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The Impact of American Recovery Act Funding on State and Local Government

William “Bill” Leighty (M.B.A.’79/B), senior strategic adviser at the Wilder School, will be the featured speaker for the July Virtual Lunch and Learn.

William “Bill” Leighty (M.B.A.’79/B), senior strategic adviser at the Wilder School, will be the featured speaker for the July Virtual Lunch and Learn. In his recent column in the Richmond Times-Dispatch, he outlined a path forward for funding relief related to COVID-19 and state and local government spending. His discussion will focus on government spending to maximize support for citizens to enhance quality of life.

Linda Pierce, associate director for the VCU Performance Management Group, will serve as the session moderator, and Dean Susan Gooden, Ph.D., will provide opening remarks.

Title: The Impact of American Recovery Act Funding on State and Local Government
Date: Wednesday, July 21
Time: 12:00 p.m., noon -1:00 p.m., EST

About the Speaker

William “Bill” Leighty serves as the senior strategic adviser for the Wilder School and is managing partner for DecideSmart. From January 2002 until September 2007, he was chief of staff for Gov. Mark Warner and Gov. Tim Kaine, essentially serving as the chief operating officer of the commonwealth. He instituted a statewide performance management system for all agencies, and in 2005 and 2007, Governing Magazine named Virginia “The Best Managed State in the Nation.” Before that, he was the director of the Virginia Retirement System, where he led the agency to three consecutive U.S. Senate Productivity Awards. Leighty joined state government after serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. He graduated from Mary Washington College in 1978 and holds an M.B.A. from Virginia Commonwealth University.