May 8, 2009

Alexandria, VA - Democratic Lieutenant Governor candidate Jon Bowerbank today finished up his 4 day, statewide Commonwealth Education Tour in Charlottesville and Northern Virginia with visits to the University of Virginia, Oak Hill Elementary School and Chantilly Academy.  Jon met with leaders of the Community Engagement Network at UVA, read to 4th graders at Oak Hill Elementary and toured Chantilly Academy's vocational education facilities.

At the University of Virginia, Jon spoke about the need for education and community partnerships.

"Partnerships between educational institutions and community organizations benefit the entire Commonwealth.  The community service programs that the University of Virginia offers through the Community Engagement Network are perfect examples of how these partnerships can benefit all groups involved, and we must do everything we can to support and foster these collaborations," Bowerbank said.

At Oak Hill Elementary School, Jon discussed the value of retaining and attracting high quality educators.

"Our educational personnel are a vital part of a child's education; they have the power to instill a love of learning in their students that will help them succeed in life.  As Lieutenant Governor I will be committed to making sure we have the absolute best teachers in our classrooms. On the Board of Supervisors I passed a 10% pay increase for teachers, and raising the salaries and benefits for Virginia's educators will be one of my priorities as Lieutenant Governor," Bowerbank said.

At Chantilly Academy, Jon talked about the importance of vocational education programs.

"Vocational education is often overlooked despite being one of the most important educational programs we can offer to many students.  Schools like Chantilly Academy offer programs that prepare students to begin successful careers right out of high school or with only a few years of additional training.  These programs not only benefit Virginia's youth, they benefit Virginia's economy, which cannot thrive without a skilled and trained workforce ready to do the jobs of tomorrow," Bowerbank said.

The Education Tour coincides with the release of Bowerbank's Education Plan, a detailed 20 page plan to improve the Commonwealth's education system and prepare Virginia's youth for successful careers.  Each stop on the Tour will emphasize a different aspect of Jon's Education Plan, from improving our elementary and secondary education systems to doing everything we can to retain and attract high quality teachers to promoting after-school programs that keep youth off the streets to investing in our community colleges to making sure our universities' research facilities have the resources necessary to be leaders in their fields.  The plan can be viewed at www.jb2009.com.

Jon Bowerbank is the owner of a successful energy services company that employs hundreds of people in Virginia and throughout the country. He has also served as an operations manager in a Fortune 10 company in numerous states, and has both a business and technical background. He currently serves as the at-large member of the Russell County Board of Supervisors, and he is a member of the Virginia Association of Counties Finance and Transportation Committees.

Bowerbank has spent the last year traveling around Virginia spreading his message of change. As Lieutenant Governor, Jon will be committed to improving Virginia's infrastructure, investing in our schools and education programs, and using effective business practices to create jobs and transform Virginia's economy for a new energy future.