Elaine Kamarck, senior policy adviser to Vice President Al Gore, has been named director of the Visions of Governance for the 21st Century project at the Kennedy School of Government, Dean Joseph S. Nye Jr. announced.

Kamarck will direct the Visions of Governance project, a multi-year project created to shape, inform, and improve public debate about the role of government, in addition to teaching as a lecturer. She will work with Nye in guiding the second phase of the project, which will look at the changing roles of governments, private firms, and nonprofit organizations in modern democracies.

"Elaine's extensive experience in government and her research on contemporary dilemmas in American government will enrich our perspective on these crucial issues," said Nye. "The Visions of Governance project is not an isolated, academic exercise. We are soliciting contributions from a wide range of scholars, practitioners, and political and governmental leaders as well as establishing Advisory Councils to provide a vehicle for input from others whose opinions are heard less frequently at Harvard. Elaine will spearhead the effort to engage practitioners and other non-academics in the project, and I eagerly await the chance to put her outstanding abilities to work."

"The Kennedy School is a vibrant and relevant intellectual center and I look forward to becoming part of its newest project," said Kamarck.

As senior policy adviser to the Vice President, Kamarck is creator and manager of the Clinton Administration's National Performance Review (NPR), which is chaired by Vice President Gore. In that role she has overseen a large team of government reinventors. In addition to her oversight of the reinventing government project, Kamarck worked on the Clinton Administration's welfare reform task force, the Community Empowerment Board, the Olympics task force. and the Vice President's Airline Safety and Security Commission.

Prior to joining the administration, Kamarck was a founder of and senior fellow at the Progressive Policy Institute, the think tank of the Democratic Leadership Council. She was also a columnist for Newsday and the Los Angeles Times. She has taught at Barnard College (1989), Bryn Mawr College (1988-1990), Georgetown University (1985-1987), and the Graduate School of Political Management (1987-1988). Early in her career, she was director of special projects for the Carter-Mondale campaign, and a staff member at the Democratic National Committee.

Kamarck has an A.B. from Byrn Mawr College, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. She is married and has three children.

Kamarck will officially assume the office of director of the Visions project on Sept. 1.