An institute’s anniversary

By The Daily Progress Staff

Published: June 25, 2008

One of Charlottesville’s “best-kept secrets” got a little more visibility last week when the Federal Executive Institute celebrated its 40th anniversary.

Commuters may scarcely notice the fenced, shrub-shrouded campus off Emmet Street near Barracks Road Shopping Center, as they wend their way to and from work.

Those who do notice may neither know nor care about what goes on at the quiet-seeming facility.

But that such a facility even exists should be an encouragement to Americans. That it exists in Charlottesville as a service to Americans should be a satisfaction to local citizens.

The FEI was established by President Lyndon Johnson in 1968. Its goal was “to improve the quality of government for the American people,” he said.

Improve the quality of government?

That’s right. The same federal government that we so often lament — with its stereotypes of bloated bureaucracy, inefficient procedures and uncaring civil “servants” — is striving to create better leaders who can create better governance for America.

Not only that, but the FEI’s program is “values-based.” That means the federal government leaders aren’t just learning management techniques and efficiency protocols, they are studying why it is important to serve the public and support the ideals of our democracy.

In 1999, Vice President Al Gore had this to say: “FEI has a respected, rich tradition of training leaders of the future based on the values of our Constitution and has earned a well-deserved reputation as the premier executive education institute in the federal government. The networking and values-based leadership that [the] organization has developed are critical to … improve our ability to serve the American public.”

Granted, the FEI has a somewhat narrow reach. In 40 years, it has produced 20,000 graduates, while the size of the federal workforce today is around 2 million.

But the institute works with upper-level executives, men and women who themselves have a broad reach. They have the opportunity to change the culture in their organizations, to implement, model and teach what they learn here and spread it to their peers and subordinates.

There’s no doubt that the federal government — as massive and impersonal as it undeniably is — must be a better organization as a result of the impact of the Federal Executive Institute.

Congratulations to the FEI on its 40th anniversary.