*Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling (501) 683-5239.
“Love is Good Business,” Becca Stevens
Friday, April 1, 2016, at 6:00 p.m.
– Becca Stevens is an author and social entrepreneur who founded Thistle Farms, an all-natural bath and body care company that is the largest social enterprise in the United States run by survivors of addiction, trafficking, violence, and extreme poverty. Stevens is the author of eleven books and is an Episcopal priest who is chaplain at Vanderbilt University’s St. Augustine’s Chapel in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2011, the White House named Becca a “Champion of Change” for her work against domestic violence. Recently, she was featured in the PBS documentary, A Path Appears, named Humanitarian of the Year by the Small Business Council of America as well as the TJ Martell Foundation, and inducted into the Tennessee Women’s Hall of Fame. In her talk, “Love is Good Business,” Stevens will describe how ‘lavish’ and ‘economical’ intersect in the work of justice. From her social enterprise, Stevens has learned that love is good business and can help spark a national movement.
The Art of Leadership: Lessons from the American Presidency,” Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Jon Meacham
Tuesday, April 5, 2016 at 4:30 p.m. (UALR Center for Performing Arts) *Part of the Winthrop Rockefeller Distinguished Lecture Series and in partnership with UALR *Book signing to follow
– Jon Meacham is executive editor and executive vice president at Random House, the largest trade book publisher in the world. He is the a former editor-in-chief of Newsweek, a contributing editor to Time magazine, editor-at-large of WNET, and a commentator on politics, history, and religious faith in America. Meacham won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for his previous book, American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House. In his new book, Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush, Meacham chronicles the life, thoughts, decisions, and emotions of George H. W. Bush, drawing on President Bush’s personal diaries, on the diaries of his wife, Barbara, and on extraordinary access to the forty-first president and his family. In this presentation, Meacham explores Jefferson’s pragmatism and JFK’s capacity to recover from his own mistakes, to the management of conflicting egos as shown by Reagan and FDR, and how George H. W. Bush dealt with the end of his Presidency. Meacham explores what 21st century leaders in different fields of endeavor can learn from the greatest moments of our common past and how history can inform the decisions all of us make every day in positions that demand creative and innovative solutions.
Bernard Kinsey, founder of the Kinsey Collection of African American Art and History
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at 12:00 Noon (Sturgis Hall)
– Bernard Kinsey is the president and founder of KBK Enterprises, a management consulting firm with extensive experience and success providing advice and counsel to senior-level executives. He has consulted on economic development with the governments of South Africa, Germany, the U.K., and France, and was appointed Honorary Consul General by the U.S. State Department and the Central African Republic. Kinsey also enjoyed a 20-year association with the Xerox Corporation and was one of the pioneers in breaking down racial barriers in corporate America. His leadership of the Xerox Black Employees Association led to the hiring of thousands of black employees, women, and Latinos, and is the subject of a Harvard Business School case study. For the past 7 years, Bernard Kinsey and his wife, Shirley, have focused their attention on The Kinsey Collection, their national touring museum exhibit of African American art and history dating back to the year 1600. The collection has been viewed by over 3 million visitors, was on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, and is currently on national tour. The Kinsey Collection will be on display at the Mosaic Templars Cultural Center in downtown Little Rock from April 8 – July 2, 2016.
“Campus Sexual Assault: A Survivor’s Perspective,” Kamilah Willingham
Wednesday, April 6, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *In partnership with the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault
– Kamilah Willingham is an outspoken advocate and activist dedicated to gender equality, social justice, and human rights. She currently works as a program and outreach director at the California Women’s Law Center in Los Angeles. She previously worked for Just Detention International (JDI), an organization dedicated to ending sexual abuse in prisons and jails. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School, and received her undergraduate degree from Pomona College.
“Bridges of Madison County” a panel discussion
Thursday, April 7, 2016 at 12:00 Noon (Sturgis Hall) * In partnership with the Arkansas Repertory Theatre
– Fresh from Broadway, Bridges of Madison County is a new musical from Jason Robert Brown based on the bestselling novel by Robert James Waller. Italian-American wife and mother, Francesca, lives a dutiful life on a quiet Iowa farm, until a charismatic, handsome photographer sweeps into her world, reigniting her passion for life and reawakening her capacity for romance. Torn between her need to be loved and her promise to her family, Francesca must make the most difficult choice of her life. Either way, her world will never be the same again. Winner of the 2014 Tony Award for Best Original Score and Best Orchestrations, The Bridges of Madison County opens at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre on April 8.
Sherece West-Scantlebury, president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Friday, April 8, 2016 at 12:00 Noon (Sturgis Hall)
– Sherece West-Scantlebury is president and CEO of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, a private, independent foundation based in Little Rock, Arkansas. Their mission is to improve the lives of all Arkansans in three interrelated issues: economic development; education; and economic, racial, and social justice. Involved in philanthropy for over to 20 years, West-Scantlebury served as CEO at the Foundation for Louisiana and as a program associate at the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Her professional career includes nearly 30 years of experience in community development, public policy and advocacy, and public service. Her talk is in conjunction with the Clinton School Center on Community Philanthropy’s National Conference on Community Philanthropy and Public Service April 7 & 8, 2016.
Yusel Arias, Advisor to Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment for the Republic of Cuba
Monday, April 11, 2016 at 12:00 noon (Sturgis Hall)
– Yusel Arias is a specialist of economical affairs in the U.S. General Division of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Investment for the Republic of Cuba. In a time when diplomatic relations, trade, and travel restrictions are improving with Cuba after decades of hostility, Arias will talk about what this means for the United States. He previously spent time as the second secretary at the Cuban Embassy in Spain and as a specialist in the Europe Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cuba.
Melanne Verveer, executive director of the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security
Tuesday, April 12, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow
– The Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security examines and highlights the roles and experiences of women in peace and security worldwide through cutting edge research, timely global meetings, and strategic partnerships. Ambassador Verveer most recently served as the first U.S. Ambassador for Global Women’s Issues, a position to which she was nominated by President Obama in 2009. She coordinated foreign policy issues and activities relating to the political, economic, and social advancement of women, traveling to nearly sixty countries. President Obama also appointed her to serve as the U.S. Representative to the UN Commission on the Status of Women. From 2000-2008, she was the chair and co-CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international NGO that she co-founded to invest in emerging women leaders. During the Clinton administration, she served as assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the First Lady. She also led the effort to establish the President’s Interagency Council on Women, and was instrumental in the adoption of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. She is the co-author of Fast Forward: How Women Can Achieve Power and Purpose.
“Pig’s Tale: An Omnivore’s Guide to Sustainable Meat,” Barry Estabrook
Thursday, April 14, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall) *Book signing to follow *In partnership with Arkansas Literary Festival
– Barry Estabrook, author of the bestselling book Tomatoland, explores the dark side of the American pork industry in his new book Pig’s Tale: An Omnivore’s Guide to Sustainable Meat. Drawing on his personal experience raising pigs, Estabrook covers the range of the human-porcine experience. He embarks on nocturnal feral pig hunts in Texas, visits farmers who raise animals in vast confinement barns, and he describes the threat of infectious disease and the possible contamination of our food supply. In Pig Tales, Estabrook shows that it’s possible to raise pigs responsibly and respectfully in a way that is good for producers, consumers, and some of the top chefs in America.
“Arkansas Puzzle Day,” with Oliver Roeder
Sunday, April 17, 2016 at 12:00 Noon. (Sturgis Hall) *In partnership with the Arkansas Literary Festival
– Oliver Roeder, a senior writer and puzzle editor for FiveThrityEight, will discuss “Gridgate,” a plagiarism scandal unfolding in the crossword puzzle world. A group of puzzlers, using digital tools, has uncovered a pattern of copying in the professional crossword-puzzle world that has led to accusations of plagiarism and false identity. Following Oliver’s presentation, the Clinton School will welcome crossword and Sodoku puzzle enthusiasts for the Ninth Annual Arkansas Puzzle Day. The event will feature crossword and Sudoku contests at 1:00 p.m. and all skill levels are encouraged to attend and participate.
“Lessons from Traveling to Zika, Ebola, MERS, FLU and SARS Pandemics,” Daniel Lucey
Monday, April 18, 2016 at 12:00 Noon (Sturgis Hall)
– Daniel Lucey is a senior scholar with the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law and an adjunct professor of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University Medical Center. A physician trained in infectious diseases and public health, he has taught for 11 years at Georgetown on global emerging infectious diseases. Lucey completed his infectious disease training and Master of Public Health at Harvard and worked in the U.S. Public Health Service at the National Institutes of Health. He has traveled widely in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to exchange information regarding infectious diseases such as SARS, influenza, Nipah, HIV, anthrax, and MERS.
Kathy Behrens, president of Social Responsibility and Player Programs, National Basketball Association
Tuesday, April 19, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
– As president of Social Responsibility and Player Programs for the National Basketball Association (NBA), Kathy Behrens oversees a group that manages all of the NBA’s programs that coordinate league and player social responsibility efforts, support player growth and development, and enhance the marketing opportunities for current and former players. Behrens joined the NBA in September 2000 as vice president of Community Relations, overseeing all of the NBA’s public service initiatives, community outreach, and employee volunteer programs. She later worked as senior vice president of Community and Player Programs, and executive vice president of Social Responsibility and Player Programs.
“Whistleblower Summit”
Friday, April 22, 2016 at 12:00 Noon (Sturgis Hall)
– Michael McCray is a civil rights lawyer and a federal whistleblower. A native of Arkansas, McCray first went to Washington, D.C. with the Clinton administration and began his community development career working on the Presidential Empowerment Initiative. After that, McCray became know as a whistleblower when he reported over $40 million in government waste, fraud, and abuse. He is the chairperson of the 3-5-7 Commission, a judicial reform association dedicated to exposing judicial misconduct to ensure that American citizens receive fair hearings. McCray is the author of Race, Power and Politics – Memoirs of an ACORN Whistleblower, in which he chronicles the rise and fall of the once venerable Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN). The summit will also feature speakers by Marcel Reid, ACORN whistleblower and Joyce Rothschild, whistleblower researcher
Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America
Wednesday, April 27, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. (Sturgis Hall)
– Shannon Watts is a 43 year-old mother of five children and founder of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Prior to founding the group, Watts was a stay-at-home mom in a suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. She had a 15-year career as a communications executive for both public relations agencies and Fortune 500 corporations. The day after the Sandy Hook tragedy on December 14, 2012, she started a Facebook page for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. That online conversation turned into an offline grassroots movement of American mothers fighting for public safety measures that respect the Second Amendment and protect people from gun violence. Moms Demand Action has established a chapter in every state of the country and, along with Mayors Against Illegal Guns, is part of Everytown for Gun Safety, the largest gun violence prevention organization in the country with more than 2 million members.
“First in Business: George Washington’s Farm at Mount Vernon,” Sam Murphy, manager of Historic Trades at Mount Vernon
Friday, April 29, 2016 at 12:00 Noon (Sturgis Hall)
– “George Washington: the Businessman” is not a moniker that most people associate with our nation’s first President, but it is one of the most illuminating biographical aspects to understanding his ideas, hopes, and challenges for the young nation’s political and economic future. As a farmer, Washington was constantly looking for opportunities to harness and innovate with natural resources and agricultural production. Sam Murphy, Manager of Historic Trades at George Washington’s Mount Vernon brings to life the gardens, river, farms, gristmill, and distillery that propelled this 18th century plantation into the place Washington was most proud to call home.
*Reserve your seats by emailing publicprograms@clintonschool.uasys.edu or calling (501) 683-5239.
*If you are unable to attend a public program in person, you can watch most programs live online for free here.
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