Events

Bipartisan solutions in Congress

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Bipartisan solutions in Congress

William Antholis, Barbara Comstock, L. F. Payne

Friday, April 19, 2024
11:00AM - 12:00PM (EDT)
Event Details

This event is part of Tom Tom Festival 2024 and will be held in person at the CODE Building in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia.

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In this dynamic brown bag session, former members of Congress Barbara Comstock and L.F. Payne explore innovative approaches to fostering dialogue and compromise across the aisle with Miller Center Director and CEO William Antholis. They will discuss how to cultivate a democratic culture that prioritizes collaboration and consensus-building, even in the face of disagreement. From leveraging shared values to finding common ground, they will uncover practical strategies for increasing bipartisanship and breaking through political gridlock.

Attendees will gain valuable insights into the importance of working with neighbors, both within and across party lines, to achieve meaningful change. Through engaging discussion, participants will learn how to cultivate a culture of respect and understanding, laying the groundwork for productive dialogue and effective policymaking. Join us and be part of the movement to revitalize democratic principles and promote bipartisan solutions in Congress.

When
Friday, April 19, 2024
11:00AM - 12:00PM (EDT)
Where
CODE Building
240 West Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
Speakers
Bill Antholis headshot

William Antholis

William J. Antholis has served as director and CEO of UVA's Miller Center of Public Affairs since January 2015. In that time, the Miller Center has strengthened its position as the leading nonpartisan research institution on the American presidency and worked with scholars across the University of Virginia to deliver vital research to policymakers and the public. Before coming to the Miller Center, Antholis served as managing director at the Brookings Institution from 2004 to 2014, working directly with Brookings's president and vice presidents. Antholis is the author of Inside Out India and China: Local Politics Go Global (2013) and co-author (with Strobe Talbott) of Fast Forward: Ethics and Politics in the Age of Global Warming (2010). He has published articles, book chapters, and opinion pieces on U.S. politics, U.S. foreign policy, international organizations, the G8, climate change, and trade.

Barbara Comstock headshot

Barbara Comstock

Barbara Comstock was elected to the U.S. Congress in 2014 and served two terms representing Virginia's 10th Congressional District, making her the first woman elected to that seat. Prior to serving in Congress, Comstock served as a member of the Virginia House of Delegates. Today, she is senior advisor with Baker Donelson and president-elect of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress. She is also an ABC News political contributor and appears regularly on CNN, PBS, and MSNBC. She serves on the Miller Center Governing Council and on the boards of Vivint Home Security, Trustar Bank, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Comstock graduated from Middlebury College and from Georgetown University Law Center.

L F Payne headshot

L. F. Payne

L. F. Payne is president of Three Ridges Group, a real estate development company he founded in 2020. He represented Virginia’s fifth district in the House of Representatives from 1988 to 1997 and currently serves as the president of the United States Association of Former Members of Congress. He was previously the co-founder and president of McGuireWoods Consulting and the builder of Wintergreen Resort, where he was both chairman and president. He serves on the University of Virginia Board of Visitors and is a former member of the Miller Center Governing Council. He earned his MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and a BA in civil engineering from the Virginia Military Institute.