Thursday, April 24, 2025
Forum on Leadership 2025 Speakers and Honorees
2025 George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership Recipient
Dr. Robert M. Gates
Former Secretary of Defense
Robert M. Gates served as the nation’s 22nd Secretary of Defense (2006-2011). Dr. Gates served eight U.S. presidents across both parties and has the distinction of being the only secretary of defense in U.S. history to be asked to remain in office by a newly elected president. On Gates’s last day in office President Barack Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor.
Prior to becoming Secretary of Defense in 2006, Gates served as president of Texas A&M University, one of the nation’s largest universities.
Gates served in the CIA for nearly 27 years, culminating his service as Director of Central Intelligence from 1991 to 1993. He is the only career officer in CIA’s history to rise from entry-level employee to director. He spent nearly nine years on the National Security Council at the White House, serving four administrations across both parties.
Gates has been awarded the National Security Medal, the Presidential Citizens Medal, has three times received the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal, and has three times received CIA’s highest award, the Distinguished Intelligence Medal.
Gates is a principal at the consulting firm Rice, Hadley, Gates & Manuel, LLC, alongside former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, former National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley, and Executive Director of the Aspen Strategy Group Anja Manuel. Additionally, he is Chancellor of William & Mary, his alma mater. He has served on various public boards to include Starbucks, Fidelity Funds, the NCAA, the American Council on Education, and the Boy Scouts of America. Gates has authored four books, covering his experiences at CIA and at the Pentagon, leadership, and U.S. nonmilitary instruments of power.
2025 George W. Bush Institute Trailblazer Citation Recipient
Tom Luce
Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Texas 2036
Tom Luce’s life has been one of family, professional accomplishments, public service and social entrepreneurship.
Tom was the founding and managing partner of the Hughes and Luce law firm. He was the lead attorney on multibillion-dollar mergers and litigation and was selected at various points in his career as one of the best attorneys in Dallas, Texas and the United States.
His public service in Texas was distinguished by gubernatorial and legislative appointments to major state positions including Chief Justice of the Supreme Court pro tempore, Sunset Commission, Cancer Prevention and Research Institute, Texas Commission on Judiciary, Chief of Staff of the Select Committee on Public Education, and the Superconducting Super Collider.
On the national level, he was appointed as Assistant Secretary of Education by President George W. Bush, confirmed by the United States Senate and appointed to The Library of Congress Board by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
In addition to Texas 2036, Tom has founded and led numerous other nonprofit organizations dedicated to serving the needs of others including the Texas Business and Education Coalition, Just for the Kids, Data Quality Campaign, the National Center for Educational Accountability, the National Math and Science Initiative and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. His latest venture is serving as interim CEO of Biotech Initiatives of LHP Philanthropies.
He has authored two books on improving public education and has taught at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs, Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas at Dallas.
Tom has been married to his wife, Pam, for more than 60 years. They have three children and seven grandsons.
He received his undergraduate and law degrees from Southern Methodist University where he has been honored as a Distinguished Alumni.
2025 George W. Bush Institute Citation Recipient
BridgeUSA
Accepted by Manu Meel
Founder, BridgeUSA
Manu Meel is passionate about empowering young people to bridge divides. He believes that the biggest threat to American democracy is affective polarization. As CEO of BridgeUSA, Manu is currently building the largest and fastest growing student movement to bridge our differences and change how we talk politics. He also hosts the weekly podcast, The Hopeful Majority. Manu is a contributor at Forbes, works on pro-democracy efforts nationally, and advises leaders on reducing polarization. In the past, Manu worked as an associate at the venture capital firm Amplo and at the Department of State as a political analyst in counterterrorism. His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and other media platforms. In 2022, Manu was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree for leading BridgeUSA.
Panelists
Salim Asrawi
Salim Asrawi is the President and-co-founder of Texas de Brazil where he has directed operations, brand development and expansion since 1998. Texas de Brazil is a family-owned authentic churrascaria (Brazilian Steakhouse) that blends the unique culture of Brazil with the generous hospitality of Texas. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas de Brazil now has over 70 locations domestic and abroad.
Prior to starting Texas de Brazil, Salim obtained his BA in Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX and his MS in Hospitality from Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI.
After graduation he worked at the Ritz Carlton Hotel Company (the 1st Hotel Recipient of the Malcolm Baldrige quality award) where he held several positions in the F&B department.
Salim serves on the President’s Advisory Board of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Board Member of the Honors Foundation and the Executive Advisory Council for the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
Salim enjoys giving back charitably to organizations he cares about, particularly those that support veterans, Law Enforcement and children’s health.
He and his wife Shaundra reside in Dallas with their twin girls and triplet boys.
Martin Baron
Martin (Marty) Baron retired at the end of February 2021, after eight-plus years as executive editor of The Washington Post. News staffs under his leadership have won 18 Pulitzer Prizes. The Post won 11 Pulitzers for coverage during his tenure that included the assault on the Capitol on January 6, 2021 and investigations of the National Security Agency and the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. While he was top editor of The Boston Globe, it won six Pulitzer Prizes, including for its investigation into the Catholic Church’s concealment of clergy sex abuse. That coverage was portrayed in the Academy Award-winning movie “Spotlight.” During his tenure as editor, The Miami Herald won a Pulitzer for its coverage of the raid to recover Elián González, the Cuban boy at the center of a fierce custody dispute. His book, “Collision of Power: Trump, Bezos, and The Washington Post” was released in October 2023. He also held senior editing positions at The New York Times and Los Angeles Times.
Daniel Lubetzky
Best known as the founder of KIND Snacks, Daniel Lubetzky is a social entrepreneur focused on empowering people to work across divides to solve our toughest problems together. The son of a Holocaust survivor, Daniel is committed to trying to prevent what happened to his father from happening again.
Daniel is known for launching KIND from one outside-the-box idea into a multibillion-dollar global business committed to making the world a little kinder. With Camino Partners, Daniel and his team of investor-operators now partner with entrepreneurs to build growth-stage businesses driven by shared values.
Daniel’s foray into food was the unexpected outcome of his work to use business to bring neighbors in Middle Eastern conflict regions together. With the OneVoice Movement, he has helped build the largest grassroots movement of Israelis and Palestinians committed to forging a future in which both peoples can live with security, freedom, and dignity. Daniel is also a founder of Builders, a global initiative to replace “us vs. them” with a movement of flexible thinkers and constructive problem-solvers. The organization works across media, civics, and education to equip people to overcome extremist ideologies and work together on solutions.
Daniel’s perspectives on moderation, bridge-building, democracy, and social enterprise are shared regularly in TED, Newsweek, Fortune, CNN, TIME, and other news platforms. Following five consecutive seasons as a recurring guest on ABC’s Shark Tank, Daniel joined the cast as a regular guest of the series for Season 16 in 2024. Daniel is also the author of The New York Times bestseller Do the KIND Thing.
Daniel is a member of the Anti-Defamation League’s Board of Directors. He has received The King Center’s Beloved Community Award, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, Columbia Business School’s Botwinick Prize in Business Ethics, Carnegie Corporation’s Great Immigrants Award, and The Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Civility and Compassion. Daniel was named a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship by President Obama.
Daniel holds a BA in Economics and International Relations from Trinity University and a JD from Stanford Law School. He is a proud US citizen who emigrated from Mexico at age sixteen. He enjoys spending time with his family and practicing magic.
Ben Sasse
Ben Sasse is a husband, father, historian, Uber driver, and football addict. He is a two-time college president, two-time New York Times national bestselling author, and two-time U.S. senator from Nebraska, setting the all-time record for most votes in the 157-year history of the Cornhusker state. In the Senate, his focus while serving on the intelligence, finance, and judiciary committees was on the future of work, the future of national security, and the First Amendment. As a historian, Professor Sasse has won teaching awards and holds a Ph.D. from Yale, where his dissertation won both the Egleston and Theron Rockwell Field best dissertation prizes. As an author, Ben stresses the need to rebuild local community and thicker, Tocquevillian institutions as we navigate the simultaneously awesome and terrifying digital revolution. Ben and his wife, Melissa, have two college-age daughters and a 13-year-old son.
Dr. R. Gerald Turner
As president of SMU since 1995, R. Gerald Turner is leading an era of unprecedented progress. Under his leadership, the University continues to advance as an institution of national excellence and international renown. SMU has achieved significant milestones, including raising the academic quality of entering undergraduate students and those in professional graduate students, increasing the number of doctoral students, increasing enrollment of underrepresented communities up to 35% and quadrupling the endowment. In 2024, after decades of strategic planning, SMU joined the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference, expanding the University’s reputation both athletically and academically.
Building on a history of excellence, SMU Ignited: Boldly Shaping Tomorrow is fueling the University’s success. As the third comprehensive campaign initiated under President Turner’s leadership, its $1.5 billion goal started as the largest fundraising target ever set by a private school in North Texas. The campaign for impact aims to build on SMU’s strengths to empower outstanding students, enrich teaching and research, and enhance campus and community.
During this multi-year comprehensive campaign, donors have already given more than $1.3 billion, including record-setting gifts to create the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies, to elevate the future of the Cox School of Business and to expand Ford Stadium as the Mustangs enter the ACC.
Years of investments and visionary work are advancing SMU as a leading center of teaching and research that accelerates knowledge, addresses significant issues, shapes students to be world changers and broadens community engagement. SMU ranks in the top 20% of the best national universities by U.S. News & World Report, with three of its graduate programs listed among the publication’s Top 50.
From its home in the global city of Dallas, SMU’s vibrant campus offers enrichment opportunities such as the Tate Lecture Series and the Meadows Museum to students and the wider community. SMU’s satellite campus in Taos, New Mexico, provides additional immersive learning experiences that foster a deeper connection with the natural world.
President Turner led efforts with the Board of Trustees to attract the George W. Bush Presidential Center, which opened at SMU in 2013. SMU and the Bush Presidential Center partner through fellowships, public lectures, the new George W. Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative and additional collaborations that bring together students, faculty and world-renowned experts to tackle pressing challenges.
Beyond the campus, President Turner has served on the boards of the Dallas Citizens Council, the American Council on Education and the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, and he co-chaired the Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for nearly 10 years. In Texas, he serves on the boards of the Methodist Health System Foundation and the Salvation Army of North Texas.
Before joining SMU, President Turner was the chancellor of the University of Mississippi. He previously served in administrative positions at the University of Oklahoma and Pepperdine University. A native of New Boston, Texas, he earned an A.A. degree from Lubbock Christian University, a B.S. in psychology and mathematics from Abilene Christian University and an M.A. and a Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. He and his wife, Gail, have two married daughters and five grandchildren.
Dr. Melva K. Wallace
Dr. Melva K. Wallace is a true powerhouse—widely recognized as a solutionist, innovator, and fierce advocate for higher education. For more than two decades, she has made waves in the world of education, blending her passion for leadership with a tireless commitment to change. Today, she stands at the helm of Huston-Tillotson University, an esteemed HBCU in Austin, TX, where she proudly serves as the seventh President and CEO. Under her visionary leadership, HT has skyrocketed from being unranked to claiming the prestigious title of the #3 HBCU in the country by Niche.com, and it is now recognized as the top HBCU for students earning the most immediately after graduation.
But that is just the beginning. Since Dr. Wallace—known on social media as MKWthe7th—took the reins, she has dramatically transformed HT into a thriving hub of academic excellence. Through her efforts, she has boosted fundraising, increased student enrollment (both domestically and internationally), and sparked a surge in online learning opportunities. There’s a new wave of energy around HT, and the city of Austin is buzzing with excitement about the institution being labeled as “the best thing since sliced bread!”
Dr. Wallace’s extraordinary career spans much more than the realm of higher education. As a 2016 Presidential Leadership Scholar, she had the unique honor of studying leadership under three former U.S. Presidents—George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. Her remarkable accomplishments also earned her the 2018 ATHENA Award, the highest honor in Louisiana for women excelling in their careers and supporting others in reaching their leadership potential.
A board member for numerous esteemed organizations—such as Centenary College of Louisiana, Christus Shumpert Hospital, Ballet Austin, and Austin PBS—Dr. Wallace is deeply committed to serving her community. She also holds the role of Board President for Extensions of Excellence and is a founding board member of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation, which has trained over 500 HBCU leaders across the nation. Many of these leaders have gone on to hold key positions at HBCUs nationwide, shaping the future of higher education.
Her entrepreneurial spirit has also left its mark. In 2011, Dr. Wallace co-founded the Shreveport Charter Foundation, which built the Magnolia School of Excellence, Shreveport’s first new school in over three decades. She later helped expand the school system with the opening of Magnolia Upper Campus in 2016, a project that now serves over 1,000 students in the Shreveport area.
Before making her mark in higher education, Dr. Wallace thrived in the corporate world as a C-suite executive. But she discovered her true passion in expanding educational access, particularly for underserved communities. A proud collaborator with Grammy-winning rapper Tip T.I. Harris, she co-created and co-teaches the groundbreaking course The Business of Trap Music, which has been featured in Forbes and Billboard.
Dr. Wallace’s leadership career has taken her through key roles at Southern University, where she broke barriers in student enrollment, secured funding for new campus buildings, and steered the university through the global pandemic as Interim Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment. Her role as the first-ever Chief of Staff for the Southern University System made her a critical force in overseeing five campuses and 15,000 students across Louisiana.
As a leader, Dr. Wallace isn’t just focused on academic institutions, she is also a passionate advocate for service. In 2023, she was honored by the United Negro College Fund as one of the top women presidents in the nation. That same year, Austin Business Journal named her one of Texas’ 100 most influential professionals, surpassing figures like Elon Musk and 50 Cent. She is also a sought-after speaker and mentor, guiding young women across the country as they advance in their careers in fields ranging from medicine to finance.
Her accolades do not stop there. A proud alumna of Grambling State University and Jackson State University, Dr. Wallace has earned a reputation as one of the most influential and accomplished leaders in higher education having received the most Innovative President Award for 2025 by the National College Resources Foundation. She is a regular voice in the national conversation on the importance of HBCUs, frequently featured in media outlets that highlight her dedication to shaping the future of these beloved institutions.
Dr. Wallace is married to her incredible husband, Dr. DL Wallace, a Baylor University alum and former business executive featured on the covers of Global Millionaire Magazine, Money Magazine, and In Life Magazine. Together, they share a deep passion for education, with Dr. DL Wallace leading the education technology company Success Training Institute, which is revolutionizing soft skills training across the country. The Wallace’s have even infused their shared love for HBCUs into the company’s philanthropic arm, dedicated to supporting HBCUs nationwide. As a couple they were featured on ESG NEWS on the Historic New York Stock Exchange referred to as “Texas’ Newest Power Couple” discussing business and finance.
In short, Dr. Melva K. Wallace is a trailblazer, a visionary, and a true advocate for change. You can follow her journey and insights on social media @MKWthe7th.
Jessica Yellin
Jessica Yellin is the founder of News Not Noise, a Webby Award winning independent digital media brand with an audience of more than a million that’s dedicated to providing facts, not panic attacks. She was among the first journalists to report video news on Instagram. She is the former chief White House correspondent for CNN and an Emmy, Peabody and Gracie Award winning political correspondent for ABC, MSNBC and CNN. A veteran of network news, she’s traveled the nation and the globe covering elections, conflict and stories of human perseverance. Find her work on Substack at News Not Noise and her popular Instagram account @JessicaYellin. Her first novel, “SAVAGE NEWS” is available from HarperCollins.