PROFESSIONAL STAFF

Ms. Betsy McBride
Betsy McBride has been appointed the initial Executive Director of the Hampton Roads Center for Civic Engagement. She has been a practitioner and advocate for citizen involvement in public decision making since the early 1970s.

Education: B.A. in Political Science, Minor in Economics, University of Denver

Education Related: Adjunct faculty appointment, University of Denver; Metro Internship Leadership Program, University of Minnesota

Governmental Appointments:

  • Community Leaders Network, the U.S. Department of Energy
    Appointed by U. S. Deputy Asst. Secretary of Energy
  • Board Member, Colorado Center for Environmental Management
    Appointed by Governor Roy Romer (CO)
  • Hazardous Wastes Regulation Committee
    Appointed by Governor Richard Lamm (CO)
  • City Transportation Committee
    Appointed by Mayor of DeKalb, IL
  • City Recycling Committee
    Appointed by Mayor of DeKalb, IL
  • Illinois citizen representative for Federal Energy Administration (FEA)
    Appointed by FEA Administrator
  • Tribal and Stakeholder Working Group
    Appointed by U. S. Deputy Asst. Secretary of Energy

League of Women Voters Leadership:

  • State President, League of Women Voters of Colorado
  • State Vice-President, League of Women Voters of Colorado
  • State Vice-President, League of Women Voters of Pennsylvania
  • State Energy Chair, League of Women Voters of Illinois
  • Community Information Project Manager, League of Women Voters of Illinois
  • Board, League of Women Voters of Boise, Idaho
  • Board, League of Women Voters of Keokuk, Iowa
  • Vice-president, League of Women Voters of Quincy, Illinois
  • Vice-President, League of Women Voters of Schaumburg, Illinois
  • Vice-president, League of Women Voters of DeKalb, Illinois
  • Board, League of Women Voters of Grand Rapids, Michigan
  • Vice-President, League of Women Voters of Arapahoe County, Colorado
  • Board, League of Women Voters of South Hampton Roads
  • Author, publication for League of Women Voters of the U.S.
  • Advisory committee, publication for League of Women Voters of the U.S.  

Other Boards and Advisory Committees:

  • Board, Women's Resources Center, Arapahoe County Community College
  • Board, Central City Opera Guild
  • Board, Women's Forum (Hampton Roads)
  • Elder, First Presbyterian Church, Boise, ID
  • Elder, Presbyterian Church, Hoffman Estates, IL
  • State Steering Committee, Colorado Environmental Quality Institute
  • Rocky Flats Citizens Advisory Committee (radioactive waste clean-up)
  • Citizen Advisory Committee on Risk, Medical University of South Carolina
  • State advisory committee on judicial campaign ethics, Pennsylvania

Miscellaneous Community Activities:

  • Co-chair of state meeting on women and political action (Idaho)
  • Newspaper column in small local paper (Hamilton Pilot)
  • Consulting on city recycling in Minnesota
  • Lobbied in Washington, D.C. for the Clean Air Act
  • Testimony before Colorado legislative committees
  • Project manager, town meetings on hazardous wastes, organized for governor
  • Planning committee, state ballot initiative
  • Paid staff for 2 statewide campaigns

Work Experience:

  • Media and Communications Coordinator, Office of the City Manager, City of Virginia Beach, VA  
  • Assistant Executive Director, Search for Common Ground, USA Washington, D.C.
  • Public Affairs Consultant
  • Director of Communications, Colorado Center for Environmental Management Denver, CO
  • Corporate Government Relations, The Pillsbury Company, Minneapolis, MN

Odd job:
Appointed to Federal technology selection panel and asked to review all applications for inclusion of appropriate design for community involvement

Awards:

  • Public Interest Award for "Expanding Public Participation"
  • National award for "Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Innovation"

Interesting Contribution:

  • Author of Public Involvement Principles adopted by the Western Governors' Association

Presentations and Training sessions:

  • Training session, "Libraries and Civic Engagement," Public Library Association,
    National Conference, Minneapolis, MN - 2008
  • Presentation, "Public Voices on Redevelopment," The Innovations Group,
    Annual National Conference, Bellevue, WA - 2007
  • Facilitator, White House Crime Technology Initiative Forum, Executive Office of
    the President, Washington, D.C. - 2000
  • Speech, "Involving the Public in Environmental Decision Making," Southeastern
    States Energy Board, Oak Ridge, TN - 1998
  • Presentation to IRS Director - Invited by The Gallup Organization,
    Washington,D.C. - 1998
  • Panelist, "Public Participation," National Forum for Black Public Administrators,
    Annual Conference, Kansas City - 1997
  • Planner/facilitator, "Transportation Workshop," Susquehanna Conference,
    Harrisburg, PA - 1994
  • Panelist, Eleventh Annual Good Government Seminar, Pennsylvania State Senate,
    Harrisburg, PA - 1994
  • Presentation, "Letting the Public In: Citizen Access to the Decision making Process,"
    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Denver - 1994
  • Panelist, "Citizen Participation," Environmental Restoration and Waste
    Management Advisory Committee, U.S. Department of Energy - 1993
  • Training session "The Debate Game," Newpapers in Education Program,
    The Denver Post - 1993
  • Training session "Effective Media Relations," League of Women Voters of
    the United States, National Convention - 1992
  • Training session, "Taking the Initiative," Americans for the Environment,
    Denver - 1992
  • Presentation, "Education As An Agent for Change," Northern Illinois University
    1980
  • Presentation, "Community Organizing," Ford Foundation Community Seminar,
    Idaho - 1972