SIMON TIMES YEAR IN REVIEW 2019 2 YEAR IN REVIEW LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR What a great privilege it continues to be Pioneers: Unsung Heroes, Forgotten Voices, and to serve as the director of the Paul Simon Consequential Moments. Drawing from the past Public Policy Institute! Paul’s personal and for inspiration and wisdom, we will examine professional commitment to courage, civility, critical episodes in Illinois history and explore and honesty has never been more relevant or the stories of people who are often neglected essential. in textbooks. This project will begin with an event in 2020 that commemorates the 50th In the past year, I have been honored to anniversary of the Illinois Constitution. describe the Institute’s work to a variety of audiences including the Rotary and Lions The Institute developed a plan of Best Clubs of Carbondale, the Peoria World Practices for Town Hall Meetings as our Affairs Council, the Center for Politics at the contribution to the University Project for University of Virginia, and the John F. Kennedy Bipartisan Collaboration coordinated by Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts. the Lugar Center in Washington, D.C. We presented recommendations on how to Building on our founder’s inspiring and organize civil and constructive Town Hall enduring legacy, the Institute is working meetings to the Illinois congressional hard to sharpen our focus and rebalance our delegation and will invite each member to programs. We believe the theme of Better Carbondale to participate in an Institute- Politics, Smarter Government captures the moderated meeting. Senator Tammy essence of Paul’s public service and his Duckworth’s Town Hall in July kicked off this aspirations for the Institute. It describes initiative and generated rave reviews. long-standing Institute programs and new initiatives and gives our mission clarity, Our Restoring American Statesmanship coherence, and force. program reflects Paul Simon’s passion for principled leadership and is propelling the We launched three signature programs Institute into the national debate at a critical under the theme of Better Politics, Smarter time. We have hosted compelling speakers Government: Renewing Illinois, Best Practices Renewing Illinois to address the challenges of statesmanship for Town Hall Meetings, and Restoring including Illinois State Historian Sam Wheeler, American Statesmanship. Each program former State Representative and Cabinet is raising the Institute’s profile while Director Jim Nowlan, former American underscoring Paul Simon’s commitment to Ambassadors Ira Shapiro and Harriet Elam- elevated politics and effective government. Thomas, U.S. Senate Historian Betty Koed, This past spring we began the Renewing and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Illinois program with a two-day summit of Kennedy. students from colleges and universities across The Institute will soon publish Restoring Illinois. It was striking, even inspiring, to see Best Practices for American Statesmanship: A Citizen’s Guide to smart and motivated students participate Town Hall Meetings promote inspired leadership in America. This in wide-ranging and creative conversations document, which will provide the foundation about Illinois’ future. The summit received for our statesmanship program, will be considerable press attention and resulted in distributed widely to policymakers, business policy recommendations developed by the and civic leaders, and the media. participants that were sent to the Governor and the leaders of the Illinois General We are very excited about the Better Politics, Assembly. The summit also cast Southern Smarter Government agenda. On behalf of Illinois University in a highly favorable light, the entire Institute staff, we sincerely thank Restoring American catapulting SIU to the forefront of constructive you for all you do to support and strengthen efforts to revitalize the state. the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. We are Statesmanship determined that the Institute will reflect–and As we refine and expand this annual summit, illuminate–Paul’s loftiest values and help we envision additional programs under foster a new era of honorable politics and Renewing Illinois. The Future of Illinois project effective government. will bring together leading demographers, historians, journalists, and political analysts to look beyond the horizon and consider long-term challenges facing Illinois. We are also developing a project called Prairie State John T. Shaw, Institute Director YEAR IN REVIEW 3 INSTITUTE STAFF Institute Staff (l-r) Dr. John Jackson, Dr. Linda Baker, Assistant Director Shannon Schroeder, Director John Shaw, Associate Director Victoria Gajc and Marketing and Communications Coordinator Cary Day Victoria Gajc joined the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute Shannon Schroeder joined the Paul Simon Public Policy in April 2019 as the Associate Director. Institute in July 2019 as the Assistant Director. In this role, she serves as the Institute’s fundraising Prior to her work at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, and development officer working closely with the SIU Schroeder worked in Student Affairs as the Coordinator Foundation; builds relationships with dedicated partners of New Student Programs at SIU Carbondale. Here she of the Institute; and works on program development, focused on orientation, transition, and retention events communication, and implementation. for new and returning students. She has also spent time in Academic Affairs at SIU as an academic advisor in the Prior to her work at the Paul Simon Public Policy College of Applied Sciences and Arts. Institute, Gajc worked as the membership officer at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs focused on Schroeder is a two-degree Saluki with an M.S. in Education increasing membership contributions, digital fundraising with a focus on College Student Personnel and a B.A. in communications, and stewarding Council members. University Studies with minors in History and Psychology. She continues to work on her Ph.D. in Higher Education, Gajc graduated with an M.S. in International Public specializing in Educational Administration. Service and B.A.s in Islamic World Studies and International Studies from DePaul University. INSTITUTE’S BOARD OF COUNSELORS Martin Simon, Chairman of the Board • Nancy Chen, member-at-large • Vicki Otten, member-at-large • Ross Glickman, State Democratic Party appointment • Howard Peters, member-at-large • Rae Goldsmith, ex officio member, Vice Chancellor for • Lucy Sloan, member-at-large Development and Alumni Relations, SIU Foundation • John Trasviña, member-at-large • Reilly Bowler, Simon family appointment • Lance Trover, State Republican Party appointment • Meera Komarraju, ex officio member, SIU Carbondale • Paula Wolff, member-at-large Provost • David Yepsen, previous director • Bill Norwood, member-at-large 4 YEAR IN REVIEW RENEWING ILLINOIS SUMMIT The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute hosted a summit of students from Illinois colleges and universities on March 28 - 29, 2019 to consider how to rebuild and renew Illinois. Thirty-five students from nine Illinois schools–both public and private–attended the inaugural summit,Renewing Illinois: Ambitious Dreams and Practical Steps to Revive the Prairie State. Students came from every corner of the state and brought wide-ranging backgrounds and penetrating insights. Eastern Illinois University, Illinois State University, Illinois Wesleyan University, McKendree University, Northern Illinois University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, The University of Chicago, Western Illinois University, and Wheaton College sent delegations to the summit. Participants reviewed background materials and listened to keynote speeches and policy briefings. They spent several hours in small group discussions, pondering solutions on the best way forward for Illinois. Several themes became apparent and were summarized in a report that was sent to the Governor and Illinois’ legislative leaders for their consideration. The students see enormous potential in Illinois, but are concerned the state has fallen into bad habits and failed to position itself for the long-term. The next generation wants their state to solve long-festering problems and build a strong foundation for the future. The students are wary of temporizing, evasions, partial solutions, political Band-Aids, and flimsy half-fixes. They are willing to make sacrifices, including paying more in taxes, if it would help the state operate more effectively, create jobs, clean up the environment, and revitalize a higher education system that was once the envy of the rest of the United States. The summit participants concluded that fundamental rethinking is imperative. The state’s colleges and universities must once again be viewed as the launching pad to the middle class. Policymakers must boost funding and find new ways to make in-state higher education attractive to Illinois high school students. Smoother pathways are needed between high schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities. Finally, Illinois needs better politics and smarter government. Once the home to iconic political leaders, including Abraham Lincoln, John Peter Altgeld, and Paul Simon, Illinois’ political culture has become badly tarnished. We need more forward-looking leaders and responsible citizens who will reward courageous policymakers and rebuke timid ones. Renewing Illinois Summit Online registration will open on April 2-3, 2020 February 3, 2020 at SAVE THE DATE Paul