Videos

The Political Leaders Program Class of 2007 celebrated its graduation on December 7-8 in Charlottesville. This slide show includes photos from the Friday evening reception and dinner as well as remarks during the Saturday ceremony. You can also listen to a podcast of Chris Gates' complete talk from the Friday dinner by clicking here.

Saturday evening, October 6, the Sorensen Institute hosted its 2007 Alumni Reunion. Over two hundred alumni gathered at the Richmond Marriott to celebrate the continued achievements of Sorensen in the Commonwealth.

As is tradition, a number of alumni awards were handed out this year. This slideshow showcases all five alumni awards from this year's reunion. The Sorensen Institute's Coy Barefoot moderated the awards ceremony. Enjoy!

From our Video Vault comes this brief piece about the history and impact of the Sorensen Institute. It premiered at the March 2006 Gala in Richmond. This the first time it has been made available online. The video includes Senator John Warner, former Governor Mark Warner, Governor Tim Kaine, a host of alumni and supporters, as well as rare on-camera interviews with Sorensen Institute co-founders Leigh Middleditch and Michael Bills. Enjoy!

Governor Linwood Holton speaks at the Sorensen Institute's 2007 Gala at which he was honored for his lifetime of service to the Commonwealth. Sorensen Board Chairman Barbara Fried introduces Governor Holton and presents him with a personal gift from U.S. Senator John Warner.

Quentin Kidd is an associate professor of political science at Christopher Newport University in Newport News. He specializes in the study of southern politics, civic engagement, and political behavior. The students at CNU have twice named him “Professor of the Year.” In 2003 he was a nominee for the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia Outstanding Faculty Award. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Texas Tech University and a BA and MA from the University of Arkansas. Dr. Kidd is a faculty member for the Sorensen Institute’s College and High School Leaders Programs, and a past Commissioner on the Virginia Commission for National and Community Service. He served for eleven years in the Army and Army Reserve as a psychological warfare specialist, including a combat tour in Kuwait and Iraq during the Persian Gulf War in 1991 where he was awarded an Army Commendation Medal with “v” device for actions in combat.

This video is an excerpt from the remarks by John Ritchie at the 2007 Gala. Mr. Ritchie served as  the first staff member and campaign coordinator of Linwood Holton’s 1969 campaign for Governor. He then served as Executive Assistant to Governor Holton from 1970-74. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia (‘54) and Harvard Law School ('60). Mr. Ritchie also served in the U.S. Navy as a deck officer, USS Dyess (DDR 880), USS Loeser (DE 680). He worked as an Attorney in the Richmond office of Hunton & Williams and as General Counsel and Executive Director of the Virginia Housing Development Authority.

Remarks by First Lady Anne Holton at the Sorensen Institute's 2007 Gala on March 21 at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond.

As promised, today we begin posting video from our recent Gala celebration on March 21. This video includes the introductory remarks by Executive Director Sean O'Brien and Board Chairman Barbara Fried. Other videos will be posted throughout this weekend.

Photos by Jen Fariello.

Tonight the Sorensen Institute celebrates its annual Spring Gala at the Jefferson Hotel in Richmond. This year we are honoring former Virginia Governor Linwood Holton for his lifetime of service to the Commonwealth. As part of the program tonight, we are showing Holton's 1969 campaign commercials. These have been preserved on 16mm film and have only recently been digitzed. The commercials are being shown now for the first time in almost 40 years. Many thanks to Michael Belefski for so well preserving the film all these years and for donating the funds to digitize the commercials. Holton won the election that year, beating Democratic candidate William C. Battle. Governor Holton served from 1970 to 74, the first Republican in Virginia in the 20th century to hold that high office.