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The Aspen Institute has selected Santa Cruz Mayor Ryan Coonerty for a 2008 Rodel Fellowship, making him one of 24 elected officials from across the country that comprise the 2008 Class of Aspen-Rodel Fellows. Congressman Sam Farr nominated Coonerty for the fellowship, which selects officials from state and local levels of government based largely on their bipartisan governing abilities as well as their “reputation for intellect and thoughtfulness,” according to the Aspen Institute.
"I'm trying to respond to the offer and lock it in as soon as possible before they realize I'm just a lowly city council member," jokes Coonerty, who is the only city-level official selected for the 2008 fellowship. He looks forward to engaging with the other Aspen-Rodel fellows, inclucing Attorney Generals, State Treasurers, Secretaries of State and Senators from 22 different U.S. states.
The Institute was founded in 1950 as an international nonprofit that promotes nonpartisan dialogue and networking. The four-year-old Rodel Fellowship is meant to achieve this dialogue by gathering “the nation’s most promising young political leaders.”
"They are trying to find the next generation of leaders and help give them the skill sets to govern in a thoughtful, productive way," says Coonerty.
The Class of 2008 will meet for the first time in January, and two additional times during their 24-month Fellowship. Trips to Asia and the Middle East are also planned. Coonerty, however, says that while the recognition and the paid-for overseas trips are nice, they aren't what he is most excited about. "When you move from cirsis to crisis in government, you don’t have a lot of time to reflect and think about the big picture," he says. "An opportunity to do that is really appealing. That is the thing I'm most excited about."
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