CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The Ohio-West Virginia Youth Leadership Association will honor Sylvia Mathews Burwell at its annual Spirit of the Mountains event March 20 at the Governor’s Mansion.
Burwell, a native of Hinton, started her long career of public service as president of the Hinton TRI HI-Y and a member of the West Virginia Youth in Government Student Legislature. After graduating from Harvard, she was named a Rhodes Scholar and studied philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford before returning to the United States.
Since then Burwell has worked as deputy chief of staff for President Bill Clinton, in senior roles with both the Gates Foundation and Wal-Mart Foundation, and she currently serves as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
“The Spirit of the Mountains Lewis N. McManus YLA Service Award recognizes a person whose life reflects the values of YLA and the life of Lew McManus,” said Tom Starr, executive director of YLA. “The recipient demonstrates a life-long commitment to helping others, hard work, education, responsible citizenship, and building better futures for all – especially youth. Sylvia embodies these traits, and we’re extremely pleased to honor her for all she has done.”
Sponsorship packages and individual tickets are available for the reception, which begins at 6 p.m. Call 304-675-5899 for more details or to participate.
Spirit of the Mountains raises financial support for YLA’s West Virginia youth programs including local YLA (HI-Y) youth leadership groups, Youth in Government Student Legislature and Supreme Court, 8th Grade Youth & Government Seminars, YLA Model United Nations, Camp
Horseshoe’s teen Entrepreneurship and Leadership Summits and the Governor’s Youth Opportunity Camps for low-income 7- to 12-year-old boys and girls.
Previous recipients of the Lewis N. McManus YLA Service Award include Sen. Jay Rockefeller, former Governors Cecil Underwood and Gaston Caperton, Jessica Lynch, Bill Raney, Gayle Manchin and Buck Harless.
For more information on YLA programs, visit www.yla-youthleadership.org or call 304-675-5899.