FOR PUBLIC POLICY. Annual Report 2005 Ideas Catch Hold - Successes Mount

Transcription

1 THOMAS JEFFERSON INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY Annual Report 2005 Ideas Catch Hold - Successes Mount

2 From the Chairman & President 2005: Institute Ideas Bring Dramatic Change to Virginia In 2005, the Thomas Jefferson Institute moved forward on a number of important fronts. With support from our Board of Directors and from those who financially support our work, and with the respect from leaders on both sides of the political aisle, the Jefferson Institute has advanced positive, market-oriented ideas in a number of important public policy areas. Last year the Thomas Jefferson Institute proved that the reputation it has achieved helped bring positive change to public policy here in Virginia based on our Mission Statement in support of limited government, free enterprise and individual responsibility. The Jefferson Institute continued to bring innovative ideas to the public policy debate in our state. Thanks to a focused effort to keep this foundation truly bi-partisan while maintaining its market-oriented approach to alternative suggestions for issues facing our state, this foundation gained significant successes in These achievements were built on previous activities and the respect gained over years of responsible research offering workable alternatives to current government programs and policies. Our Board of Directors is a group of highly respected individuals who are all deeply interested in bringing positive change to our commonwealth. These Board Members are active and involved in our activities. It is a true pleasure to work with this group of leaders who bring solid ideas and support to our programs. The activities of this foundation are carried out through three programmatic centers of activity: the Center for Excellence in Education; the Center for Government Reform and Legislative Analysis and the Center for Economic Development and Environmental Stewardship. Our research, studies, conferences and twice monthly guest columns are focused on these three areas and we are having a true impact. The success of the ideas brought forward by this foundation is because of the support we have gained from those who contribute toward our work, guide our activities, and who hold elected office and key management positions in government and use our ideas in their jobs. We thank all of these people for participating in our success. Michael W. Thompson Chairman and President

3 Center for Excellence in Education Bringing Competition to the Public Schools of Virginia 2005 saw a significant increase in the Thomas Jefferson Institute s efforts to move our state s public education system into a more competitive arena. As our ideas and research gain support, at risk students and those from failing schools come closer to having more opportunities to receive a better education. We are working hard toward that goal. These successes by the Jefferson Institute s Center for Excellence in Education are the result of several years of groundwork. They prove that the building blocks that have been put in place over the past few years by this foundation are, indeed, beginning to change policy in the arena of public education. These efforts to bring reforms to the public schools of Virginia are headed by the Vice President of the Thomas Jefferson Institute, Chris Braunlich. He served on the Fairfax County School Board for eight years as the elected member from a demographically diverse area of the state s largest county. He is Assistant Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Association of Manufacturers and at the nationally recognized Center for Education Reform. Chris Braunlich, Vice President Major Study Lays Groundwork for Historic Legislation THE THOMAS JEFFERSON INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY A Virginia Educational Improvement Tax Credit: Better Education for Children More Money for Public Schools Better Bang for the Taxpayer s Buck By Christian N. Braunlich Vice President, Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy Forward by: Robert Ashford President, Richmond Black Alliance for Educational Options January 2005 Our January 2005 study, A Virginia Educational Improvement Tax Credit, was researched and written by Vice President Chris Braunlich. This study, made possible with a grant from Verizon- Virginia, laid the groundwork for the first ever tuition tax credit bill passing the House of Delegates. This bill would have allowed private scholarship funds to be established with corporate dollars through tax credits in order to encourage students in poorly performing schools to move to better schools. Time ran out in the State Senate to give this bill proper consideration. However, similar legislation was re-introduced in January 2006, passed the House by a larger margin (60-40 vote in favor) and remains alive in the State Senate for a more thorough discussion in We will remain involved in this exciting effort. Following the passage of this legislation in the House in 2005, Delegate Chris Saxman, the bill s author, sent a letter to the Jefferson Institute which said, I cannot tell you enough how important your work was to our efforts. This was the first time advocates of school choice had a document with solid numbers. We were able to show the impact in each legislator s district and it was a decisive tool in rounding up the votes. 1

4 Milwaukee Study Tour Expands School Choice Support In April, the Thomas Jefferson Institute hosted a study-tour to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a selected group of legislative, business and community leaders. This group of leaders saw first-hand the highly publicized school choice system that has developed in that city over the past 15 years. This delegation was chaired by the President of Verizon-Virginia, Robert W. Woltz, Jr, a Jefferson Institute Board Member. Joining Woltz were Black Caucus members State Senator Benjamin Lambert (Richmond), Delegate Dwight Jones (Richmond, Chair of the Black Caucus), and Delegate Algie Howell (Norfolk); Cost Cutting Caucus Chair, Delegate Chris Saxman (Staunton); Richmond School Board Chair Stephen Johnson and School Board Member Reggie Malone; business leaders James Ukrop of Ukrop s Supermarkets and Jay Poole of Altria, a Jefferson Institute Board Member; State Board of Education member, and now Board Chair, Mark Emblidge; Betsy Carr, Director of the Micah Project in Richmond; and Jefferson Institute s President and Vice President, Mike Thompson and Chris Braunlich. VA leaders learn about school choice in Milwaukee. (L to R): Mark Emblidge, VA Board of Education; James Ukrop, Ukrop s Supermarkets; Robert Woltz, Jr, Verizon-Virginia; Delegate Algie Howell (D-Va Beach); and Chris Braunlich, VP of the Jefferson Institute. This tour of Milwaukee s school choice system, sponsored by the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, provided these leaders with the exciting possibilities that could be available to the children of Virginia if our public school system would allow the parents to have the choices available in Milwaukee. The delegation met with Milwaukee s new School Board Chairman, the President of the city s Chamber of Commerce, a local African American state representative, business leaders, school leaders at their schools, and parents of students attending three schools that are part of the broad school choice network in this major Midwestern city. A follow-up dinner was held in June with those who traveled to Milwaukee and it was agreed that school choice efforts need to increase within the General Assembly and the business leadership of our state. This group of leaders continues to stay in touch and exchange ideas as various avenues for improving our public education system advance throughout the state. Jay Poole, Vice President of Altria; Betsy Carr of the Micah Project in Richmond and Black Caucus Chair, Delegate Dwight Jones (D-Richmond) discuss school choice during Milwaukee study tour. 2

5 Florida Study Trip Opens Special Ed Support In August, Vice President Chris Braunlich organized a special study trip to Tallahassee, Florida for a group of legislative and business leaders to review that state s highly acclaimed MacKay Scholarship Program. This program helps special education students find a suitable school for their educational needs. This delegation was headed by Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosch and included: Delegate Phil Hamilton, a leading member of the House Appropriations and Education Committees; Delegate Chris Saxman, Chairman of the Cost Cutting Caucus; Michael Farley, Chairman of the Virginia Association of Independent Specialized Education Facilities; Dr. David Brat, Chairman, Department of Economics and Business, Randolph- Macon College; Susan L. Hogge, Legislative Fiscal Analyst for the House of Delegates Appropriations Committee, and Donald Faison, a parent of a student with Disabilities (Autism). This trip, sponsored by the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation was the catalyst for legislation that was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosch to create a similar program in Virginia. His bill would allow the parents of a special education student to use the state funds allocated to that child to help pay for a private education should they determine that the public school system cannot properly educate their son or daughter. This legislation did not pass in 2006, but will be a major goal for Senate Majority Leader Stosch in Senate Majority Leader Walter Stosch Statewide Survey Finds School Choice Support Among our Teachers In November, the Jefferson Institute conducted a special telephone survey of several thousand public school teachers in Virginia and identified several hundred who support a broader range of education options for students in our state. This survey will be continued in 2006, and will result in a large group of teachers interested in helping the Jefferson Institute provide serious research and analysis on bringing competition and other reforms to the public school system in Virginia. We will continue to build a network of supporters among the public school teachers in our state as school choice becomes a more visible issue because of the work sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson Institute. Debating No Child Left Behind VA School Board Members gather for the Jefferson Institute s annual Educational Policy Luncheon Also in November, the Thomas Jefferson Institute hosted our fourth annual Educational Policy Luncheon in conjunction with the annual convention of the Virginia School Boards Association. This year featured a robust debate on No Child Left Behind (NCLB). Three perspectives were presented to nearly 50 School Board members from around Virginia. The speakers included Neal McCluskey, Director of Education Policy at the Cato Institute; Michael Petrilli, Vice President of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, and Mickey VanDerwerker, a member of the Bedford County (VA) School Board This debate was instructive to all in attendance as the accountability requirements in NCLB were more broadly understood by those who joined us. 3

6 Guest Columns Carry School Reform Message Statewide During the year, Chris Braunlich, Vice President of the Thomas Jefferson Institute, promoted several school reform issues through a series of statewide guest columns and targeted letters-to-the-editor carried in many newspapers around the commonwealth and in the state s premier public policy electronic newsletter, Bacon s Rebellion. These guest editorials outlined clearly the facts and figures behind the need to bring reasonable and credible reforms to the public schools in our state. Center for Government Reform and Legislative Analysis Reforming Government Continues a Top Priority During 2005, the Jefferson Institute continued to build its special relationship with state leaders on both sides of the political aisle by offering research and analysis for executive actions and legislation that would improve the efficiency, accountability and transparency of our state government. Board Member Jack Rust, a highly respected former state legislator and wellknown attorney in Fairfax, agreed to be Chair of the Institute s Center Government Reform and Legislative Analysis. Rust brings a tremendous reservoir of knowledge and respect to this position and is a huge addition to the Institute s efforts to bring responsible change to Virginia s state and local governments. Former Delegate Jack Rust, Jefferson Institute Board Member Our Senior Fellow on Government Reform, Geoffrey Segal, continued to be a significant asset to our efforts. His depth of experience in working with various state and local governments around the country through his position at the highly respected Reason Foundation added great credibility to the Jefferson Institute s effort to reform state and local governments. He worked closely with Delegate Chris Saxman, Chairman of the Cost Cutting Caucus, and with the other members of that bi-partisan organization dedicated to doing government better. The Jefferson Institute worked with Governor Mark Warner s Chief of Staff, Bill Leighty, by providing ideas and suggestions for making state government more efficient, more transparent, more accountable and more easily understood. Working with the Governor s Chief of Staff, Bill Leighty, brought the Institute s ideas into focus and we were credited with a number of efficiency in government improvements by Governor Warner. We are particularly proud of the newly designed Executive Budget which was first suggested by the Jefferson Institute in the fall of 2003 and was adopted in large part by the Warner Administration. Geoff Segal, Senior Fellow at the Jefferson Institute 4

7 Conference Discusses Role of Government & Taxation In January, the Jefferson Institute co-hosted a conference in Charlottesville which concentrated on the role of government and taxation in a free society. This conference was sponsored by the Ludwig Von Mises Institute, named after the internationally recognized free-market economist whose works influenced Milton Friedman and other key economic thinkers of the 20 th century. Over 150 people attended this conference, mostly government and economics students from the University of Virginia and other colleges and universities in our state. The conference discussed the role of government in a free society and the use of taxation to fulfill the role of government. Jefferson Institute & Cost Cutting Caucus Join Forces In February, the Cost Cutting Caucus and the Thomas Jefferson Institute formalized their relationship through a press release stating that the Institute was providing research and analysis for this bi-partisan legislative caucus. Chairman of the Cost Cutting Caucus, Delegate Chris Saxman said, This arrangement will enable to Caucus to have primary access to the research and analysis done by the talented staff of the Jefferson Institute, and is a major step in providing the kind of outside staff assistance our members so badly need as they try to get a handle on how state government spends our money. Three important good government bills were passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Governor Warner that were based on research and analysis of the Jefferson Institute. These laws require the state government each fall to list all commercial activities that could be handled in the private sector; require the state to respond to employee suggestions within 60 days as to whether those ideas are under active consideration; and require the state each fall to list all jobs that have been privatized in the past year. These bills laid the groundwork for serious discussions toward privatizing state activities that can be accomplished by the private sector. Several other bills were introduced based on Jefferson Institute research but failed to gain full legislative approval. Research and analysis will THE THOMAS JEFFERSON INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY Delegate Chris Saxman, Chairman of the General Assembly s Cost Cutting Caucus continue to provide background and better understanding on these issues for our elected leaders. Budget Study Shines Light on State Spending Virginia Spending and Budget Reform By: Geoffrey Segal Senior Fellow on Government Reform February 2005 Geoff Segal authored a major budget study in February, Virginia Spending and Budget Reform, that outlined the coming crisis in state spending unless the General Assembly constrains the growth of spending. This study clearly showed the challenge our state elected leaders face if they do not bring solid business practices to the management of state government and slow government s recent growth rates. Without these changes, huge tax increases will be required in a few short years. This study laid the groundwork for serious debate in the General Assembly and in some business circles about the growth of state government and just how quickly the state budget should grow in the immediate years ahead. Several newspapers in Virginia wrote editorials focused on the rapid growth of our state budget over the past few years. 5

8 Conference Discusses Government Reform with Key State Employees In May, the Thomas Jefferson Institute sponsored a special Innovations in Government Conference in Richmond. Co-sponsored by the Governor s office, the Cost Cutting Caucus, the Virginia Association of Counties and the Virginia Municipal League, this conference brought key state and local government employees together to talk about how to make government work better and more efficiently. Over 125 state and local government managers participated in this major conference held at the conference center in the Markel office complex just Stu Mendelsohn, Former Fairfax County Supervisor Bell Eggers, Director at Deloitte Research Bill Leighty, Governor s Chief of Staff north of Richmond. Lunch was provided by Deloitte Research. Speakers included the internationally recognized government reform expert Bill Eggers of Deloitte Research, the Governor s Chief of Staff Bill Leighty, Executive Director of the National Association of State Budget Officers Scott Pattison, Jefferson Institute s Senior Fellow Geoff Segal, Delegate and Cost Cutting Caucus Chairman Chris Saxman, and former Fairfax County Supervisor Stuart Mendelsohn. The comments from those attending were highly complimentary and urged future conferences be sponsored. This conference helped the state government agency leadership that attended to review how those agencies can be more efficient and more effective within the budgets provided by the General Assembly. Fairfax County Budget Analysis: Dramatic Spending Increases In June, the Jefferson Institute s Fifth Annual Fairfax County Budget Analysis was published. This annual review of Virginia s largest county s budget showed that the government and school system continued to grow much faster than the rate of inflation and population growth. This means the individual burden of local government is growing each year and that this growth seems to be much higher than could or should be the case. The purpose of this annual report is to show the growth of local government and does not delve into specific budget recommendations other than recommend staggered terms for Supervisors, re-establishing the Citizens Budget Oversight Committee, and asking the General Assembly for Board of Supervisors authority to approve major categories of school budgets similar to the authority given the City of Richmond. 6

9 December 2005 Low Hanging Fruit Budget Reforms that Should be Relatively Easy In December, the Institute published a review of the state budget written by Washington Post columnist Melanie Scarborough. This study, Picking Low Hanging Fruit from the State Budget: Sensible Reductions in State Spending, outlined several items that could be cut, consolidated or reduced which were considered by the author to be reasonably easy if the General Assembly were really serious about reducing unnecessary spending. Some of these items simply don t belong under state purview, some are programs that have long passed their usefulness and some have simply expanded their activities far beyond the original purpose for being created. The budget items listed in this report are a natural starting point for budget reductions should the General Assembly decide to bring business practices to bear on the management of the budget. Picking Low Hanging Fruit from the State Budget: Sensible Reductions in State Spending By: Melanie Scarborough Introduction: Delegate Chris Saxman, Chairman Cost Cutting Caucus Conference Focuses on Better Way for Government Policy Also in December, the Thomas Jefferson Institute co-sponsored a two day Public Private Partnership Forum in Richmond with the highly respected public policy electronic newsletter, Bacon s Rebellion. This conference brought together key leaders in the field of government and the private sector to discuss how government can provide better services and better policy working more closely with the private sector. This conference was focused on bringing a mix of thinkers and implementers and policy creators together to discuss in a full and open manner critical issues facing our commonwealth. Held at The Crossings conference center in Richmond, this conference discussed such critical issues as eminent domain and its proper role in economic development and public policy, how to make government more transparent and more accountable, meeting the transportation challenge with public and private sectors working together, and how government policy impacts on local government. This conference laid the groundwork for serious discussion on reforming the way state government works with the private sector. These discussions and the ideas from this conference are being seriously debated by policy makers and those who influence policy makers in Virginia. 7

10 Newly Designed State Budget A Huge Victory for Jefferson Institute One of the most important victories for the Jefferson Institute s reform government efforts is the newly designed Virginia Executive Budget. In October of 2003, the Thomas Jefferson Institute published a study called, A Citizen-Friendly Budget Document for Virginia: Providing Transparency and Accountability to State Government, authored by Geoffrey Segal, our Senior Fellow on Government Reform. This study showed how complicated and obtuse Virginia s printed budget was and how it compared to several other states which have created much more user friendly budgets. This study generated support from state government officials, members of the Cost Cutting Caucus, and to many in the business community. The newly designed Executive Budget released by Governor Warner in December is a more easily understood document allowing legislators, business leaders and others to gain a better understanding of how state monies are spent, for what purpose they are spent, and how much is spent on specific programs. Although this is a significantly better budget document than has been available in the past, there is still work that needs to be done to create a budget that is equal to those available in many other states. The Thomas Jefferson Institute will continue to work with the Governor s office and the General Assembly to make future Executive Budgets even better so that our state government is more transparent and more accountable in the spending of taxpayers money. Statewide Guest Columns Focus on Reforming Government Through its bi-weekly newspaper column, the Thomas Jefferson Institute reached hundreds of thousands of Virginians with a message of government reform. From bringing business-like budget management to the state, to focusing on the need for an understandable state budget, to offering creative ideas to improve our state s transportation system, the Institute s ideas educated the readers about responsible alternatives to current government programs and policies. These columns were written by Mike Thompson, Chairman of the Thomas Jefferson Institute, and Geoff Segal, the Institute s Senior Fellow on Government Reform. Center for Economic Development and Environmental Stewardship Creating Jobs and Helping the Environment A growing economy is critical to the future of our state. That means more jobs need to be created, more homes need to be built, a modern transportation system needs to be built and maintained, and our natural resources need to be managed in a way that complements and balances the need for an expanding economy with the need to protect our environment. 8

11 The Thomas Jefferson Institute believes that economic growth and stewardship of our environment are not mutually exclusive forces. It is important that we recognize that both can be accomplished through rational policies and an understanding that a growing economy can be an asset to the long-term improvement of our environment. That is the purpose behind the Institute s Center for Economic Development and Environmental Stewardship. Chesapeake Bay Conference is First of Its Kind In April, the Thomas Jefferson Institute sponsored the first-ever conference on agricultural best practices that can positively impact the future clean-up of the Chesapeake Bay. What made this conference, organized by Thomas Jefferson Institute Senior Fellow David Schnare, unique was that it brought together for the first time key federal, state, non-profit and agricultural leaders to discuss the major roll that farmers can play in the needed clean-up of our Chesapeake Bay. This conference was held at the SunTrust corporate center in Richmond and discussed in detail the incredible potential that exists if government, farmers and those nonprofits focused on the Bay work together to bring the Bay back to the economic resource it was in past. The various ideas brought forward have already had an impact. One of the most successful nutrient reduction agricultural best-managementpractices, continuous no-till farming, was approved by the state s Department of Environment Quality for cost-sharing shortly after this conference. This change in state policy was a direct result of the dialogue between state and agricultural leaders at this meeting. That now-approved agricultural best management practice has the potential to cut the cost of nutrient reduction in half, compared with point source controls. David Schnare of the Jefferson Institute speaks to the Chesapeake Bay Conference. Listening (l to r): Richard Rash; Mike Thompson, Jefferson Institute President; Schnare; Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bloxom; Secretary of Natural Resources Tayloe Murphy; and Attorney General Jerry Kilgore. The expanded use of agricultural nutrient reduction practices, if adopted by the state, will dramatically compliment the large metropolitan wastewater treatment plants that need to be built over the next two decades. The cooperation of agricultural practitioners and state and federal leaders, as exhibited at this April conference, has already proven its worth. The Jefferson Institute will continue to promote the ideas that were presented at this April conference. The Jefferson Institute has taken the lead in this effort to bring highly effective and economical alternatives to the clean up of the Chesapeake Bay. 9

12 Annual Economic Survey: Growth to Continue, More Slowly In June, the Jefferson Institute published its sixth annual Virginia Economic Forecast. As in previous years, Chmura Economics and Analytics Virginia s premier private sector group of economists researched and wrote this annual report that was made possible through the support of SunTrust Mid-Atlantic Foundation. This Economic Forecast for predicted a slowing of economic growth but a steady growth would still occur. The public policy theme of the 2006 Economic Forecast was focused on the aging population and the impact that will have on our economy. The Jefferson Institute s Annual Economic Forecast is read by legislators and business leaders across Virginia as well as business editors and reporters. This annual Virginia Economic Forecast is particularly important to Virginia s leaders because Dr. Christine Chmura is such a highly respected economist. Consequently, this annual report carries a great deal of importance to a broad group of leaders. Institute Advises Special Legislative Commission on the Bay Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Delegate Vince Callahan, chaired a special commission on the Chesapeake Bay in the fall of 2005 and asked David Schnare, the Jefferson Institute s Senior Fellow on Environmental Stewardship, to work with the commission on the area of agricultural best practices and the positive impact they could have on the clean-up of the Bay. Schnare testified to the commission at some length and then worked with the commission to bring fresh ideas to the discussion of rebuilding the Bay into the economic powerhouse it was a few short decades ago. Schnare also wrote a detailed paper for this commission. Is Rail to Dulles the Best Option? Rail at Any Cost Options that Could Provide Better Service than Dulles Rail At a Third of the Cost By: William Vincent General Counsel, Breakthrough Technologies Institute Gabriel Roth Civil Engineer & Transport Economist In December, the Institute published an interesting analysis of the proposed rail-to-dulles project by two well-known transportation experts: William Vincent of the Breakthrough December

13 Technologies Institute and Gabriel Roth, an independent transportation consultant. This study, Rail At Any Cost: Options that Could Provide Better Service than Dulles Rail At a Third of the Cost, suggested that a modern, welldesigned Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system would be more economical and a better job-producing alternative for moving folks through the Tyson s Corner business district of Fairfax County to Dulles International Airport. This study makes the point that more people could be moved through the Dulles corridor for substantially less money using Bus Rapid Transit. The study also suggests that if rail-to-dulles goes forward, then a BRT system should be considered as an additional congestion mitigating effort in this important corridor as well as in other urbanized areas where traffic could be reduced with a well-designed, user-friendly Bus Rapid Transit system. Focus on a Board Member Robert W. Woltz, Jr. of Verizon Among the most respected members of the Board of Directors of the Thomas Jefferson Institute is Robert W Woltz, Jr., President of Verizon-Virginia. A supporter of the Institute from its earliest days, Woltz is a leading figure in Virginia s business community. As President of Verizon-Virginia Inc. he is responsible for operations, external affairs, regulatory and financial matters. He is a well-known figure within Virginia s business organizations and he never hesitates to promote the work of the Thomas Jefferson Institute. An active member of the community, Woltz currently serves in Gubernatorial appointed positions on the Wireless E911 Services Board as vice chairman, the Advisory Council on Revenue Estimates, and chairs the utilities sub-committee of the Secure Commonwealth Panel. He is also a member of the Virginia Business Council, Chairman of Virginia FREE, Chairs the Richmond Management Round Table and serves on the Richmond Superintendent s Initiative Committee and on the School Community Business Partnership Subcommittee. He is a past Chairman of the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority Advisory Board, Virginia State Chamber of Commerce, the Richmond Forum, and past President of the Virginia Telecommunications Industry Association. Mr. Woltz is also a member of the Boards of Verizon Virginia Inc., Richmond Renaissance, VCU School of Engineering, Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, and the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation. Woltz earned a B.S. in mathematics from Hampden-Sydney College in 1971, with highest distinction. A native Virginian who grew up in Clarksville, Woltz and his wife Pam, live in Chesterfield County with their two children, Jaime and Jeremy. Robert W. Woltz, Jr. President of Verizon-Virginia The Thomas Jefferson Institute is proud that its reputation has brought leaders such as Robert Woltz to our Board of Directors. 11

14 Another Success Story Virginia Tech s Virginia Bioinformatics Institute In 1999, the Jefferson Institute published an economic development paper called, The Future of Plant Biotechnology in Virginia. Written by then-ibm Senior Marketing Manager David Sebring and the Director of the Natural Resources Institute at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dr. Gary Evans, this paper immediately caught the eye of then Secretary of Commerce Barry DuVal. With his interest, the Jefferson Institute began working with the top leadership at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg to develop a proposal to present to Governor Jim Gilmore and his administration for bringing a new economic development tool to Virginia a Virginia Techbased Institute to focus on the incredible possibilities available through a special research effort focused on the future of bioinformatics the combined use of sophisticated biotechnology knowledge with the growing research capability of constantly improving computer technology. The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg was created through the work of the Thomas Jefferson Institute The Jefferson Institute worked to bring the Secretaries of Technology, Education and Commerce into agreement on the economic and educational potential for such a special research institute. It was reasoned that a research effort of this type at Virginia Tech could spin-off many new businesses that would boost our state s economy. A special working group was organized by Mike Thompson, President of the Thomas Jefferson Institute, to forge the proposal and work with the Governor s office to get this new Institute approved and up-and-running. This working group included Tech President Charles Steger, Vice President Minnis Radnour, David Sebring, and two Jefferson Institute Board Members, John Alderson and Larry Framme. When the university officially launched the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, the President of Virginia Tech, Dr. Charles Steger, signaled out the Thomas Jefferson Institute as the originator of the concept and the impetus behind making this economic research effort reality. It was the Jefferson Institute that organized and promoted the idea of this major research facility as a way to launch many private sector companies that will help bring economic growth to southwest Virginia. The Virginia Bioinformatics Institute is an impressively growing part of Virginia Tech s efforts to become one of the top 30 research universities in our nation. The effort is directly tied to the success of this Jefferson Institute created research facility. Today this research facility has over 230 employees and has generated more than $40 million in research grants. David Sebring, who wrote the initial paper that launched the project, left IBM and became its key promoter and was the leader in finding the research grants that have built this special facility here in Virginia. The Thomas Jefferson Institute took the initiative through its original study and its leadership in dealing with key state government officials to bring this major new research facility from the drawing board to reality. The potential economic development possibilities are huge from the many businesses that will be created through the research conducted at this facility. This is a direct result of the creativity and leadership of the Thomas Jefferson Institute and it is most proud of this impressive accomplishment. 12

15 Thomas Jefferson Institute for Public Policy Board of Directors Michael Thompson: Chairman and President: For over twenty years Mr. Thompson owned his own marketing company. He has been very active in national, state and local politics as well as a number of state and community organizations, commissions, and committees. Randal C. Teague: Secretary/Treasurer/Counsel: A Partner in the law firm of Vorys, Sater Seymour and Pease, Mr. Teague is a noted international attorney. John Alderson: President of the John Alderson Insurance Agency, he chaired the Reagan for President campaigns in Virginia. Warren Barry: Former State Senator. William W. Beach: Director of the Center for Data Analysis and John M. Olin Senior Fellow in Economics at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. Sandra D. Bowen: Immediate past Secretary of Administration and former Senior V. P. of the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Stephen Cannon: Partner, Constantine Cannon, PC, former Sr. VP of Circuit City Stores. James W. Dyke, Jr: Partner, McGuireWoods and former Secretary of Education for Governor Douglas Wilder. Eva S. Hardy: Senior Vice President for External Affairs and Corporate Communications, Dominion Resources Services, Inc. Robert L. Hartwell: President, Hartwell Capitol Consulting, Senior Consultant to American Systems, International. Alan I. Kirshner: Chairman and CEO of Markel Corporation. Jay Poole: Vice President for Agriculture Policy and Programs, Altria Corporate Services. Joseph Ragan: Founder and President of Joe Ragan s Coffee. John Rust: Former State Delegate and Partner, Rust and Rust law firm. John Ryan: Senior Counsel and Director of Government Affairs for Bristol Myers Squibb. Robert W. Shinn: President of Public Affairs, Capitol Results. Todd A. Stottlemyer: President, National Federation of Independent Business. Dr. Robert F. Turner: Law professor at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville. Robert W. Woltz, Jr: President and CEO of Verizon-Virginia.

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