We have linked the The Commonwealth Institute's Policy Summit information below for more information check out their website https://www.thecommonwealthinstitute.org/2020/11/24/2020-policy-summit/.
TCI’s annual policy summit is a chance for advocates, partners, and people interested in Virginia policy to come together and discuss priorities, challenges, and opportunities going into the 2021 legislative session, which kicks off January 13.
In place of our usual full-day, in-person summit, this year’s event will be FREE and take place across December 9-11 in the form of virtual meetings.
Register for each session through the links below.
Wednesday, Dec. 9
| 11:00am – 11:30am |
Opening Keynote In the special session lawmakers made important policy changes that will improve the lives of hard working Virginians and people of color and immigrants. The coming regular session will build on those improvements and lock in lasting change. In this opening keynote address TCI President Michael Cassidy will set the stage for the coming session and preview key work being done by progressive advocates. |
Speaker Michael J. Cassidy, President & CEO, The Commonwealth Institute |
| Register for the opening keynote here
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| 11:30am – 12:30pm | Advancing Criminal Justice in the Commonwealth In this session, we’ll touch on how recent events and protests have moved the conversation and how Virginia is poised to advance meaningful criminal justice reform during the 2021 session plus opportunities for advocacy. |
Speakers Phil Hernandez, Senior Policy Fellow & Counsel, TCI; Del. Don Scott, House Courts of Justice Committee |
| Register for the criminal justice session here |
Thursday, Dec. 10
| 11:00am – 12:00pm | Meeting the Moment: Building a Healthier, More Equitable Virginia The COVID-19 pandemic has put into sharp focus long-standing inequities in health care coverage and access in Virginia and across the country, which has contributed to the higher incidence of the virus in Black and Latinx individuals, as well as in immigrant communities. In this session we’ll discuss the ongoing health needs of people of color and of immigrant communities and upcoming policy opportunities to create a more equitable health landscape as we build back from the pandemic. |
Speakers Sara Cariano, Policy Specialist & Lead Health Insurance Navigator, VPLC; Sookyung Oh, Director, NAKASEC Virginia; Marvin Figueroa, Deputy Sec. of Health and Human Resources, Office of Gov. Ralph Northam; Freddy Mejia, Health Policy Analyst, TCI (Moderator) |
| Register for the health care session here
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| 4:00pm – 5:00pm | Virginia’s History of Segregated Schools and a Path Forward Virginia’s long history of passing both overt and covert racist policies has segregated schools and deprived communities of color of educational opportunities and resources. In this session we’ll discuss the most recent findings and how only intentional, anti-racist policy solutions will begin to build a more equitable system of public education. |
Speakers Kathy Mendes, Research Assistant, TCI; Janel George, Senior Policy Advisor, The Learning Policy Institute; Dr. Genevieve Siegel-Hawley, Associate Professor, VCU; Sec. Atif Qarni, Virginia Secretary of Education |
| Register for the education session here |
Friday, Dec. 11
| 11:00am – 12:15pm | Advocacy in a Digital World The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to rethink how we communicate and interact. Now more than ever, it is critical to have an effective digital strategy in place to advocate for change and lift up the voices of people who are most impacted by policy. In this session, we’ll explore and share the ways in which the advocacy community has gone digital and how individuals and groups can mobilize for maximum impact. |
Speakers Aruna Jain, Digital Director, New Virginia Majority; Chuck Westover, Founder, Next Level Digital |
| Register for the communications session here |