In this Edition:
Obama Cabinet Fills Up With Academy Supporters
2008: A Year of Coalition-Building
New Interns Set to Join Academy Staff
We Need Volunteers
In Town for the Inauguration?
We Need Volunteers
Your Donation Counts

“The U.S. Public Service Academy will educate and inspire civilian leaders who are committed to devoting their lives to public service. All of us will benefit from this good work.”
John Casteen
President, University of Virginia

Obama Cabinet Fills Up With Academy Supporters
The incoming Obama Administration will be filled with supporters of the Public Service Academy. In addition to high-profile advocates such as Joe Biden, Rahm Emanuel, and Hillary Clinton, President-elect Obama has nominated a number of other Academy backers to his Cabinet, including:
· Mayor Ron Kirk (U.S. Trade Representative): The former mayor of Dallas endorsed the Academy at the Democratic National Convention in August.
· Rep. Hilda Solis (Sec. of Labor): As a representative from California, Rep. Solis co-sponsored the Academy bill in the House.
· Gov. Tom Vilsack (Sec. of Agriculture): As a presidential candidate, the former Governor of Iowa endorsed the Academy.

2008: A Year of Coalition-Building
While the nation was riveted to the dramatic presidential race, the Public Service Academy quietly was building a powerful, bipartisan coalition of supporters both inside and outside of Congress. With the help of thousands of supporters, volunteers, and contributors, we made significant progress in 2008:

· By the end of the 110th Congress, the Academy bill had won 24 co-sponsors in the Senate and 123 in the House. Sen. Mark Pryor of Arkansas was the most recent member to sign on.

· The Academy earned endorsements from 70 college presidents, more than two dozen military leaders, and several dozen organizations, including America’s Promise, Campus Progress, and the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Foundation.

· We joined with other top service organizations to form Service Nation, which sponsored a presidential forum in September and will host an inaugural ball.

· We hosted two conferences in Washington, D.C. - a National Summit in April and a Youth Conference in July - to energize supporters.

New Interns Set to Join Academy Staff
With so much to do in the upcoming year, we have hired a fantastic set of interns to help us advance the Academy. We have been amazed by the quality of the applicants who seek Academy internships, and the Spring 2009 interns are another distinguished bunch. They have worked at places ranging from the State Department to the Partnership for Public Service; they have studied or worked abroad in Ecuador, Kenya, and Honduras; one was selected for the USA Today Academic All-Star, while another was a member of the Academy’s National Youth Council. We are excited to have them aboard!CA Team
· Mark Dlugash (Swarthmore)
· Ijeoma Nwatu (George Mason)
· Anthony Scott (Georgetown)
· Chelsea St. Onge-May (George Washington)
· Melissa Stuart (Washington State)
· Kristen Warms (George Washington)

We Need Volunteers
You can help us build the Public Service Academy by volunteering your time and skills. It does not matter where you live - with the Internet, a phone, or just a pen and paper, you can help us win support for the Academy in a variety of ways. If you are interested, please contact Chris Myers Asch.

In Town for the Inauguration?
If you will be in Washington for Inauguration Day, then join us for Public Service Academy events, including:
· a happy hour on Jan. 16
· a brunch on Jan. 18
· a day on Capitol Hill on Jan. 21

Please contact Chris Myers Asch if you are interested in joining us for any or all of the activities.

Your Donation Counts
You can help us build the Public Service Academy by making a tax-deductible contribution. Just click here.