After the Campaign: Schar School’s Regional Elected Leaders Initiative Equips New Officials for Success

Imagine you are a newly elected official sworn into office for the first time. Now comes time to govern. But guess what? There’s no “Governing for Elected Officials” handbook, and there is no YouTube channel with how-to-govern tutorials and DYI videos showing how it’s done.

In Northern Virginia, however, a resource for newly elected officials to turn to for training and education throughout their first time in office, particularly in the early months of a term, exists. The Regional Elected Leaders Initiative (RELI) was founded in 2018 by codirectors Jay Fisette and Mary Hynes. Both are longtime former Arlington County office holders who perceived a need for nonpartisan, unbiased education and mentoring of newly elected leaders throughout Northern Virginia.

RELI, one of a very small number of similar initiatives in the country, is based at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government. The founding dean, Mark J. Rozell, a veteran political scientist and longtime observer of regional politics, agreed that such a program would be beneficial in helping local politicians and community leaders create safe, efficient, and economically viable communities for constituents.

“The Regional Elected Leaders Initiative is giving locally elected officials the tools to be successful in their jobs and public life,” said Rozell, who oversees the faculty members who contribute guidance in the program. “We’re here to present nonpartisan analysis based on research, based on factual information to convey what are best practices for people engaging in the public sector trying to solve complex policy problems.”

RELI began as a series of fall policy seminars followed by a single event bringing newly elected officials to Mason Square in Arlington. It has since expanded into a yearlong series of programs, including in-person events and webinars that provide opportunities for learning about the region’s policy issues, building connections among local elected leaders, and encouraging mentorship between new officials and longtime and midcareer officials and RELI advisory board members.

“One of the hallmarks of RELI is that we work closely with a number of regional partners, and we’re really pleased that their expertise has been brought into our programs,” Hynes said, referring to the housing, transportation, land-use planning, environment, and economic development organizations.  Private-sector companies recognize the value of the program and provide financial support through sponsorships.

“None of us can do it alone,” she added.

Since 2018, when the first cohort of rookie leaders attended the inaugural luncheon—highlighted by a lively and fascinating conversation between former Virginia governor Terry McAuliffe (D) and former U.S. Representative Tom Davis (R)—hundreds of General Assembly members, city and town mayors and council members, county supervisors, school board members, and others entrusted with public welfare have learned how to shift from campaigning to governing through the auspices of RELI.

“One of the things I like about RELI are the educational webinars,” said Monica Backmon, CEO of the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. “There are webinars on transportation, on safety, on education. I found when I talk to elected officials they have been very helpful.”

Webinars held last year addressed collective bargaining, executive evaluation, affordable homeownership, climate, crime, and reducing traffic deaths.

“Campaigns are about dividing people, finding your people, and getting them to the polls,” said former Virginia Delegate David Albo (R). “Legislating is about combining those votes and people in order to get over 51 percent. Having experienced legislators teach brand-new [officials] how to get from campaign mode to legislative mode is a pretty important task.”

Each year RELI presents awards to current office holders at various levels of government who have exhibited regionalism, the ability to work across borders and sectors and help make a difference in the Northern Virginia region. Regionalism creates lasting legacies by advancing the public good beyond individual jurisdictions and constituents.

Previous leadership honorees include Virginia Senate Majority Leader Dick Saslaw, Delegate Ken Plum, Delegate Vivian Watts, Loudoun County Supervisor Matthew Letourneau, Executive Director of Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments Chuck Bean, Prince William County School Board Chair Babur Lateef, and others.

New to the ever-expanding RELI:

• The Public School Leaders Network: School Board Chairs and Superintendents from Northern Virginia’s nine school divisions come together quarterly to share insights and challenges and will convene a first-ever summit in early June to discuss ways to strengthen and expand the teacher pipeline.
• The Policy and Governance Orientation Series: Over seven Monday nights, elected leaders will discuss the region’s top policy issues as well as the art of governance—including evaluation of hired executives, the shift from campaigning to governing, managing constituent relations, and more.

“If someone has already struggled through a challenge, their solution might work well for you too,” Hynes said, summing up the RELI purpose. “We’re simply trying to find ways to share best practices.”