Dear Veteran Leadership Program alumni,
Fall is one of our favorite times of the year as the 2024 Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Scholars prepare for their final program module and personal leadership project presentations. We know you all remember the pre-PLP presentation excitement – and nerves – and hope that you can join us on Oct. 17 and 18 as the Class of 2024 takes the stage at the George W. Bush Presidential Center to cheer them on. If you’re interested in attending the presentations in person or virtually, please reach out to Michael Bailey by Oct. 11.
Shortly after the 2024 program concludes, applications will open for the seventh class of Veteran Leadership Program Scholars on Oct. 23. The team will be in touch with application details and recruitment resources at that time. As always, we’re immensely grateful for your support in sharing the program and your experience as a Scholar with your network. Please pass along any ideas you may have on new networks we may tap into or people to contact regarding our recruitment efforts.
Lastly, as many of you know, Lindsay Davis has taken a new position at SMU. We will miss her bright countenance and fun personality but wish her all the best in her new endeavors. Michael Bailey will manage alumni relations and can help with anything you may need moving forward. Please contact him with any questions you may have.
Thank you for your continued commitment to this program and network. Don’t hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do for you – and have a great autumn!
Kelley Jiou
Director, Leadership and Programming
Jason Galui
Director, Veterans and Military Families
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Things You Should Know
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Save the date for the 2025 alumni convening!
Mark your calendars for the next Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program alumni convening at the Bush Center. We hope you will plan to join us on Friday, Feb. 21, to connect, collaborate, and learn with one another. We will share details about hotel blocks, speakers, and more later this fall.
Attending a conference or gathering? Find other alumni!
We want to make it simpler for you to connect with other Veteran Leadership Program alumni at conferences. Thanks to feedback from the Alumni Committee, we now have a section of the Workplace Knowledge Library to which you can add information about any conference or event that you're attending. If you see an event listed that you're planning to go to, add your name to the document. Then, when the gathering gets closer, you can start a Workplace Chat with everyone attending that event/conference. This is a work in progress, so please feel free to share feedback.
Update your contact information
Send any email and mailing address updates to Michael Bailey, so we can continue to keep in touch and update you on the Veteran Leadership Program.
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NETWORK EVENTS
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Alumni gatherings
This year, we’re coming to you! Watch Workplace for more details on gatherings around the country.
- Veteran Leadership Program alumni will gather at the 125th Army-Navy Game in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 14. The Bush Institute’s Veterans and Military Families team will be there to promote Check-In. We hope to see you there, keep an eye on Workpalce for more details.
More ideas for alumni gatherings? Feel free to reach out to Michael Bailey.
Webinars
Make sure to check the events section of Workplace for details on upcoming webinars, and feel free to submit ideas for webinar topics at any time.
- Nov. 14, 4 p.m. CT: Managing & Motivating Teams with Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the Bush Center
(more details to come)
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PROGRAM UPDATE
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Module Four of the 2024 program year concluded Sept. 20 in Washington, D.C. Scholars explored the leadership themes of influence, persuasion, and strategic partnerships. They learned from Alex Gorsky, the former Chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson; retired U.S. Marine Corps General Peter Pace, the 16th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Mrs. Sharene Brown Champion of Five & Thrive and Spouse of the 21st Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and several other inspiring leaders in today’s veteran space. It was great to see a number of you at the regional gathering, as well as at lunch with the Scholars at Georgetown University! Thank you for supporting our 2024 Scholars throughout the program; we’re looking forward to welcoming the group into the alumni network later this month.
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Around the Network
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- Monteigne Long (2022) began a new position as Director of Veteran and Military Services for Texas A&M University System.
- Harrison Bernstein (2022) and his organization, Soldiers to Sidelines, were highlighted by Fox News.
- Joseph Alexander (2022) began a new job as a high school principal for Waco Independent School District in Texas.
- Sarah Streyder (2023) reached her personal leadership project goal of bringing twice as many spouses to Washington, D.C., for community-building, training, and advocacy through the Secure Families Initiative Summit.
- Derek Abbey’s (2019) organization, Project Recover, announced two crewmen who were missing in action were found and brought back home.
- Andrew Ward (2021), Ben Armstrong (2019), Charlton Meginley (2024), Aaron Lawrence (2024), and Wade Franklin (2022), began an independent nonprofit organization called The Boot to help retain service members in Louisiana.
Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Scholar spotlights
Read the most recent Scholar interviews with Lacey Beaty (2021), Mayor of Beaverton, Oregon; Claudia Bergheger (2022), Associate Director of Operations for Vanderbilt University’s Institute of National Security; Harrison Bernstein (2022), Executive Director of Soldiers to Sidelines; and Monteigne Long (2022), Director of Veteran and Military Services at Texas A&M University System.
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PLUG INTO THE BUSH CENTER
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We all deserve kindness and grace
David J. Kramer, Executive Director of the Bush Institute, inspires us to protect the rights of all who call this nation home, writing that "It’s important to remember that whoever we are, wherever we come from, whatever the color of our skin, whomever we love, and whatever we believe, we are all human beings with innate dignity, deserving of kindness and grace, with the right to live in peace and liberty, and the need to resolve our differences civilly and respectfully."
Five episodes about democracy and pluralism to listen to today on The Strategerist podcast
These episodes of The Strategerist, presented by the Bush Center and co-hosted by Director of Communications and Marketing Andrew Kaufmann, highlight compassion and optimism through conversation with newsmakers, leaders, and people working to change the world. Listen as five inspiring leaders discuss the importance of pluralism and civility and the state of our democracy.
Escapees develop leadership skills at the Bush Institute’s North Korean Human Rights Workshop
In early September, the George W. Bush Institute welcomed 12 North Korean refugees to Dallas to participate in the organization’s third annual North Korean Human Rights Workshop, where they developed their leadership and advocacy skills. Read how the Bush Institute continues its work to support freedom in North Korea and shed light on the oppression of the North Korean people.
Fall events at the Bush Center
Whether you’re local to Dallas or passing through, we invite you to stop by the Bush Center this fall. We’ll kick off the season in the Laura W. Bush Native Texas Park with Pups in the Park. Bring your furry friends on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 10 a.m. to this free event. Free guided tours of the Native Texas Park will also begin Oct. 5 and remain available every Saturday through Nov. 16. Discover the environments of the park including blackland prairie, post oak savannah, and cross timbers forest as you make your way through the park’s network of paths with a North Texas master naturalist.
Did you know that you get two free tickets a year to the Bush Presidential Museum as a Veteran Leadership Program alum? If you are visiting, fill out this form to secure your tickets.
Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint
We’re excited to provide a unique opportunity and program with “America’s Government Teacher” Sharon McMahon – known as @sharonsaysso – on Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. CT as part of her book tour for The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, From the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement. Bush Center President and CEO Ken Hersh will join McMahon for what is sure to be an informative and entertaining conversation on freedom and democracy.
The Bush Center is also pleased to host Purpose Beyond the White House: A Conversation on the Post-Presidency on Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. CT. Jared Cohen, author of Life After Power: Seven Presidents and Their Search for Purpose Beyond the White House, and Dr. Jeffrey A. Engel, author and founding David Gergen Director of the Center for Presidential History at SMU. They will headline a conversation on the post-presidency that will be filled with both insights from history and memorable stories.
If interested in attending these events, purchase tickets or tune in to the livestream.
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About the George W. Bush InstituteThe George W. Bush Institute is a solution-oriented nonpartisan policy organization focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies. Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Bush Institute is rooted in compassionate conservative values and committed to creating positive, meaningful, and lasting change at home and abroad. We utilize our unique platform and convening power to advance solutions to national and global issues of the day. Learn more at bushcenter.org.2943 SMU Boulevard Dallas, TX 75205 Privacy Policy
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