To the alumni,

As my final year as co-director of the Presidential Leadership Scholars is coming to an end, I want to thank all of you who helped make the last 11 years so memorable. Not surprisingly, I've been doing a lot of reflecting. It's been an honor to be involved in PLS, and there is much I'm going to miss. I'm proud of how all of us, the staff and alumni, have contributed to making PLS the special program it is.

I've enjoyed the relationships that have been forged through PLS. I've met and worked with wonderful people like Margaret Spellings, Holly Kuzmich, Kristin King, David Kramer, Sara Horowitz, and a host of others. These past few years it's been an honor to work with Kristin Spanos, Nicole Hawkins, Ben Thielemier, and the staffs at all four of the presidential centers. My deepest gratitude, though, goes to Kelley Jiou and Casey Rodriguez, my trusted colleagues from the Bush Center these past few years. They are great stewards of the program and walk the walk of collaborative leadership every day. Plus, they're just fun to work with. I'm thrilled that Amy Kroll is stepping into my role at the Clinton Foundation. I know she'll do a great job and I'm excited for all of you to get to know her better.

Finally, a special thanks to Bruce Lindsey, Stephanie Streett, and Michael O'Leary. Bruce interviewed me for this job over 11 years ago, set me on this wonderful journey, and played an essential role in developing the program. I've worked for Stephanie since day one and I've never had a better boss. She is the bedrock of the Clinton Presidential Center and a tireless supporter of this program. I've known and worked with Michael since we were trying to figure out how many stars should go around the PLS logo. I cherish him as a colleague and a friend.

While I'm stepping away from my full-time responsibilities at the Clinton Foundation, I'm not through working. I look forward to sharing my experience and expertise in communication and leadership to help others advance the important work they are doing. You know how much I enjoy the mystery. I'm not exactly sure what lies ahead in the new year, but I know it will be a lot of fun.

I'm looking forward to keeping up with all of you and I hope you'll keep me posted on how things are going. As you look to the year ahead, please consider joining Scholars from the Class of 2026 for a meal to connect and welcome them into the PLS community. Visit Flip to learn more and sign up by Jan. 5 for a very limited number of available seats. After the first of the year, you can reach me at dr.mikehemphill@gmail.com.

I hope to hear from you. My best and sincerest thanks to all of you.

Mike