High School Leaders Program: Faculty
Professor Tom Shields 
Dr. Shields is on the faculty at the Jepson School of Leadership Studies and is director of the Center for Leadership in Education at the University of Richmond. He is also an instructor at the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership at the University of Virginia. At the Jepson School he has taught classes on the Political Context of Leadership, Foundations of Leadership, Histories and Theories of Leadership, and Leadership and Analyzing Public Policy. His research areas include minority political involvement in the suburbs of the South, youth civic engagement in a democratic society, and leadership studies in K-12 education. He has published articles in Academic Exchange Quarterly, Journal of Black Studies and Politics and Policy and has presented at numerous academic conferences. He has also authored major governmental reports, for such entities as the City of Richmond and the Louisiana Department of Education, in the areas of governance and educational leadership.
He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with minors in English and Political Science from the University of Scranton. He holds a Master of Arts in Teaching and doctorate in Public Policy and Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. In addition to his teaching and scholarship, Tom is involved in Virginia politics and policy. His political experience includes work as a legislative assistant for Congressman Bobby Scott. He also was one of the original authors of the mayor at-large proposal for City of Richmond. He sits on several commissions and boards in the greater-Richmond area, and served as a member of the Transition Committee on Local Government for Governor-elect Tim Kaine.
Click here to read Dr. Shields' full CV (pdf).
Matthew McGuire
In the summer of 2004 Matthew McGuire joined the faculty of the Maggie L. Walker Governor's School for Government and International Studies in Richmond, Virginia. He teaches Advanced Placement Comparative Government and sponsors the statewide Virginia Student-Parent Mock Election.
Prior to coming to the Governor's School Mr. McGuire taught Advanced Placement United States Government and Advanced Placement United States History at James Madison High School in Vienna, Virginia. He taught in the Fairfax County Public Schools for five years, and during that time was highly honored as a young teacher. Mr. McGuire was a recipient of the PTSA Triple "I" Teacher Award for innovative teaching and was selected by the 2004 class as their Commencement speaker. He emphasizes experiential learning in the classroom, inviting public officials, political candidates and community leaders to meet and interact with his students.
Mr. McGuire was highly active outside of the classroom at James Madison, founding the Young Republicans, the Young Democrats, and a Model Judiciary program. In the first year of the Model Judiciary program, James Madison's team was among seven co-state champions who successfully argued before the Virginia Supreme Court. Before becoming a teacher Mr. McGuire worked on numerous political campaigns, organizing students and local party activists including Senator Chuck Robb's historic 1994 reelection campaign. Mr. McGuire earned his undergraduate degree in Government at the College of William & Mary and holds a master’s degree in History from George Mason University.
