Texas Senator Leticia Van de Putte will be the first of six prominent individuals offering their thoughts on leadership from the perspectives of politics, history, ethics, philanthropy, business and athletics as part of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs‘ inaugural Leadership Lecture Series, beginning Oct. 13.
The lecture series is part of a yearlong celebration of the school’s 40th anniversary, “LBJ@40.”
Van de Putte will discuss her experiences leading the “Texas 11,” which included Democratic state senators who traveled to New Mexico in 2003 as part of a protest against a Republican redistricting plan, depriving the State Senate of a quorum and temporarily freezing legislative action. Van de Putte’s story has been recounted in “Latina Legislator: Leticia Van de Putte and the Road to Leadership,” by Sharon A. Navarro.
Speakers this fall will include College of Liberal Arts Professor H.W. Brands speaking on the topic “How to Be a Great President in Six Easy Steps” on Oct. 21 and Paul Woodruff, dean of undergraduate studies, on “Leadership and the Shape of Freedom” on Oct. 25. Curtis Meadows, president, CEO and director of the Meadows Foundation, Roy Spence, co-founder of GSDandM Idea City, and Chris Plonsky, the university’s women’s athletics director, will speak on Oct. 27, Nov. 4 and Nov. 9 respectively.
“Preparing our graduates to take on leadership roles in government, non-profits and non-governmental organizations in local, state, national and global arenas has been the mission of the LBJ School since the school opened its doors to its inaugural class in 1970,” said Robert Hutchings, dean of the LBJ School. “It is fitting that we launch our year of anniversary events with a new leadership lecture series that will serve the dual purpose of engaging the UT and wider Austin community and showcasing scholars and leaders drawn from our own community. In today’s globalized, networked world, leaders face a daunting set of challenges. We hope that this series will help us not only understand but also meet these challenges.”
The events are free and open to the public. All events will take place in the Bass Lecture Hall on the basement level of the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Sid Richardson Hall Unit III, 2315 Red River St., on The University of Texas at Austin campus.
