substance Abuse Services.
This evening the class will enjoy dinner and conversation with former Attorney General Mary Sue Terry. And tomorrow the Class of 2009 will spend the day playing the "Budget Game," always one of the more memorable PLP experience.
Click here to learn more about Sorensen's Political Leaders Program and to see the schedule of sessions throughout the year.
Mar 7 2009 - 8:14pm
Congratulations to the Political Leaders Program Class of 2009 which celebrated its first session this weekend in Williamsburg. Look for photos of the new class and bios in the next few days!
Jan 5 2009 - 2:49pm
The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia is pleased to announce the members of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2009. Forty individuals were selected from among a record number of applicants in a highly competitive process that involved a comprehensive essay-based application and an in-person interview. One essential goal of the selection process is to ensure that the program participants reflect the demographic and geographic make-up of the state.
This year's outstanding PLP class represents the spectrum of political leanings and is very evenly balanced among Republicans, Democrats and independents. Geographically, the class hails from throughout Virginia and reflects the Commonwealth's diverse population. The class members are of a broad range of ages and have a wide set of personal and professional backgrounds and life experiences. This composition is critical to the effectiveness of the program.
The Sorensen Institute's flagship Political Leaders Program is a non-partisan leadership development program for residents of Virginia interested in becoming more active in public service, whether as community leaders or as elected officials. The curriculum focuses on three core subject areas: Ethics in Public Service, Public Policy, and Campaign and Advocacy Skills. The program seeks to encourage principled leadership, a commitment to public service and bipartisan solutions to issues of governance. The Sorensen Institute seeks to improve political leadership in Virginia, thereby strengthening the quality of governance at all levels of government.
The Political Leaders Program meets in various locations across Virginia, once a month for 10 months from March through December. Participation in this program has become a traditional "first step" for future political leaders in the Commonwealth. Sixteen Sorensen alumni now serve in the Virginia General Assembly, dozens more have been appointed to boards and commissions, while nearly 100 have been elected to local office.
The PLP Class of 09 will meet for its first session in Williamsburg March 5-7. The members of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2009 are:
Kenneth Leo Alger II, Stanley
Jaime A. Areizaga, Arlington
Donald A. Bewkes Jr., Crozier
DeWanda K. Bock, Suffolk
Keela Alicia Boose, Norfolk
Matthew Herndon Charles, Danville
Steven Curtis Cochran, Blacksburg
Michael J. Coker, Portsmouth
Matthew A. Conrad, Richmond
Gordon K. Eplee, North Garden
Carolina Espinal, Arlington
Shawn Renee Eure-Hill, Chesapeake
Suzanne Nettles Gandy, Roanoke
Douglas Manfredo Garcia, Richmond
Amy E. Gardner, Arlington
John Wilkes Hedges, Charlottesville
Alicia Rochelle Hughes, Alexandria
Larry E. Jackson, Forest
Susan H. Kelly, Chesapeake
Rose Lopez Keravuori, Arlington
Nicholas Alexander Kessler, Richmond
Marisa Aliana LeForge, Williamsburg
Arthur H. Major, Winchester
Janet Oleszek, Fairfax
Edgar James Turner Perrow, Jr, Lynchburg
Joshua W. Prueher, Virginia Beach
John Valle Rainero, Bristol
Bree Anne Raum, Arlington
LaTonya Joyner Reed, Richmond
Bryce E. Reeves, Spotsylvania
Lynne Cathryn Rhode, Crozier
Terrill Scott Robinson, Heathsville
Christopher B. Rogers, Richmond
Stephen Matthew Scott, Kents Store
Timothy McClan Simmons, Staunton
Marion Franklin Trumbo, Covington
Jennifer Michelle Walle, Richmond
B. Keith West, Richmond
Andrea Tersanna Young, McLean
Dec 7 2008 - 12:15pm
Ken Bernstein, a graduate of the Political Leaders Program Class of 2008, has posted an essay about his experience titled "Sorensen Institute: A Jewel for Virginia." Ken, who is a nationally recognized blogger under the name teacherken, writes in part,
My classmates at Sorensen - all of whom I now consider friends, even family - range from the political director of Brian Mora's gubernatorial effort to a top staffer for Thelma Drake. We have elected public officials from Powhatan County, Virginia Beach, and a newly elected city council member in Lexington. We ranged from Bristol to Nova, and many other points of the Dominion. We ranged in age from our twenties to our sixties. And over the ten months of our program we were at least invited to grow out of our comfort zones.
Perhaps we participated in our Saturday morning debates, where we were challenged to argue a point of view we would normally oppose...Taking on such a task, if one does so fully, requires you to get into the mindset of someone else, to recognize that on many issues it is possible for people of good will to strongly disagree on fundamental issues. There are usually intellectually and morally honest arguments on both sides of most issues.
What we advocate for in our politics is a point a view, shaped perhaps by our own life experiences and/or our personal or political philosophies. But those experiences and philosophies are not universal, and thus we should expect opposition from those shaped by difference experiences or adhering to different philosophies. That neither guarantees our superiority nor does it indicate that they are somehow deficient.
Dec 3 2008 - 11:52am
Interviews for the Political Leaders Program Class of 2009 are now being held in select locations across Virginia. The Sorensen Institute received a record 112 applications for approximately 35 spots in the 2009 class.
Board members, alumni, and staff are busy meeting this week and next to conduct personal interviews with all 112 applicants. The results of the in-person interviews are combined with detailed essays to select program participants.
The selection process will be wrapped up before the holiday break and class members will be announced publicly here in the Sorensen Newsroom the first week of January.
Nov 25 2008 - 12:04pm
From our Newsroom Archive comes this podcast about the Sorensen Institute that was originally broadcast throughout Virginia in October 2006. The statewide radio program With Good Reason explored Sorensen's Candidate Training Program. Host Sarah McConnell interviewed then Director Sean O'Brien and Coy Barefoot as well as students in the CTP. The program lasts about 15 minutes. Enjoy! (the Candidate Training Program Class of 2009 begins in just two months and will run from January 22-25. Applications are still being accepted!)
