The Bush Institute is focused on ensuring opportunity for all, strengthening democracy, and advancing free societies.
A note from David J. Kramer
Happy New Year from the Bush Institute, where we’re kicking off the celebration of America’s semiquincentennial, our country’s 250th anniversary. Throughout this year, we will continue our focus on the values that made America great – the same values which are dear to President and Mrs. Bush – freedom, opportunity, accountability, and compassion.
Last quarter, I introduced you to the Bush Center’s new president and CEO, Shilo Brooks. Today, I’m delighted to introduce another important member of the senior leadership team: Elizabeth Kennedy Trudeau joined the Bush Institute in January as the Bradford M. Freeman managing director of global policy. She previously held senior State and Defense Department roles in Washington and at NATO, in Iraq, Pakistan, South Africa, and the U.K. She already has hit the ground running with some insightful takes on Iran, NATO, and the importance of soft power.
We finished 2025 with a bang, hosting a successful Governors Forum on literacy in December attended by the leaders of 12 states, with representation from 28. We also continue to advocate for veterans, immigration reform, and a strong economy.
In October, we celebrated 10 wonderful years of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program, which we do together with the presidential centers of George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Lyndon B. Johnson, with many of our 594 alumni. Last fall, The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute tackled “Building the New American Economy,” and we held a successful Engage at the Bush Center event, presented by NexPoint and moderated by Cullum Clark, building on the theme as part of our larger work in support of democratic capitalism.
Please be sure to go to the Bush Museum and view the special exhibit, Game Changer: United by Sports, presented by Garry Weber, which explores how sports are interwoven with American history.
We are excited about the year ahead and know that our work would not be possible without your unwavering support, for which we thank you.
