James Madison University - Index

James Madison University - Madison Magazine - Summer 2009 - Index

BRIGHTLIGHTS
[Levar Stoney]
Leading Virginia’s Democrats
By Sarah Mead (’09)
“
My first leap into Virginia
politics occurred
at JMU,” says Levar
Stoney (’04), executive
director of the Virginia
Democratic Party.
The public administration major was
a member of the JMU College Democrats
and served as SGA president during
his junior and senior years. In 2006, Virginia
Gov. Tim Kaine
asked Stoney to become
involved in the Democratic
Party of Virginia.
Since then, Stoney has
kept moving forward.
His first title was political
director, and his responsibilities
have changed
‘At JMU I learned
to balance academic
life with
SGA; I’m better
for it now.’
— Levar Stoney (’04)
immensely since then. As executive director
he manages the party’s budget.
“JMU prepared me for my career because
I was a public administration major,” he
says. “I used some of the tools that I use
now while in the classroom and as student
body president. This is just another leadership
position with a lot of pressure and a
lot of expectations.”
There is no average day for Stoney. He lives
within walking distance of
his office and always comes
prepared with a long list
of to-dos at the beginning
of the day. He usually gets
diverted from the list as
he has to pay attention to
each situation at hand. “In
politics, you have to be a
multitasker, and you have
to be able to balance,” he explains. “At JMU
I learned to balance academic life with SGA;
I am better for it now.”
It serves him well. As a Virginia Democratic
party leader, Stoney helped with
the Barack Obama presidential campaign.
“I had a hand in helping open all 70 of
Former SGA
president
Levar Stoney
(’04) serves
as executive
director of the
Virginia Democratic
Party.
Obama’s offices across
the state, and I had final
sign-off on a host of
strategic items coming
through the Democratic
Party of Virginia,” he
says. “I never thought
that I would be working
in campaign politics at this level this early
in my career. I have found out that with a
little hard work you can do anything.”
Stoney sees his political future growing.
“Someday I would love the opportunity to
serve a public office,” he says. “I don’t have
any plans to run for office [immediately], but
any role that allows me to give back to my
community, state and country I will do.”
Stoney advises young alumni and students:
“If you have a goal in mind stay
steadfast in achieving that goal. There
will be obstacles in the way, but the
ability to jump over those obstacles
will make you stronger in the
end. Don’t be shy about
having a drive or ambition;
just go for it.”
M
[Matt Fenzel and Colin Wright]
Breathing life into
an honor’s thesis
By Lindsay Parnell (’09)
In 2008, integrated science and technology
graduates Matt Fenzel (’07)
and Colin Wright (’07) traveled
to the Namawanga community in
Kenya and implemented an irrigation
system, an idea that began as
their honor’s theses and culminated in a
$10,000 grant and experience of a lifetime.
After the pair received JMU’s ISAT
Community Impact Award in 2007 for
their research and thesis, “Sustainable
Water Extraction and Distribution System
for Agricultural Applications in the
Namawanga Community in Kenya,”
Fenzel and Wright began preparation to
embark on an intercontinental journey.
Their plan was to aid the Kenyan community
of Namawanga’s crop production by
supplying an innovative irrigation system
to benefit the entire village.
The duo completed their honors research
under the guidance of their adviser and
ISAT professor Wayne Teel, who teaches
courses on the environment and geography.
Teel spent nine years in Africa in
Sudan and Mozambique. His expertise
and knowledge helped Fenzel and Wright
with their research and trip preparation.
Their effective and inexpensive system was
implemented during a 10-day trip to the
Namawanga community.
“The Kenyan communities were very
rural but also had a very formal culture,” says
Wright. “Our trip to the Namawanga community
was incredibly educational. While it
served as a capstone to our undergraduate
experience — allowing us to deliver a new
technology to an underdeveloped area — we
also learned much about Kenya and its people.”
Their trip between the communities of
Bungoma and Namawanga was split between
constructing the water drip irrigation system
and getting to know the citizens.
“It’s definitely a relationship-based culture,”
says Fenzel. “We spent a lot of time
getting to know the Kenyans we were
working with and living with. For the
Kenyans, the success of our stay was based
on how well they got to know us. They
were a welcoming, helpful and very sweet
people. They were also very resourceful.”
24 MADISON MAGAZINE
PHOTOGRAPH BY DIANE ELLIOTT (’00)