Staff

Ken Stroupe

Director of the Youth Leadership Initiative
Chief of Staff of the Center for Politics

Ken Stroupe is the Chief of Staff at the University of Virginia Center for Politics and the Director of the National Youth Leadership Initiative (YLI).

Prior to joining the Center Staff in 1999, Ken served as Vice President of Government Relations for a large East Coast public relations firm and previously for eight years as Press Secretary and Communications Director for former Virginia governor and U.S. Senator George Allen. His career in politics began in 1991 on Capitol Hill as Press Secretary to then-Congressman Allen. In 1993, Stroupe served as the chief spokesman and media coordinator for Allen's 1993 Virginia gubernatorial campaign, and following the election, was appointed by the governor as Communications Director where he supervised all public communications for the Governor's office including media affairs, speech writing, and public outreach.

In 2004 Stroupe was appointed to the Virginia Commission on Civics Education by Governor Mark Warner. He was re-appointed for a second, three-year term in 2008 by Governor Tim Kaine. Among other projects during his tenure on the Commission, Stroupe is working with the Virginia Department of Education to revise and strengthen the state's Standards of Learning in civics and government.

Ken received his Master's Degree in American Government from the University of Virginia and his Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Bridgewater College. His most recent research, Political Participation: The Missing Link of Civic Education, was funded by grants from CIRCLE and the United States Congress and is available in the publications section of the Center for Politics website.