The Strategerist

Emily Hanford is a senior correspondent and producer for American Public Media and the 2023 George W. Bush Institute Citation recipient for her coverage of our Nation’s reading crisis.  She joined host Andrew Kaufmann and the Bush Institute’s Justine Taylor-Raymond at the Forum on Leadership to discuss her reporting, how she started in journalism, and what she’s uncovered about how kids learn to read.  

Hear more from Emily on the science of reading, why kids receiving quality reading instruction is essential, and what she’s reading right now on The Strategerist.

Related content:

Forum on Leadership

Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong

Scott Carpenter is the managing director of Jigsaw, a unit within Google that explores threats to open societies, and builds technology that inspires scalable solutions to these threats. 

He discusses how authoritarian regimes use the internet to their advantage, promising new developments in technology, and why internet access is essential to freedom and democracy.

Scott joined the George W. Bush Institute in November of 2022 for The Struggle for Freedom conference, where leaders, activists, and experts gathered to assess threats to freedom. He speaks with host Andrew Kaufmann and the Bush Institute’s Chris Walsh about Jigsaw, deep fakes, and his experience as a leader in the technology sector.  

Related content:

• The Struggle for Freedom conference
• The Struggle for Freedom series

Secretary Elaine Chao immigrated to the U.S. when she was just eight years old without knowing any English -- and with hard work and determination, went on to lead a distinguished career in public service. 

As Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush, she was the first woman of Asian American and Pacific Islander heritage to ever serve in a presidential cabinet. She also served as Secretary of Transportation under President Donald Trump and as Director of the Peace Corps under President George H.W. Bush. She shares some of the defining moments of her life, how technology is changing the transportation sector, and her own immigration story.

Related content:

• Forum on Leadership 2022

Florencia Velasco Fortner is the CEO of Dallas-based nonprofit The Concilio, an organization that helps North Texas families striving to create strong futures for themselves and future generations. Florencia is the 2023 recipient of the George W. Bush Institute Trailblazer Citation Award, an honor given annually to an innovator who has inspired changed and enriched the quality of life in North Texas. 

Related

• The Concilio
• 2023 Forum on Leadership

In 1962, Mary Badham made her big-screen debut in the classic film To Kill a Mockingbird as the beloved Scout Finch, opposite Gregory Peck as Atticus Finch. 

Today, she has returned to Harper Lee's iconic story in the touring Broadway production by playing Mrs. Dubose -- the racist neighbor who represents the antithesis of Scout’s innocence and acceptance. And she believes that To Kill a Mockingbird is as important today as it was in 1962.

Related

• See Mary Badham at the Broadway Dallas production of To Kill a Mockingbird
• About the To Kill a Mockingbird national tour
• Watch Mary Badham and Thomas DiPiero, the Elisabeth Martin Armstrong Dean of Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences at SMU at Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint and supported by HEB

Although Masih Alinejad was exiled from Iran in 2009, she continues to fight for the people of her country — and was named one of Time Magazine’s 2023 Women of the Year.  And even though she has to use her voice from afar, she has amassed 9 million social media followers that hear her message of equality and freedom for the women of Iran — and the world.

Related

• Masih Alinejad on Instagram
• Women's Advancement at the George W. Bush Institute
• The Wind in My Hair: My Fight for Freedom in Modern Iran

As a legislator, Senator Portman believed in working across the aisle — and believes Americans want just that.  He offers advice to young people who are frustrated by politics today, talks about the new Portman Center for Policy Solutions in his home city, offers his thoughts on the war in Ukraine and on policy with China, and tells us about his historic — and supposedly haunted -- Ohio hotel, which, incidentally, serves fantastic fried chicken.

Related

• 2023 Forum on Leadership

Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center, has never shied away from raising his hand and taking on new opportunities. From launching his career by picking up the phone and calling directory assistance so he could get in the door with a noted investor, to  becoming the CEO of the Bush Center, Ken has never been afraid to take a leap.

Related

• 2023 Bush Center Forum on Leadership
• The Fastest Tortoise at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum Store

Sharon McMahon -- @SharonSaysSo -- is a teacher to her core. From podcasts to Instagram feeds, she's dedicated to bringing more fact-based content into the American experiment. In this episode, Sharon explains her origin story and shares how she approaches the art of teaching -- and how everyone has a role to play in our democracy.

Related

• Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint, featuring Sharon McMahon, David Rubenstein, and Bush Center CEO Ken Hersh
• And Here's Where It Gets Interesting by Sharon McMahon
• Freedom Matters exhibit at the Bush Center

Fran Townsend was a pubic servant for decades, from the courtroom, to the Justice Department, and eventually to the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations. In 2004, she was appointed Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor, where she briefed President Bush on a daily basis. She discusses those briefings — but also reflects on how her family has gotten to live the American dream.
 

She also shares her insights on national security issues past and present, from terrorism to TikTok — and shares some of her favorite stories from her time in the White House.

Related

• Presidential Leadership Scholars