Summary

About

Source: Campaign page

RODNEY’S VIRGINIA ROOTS
A Virginia native who grew up in a family of teachers, Rodney has dedicated his career to public service. Rodney attended Virginia’s oldest university – The College of William and Mary – where he earned both his undergraduate and law degrees, and where he was instrumental in founding the Pulley Family Endowment, which supports public service work by students.

As an attorney, Rodney represented local governments in Virginia, where he learned firsthand what good governance can look like and the positive impact it can bring to working families. He was also instrumental in establishing and expanding free legal assistance programs while running his practice.

CREATING CHANGE
In the late 90’s, Rodney saw the potential for technology to transform government, and created Virginia Interactive, where he led a public/private partnership with the Commonwealth to move information and citizen/business services online, helping put Virginia at the forefront of the online revolution.

Rodney has continued this work with his current company, Impact Makers. Impact Makers’ “all profits to charity” model has led the company to contribute nearly $3 million in financial and pro bono support to nonprofits that help families facing health care, education and housing issues.

Rodney is running for the House of Delegates because he wants to put his exceptional experience to work advocating for the interests of everyone in his home district, the 73rd.

LEADING WITH EXPERIENCE
Rodney lives in Henrico with his wife, Lydia, an attorney and fellow W&M graduate. They have three children – a middle school teacher, a college student at UVA, and a high school student.

Rodney chairs the Richmond Performing Arts Alliance and champions its early learning through arts program for kids. He also serves on the board of Rx Partnership, which provides free or low-cost prescription medication fulfillment to uninsured Virginians. As a member of Virginia’s Children’s Health Insurance Advisory Board, Rodney has fought to endure the continuation of life-saving healthcare coverage for kids.

Rodney’s work has had a positive impact on all Virginians. It’s time to put that experience to work for Henrico.

https://vimeo.com/387849686

Web

Campaign Site, Facebook

Politics

Source: none

Recent Elections

2019

Issues

Source: Campaign page

Civil Rights

INCLUSIVE VIRGINIA

Businesses around the country know they can invest in Virginia because we have successfully fought back efforts to codify discrimination. If we want to continue attracting companies that bring good-paying jobs and good corporate partnerships, we need laws that protect the rights of all our citizens. Rodney’s core principle is that ALL Virginians deserve equal opportunity, justice and fairness, no matter their skin color, ethnicity, faith, country of origin, sexual orientation or gender identity. He will actively fight prejudice, bigotry and discrimination, which includes advocating for passing the ERA to give women long overdue constitutional protections.

Economy

Henrico and the Greater Richmond area are engines for economic development.  Rodney wants to preserve and grow that engine by applying smart policies that help eliminate red tape and minimize bureaucracy for businesses. His expertise in using technology to help streamline government will be put to work creating good jobs in Henrico and developing retraining programs for workers who need new job skills. Rodney also believes in equal pay for equal work, and will work to raise the minimum wage so Virginia workers can support their families.

Education

Rodney believes strongly in public education and will advocate for more and better funding for schools, including support for sufficient counseling resources, and hiring the best and brightest teachers by paying them fair wages. Studies have shown that children who receive early childhood education are more likely to succeed later in life. Early investments result in the biggest impact. Rodney supports universal Pre-K enrollment for all Virginia kids. Investing in education isn’t just the smart thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.

Environment

Rodney believes climate change is real. As a coastal state, Virginia is threatened by rising sea levels, which will ruin communities, homes and livelihoods while menacing our military installations. Severe and dangerous weather events are becoming more common and more dangerous. Rodney will work in the General Assembly to take concrete steps to move to renewable energy sources.  As an outdoorsman and hiker, Rodney also values our unique public lands and iconic waterways, such as Shenandoah National Park, and he will ensure they are protected from harmful development.

Health Care

AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE
Nothing hurts a family more than a loved one experiencing a healthcare nightmare – and not being able to pay the bill. Rodney believes every Virginian deserves access to affordable, quality healthcare that covers pre-existing and chronic conditions. Medicaid expansion was a good start, but still too many Virginians lack reliable health care at reasonable costs. Prescription drugs must be affordable: No one should ever have to choose between a meal and medication. But that’s not all – Rodney is also advocating that Virginia put more funding into mental health care and addiction treatment, to help keep the most disadvantaged Virginians from falling through the cracks.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES
Rodney is proud to be on the board of Rx Partnership, which has helped more than 12,000 uninsured Virginians obtain 60,000 needed prescriptions in the past 12 months alone. Rodney believes that no one should ever have to choose between a meal and medicine. His own experiences with his aging parents and their steep monthly medication costs have led him to be active on this issue. Public/private partnerships hold the key to solving this pervasive problem, and Rodney is an expert at establishing those initiatives.

WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE
Rodney trusts women. He believes they must have the ability to make their own decisions, in consultation with their doctors, about their bodies. He supports a woman’s right to choose and access to affordable contraception. He will fight to ensure that Republicans do not roll back these vital protections and make it harder for women to get the healthcare they need.

Safety

Guns

Almost all of us remember where we were when we heard about the Virginia Tech shooting. Too many preventable gun-related tragedies have unfolded in our Commonwealth. Common sense gun safety measures are not a political issue, they’re a public health issue. Establishing universal background checks is a proven way to keep guns away from violent criminals and potential terrorists. Rodney will advocate for legislation that keeps guns from domestic abusers, protecting our families. Rodney will support red flag laws so that those who present an immediate danger to themselves or others can have firearms temporarily removed. Rodney will fight for bipartisan gun safety laws in the House of Delegates. He will not settle for continued inaction.