April 04, 2013
State government reform is focus of April 9 lecture
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Andy Shaw, executive director of the Better Government Association, will share his thoughts about reform in Illinois in a lecture next week at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
Shaw is a former award-winning television and newspaper journalist who spent 37 years covering local, state and national politics, business, and education issues. He became executive director of the Chicago-based organization in June 2009, and later its president and chief operating executive.
The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute is sponsoring the event.
“Andy Shaw and the Better Government Association are longtime leaders in efforts to clean up corruption and unethical behavior in Illinois government,” said David Yepsen, Institute director. “This is an opportunity for people who care about reforming things in the state to hear about ways those reforms can be made.”
The luncheon is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, April 9, in Student Center Ballroom B. Admission is free and the public is welcome. The program, sponsored by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, will begin at noon.
Earnings from the Institute’s endowment funds and the John White Lecture Series pay for the luncheon.
The luncheon and lecture are free and open to the public, but seating is limited and advance registration is required for meal considerations. To register, contact Carol Greenlee, Institute project coordinator, at 618/453-4078 or by email at cgreenlee@siu.edu by Monday, April 8. Open seating will be available for those who wish to only listen to the speech and not be included in the meal.
Shaw’s background includes 26 years as political reporter for ABC 7, the ABC television affiliate in Chicago. Prior to that, Shaw was the education reporter and later editorial director at NBC 5, also in Chicago. Shaw received “Journalist of the Year” honors from the Chicago Headline Club in 2007, and a lifetime achievement award from the Chicago Journalists’ Association in 2008. He also worked at the City News Bureau of Chicago and the Chicago Sun-Times.
Shaw’s presentation is part of the John White Lecture Series. White, who passed away in July 2011, was a member of the Institute’s board of counselors, a major benefactor to the Institute, and a close friend of Institute founder, the late U.S. Sen. Paul Simon. White was also a former Better Government Association board president.
For more information on the program, contact the Institute at 618/453-4009 or visit paulsimoninstitute.org/.