WELDON COOPER CENTER FOR PUBLIC SERVICE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA NEWS MEDIA RESOURCES ON KEY VIRGINIA ISSUES The University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service is a research and training organization focused primarily on the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Center, which has a 60-year history of service to Virginia, provides objective information, research, technical assistance, and practical training to state and local officials, community leaders, and members of the general public. The Center publishes, in print and electronically, regularly-updated statistical information and analyses on an array of topics about Virginia and its localities. Topics include census data, population estimates and projections, education, housing, occupations, race relations, tax rates, income, local and regional economies, and special analyses of issues affecting the state. (For electronic access to Center data and links to other government data, see below). The Center also serves as a base for two affiliated organizations: the Virginia Institute of Government, which provides a wide range of services to governments around the state, and the Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership, a nonpartisan education program for prospective government leaders. The Cooper Center's 35-member staff includes experts in public management, demography, economics and public finance, political science, organizational development, workforce issues, and minority affairs. Some key faculty resources are: NAME: Robert de Voursney TITLE: Professor OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5559 HOME PHONE: (804) 973-7126 EMAIL: rmd5f@virginia.edu GENERAL CATEGORIES: Government and politics, social issues TOPICS: local economic development, Virginia's regions EXPERTISE: De Voursney has worked closely with local officials on economic development issues in several regions of the state and has served, among other posts, as director of Gov. Charles Robb's Commission on Virginia's Future and staff director of economic development commissions for Southwest and Southside Virginia. An expert on national and international trends in economic development, de Voursney is a strong advocate of investing in Virginia's current workforce and infrastructure. NAME: Samuel Kaplan TITLE: Economist OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5819 EMAIL: kaplan@virginia.edu GENERAL CATEGORIES: Business and economics TOPICS: Virginia and national economies, local economies, taxes EXPERTISE: Kaplan's research focus is the Virginia economy and the state's local and regional economies. He is author or co-author of numerous studies of aspects of Virginia's economy, income and taxes. NAME: John Knapp TITLE: Professor and Director of Business and Economics Research OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5604 HOME PHONE: (804) 295-2486 EMAIL: knapp@virginia.edu GENERAL CATEGORIES: Business and economics TOPICS: Virginia and national economies, local economies, taxes EXPERTISE: A member of the Virginia Governor's Advisory Board of Economists, Knapp is a longtime close observer of the Virginia economy and the state's local and regional economies and their relationship to the national and world economies. He is author or co-author of annual studies and profiles of aspects of Virginia's economy and analyses of Virginians' income and taxes. Knapp is a Distinguished Fellow of the Virginia Association of Economists, chair of the national Council of Professional Associations on Federal Statistics, and former president of the national Association for University Business and Economics Research. NAME: Julia H. Martin TITLE: Professor and Director of Demographic and Workforce Research OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5582 HOME PHONE: (804) 977-6025 EMAIL: jhm3c@virginia.edu GENERAL CATEGORIES: Social issues TOPICS: Demographics, census, state and national population issues, workforce and school-to work transition EXPERTISE: Martin directs numerous ongoing research projects related to census data, education, housing, occupations and population estimates, projections and trends in Virginia. Among her regular publications are the official annual population estimates for all Virginia localities. Current research includes Virginia's changing workplace and employers' requirements for labor-force entrants. NAME: Robert Matson TITLE: Professor OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5516/982-5522 HOME PHONE: (804) 296-1354 EMAIL: rem7y@virginia.EDU GENERAL CATEGORIES: Government and politics TOPICS: Executive education and leadership development EXPERTISE: Matson, former director of the Federal Executive Institute, is a longtime authority on government leadership. He has been honored by the International City/County Management Association for his extensive work contributing to the education of persons pursuing careers in local government. Matson conducts year-round workshops, seminars and on-site training for Virginia government managers and others. NAME: Paul L.Puryear TITLE: Professor and Senior Associate for Public Policy Studies OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5575 EMAIL: plp@virginia.EDU GENERAL CATEGORIES: Government and politics, social issues TOPICS: Virginia minorities, policy issues EXPERTISE: Puryear, a former U.Va. dean of African-American Affairs, has conducted several studies of issues facing African-Americans and other minorities in Virginia. He is currently conducting research on a wide range of changes in the socio-economic status of minorities in Virginia over the past three decades. NAME: Deborah Roberts TITLE: Associate Professor OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5517 HOME PHONE: (540) 434-5271 EMAIL: ddr7a@virginia.EDU GENERAL CATEGORIES: Government and politics TOPICS: government, leadership, public policy EXPERTISE: An expert on leadership and management issues, Roberts has served as a consultant to the National Commission on the State and Local Public Service and staff director of the GovernorŐs Commission on Efficiency in Government. She works with local governments around the state. NAME: Mike Spar TITLE: Research associate OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5585 EMAIL: mas6g@virginia.edu GENERAL CATEGORIES: Social Issues TOPICS: Virginia population, housing, school enrollment; Virginia information sources EXPERTISE: Spar conducts research on Virginia population and housing issues and prepares statewide school enrollment projections. He also compiles and edits the biannual "Virginia Statistical Abstract," a compendium of data about Virginia, with regional and national comparisons, drawn from wide variety of sources. NAME: John P. Thomas TITLE: Professor and Executive Director, Cooper Center for Public Service OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5541 EMAIL: jpt6n@virginia.edu GENERAL CATEGORIES: Government and politics, social issues, urban affairs TOPICS: Virginia government, state and local government, public administration EXPERTISE: Former executive director of the 12,000-member American Society for Public Administration, Thomas is an authority on administration and public service in all government fields and on improving the effectiveness of government. Thomas has also served as director of the National Association of Counties, where he focused on innovative solutions to social and governmental problems. He can compare Virginia issues to those in other states and place them in a national perspective. NAME: William H. Wood TITLE: Executive Director, Sorensen Institute of Political Leadership OFFICE PHONE: (804) 982-5698 HOME PHONE: (804) 979-4194 EMAIL: whw9q@virginia.edu GENERAL CATEGORIES: Government and politics TOPICS: Virginia and national government and politics, political leadership and ethics EXPERTISE: Former editorial-page editor and chief political correspondent for the Norfolk Virginian-Pilot, Wood directs a nonpartisan education program for prospective political candidates. The privately funded institute, one of the few like it in the country, works to improve the overall quality of government at all levels in Virginia by conducting educational programs for citizens who have the potential to become leaders in state and local government. He is a close observer of state and national political issues. FOR ASSISTANCE contact the Cooper Center's offices: Charlottesville 918 Emmet St. N., Suite 300 Charlottesville, VA 22903 (804) 982-5522 FAX: (804) 982-5524 Richmond 700 E. Franklin Street, Suite 700 Richmond, VA 23219 (804) 371-0202 FAX: (804) 371-0234 Southwest One College Avenue Wise, VA 24293 (540) 328-0133 FAX: (540) 328-0233 Southside 1008 S. Main Street Danville, VA 24541 (804) 791-5174 FAX: (804) 791-5176 E-MAIL: ccpsuva@virginia.edu (Charlottesville Center) For complete information about all services, publications and data, see the Center's World Wide Web page at http://www.virginia.edu/~cpserv/ For a list of current publications, call (804) 982-5704. For detailed statistical information about Virginia and links to a wide range of other government information, see the Center's VA-STAT Web page at http://www.virginia.edu/~cpserv/vastat.html ### January 7, 1997