Eighth annual class comprised of 60 accomplished leaders including service members, educators, physicians, public servants, and corporate professionals; program begins on Jan. 24 in Washington, D.C.
Jan. 12, 2023 – Today, the Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program announced the 60 Scholars who will form the program’s eighth annual class. PLS serves as a catalyst for a diverse network of established 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, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson.
The class was selected after a rigorous application and review process. Scholars were selected based on their leadership growth potential and their personal leadership projects aimed at improving civic engagement or social good by addressing a problem or need in their community, the country, or the world.
Over the course of several months, Scholars will travel to each participating presidential center to learn from former presidents, key former administration officials, business and civic leaders, and leading academics. They will study and put into practice varying leadership principles and exchange ideas to help maximize their impact in the communities they serve.
The program kicks off in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 24.
The latest class joins an active network of more than 400 Scholars who are applying lessons learned through the program to make a difference in the United States and around the world. Examples of these Scholar-led efforts include: providing quality, trauma- and survivor-informed health care at no cost to gender-based violence survivors; providing support to and improving the lives of recently resettled refugee and immigrant families; and addressing the workforce crisis in trade industries.
Scholars have consistently reported remarkable growth in skills, responsibilities, and opportunities for impact since the program began in 2015. For example, 94% of Scholars said their confidence in how they lead social change has improved as a result of PLS, and 98% of Scholars reported they are inspired to accomplish more since beginning the program.
2023 Scholars:
- Alberto Altamirano, Co-Founder & CEO, Irys Technologies, Inc., San Antonio, TX
- Alen Amini, Management Consultant, Boston Consulting Group, New York, NY
- David Baumwoll, Senior Associate, Fischer Porter & Thomas, P.C., Tarrytown, NY
- Stephanie Bothun, Vice President & Co-Founder, Ascend Indiana, Indianapolis, IN
- Leah Chambers, Principal & Founder, Outside Voices, Houston, TX
- Sue-Ellen Chitunya, Producer/Filmmaker, Independent, Burbank, CA
- Carlos Colorado, Associate Attorney, The X-Law Group, P.C., Long Beach, CA
- Danyell Crutchfield Cummings, Director of Assessment & Accountability, Little Rock School District, Little Rock, AR
- Zanes Cypress III, Executive Director, The AnBryce Foundation, Upper Marlboro, MD
- Bianca Davis, CEO, New Friends New Life, Dallas, TX
- Steven Driver, Medical Director of Digital Therapeutics (Interventional Cardiologist), Advocate Aurora Health, Chicago, IL
- Anahita Dua, Associate Professor of Surgery (Vascular Surgeon), Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Newton, MA
- Marvin Figueroa, Director, Office of Intergovernmental & External Affairs, United States Department of Health and Human Services, Arlington, VA
- Sean Fitzmaurice, Submarine Squadron Operations Officer, United States Navy, Yulee, FL
- Eugenia Flores Millender, Co-Founder & Co-Director of Center of Population Sciences, Florida State University College of Nursing, West Palm Beach, FL
- Jana Fornario, Executive Director of Future Forward Ohio, Ohio Department of Education, Dayton, OH
- Amanda Gardiner, Head of Sustainability Innovation & Engagement, Meta, Maplewood, NJ
- Jennifer Gurganus, Branch Chief, International Interoperability & Standards, United States Air Force, Falls Church, VA
- Scott Hadland, Chief of Adolescent Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Mary Martha Henson, Deputy Director, Jackson County Economic Development Foundation, Ocean Springs, MS
- Yuwynn Ho, Judge Advocate/Congressional Liaison, United State Marine Corps, Alexandria, VA
- Kurtis Indorf, Founder, President, & Chief Innovation Officer, Great Hearts Nova/Great Hearts America, San Antonio, TX
- Antoine Joyce-Roach, Vice President & Dallas City Leader, All Stars Project, Inc., Dallas, TX
- Rachel Korberg, Executive Director, The Families and Workers Fund, Washington, DC
- Armel Kouassi, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Asset Liability Management, NorthernTrust Corporation, Newtown, CT
- Jessica Lightburn, Vice President & Head of Partnerships, Sustainable Finance Group, Goldman Sachs, Washington, DC
- Kelcey Liverpool, Founder & Executive Director, Kids Rank, Chicago, IL
- Andrew Longenecker, Senior Vice President of Business Development, Probably Genetic, Bethesda, MD
- Stephan Lopez Jr., Safety/Section Chief, Dallas Fire-Rescue Department, Grand Prairie, TX
- Jocabed Marquez, Evaluation Research Scientist, NASA Office of STEM Engagement, Titusville, FL
- Anthony Maxie Jr., Program Manager, Secretariat & Headquarters Air Force, United States Air Force, Beavercreek, OH
- Brian McNeil, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs & Associate Professor, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University, New York, NY
- Sarah Melville, Assistant Operations Officer, United States Army, Sanford, NC
- Aishah Miller, Senior Vice President of Strategy – Diverse Customer Segments, Wells Fargo, Philadelphia, PA
- Yosh Miller, CEO & Founder, Hadley Investment Co., West Hollywood, CA
- Ahmed Mousa, Chief Business Officer & General Counsel, Pieris Pharmaceuticals, Wynantskill, NY
- Wayne O’Donnell, Commander, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management & Budget, United States Coast Guard, Chesapeake, MD
- Jonathan Ojany, Vice President and Head of Center Strategy and Operations, The Coca-Cola Company, Atlanta, GA
- Mary Owens, Senior Policy Analyst, Federal Housing Finance Agency, Washington, DC
- Cherron Payne, Chief Human Rights Referee (Chief Administrative Law Judge), Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, Farmington, CT
- Nubia Peña, Senior Advisor of Equity and Opportunity, Utah Governor’s Office, North Salt Lake, UT
- Stacy Phillips, Victim Justice Program Manager, Department of Justice – Office for Victims of Crime, Woodbridge, VA
- Katherine Pickus, Vice President of Sustainability & Global Impact, Tyson Foods, Fayetteville, AR
- Elizabeth Rhodes, Chief Marketing Officer – Business Banking, M&T Bank, Taneytown, MD
- Tiarney Ritchwood, Assistant Professor, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC
- Sara Roberts McCarley, City Commissioner, City of Lakeland, Lakeland, FL
- Joli Robinson, President & CEO, Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, Dallas, TX
- Jessica Saum, Special Education Teacher, Arkansas Department of Education, Cabot Public Schools, Sherwood, AR
- Benjamin Schierer, Mayor, City of Fergus Falls, Fergus Falls, MN
- Sonia Singhvi, Global Head of Culture, Inclusion, & Diversity, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Boston, MA
- Evan Smith, Vice President of Technology Strategy and Business Operations, Starbucks Coffee Company, Seattle, WA
- Steven Smith, President & CEO, Airlink, Washington, DC
- Wyatt Smith, Founder & CEO, UpSmith, Dallas, TX
- Margaret Sprenger, Founder, 1862 Capital, New York, NY
- Jane Stine, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Loop Abroad, Chevy Chase, MD
- Leticia Stropes, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Fisher House Foundation, Arlington, VA
- Randell Trammell, Founder & CEO, Georgia Center for Civic Engagement, Cartersville, GA
- Nwamaka Unaka, Manager, People Advisory Services, Ernst & Young, Houston, TX
- Neil Vora, Policy Fellow, Conservation International, New York, NY
- Ann Weeby, Senior Vice President of Trailhead, Salesforce, Pleasant Hill, CA
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About Presidential Leadership Scholars
Presidential Leadership Scholars is a partnership among the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Lyndon B. Johnson. To learn more, visit www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org. For updates about the Presidential Leadership Scholars, use #PLScholars and follow @PLSprogram on Twitter.
