People and Community

Presidential Leadership Program Announced

UM President Donna E. Shalala and UM Trustee Carlos Gutierrez named to advisory committee of the national program.
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Just this week in D.C. the U.S. presidential centers of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson announced the launch of their partnership to establish a one-of-a-kind leadership program for individuals from the private, nonprofit, education, public, and military sectors who have a strong record of professional achievement, a commitment to their community, and a collaborative spirit that is open to new ideas about leadership. 

The program is called the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program.

UM President Donna E. Shalala is proud to have been chosen to participate in this program’s advisory committee alongside UM Board of Trustees member, The Honorable Carlos Gutierrez. This committee will play an important role in raising awareness and visibility for the program.

Other notable advisory committee members include: The Honorable Joshua Bolten (Chair), The Honorable Alexis M. Herman (Co-Chair), The Honorable James W. Cicconi, Mr. Tom Johnson, The Honorable Vilma S. Martinez, General (Ret.) Stanley A. McChrystal, The Honorable Constance Berry Newman, The Honorable Lyndon Olson, Dr. Roger B. Porter, Dr. Laura Tyson, The Honorable Bruce Lindsey, ex-officio, The Honorable Margaret Spellings, ex-officio.

The Presidential Leadership Scholars Program is a leadership program designed to embolden future leaders in any sector with the practical skills needed to drive solution-oriented action. The program teaches its Scholars the importance of key leadership skills and how those skills can be applied in the real-world – whether in their place of employment or in their efforts to improve their communities. Rather than teaching any particular point of view or ideology, the program illustrates how diversity of thought and approach can lead to creative, collaborative, and highly effective solutions.

The program’s interactive and dynamic curriculum incorporates pre-eminent scholarship and best practices; distinguished faculty from the presidential centers’ affiliated universities and other renowned academic institutions; leadership examples from the private, public, education, non-profit, and military sectors; active engagement from guest speakers across a number of presidential administrations; and benefits from the periodic participation of former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. The curriculum also draws from presidential centers’ archives and other resources related to leadership and decision-making moments from each administration.

The program is looking for people who have the desire and capacity to take their strengths to a higher level in order to help their communities. The program will select applicants who have a diversity of perspectives, backgrounds and experiences and who will most benefit from a dynamic learning experience that stresses the importance of cooperation and collaboration. Online applications and referrals are now being accepted. The first class of scholars will be selected by the end of the year. 

The Presidential Leadership Scholars Program will host its first inaugural meeting of the advisory committee in conjunction with the first session of the program at George Washington’s Mount Vernon the week of February 24-28, 2015.

For more information on the partnership and program, visithttp://www.bushcenter.org .