A New Journey

Today is a big day for me: I am taking one of the first steps on my next journey in life, by going public with a new venture, The Charlottesville Institute. The Charlottesville Institute is a new non-profit organization whose mission is to harness the intellectual resources of the University of Virginia for the betterment of the Charlottesville community. Rather than going into great depth here about what The Charlottesville Institute is and does, it's probably best if I just point you to our blog -- which, like the organization itself, is a work in progress: http://cvilleinstitute.blogspot.com. We'll also have a presence on Facebook at www.facebook.com/cvilleinstitute.

In a way, this new initiative is the culmination of my 16+ years of involvement in Charlottesville's non-profit/civic sphere and my 6+ years of service in local elected office, bringing me back full circle to my glorious old stomping grounds at Madison House at UVa (where I worked as Associate Director from 1997-2001 and where The Charlottesville Institute now occupies rented office space). All of my time and experience in Charlottesville has led me to two inescapable conclusions: first, the University of Virginia has a wealth of untapped resources; and second, the Charlottesville community has a wealth of unmet needs. The Charlottesville Institute aims to help marry those resources with those needs and thereby make Charlottesville a better place for all. Through the Institute, I'll also have the opportunity to teach (or co-teach) occasional courses on public policy as an adjunct professor at the University, with my first course kicking off tonight (yikes!).

This will be an exciting adventure for me personally, and I hope a truly fruitful endeavor for the University community and Charlottesville community alike. Both communities have so much to gain from deeper engagement with each other, which is precisely what The Charlottesville Institute hopes to foster. Wish us well!