Gearan Appointed to Partnership for Public Service
Gearan Appointed to Partnership for Public Service
Mark Gearan was one of nine college presidents appointed to the National Board of Governors of a new organization aimed at revitalizing public service by encouraging young people to pursue federal service careers. The Partnership for Public Service is a Washington, D.C.-based non-partisan organization dedicated to revitalizing public service by encouraging qualified men and women to consider federal service as a total or partial career option. This initiative would allow the federal government to retain a full complement of dedicated, diligent employees.
President Gearan joins an impressive Advisory Board of Governors that consists of eight other college presidents from such institutions as Stanford, Duke, Cornell, and Yale universities; chief executive officers and presidents from such corporations as Lockheed Martin, AOL Time-Warner, the Walt Disney Company, and the Timberland Company; and high-level executives representing such agencies as The MacArthur Foundation, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, and The David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Government officials include former Senator Bill Bradley, D-N.J., Senator Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., Senator Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., and Senator George Voinovich, R-Ohio.
Through an aggressive campaign of public and private collaborations, focused research, and educational efforts, the Partnership seeks to restore public confidence in and prestige to the federal civil service. It is an important and timely objective. Studies predict that 54 percent of the federal work force will qualify for retirement by 2004, and 71 percent of its senior managers could retire by then.
President Gearan, former director of the Peace Corps and senior White House official, supports the newly formed partnership's efforts to encourage service, which is similar to the mission of the Colleges. Since joining Hobart and William Smith in 1999, President Gearan has reinforced the Colleges' commitment to global understanding, community service, and service learning, as well as study abroad opportunities.
"More and more young people express an interest in contributing to their society and their community," said Partnership President Max Stier. "This presents us with unprecedented opportunities to engage a new generation seeking meaningful opportunities for public service.
"With his impressive experience as a Peace Corps Director and college president, Mark Gearan will be a valuable resource to the Partnership, and we are privileged to have him on our Advisory Board of Governors."
President Gearan also serves on other national boards committed to public service. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the board of directors of the Corporation for National and Community Service, which engages Americans of all backgrounds in community-based service through such programs as Americorps and Service Corps. He also serves on the board of the National Campus Compact and as co-chair of the New York Campus Compact Executive Committee, an organization of college presidents committed to the goals of public service, civic engagement, and service learning.
Posted on Sunday, November 25, 2001
