Dear Presidential Leadership Scholars Alumni,

The beginning of every year is always an exciting time for us as we welcome a new class into this one-of-a-kind network that is changing lives, communities, and our world. This year has been no different: You may have seen some of what we’ve been up to with the Class of 2024!

We know you all are eager to get to know these leaders and plug into their amazing work. This year’s class includes Scholars working on important initiatives like establishing a culture of connection through gatherings in cities across the country, accelerating the transition to a more sustainable health care economy, improving the mental health literacy of adolescents in schools, and much more. If you haven’t already, please begin to reach out to the 2024 Scholars to learn more.

Our fearless alumni programming leader Lindsay Davis has been hard at work with many of you curating an exciting lineup of opportunities to gather with your PLS colleagues over the next several months. Keep an eye out for more information via email and Workplace on official alumni gatherings across the country, webinars, and casual meetups. This network is stronger when you are all connecting regularly.

This fall, we will begin our yearlong celebration marking 10 years of the Presidential Leadership Scholars program. The milestone has us thinking deeply about the incredible impact you have created in your communities and around the world, the partnerships and collaborations you have fostered, and the meaningful friendships that are products of PLS. We are grateful to have had a front row seat to it all.

We’ll be in touch in various ways as the 10-year anniversary draws closer. But, in the meantime, don’t hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do for you.

Sincerely,

Mike Hemphill, Ph.D
Director, Presidential Leadership Scholars
Clinton Foundation

Kelley Jiou
Director, Presidential Leadership Scholars
George W. Bush Institute

Make sure your Workplace account is up to date, as this is the main way we will share information with you about upcoming events. It’s also a great place to follow along with the work of your colleagues, join interest groups, and collaborate with one another.

We have created a Presidential Leadership Scholars alumni group on LinkedIn to complement Workplace. Please take a moment to join if you haven’t already! Think of this as your quick reference list of alumni – not intended to replace Workplace but to supplement the directory features.

Upcoming alumni-led webinars

This year, webinars are all about highlighting our in-house experts – you! As an extension of reunion programming, we will tap into the expertise of five different alumni/groups of alumni as continued development opportunities for you all. Our first three webinars are highlighted below. Stay tuned for details on the remaining opportunities for 2024.

• America's Advantage: The Power of Immigrant PLS With An-Me Chung ’15; Laura Collins, Director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative; and Your Fellow PLS Alumni: Tuesday, March 26, 4 p.m. CT

  Immigrants are the heartbeat of a nation's resilience, the engines of innovation and hope, and the cornerstone for our future. Join us in sharing your story of how immigrants contribute to the cultural, economic, and social vitality of our nation. Together with your PLS classmates, we'll reflect on the trajectory of immigration and highlight the diverse talents, skills, and perspectives that immigrants bring to this country. RSVP on Workplace.

• Leading Teams With Neil Grunberg ’15: Wednesday, April 17, 11 a.m. CT

  This session will address how to establish and lead teams effectively. It will begin by briefly describing what a team is; team membership; and types of leaders and followers. We’ll then discuss the four major team processes; the Leader-Follower Framework (LF2) to develop and assess leaders and followers; and the “AID” (Adaptive, Innovative, Distributed) approach to optimize team performance. RSVP on Workplace.

• Save the Date: Navigating Career Transition with Dan Savage ’19: Tuesday, June 4, 11 a.m. CT

  One of Dan’s many professional specialties is supporting high achievers in career transitions, and we are excited that he will be sharing this knowledge with our alumni community. Stay tuned for a Workplace event and additional details in the coming weeks!

Alumni gatherings

We are pleased to announce that alumni gatherings will be held in six cities across the country this year, organized under our new alumni gathering funding model. More details will be available on Workplace as they are finalized!

• New York City: Wednesday, April 17, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Ketchy Shuby
  RSVP on Workplace

• Dallas: April or May (more details to come)

• Washington, D.C.: Saturday, September 14, at Army Navy Country Club

• Miami: September (more details to come)

• Little Rock: Fall (more details to come)

• New Orleans: October (more details to come)

Please remember that we love to see pictures any time you’re gathering with other PLS alumni. Share on Workplace whether it’s a casual lunch or a cohort reunion!

A note on fundraising

As many of you heard at the reunion last fall, we welcome your ideas around supporting PLS. If you or someone you know is interested, please visit www.presidentialleadershipscholars.org/support or reach out to Kelley Jiou for more information.

Alumni committee members

Stay up to date with the most recent information on alumni committee members. Your designated representatives are eager to help; reach out to them to learn about the many ways to engage with the community.

Update your contact information

Please send any email and mailing address updates to Lindsay Davis, so we can continue to keep in touch and update you on the latest from PLS.

• Jay Bhatt (2016) organized a webinar through Becker’s Healthcare titled, “The path to a more equitable future – How tech + data can give Americans longer, healthier lives.” The webinar featured fellow PLS alumni Steve Driver (2023) and Anahita Dua (2023).

• Rodney Bullard (2016) received the Morehouse College 2024 Presidential Award of Distinction.

• Yoon Choi (2020) published an op-ed about the importance of access to standardized test preparation materials.

• Rabia de Latour (2022) is now the host of SiriusXM’s Doctor Radio Internal Medicine show.

• Cassie Farrelly (2015) has started a new job as the Chief Impact Officer at WITF.

• Sarah Jackson (2016) has started a new job as the Central Division Government Relations Director for HNTB Corporation.

• Chequan Lewis (2018) started a new role as President of Crunch Fitness.

• Neha Misra’s (2017) exhibit, Dreams of Earth Renewal, is on display at the Sandy Spring Museum in Sandy Spring, Maryland, through April 14.

• Gita Pullapilly’s (2019) film, Queenpins, is now available on Netflix, where it remained in the Netflix Top 10 for several weeks.

• Joe Sakran (2019) received the President’s Frontier Award from Johns Hopkins University.

• Randell Trammell’s (2023) organization, the Georgia Center for Civic Engagement, recently received a Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Grant.

• Michael Webber (2018) published an op-ed in the Dallas Morning News titled, “How George W. Bush helped mitigate the climate crisis.”

The steady rise in individuals requesting asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border over the last decade illustrates one of the core problems with our immigration system: There aren’t enough ways to immigrate to the United States without a sponsor. This Bush Institute paper outlines ideas to provide additional legal pathways for immigrating to the U.S. through self-petitioning.

Determining whether your state’s young people are on track for a life of opportunity

State longitudinal data systems that meaningfully connect workforce, higher education, K-12, and early childhood outcome data from multiple state agencies over time are foundational to strong decision-making by state leaders and provide invaluable insights to policymakers and parents. A new Bush Institute report discusses why state longitudinal data systems are worth the legislative investment and provides recommendations to policymakers on what to prioritize when thinking about our kids’ futures.

Taliban corruption must end

Captured State is a new series of reports from the Bush Institute that examines how the Taliban have relied on mafia-like behavior to consolidate power in Afghanistan. The authors identify new and underutilized policy options to advance peace, stability, and freedom in Afghanistan while exploring the Taliban’s corruption, the disproportionate impact on women and children, and the role of foreign enablers. Read the first two papers.

Springtime events at the George W. Bush Presidential Center

Whether you’re a Dallas local or just passing through, we invite you to stop by the Bush Center this spring. Author Anita McBride, former Chief of Staff to Mrs. Laura Bush, will sign copies of her latest book, Remember the First Ladies, at the Bush Center Museum Store on March 18 at 1 p.m. The book shines a light on the influential women who broke barriers and made a mark on our country and, at times, our world, during their tenures in the White House. The Bush Center’s Forum on Leadership on April 18 will bring together notable voices for in-depth discussions on today’s pressing issues around the globe. Reach out to Lindsay Davis if interested in attending, or tune into the livestream here. Join us on May 14 at 6:30 p.m. for the sixth "Laura Bush Book Club" edition of Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint. Mrs. Bush is excited to welcome author Heather Morris to the Bush Center to discuss her book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

The Clinton Presidential Center hosts a variety of educational and cultural programs each month. In honor of Women’s History Month, the Archivist of the United States, Colleen Shogan, will join Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton on Thursday, March 14, for a conversation about the vital importance of preserving and understanding our history, the contributions of women in government, and the state of American democracy. Register for this event and all upcoming programs.

Clinton Foundation 2023 Impact Report

Earlier this month, the Clinton Foundation released the 2023 annual Impact Report, which captures a year of impact on climate, global health, economic inclusion, humanitarian response, and more. Read the full report for more details on the Clinton Foundation’s work in 2023.

Welcoming new U.S. citizens at the Clinton Center

The Clinton Presidential Center welcomed 37 new U.S. citizens during a naturalization ceremony last month, held in partnership with U.S. Customs and Immigration Services and the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas. President Bill Clinton offered remarks to welcome the new citizens. Watch the highlights from the ceremony.