"CAPITOL SECRETS"
Bill Leighty
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Bill Leighty, has never held public office and is not a household name, but he understands how government and politics operate. His relaxed style, bipartisan approach, and willingness to pull back the curtain to discuss the inner workings of Virginia's government make him both an informative and an entertaining speaker.

As Chief of Staff to Governors Mark Warner and Tim Kaine, Bill was responsible for enhancing the accountability and efficiency of Virginia’s government by implementing a statewide performance management system. This initiative led to Virginia being recognized twice by Governing Magazine as the “Best Managed State in the Nation,” and Bill himself was honored as one of nine U.S. “Public Officials of the Year.”

Bill is a firm believer in the power of storytelling. His speaking engagements mix informative with useful lessons learned with entertaining anecdotes about his interactions with notable figures such as Queen Elizabeth II, Tom Hanks, Bill and Melinda Gates, and the 12 Virginia governors he served. His book, Capitol Secrets: Leadership Wisdom from a Lifetime of Public Service, provides an insider’s perspective on his work and offers practical leadership lessons drawn from his work with both Republican and Democrat governors.

Bill has held leadership positions in a wide variety of roles, including Deputy Secretary of Transportation, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, and Director of the Virginia Retirement System (VRS), which managed assets exceeding $34 billion. He also played a key role in coordinating responses to major crises such as the D.C. sniper attacks, Hurricane Isabel, and the Virginia Tech shootings. Since 2007, he has served as Managing Partner at DecideSmart LLC, advising governments and organizations such as Scotland, the United Nations, and Nigeria. Currently, he serves as Senior Advisor to the Dean at VCU’s Wilder School of Government.

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8020 Villa Park Drive  23228

From its state-of-the-art kitchen, warehouse and distribution center, Feed More collects, prepares and distributes food to bring hunger relief to neighbors in need throughout Central Virginia. From the Northern Neck down to the North Carolina border, our fleet of over 20 trucks and 100,000-square feet of combined storage space allow us to deliver more than 35 million pounds of nutritious food to neighbors in need. With nearly 100 employees, more than 400 distribution partners and over 200 volunteers a day, Feed More provides health and hope across 34 Central Virginia cities and counties.