Kaine appoints independent review committee
T. Rees Shapiro, CT Staff Writer
Thursday, April 19 2007
Governor Kaine announced yesterday in an interview that he has appointed retired Superintendent of Virginia State Police Lt. Colonel Gerald Massengill to lead an independent committee review board on an investigation of Virginia Tech's handling of Monday's shootings. The idea of the committee review board came up in a conversation between Governor Kaine and Tech president Charles Steger.
"Charlie has been acting as a very, very good president," Kaine said.
Massengill worked for the Virginia State Police for 37 years, and Governor Kaine feels will bring a large amount of expertise to the committee board.
Massengill's broad base of knowledge involved with the enforcement of Commonwealth law began in Dinwiddie County, and was later appointed Superintendent of the Virginia State Police by former Governor Jim Gilmore in 2000. Massengill served this position until his retirement on Oct. 1, 2003. Massengill was in the role of superintendent during both the Sept. 11 attacks on the Pentagon and the sniper attacks, which plagued northern Virginia in October 2002.
While Massengill has been officially retired from his post with the police for almost four years, his activity within the Commonwealth has been extensive, and has participated on many advisory boards for different state organizations and privately endorsed ones as well. He was appointed by the Chairman of the Virginia State Crime Commission, Ken Stolle, to the Task Force on Sex Offenders in 2005. He also participated as the interim director of the Virginia Department of Gaming and Inland Fisheries until Nov. 1, 2006. And also currently sits on the Executive Council for "Virginian's for Better Transportation," an advocacy group aimed at improving the funding for the department of highways and transportation, and safety measures. This new post-action advisory board which Governor Kaine will be appointing one by one in the near future, will look to act as ombudsmen for Tech's actions concerning the massacre.
Governor Kaine is positive the questions the students, and families of the victims are all relevant given the drastic manner in which the massacre occurred.
"The students are acting appropriately to the situation," Governor Kaine said. "But I know the strong sense of community spirit won't let these questions divide this student body."
"This kind of event could happen anywhere," he said, "On any campus, and there has been an innocence taken away from the students."
"But the positive values, and academic tradition of this university will help the community stay strong, and keep this university attracting students," Kaine said.
The Governor mentioned how his son is a junior in high school and Tech was one of the universities he was interested in. But Kaine emphasized his support of the university, "This is a wonderful place."
Kaine noted the power of the student body, which was exemplified with the candlelight vigil organized by students of the university.
"The vigil was very emotional," Kaine said. "It was a powerful thing."
Yesterday the Governor, and first lady of the commonwealth Anne Holton, visited with families and students in local Blacksburg area hospitals who were in the events of Monday.