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ACCESS. COLLABORATION. COMMUNITIES. IMPACT

Guided by these four values, the Cooper Center is reimagining what public service means, how the work is carried out, and who is included in the conversation. Through our research, leadership development programs, and local government engagement initiatives, we continue to work toward our vision of good governance, equity, and resilience in every Virginia community.

Congratulations to Molly Harlow

After conducting a national search, the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service is pleased to announce that Molly Harlow has been named the Virginia Institute of Government's Assistant Director for Leadership Development.

Tracy Tanner-Bond retires

Tracy, most recently the office manager for the Sorensen Institute, retires after 38 years of service at the University of Virginia.

Cooper Center releases its first impact report

In the midst of a global pandemic, the Weldon Cooper Center found new ways to deliver its public service mission and serve local communities.

Stories of Impact: The Greater Good Initiative

Adam Ashley and Tarina Ahuja, Founders of the Greater Good Initiative

“The Greater Good Initiative is one of kind and we are trailblazing in the youth organizing community thanks to Sorensen.”

—Adam Ashley | Founder, GGI

"In HSLP we were deeply immersed in policy-making, which gave us the skills and confidence to start the Greater Good Initiative."

—Tarina Ahuja | Founder, GGI

Inspired by their experience in the Sorensen Institute’s High School Leaders Program (HSLP) where they were immersed in the world of policy-making, and driven by their belief that “youth voice belongs in politics and in policy,” Tarina Ahuja and Adam Ashley made the decision to start the Greater Good Initiative (GGI), a youth-led policy think tank.

Stories of Impact

HOW OUR WORK MATTERS

We want to know the value that people find in working with us. We want to live up to that value and incorporate it in every project we undertake. Quite simply, we want our work to matter. On this page, we share with you, a collection of stories of how our work has made a difference in the lives of individuals and communities.

REIMAGINING PUBLIC SERVICE: OUR 2020-2025 STRATEGIC PLAN

Through this five-year plan, the Weldon Cooper Center aims to build on our historical strengths, while joining forces with the increasingly diverse group of stakeholders and leaders working diligently to improve public life in Virginia and beyond. Through collaboration, innovation, inclusion, and attention to impact, we aim to engage the University in making the Commonwealth a national model for good governance and resilient communities. View the plan.