VCC Magazine Spring 2020

V irginia C apitol C onnections , S pring 2020 18 This impressive new addition not only doubled the size of the Virginia War Memorial, but also greatly enhanced its ability to educate and serve the citizens of the entire Commonwealth through the new C. Kenneth Wright Pavilion. The Wright Pavilion includes Veterans Hall, a large new lecture space that seats more than 300, which will host speakers, seminars, and conferences, such as the 2020Virginia Forum History Conference scheduled for September this year. TheWright Pavilion also includes The Veterans’ Art Gallery, a dedicated space for talented veteran artists to display and sell their artwork, additional exhibit space, the Virginia Medal of Honor Gallery, and surface and underground parking for 170 vehicles. A key component of the expanded Memorial is the new Distance LearningCenter (DLC). This state-of-theart facilityallows theMemorial’s education team to connect with students and classrooms and throughout Virginia and the entire country with live instructional programs. chipdicks @ gentrylocke.com 804.225.5507 gentrylocke.com/chip CHIP DICKS Legislative Counsel Virginia War Memorial Opens New Center from page 15 Reflections of a Veteran Lobbyist from page 12 The Virginia War Memorial is a division of the Virginia Department ofVeterans Services and is an integral part of its mission to honor all veterans and their families. The Memorial is open seven days a week for tours and visitation and admission is free. For more information, visit our website at www.vawarmemorial. org or www.dvs.virginia.gov. All Virginians can be proud of their Virginia War Memorial and can be assured that it will continue its mission to honor our veterans, preserve their history, educate our young people, and inspire patriotism in all. Dr. Clay Mountcastle was appointed Director of the Virginia War Memorial in June 2016. A retired U.S. Army officer, his military service took him to Germany, South Korea, and Iraq. Contact him at clay.mountacastle@dvs.virginia.gov. lobbyist and civic involvement. Since these issues tend to be more contentious, they too have changed the overall character of the institution. The nature of lobbying has also changed. Previously and to a certain extent today, lobbying is still based on personal relationships. Today the role of grassroots activists and involvement by constituents has increased exponentially. The increase in direct communications from constituents and individuals around the state has also increased. One need only observe the crowding in the Pocahontas building to see that the level of public involvement has increased. However one views this, it has become a factor and changed how lobbying is done. Finally, with increased transparency and electronic communication, virtually everyone can follow what is going on at the General Assembly and be in almost instantaneous contact with his or her legislators. This has made most members of the General Assembly both more aware of, and more responsive to, their voters. The question for a lobbyist is how this changes your strategy and tactics. In some form, lobbying has been a part of the legislative process in the Commonwealth almost from the beginning. Yes, it has changed, and it will continue to evolve. The challenge will remain how do you as a lobbyist influence the process for your client and be an effective advocate. James Turpin has worked at the Virginia General Assembly since 1976. He has held a variety of positions including House Aide, Senate Aide, Caucus Director, Trade Association Executive, and Lobbyist. He is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and did graduate work at the University of Virginia. V V