Month: June 2019

Presidents Bush and Clinton Visit Big Thought

Posted on by Andrew Kaufmann

DALLAS — Today, President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton visited Byron Sanders, CEO of Big Thought and Presidential Leadership Scholar (PLS) Class of 2017, at one of Big Thought’s youth programs that uses visual, performing, and digital arts to help young people improve job skills, gain a positive self-image, and increase social and emotional development. Sanders was inspired during PLS to leave his job in finance and pursue his current role at Big Thought helping close the opportunity gap by bringing the right opportunities to the kids who need them most.

2019 marks the fifth anniversary of the Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program, and Sanders’ work at Big Thought is one example of how Scholars all over the country have made an impact in their communities over the last five years. 

Media: Download footage of the Big Thought visit and high-res photos of the day here

The visit took place prior to the 2019 PLS graduation ceremony at the George W. Bush Center. During the ceremony, Presidents Bush and Clinton were joined by Presidential Leadership Scholars Lisa Hallett, CEO of wear blue: run to remember, and Jay Bhatt, SVP and CMO of the American Hospital Association, for a conversation centered around the work they are doing to address veterans’ issues and challenges in health care. Watch the ceremony at www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org.

The 2019 class of Scholars is comprised of doctors, veterans, corporate professionals, attorneys, public servants, educators, and more from across the country who over the past five months have come together to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. This year’s class will join an active network of 240 Scholars who are working to lead lasting and positive change in their communities and across the globe.

About the Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program:

PLS serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders brought together to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Each year, a diverse group of mid-career professionals begin a journey to hone their leadership abilities through interactions with former presidents, key administration officials, leading academics, and business and civic leaders.

Scholars put their learning into action through a personal leadership project, intended to solve a problem or pressing issue in their community, country, or the world. They gain the skills necessary to work across divides and develop a network that spans traditional geographic, professional, political, and economic boundaries.

PLS challenges pre-existing perceptions and inspires the Scholars to lead lasting, positive change.

Press Resources: 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholars Graduation

Posted on by Andrew Kaufmann

President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton participated in the 2019 Presidential Leadership Scholars Graduation and celebrate the fifth anniversary of the program at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.

Before the graduation ceremony, President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton visited Byron Sanders, CEO of Big Thought and Presidential Leadership Scholar (PLS) Class of 2017, at one of Big Thought’s youth programs that uses visual, performing, and digital arts to help young people improve job skills, gain a positive self-image, and increase social and emotional development. Sanders was inspired during PLS to leave his job in finance and pursue his current role at Big Thought helping close the opportunity gap by bringing the right opportunities to the kids who need them most.

Learn more:

President Bush and President Clinton visit Big Thought:

The Power of Persuasion

Posted on by Sarah Boynton

Lessons in leadership from the Presidential Leadership Scholars program: Session 5

Last week, the 2019 Class of Presidential Leadership Scholars met for the fifth time at the LBJ Presidential Library on the campus of the University of Texas.

There, Scholars heard from President Johnson’s daughter, Luci Baines Johnson, his granddaughters Nicole Covert and Catherine Robb, former administration officials, and President Johnson himself on tape, to gain unique insight into President Johnson’s leadership style — specifically his approach to persuasion and influence while working with civil rights leaders, government officials, the media, and beyond. Scholars then worked with Dr. Mike Hemphill and Dr. Michael O’Leary to explore persuasive styles and tactics and began applying lessons learned to their own projects to improve their community, country, and our world.

Scholars were joined by:

  • Ron Kirk, special counsel, Gibson Dunn, former Mayor of Dallas from 1995-2001, and the 16th United States Trade Representative appointed by President Obama in 2009;
  • Tom Johnson, chairman emeritus, Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation Board, former CEO of the Los Angeles Times and CNN, and special assistant to President Johnson;
  • Jim Jones, co-chairman and CEO, Manatt Jones Global Strategies, U.S. Ambassador to Mexico (1993-1997), and Chief of Staff (formerly referred to as Appointments Secretary) to President Johnson;
  • Larry Temple, chairman, Lyndon B. Johnson Board of Trustees and former special counsel to President Johnson;
  • Mark Updegrove, president and CEO of the Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation; and more.
Scholars hear from former LBJ administration members Larry Temple, who served as Special Counsel, and Jim Jones, who served as Chief of Staff, in a conversation moderated by LBJ Foundation President and CEO Mark Updegrove.
Tom Johnson, former president of CNN and press aide to President Johnson, spoke with Presidential Leadership Scholars in a conversation moderated by Program director Dr. Mike Hemphill.
Scholars visited the LBJ Ranch where they heard from President Johnson’s granddaughters, Catherine Robb and Nicole Covert.
Ambassador Ron Kirk, member of the LBJ Foundation board of trustees, former Mayor of Dallas and U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama Administration, spoke with Presidential Leadership Scholars. “Knowing there are people like you who care about public discourse and who are doing amazing things is great for my spirit.”

Here’s what people are saying:

This session concluded our visits to the four participating presidential centers — the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library Center in College Station, the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, and the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin. Throughout the program, the Scholars apply the lessons learned from these four presidents to enhance their own strategic partnerships, vision and communication, decision-making, and persuasion and influence. Look out for our next update later this month from graduation at the Bush Center in Dallas, Texas!

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Applications are now open for the 2020 Presidential Leadership Scholars program. To learn more, visit www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org. For updates about the Presidential Leadership Scholars, use #PLScholars or follow @PLSprogram on Twitter and Instagram.

Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton at PLS Fifth Anniversary Celebration

Posted on by Andrew Kaufmann

Presidents to be joined by Presidential Leadership Scholars from across the United States who are tackling the most pressing issues of our time. Watch the ceremony online at 5:00 p.m. Central Time live from the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas.

On June 27, President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton joined by Presidential Leadership Scholars Lisa Hallett, CEO of wear blue: run to remember, and Jay Bhatt, SVP and CMO of the American Hospital Association, at the George W. Bush Presidential Center for the Moody Conversation centered around the work they are doing to address veterans’ issues and challenges in health care. The conversation will take place during the graduation ceremony of the 2019 class of Presidential Leadership Scholars, which marks the fifth anniversary since the program began in 2015.

The 2019 class of Scholars is comprised of doctors, veterans, corporate professionals, attorneys, public servants, educators, and more from across the country who over the past five months have come together to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. This year’s class will join an active network of 240 Scholars who are working to lead lasting and positive change in their communities and across the globe.

Earlier in the day, President George W. Bush and President Bill Clinton visited Byron Sanders, CEO of Big Thought and Presidential Leadership Scholar (PLS) Class of 2017, at one of Big Thought’s youth programs that uses visual, performing, and digital arts to help young people improve job skills, gain a positive self-image, and increase social and emotional development. Sanders was inspired during PLS to leave his job in finance and pursue his current role at Big Thought helping close the opportunity gap by bringing the right opportunities to the kids who need them most.

Applications Open for Sixth Class of Presidential Leadership Scholars

Posted on by Andrew Kaufmann

A one-of-a-kind opportunity to join a network of leaders making a difference in the world, and learn from the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson

Applications are now open  to join the Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program — a one-of-a-kind partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

PLS serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of leaders brought together to collaborate and make a difference in the world as they learn about leadership through the lens of the presidential experiences of George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Each year, a diverse group of mid-career professionals begin a journey to hone their leadership abilities through interactions with former presidents, key administration officials, leading academics, and business leaders.

Scholars put their learning into action through a personal leadership project, intended to solve a problem or pressing issue in their community, country, or the world. They gain the skills necessary to work across divides and develop a network that spans traditional geographic, professional, political, and economic boundaries.

Here’s what people are saying: 

The program seeks participants 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. The average Scholar enters the program with more than 10 years of professional experience and is generally at a point in his or her career where their participation in PLS will be felt for many years to come. Applicants should have the desire and capacity to take their leadership strengths to a higher level in order to help their communities, professions, organizations, and, thus, the country.

The sixth PLS class will begin in January 2020. Online applications will be accepted through August 31, 2019. To apply or to learn more about the program, visit www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org.

For updates about the Presidential Leadership Scholars, use #PLScholars or follow @PLSprogram on Twitter, Instagram, and Flickr.