Overheard at the Bush Center: Recent Episodes
George W. Bush Presidential Center
Overheard at the George W. Bush Presidential Center brings you the latest conversations about the world’s most pressing challenges. Join Bush Center experts as they talk to leading policy makers, business leaders, and people on the front lines of change about issues like immigration, economic opportunity, education, democracy and the importance of free societies.
United States Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett joined Shilo Brooks, President and CEO of the Bush Center, to discuss her book, Listening to the Law: Reflections on the Court and Constitution for a special Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint. During their discussion, she reflected on her journey to the Supreme Court, offering insights into her daily life and the Court’s deliberation process.
Related:
- Watch the Engage program
- Celebrate America 250 at the Bush Center
As part of the Engage at the Bush Center series, presented by NexPoint, the Bush Center hosted highly acclaimed author and biographer Walter Isaacson in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. In reflecting on his latest book, Isaacson discussed the Declaration of Independence’s most defining line and how it has shaped our ideals and continues to guide our ongoing pursuit of liberty and equality.
Related:
- Watch the Engage program
- View the Bush Center America 250 events and exhibits
Recently, the Bush Center held the ninth Forum on Leadership focused on the theme The Heart of America. Forum on Leadership is a landmark gathering which develops, recognizes, and celebrates leadership by bringing together notable voices for in-depth discussions on today’s pressing issues.
In his welcoming remarks, Shilo Brooks, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Center, explored what is at the center of the heart of America.
In this conversation, New York Times opinion columnist David French and the Bush Institute’s Anne Wicks discussed freedom of expression and how robust protection for all viewpoints is essential for a free society.
Related:
- Watch the 2026 Forum on Leadership: The Heart of America
- Read the Bush Institute series, Democracy is a Verb
Recently, the Bush Center held the ninth Forum on Leadership focused on the theme The Heart of America. Forum on Leadership is a landmark gathering which develops, recognizes, and celebrates leadership by bringing together notable voices for in-depth discussions on today’s pressing issues.
Panelists Mark Updegrove, President and CEO of the LBJ Foundation; Michelle Ferrari, Director and Producer at 42nd Parallel Films; and Richie Butler, Senior Pastor at St. Luke Community United Methodist Church; reflect on hard-fought democratic milestones achieved in our history that have made our country and its people more free.
Also featured is a testimonial from Mark Reilly, President and CEO of The Washington Tattoo and Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program Class of 2025.
Related:
- Watch the 2026 Forum on Leadership: The Heart of America
- View the Bush Center's America 250 celebrations
Recently, the Bush Center held the ninth Forum on Leadership focused on the theme The Heart of America. Forum on Leadership is a landmark gathering that develops, recognizes, and celebrates leadership by bringing together notable voices for in-depth discussions on today’s pressing issues.
In this panel discussion with Jeff Reinbold, President and CEO of the National Parks Foundation, and Grace Lee, Executive Director of National Park Trust, they shared how our national parks honor our history and inspire the next generation.
Related:
- Watch the 2026 Forum on Leadership: The Heart of America
- See special exhibit, Opening the Vault
Ellen and Clayton Kershaw joined the Bush Center for an inspiring conversation on the power of sports to lift communities, drawing on lessons from Clayton’s storied career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the couple’s deeply rooted commitment to service. In this Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint discussion, the Kershaws shared stories of baseball, faith, and family, and reflected on how sports can unite, strengthen, and transform lives.
Related:
- Watch the Engage at the Bush Center event
- Plan a visit to special exhibit, Game Changer: United by Sports, presented by Garry Weber
As part of the Engage at the Bush Center series presented by NexPoint, the Bush Center, in collaboration with the George W. Bush Presidential Library, hosted acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. Together, they explored how the American Revolution shaped our national identity and considered not just where we came from — but where we’re headed.
Related:
- Watch the Engage at the Bush Center program
- View America250 events at the Bush Center
In this special Engage at the Bush Center event presented by NexPoint, Dori Thornton Waller, former White House Deputy Social Secretary, Sara Armstrong, former Deputy Chief of Staff to Mrs. Laura Bush, and Susan Whitson, former Press Secretary to Mrs. Laura Bush, shared memorable stories and cheerful moments from their holidays in the People’s House.
Keith Hennessey, the Bush Institute’s David Rubenstein Fellow, Kristen Silverberg, Business Roundtable President and COO, and Marc Sumerlin, former Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, joined Director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative Cullum Clark for a thought-provoking and timely conversation on the condition of the U.S. economy, the role of the Federal Reserve, the relationship between the U.S. government and private businesses, the impact of tariffs, the state of international trade, technology’s impact on the economy, and more.
Related:
- Watch the NexPoint Lecture: America's Economic Realignment
- Read the "America the Exceptional" series
As part of our Engage at the Bush Center series presented by NexPoint, legendary sportscasters Bob Costas and Joe Buck came to the Bush Center and shared unforgettable stories, reliving the most transformational and unifying moments in sports history.
Related:
- Watch the Engage at the Bush Center program presented by NexPoint here
- View special exhibit Game Changer: United by Sports, presented by Garry Weber
The Seventh Annual Laura Bush Book Club proudly featured Amor Towles. One of Mrs. Bush’s favorite authors, Towles’ novels Rules of Civility, A Gentleman in Moscow, and The Lincoln Highway, and his collection of shorter fiction Table for Two have all been New York Times bestsellers.
The Bush Center held its eighth annual Forum on Leadership, a landmark event that develops, recognizes, and celebrates leadership by bringing together notable voices for in-depth discussions on today’s pressing issues.
Freedom of the press is foundational to our nation. Martin Baron, Former Executive Director of The Washington Post, and Jessica Yellin, Founder of News Not Noise; joined in discussion with the Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, the Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow at the Bush Institute, to dive into the challenges facing media in America and its role for a thriving democracy.
Related:
- 2025 Forum on Leadership
- Restoring Trust in the Media Panel Discussion
The Bush Center held its eighth annual Forum on Leadership, a landmark event that develops, recognizes, and celebrates leadership by bringing together notable voices for in-depth discussions on today’s pressing issues.
Dr. Ben Sasse, former U.S. Senator from Nebraska and former President of the University of Florida; Dr. R. Gerald Turner, President of Southern Methodist University, and Dr. Melva Wallace, President and CEO of Huston-Tillotson University, discussed the role of higher education within American democracy. Moderated by Robin Berkley, the Ann Kimball Johnson Director of Education at the Bush Institute, the conversation focused on how colleges and universities are vital to preparing young adults to contribute to society.
Related:
- 2025 Forum on Leadership
- Higher Education and Democracy Panel Discussion
The Bush Center held its eighth annual Forum on Leadership, a landmark event that develops, recognizes, and celebrates leadership by bringing together notable voices for in-depth discussions on today’s pressing issues.
In a panel discussion, entrepreneurs Salim Asrawi, Co-Founder and President of Texas de Brazil, and Daniel Lubetzky, Founder of Builders Movement and KIND, shared how they’ve made the most of opportunities in America with moderator Anne Wicks, the Don Evans Family Managing Director of Opportunity and Democracy at the Bush Institute. They discussed the American Dream and how giving back strengthens our democracy.
Related:
- 2025 Forum on Leadership
Topics of geopolitics have been increasingly prominent in the U.S. government in recent years, and no one knows the struggles of maneuvering through these discussions better than a member of the United States Congress. The Engage at the Bush Center program presented by NexPoint brought Senator James Lankford (R-OK) and former Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX) to discuss these topics and get their thoughts on not only navigating policies, but the challenges they may bring.
Related:
- Navigating Turbulence: Senatorial Insights on Geopolitics & Foreign Policy
- Policy Recommendations from the Bush Institute
The incredible story of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, nicknamed the Six Triple Eight, recently came to the Bush Center. The program followed the release of Netflix’s The Six Triple Eight, a film that tells the story of WWII’s only Women’s Army Corps unit of color.
The Engage at the Bush Center program presented by NexPoint featured, former U.S. Ambassador Nicole Avant, best-selling author and critically acclaimed producer of the Netflix film; Milauna Jackson who portrays Captain Campbell in the Netflix film; and Retired Army Col. Edna Cummings, a passionate advocate whose work led to two important recognitions: the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion Monument and the Congressional Gold Medal.
Related:
- Watch the Engage at the Bush Center program presented by NexPoint here
- Read The Unsung Story of the Six Triple Eight from a Veteran Leadership Scholar's perspective
Ree Drummond, star of the long running hit Food Network show, The Pioneer Woman, joined us for a festive Engage at the Bush Center event presented by NexPoint. In a conversation with lifestyle expert Kimberly Schlegel Whitman, Drummond shared stories about her favorite family traditions, tips for gift giving, and of course, the right food for every holiday occasion.
Related:
- Food, Family & Holiday Fun: A Conversation with The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond
- The Pioneer Woman Cooks – A Year of Holidays
As part of the Engage at the Bush Center series presented by NexPoint, Jared Cohen, author of Life After Power, and Jeffrey Engel, founding David Gergen Director of the Center for Presidential History at SMU, headlined a conversation on the post-presidency. The conversation, moderated by Freddy Ford, President Bush’s Chief of Staff, featured insights from history and memorable stories.
Russia and China are closer allies than at any time in the two countries’ modern history. In an Engage at Bush Center conversation presented by NexPoint, a panel of distinguished experts discussed how the United States should deal with Moscow and Beijing. Krys Boyd, Host and Managing Editor of KERA Radio’s award-winning national program, Think, led the conversation featuring John J. Sullivan, former U.S. Ambassador to Russia and deputy Secretary of State and author of Midnight in Moscow, a memoir of his experiences in Russia; Dan Schulman, former President and CEO of PayPal; and Ellen Bork, Fellow at the Bush Institute.
Related:
- Engage NexPoint Lecture: The Russia-China Challenge
- The China challenge: How the U.S. can counter Beijing's authoritarian ambitions
Sitting U.S. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch returned to the Bush Center as part of the Engage at the Bush Center series presented by NexPoint. Justice Gorsuch discussed his new book, Over Ruled: The Human Tool of Too Much Law, and the complex role laws play in Americans lives.
Related:
- A Conversation with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch - Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint
- The Strategerist podcast with Justice Neil Gorsuch
Recently, the Bush Center hosted author Heather Morris for the Laura Bush Book Club as part of Engage at the Bush Center series presented by NexPoint, with support from H-E-B. In her conversation with Bush Institute’s Anne Wicks, Morris discussed her No. 1 international bestselling novel and new original series, The Tattooist of Auschwitz – a story about hope and love, based on interviews conducted with Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov.
Related:
- Laura Bush Book Club with “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” Author Heather Morris
- Mrs. Laura Bush's 2024 Summer Reading List
While foundational to the beliefs of our nation, religious freedom is still denied to many around the globe. This conversation dives into the global significance of this liberty and its domestic importance for our pluralistic society.
Panelists:
- Rushan Abbas, Founder and Executive Director, Campaign for Uyghurs
- David French, Opinion Columnist, The New York Times
- Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and National Director, ADL
- Chris Walsh, Director, Global Policy, George W. Bush Institute (Moderator)
Related:
- 2024 Forum of Leadership
William J. Burns, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, was the keynote speaker at the Bush Center’s 2024 Forum on Leadership. Burns was joined by David J. Kramer, Executive Director of the Bush Institute, for a conversation on how the CIA assesses challenges facing the United States from Russia and China to the Middle East.
Related:
2024 Forum on Leadership
America's role in the world leads to competition and clashes with Russia and China, including when it comes to promoting values of human dignity and personal freedoms. Top minds on this issue will discuss how human rights and democracy factor into the great power competition. With an introductory testimonial by Seohyun Lee, North Korean Human Rights Advocate.
Panelists:
- Mark Green, President, Director, and CEO, The Wilson Center
- William Inboden, Professor and Director, Alexander Hamilton Center for Classical and Civic Education, University of Florida
- Nicole Bobbins Sedaca, Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow, George W. Bush Institute
- Moderator: Igor Khrestin, Bradford M. Freeman Managing Director, Global Policy, George W. Bush Institute
Related:
- 2024 Forum on Leadership
When freedom is under attack, oppressed people’s most powerful tool is often their voice and the voices of others. Global activists Pashtana Durrani, Joseph Kim, and Alice Zhuravel, joined Bush Institute’s Director of Global Policy, Natalie Gonella-Platts, for a panel discussion at the 2024 Forum on Leadership on how they are pushing back against authoritarian threats and speaking truth to power.
Related:
- 2024 Forum on Leadership
Indra Nooyi is the former Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo, where she led a push toward sustainable growth emphasizing more nutritious products, a smaller environmental footprint, and empowerment for employees and communities served. She has been recognized for her achievements by both the governments of the United States and India and has been inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. She’s a role model for women and immigrants and the author of My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future.
As the recipient of the 2024 George W. Bush Medal for Distinguished Leadership, Nooyi sat down with Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the Bush Center, where she shared her journey as the first immigrant to lead a Fortune 50 company.
As part the Engage at the Bush Center series presented by Nexpoint, a panel of former White House Social Secretaries shared insights and behind-the-scenes stories about entertaining at the White House. Moderated by Anita McBride, the panel featured Jeremy Bernard, former White House Social Secretary to President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama; Gahl Hodges Burt, former White House Social Secretary to President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan; and Amy Zantzinger, former White House Social Secretary to President Bush and Mrs. Laura Bush.
Related:
- A Conversation with White House Social Secretaries
In the Winter 2024 edition of The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute, our contributors look at the current condition of American democracy. This virtual conversation will focus on how the United States has reached this point. Guests Jane Dailey of the University of Chicago and Ryan Streeter of the Civitas Institute joined The Catalyst Editor-in-Chief, Jonathan Tepperman, for an Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint virtual discussion on this moment in American history to contextualize the struggles faced by American society and democracy today.
Related:
- Read The Catalyst: ‘The State of American Democracy’
- Watch the webinar and live Q&A
- The winding road to justice by Dr. Jane Dailey
- How we got here by Ryan Streeter
At a recent Engage at the Bush Center event presented by NexPoint, Utah Governor Spencer Cox, a Republican, and Kansas Governor Laura Kelly, a Democrat, had a highly entertaining conversation on the art of disagreeing better. This lively conversation was held in collaboration with KERA and the National Governors Association's Disagree Better Initiative and moderated by KERA THINK's Krys Boyd.
Related:
- Engage at the Bush Center: 'The Art of Disagreeing Better'
- 5 takeaways on how to disagree better
The George W. Bush Institute, in collaboration with Liberty in North Korea, recently hosted 14 North Korean refugees and recipients of the Lindsay Lloyd North Korea Freedom Scholarship for a workshop to further develop their leadership and advocacy skills. At the workshop, the Bush Institute’s Executive Director David J. Kramer, Senior Fellow Victor Cha, and the Bradford M. Freeman Managing Director of Global Policy Igor Khrestin joined moderator and Director of Freedom and Democracy Chris Walsh for a discussion on how China and Russia facilitate North Korea’s human rights abuses.
The conversation is based on a report released by the Bush Institute and CSIS that explores how Beijing and Moscow support and enable North Korea’s crimes against humanity.
Read the report.
In an Engage at the Bush Center webinar presented by Nexpoint Jonathan Tepperman, Senior Fellow and Editor-in-Chief of The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas from the Bush Institute,
discusses the latest issue of The Catalyst: 'The Fix'. Tepperman was joined by Anne Wicks, the Ann Kimball Johnson Director of Education and Opportunity at the George W. Bush Institute and Albert Torres, Associate of Freedom and Democracy at the George W. Bush Institute. They discussed how specific governments and organizations have fixed problems that the rest of the world still struggles with like education and government corruption.
Related:
- The Catalyst: 'The Fix'
- How governments around the world have solved supposedly impossible problems webinar
As part of the Engage at the Bush Center series presented by Nexpoint, Jonathan Tepperman, Editor-in-Chief of The Catalyst, moderated a webinar and Q&A session featuring Bush Institute’s Victor Cha and the Stimson’s Center’s Yun Sun. The discussion focused on topics addressed in the latest edition of The Catalyst such as China’s new geopolitical position, the country’s global influence, and U.S.-China relations.
Related:
- The Catalyst: 'Broken China?'
- How COVID and Ukraine Have Changed Beijing’s Strategy Webinar
Artificial intelligence is spreading throughout the economic, political, and geopolitical spheres with growing public concerns about its ramifications. In this Studio 43 panel discussion for the 2023 Forum on Leadership, Dave Copps, CEO and Co-Founder of Worlds Inc.; John Donovan, CEO of Qudit Investments; and Cullum Clark, Director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative, explored the co-evolution of humans and machines.
Related:
- 2023 Forum on Leadership
Mandy Ginsberg, former CEO of Match Group and Director of ThredUp and Uber Technologies; and Nikki Krishnamurthy, Chief People Officer at Uber Technologies, examined the long-term impacts technology has had on human connections in this Studio 43 session for the 2023 Forum on Leadership. Eva Chiang, Managing Director of Leadership and Programming at the Bush Institute moderated the conversation.
Related:
- 2023 Forum on Leadership
Former U.S. Senator Rob Portman and Nick Eberstadt, the Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute joined Anne Wicks, the Ann Kimball Johnson Director of Education and Opportunity at the Bush Institute, at the 2023 Forum on Leadership to discuss where job opportunities, readiness to work, and regional strength connect in a post- COVID America.
Related:
- 2023 Forum on Leadership
What is the future of American capitalism? Bill Haslam, former Governor of Tennessee and the Sammons Enterprises Fellow at the Bush Institute; Larry Summers, the Charles W. Eliot University Professor and President Emeritus at Harvard University and former U.S. Treasury Secretary; McKesson Corporation’s CEO Brian Tyler, and Mary Moore Hamrick, the Don Evans Family Managing Director of Domestic Policy at the Bush Center, explored what’s next for our economy.
Related
- 2023 Forum on Leadership
At the 2023 Forum on Leadership, Bush Center President and CEO Ken Hersh sat down for the keynote conversation with the 74th Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin. They discussed governing in a purple state, the health of America's democratic spirit, and how we can unite the American people.
Related:
- 2023 Forum on Leadership
Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, joined David J. Kramer, Executive Director of the Bush Institute, to discuss how PEPFAR’s successful program model can inform U.S. engagement in global health and development more broadly.
Related:
- PEPFAR at 20 event
- Read: A report series on lessons learned from PEPFAR’s success
- Read: Building on PEPFAR’s success: Is a win for U.S. foreign policy
- Read: Foreign aid successes: MCC and PEPFAR as models for engagement
President George W. Bush joined 66th U.S. Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice and Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete for a conversation during PEPFAR at 20, an event marking 20 years of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) hosted by the George W. Bush Institute. The trio discussed the inception of PEPFAR, its enormous impact, and how the program is a win for both partner countries and for U.S. foreign policy.
Related:
- Pepfar at 20 event
- A report series on lessons learned from PEPFAR’s success
- Read: Building on PEPFAR’s success: Is a win for U.S. foreign policy
The Bush Institute, in partnership with Freedom House and the National Endowment for Democracy, hosted a conference on The Struggle for Freedom. The event gathered activists, experts, and leaders who assessed threats to freedom and offered recommendations for the cause of liberty. They also examined the global struggle for freedom, pushing back against the authoritarian threat and how the U.S. can help support democracy and human rights abroad.
The Bush Institute, in partnership with Freedom House and the National Endowment for Democracy, hosted a conference on The Struggle for Freedom. The event gathered activists, experts, and leaders who assessed threats to freedom and offered recommendations for the cause of liberty. They also examined the global struggle for freedom, pushing back against the authoritarian threat and how the U.S. can help support democracy and human rights abroad.
The Bush Institute, in partnership with Freedom House and the National Endowment for Democracy, hosted a conference on The Struggle for Freedom. The event gathered activists, experts, and leaders who assessed threats to freedom and offered recommendations for the cause of liberty. They also examined the global struggle for freedom, pushing back against the authoritarian threat and how the U.S. can help support democracy and human rights abroad.
The Bush Institute, in partnership with Freedom House and the National Endowment for Democracy, hosted a conference on The Struggle for Freedom. The event gathered activists, experts, and leaders who assessed threats to freedom and offered recommendations for the cause of liberty. They also examined the global struggle for freedom, pushing back against the authoritarian threat and how the U.S. can help support democracy and human rights abroad.
The Bush Institute, in partnership with Freedom House and the National Endowment for Democracy, hosted a conference on The Struggle for Freedom. The event gathered activists, experts, and leaders who assessed threats to freedom and offered recommendations for the cause of liberty. They also examined the global struggle for freedom, pushing back against the authoritarian threat and how the U.S. can help support democracy and human rights abroad.
On November 16, President Bush and David J. Kramer, Executive Director of the Bush Institute, sat down at The Struggle for Freedom conference hosted by the Bush Institute in partnership with Freedom House and the National Endowment for Democracy. They discussed the importance of U.S. support for democracy and freedom around the world, especially in places like Ukraine.
The Bush Center welcomed Dr. Deborah Birx, the former U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator and former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos as part of our Engage at the Bush Center series, presented by NexPoint. The conversation focused on advancing health care, education, and lessons learned from the pandemic. The panel also discussed the role of public-private partnerships and the positive change they can make in our communities.
Author and Russian corruption fighter Bill Browder joined the Bush Center for a special NexPoint Lecture edition of Engage at the Bush Center. In this conversation, he discussed his harrowing story exposing President Vladimir Putin’s corruption; the real situation on the ground in Russia; as well as the latest developments of the conflict in Ukraine.
Recent eighth grade graduates will be entering the workforce in 2030. Is your state preparing them appropriately? Governor Bill Haslam, the Sammons Enterprises Fellow at the Bush Institute, and Anne Wicks, the Ann Kimball Johnson Director of Education and Opportunity at the Bush Institute, discuss how we can support our kids and create opportunities for them.
Troy Aikman, the Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback and NFL broadcaster, joined the Bush Center for an Engage at the Bush Center event, presented by NexPoint. Aikman reflected on what matters most to him: fatherhood and community. ABC Dallas' main sports anchor, Joe Trahan, led this special conversation, which also included some football talk and discussion of Aikman's recent move to ESPN.
On May 18, the Bush Institute and four partner organizations hosted Elections – A More Perfect Union. Dr. Condoleezza Rice, former Secretary of State and the Tad and Dianne Taube Director of the Hoover Institution; and Natan Sharansky, Honorary Member of the Board of Governors of The Jewish Agency for Israel, discuss the experience of elections in other countries and how America’s commitment to the peaceful transfer of power play in inspiring and advancing democracy abroad.
On May 18, the Bush Institute and four partner organizations hosted Elections – A More Perfect Union. In this panel discussion, experts share how the integrity of elections is being protected in various states and conveying the threats currently facing election administration and workers. Panelists include: Maggie Oliver, New Mexico Secretary of State; Joanna Lydgate, Founder and CEO of States United Democracy Center; and Bill Gates, Chairman of Maricopa County Board of Supervisors.
In this episode, experts and analyst discuss the role of elections in a democratic society, how they have evolved over time, and how important it is to safeguard elections against challenges of the day.
Featured guests include: Ken Hersh, George W. Bush Center President and CEO; Jon Meacham, Co-chair of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy; Yuval Levin, Director of Social, Cultural, and Constitutional Studies at American Enterprise Institute; and Rachel Kleinfeld, Senior Fellow Democracy, Conflict, And Governance Program for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Kenneth Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center shares opening remarks at the 2022 Forum on Leadership, highlighting leadership domestic and abroad. Anne Wicks, the Ann Kimball Johnson Director of Education and Opportunity at the Bush Center joins Mitch Daniels, President of Purdue University, to discuss the changes need to be made to ensure opportunity for all students and How institutions, including higher education, can better serve the public.
Dr. Sakena Yacoobi received the 2022 George W. Bush Institute Citation for her decades of work empowering women and providing leadership and education to her fellow citizens in Afghanistan. In this conversation at the 2022 Forum on Leadership, she shares how her efforts to cultivate love and respect across the deep divisions made throughout history gives hope to generations of women and children.
Sustained and robust economic growth in the United States will require bold and innovative solutions. In a candid conversation at the 2022 Forum on Leadership with Secretary Elaine Chao, 24th United States Secretary of Labor, and Gary Cohn, IBM Vice President, they discuss what it will take from public and private sector leaders to put all Americans on the path to opportunity.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, what are the lessons learned to address public health challenges? Amid vaccine diplomacy efforts abroad, why is American leadership so critical to address these challenges around the world? In this Forum on Leadership conversation, Dr. Deborah Birx, Senior Fellow at the Bush Institute and former White House coronavirus response coordinator, and Harbinger Health CEO Dr. Stephen Hahn address these questions and more.
At the 2022 Forum on Leadership, Bush Center President and CEO Ken Hersh sat down for the keynote conversation with General James Mattis, 26th United States Secretary of Defense. He discussed how vital America’s voice is in advancing freedom and prosperity at home and around the world.
Americans are reevaluating their priorities when it comes to where and how they live. The pandemic has spurred a mass migration of people over the past two years, with some cities experiencing vast population increases and others steep declines. But there is a recipe for success: For cities to be prosperous and have vibrant, opportunity-rich economies, they must build a highly educated workforce; provide a strong sense of community; maintain a welcoming approach to newcomers, including immigrants; pursue commerce-friendly policies; invest in walkable centers, greenspace, and good physical infrastructure; and offer an affordable quality of life.
In this virtual conversation, Cullum Clark, Director of the Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative, and Henry Cisneros, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, discuss how America can create more cities of opportunity. Moderated by Holly Kuzmich, Executive Director of the Bush Institute, the conversation addresses policy changes city and state leaders should prioritize to ensure future success.
Engage at the Bush Center, Presented by NexPoint
Effective leadership begins with making connections, and humor is a way to build rapport, ease into uncomfortable conversations, and help to bring joy during difficult times. It’s no coincidence that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who has emerged as an inspirational leader to his people, began his career as a comedian.
In our own democracy, humor remains vital as a tool of both diplomacy and leadership. It’s also a way to hold our leaders accountable. On March 8, 2022, Bush Center President and CEO Ken Hersh moderates a panel discussion about humor in the Nation’s highest office featuring Karen Hughes, a longtime advisor to President Bush; Landon Parvin, the author of many humorous speeches delivered by presidents at White House Correspondents’ Association dinners and other lighthearted occasions; and David Litt, a bestselling author and former Funny or Die producer who served as a speechwriter to President Obama. The program complements the special exhibit Liberty and Laughter: The Lighter Side of the White House, open now at the Bush Center.
Related
- Watch event video
- Learn more about Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint
In a shift in American culture and values, we asked ‘What does the American Dream look like today? Can it still be realized?’
Cullum Clark, sat down with Dallas Cowboys linebacker Jaylon Smith; Jorge Lima, who is the senior vice president of policy at Americans for Prosperity and leads immigration efforts at the nonprofit, Stand Together; and Dionne Gumbs, CEO and Founder of GenEQTY, to discuss the path to faster, more inclusive growth and opportunity.
Related:
- The Catalyst: A Journal of Ideas for the Bush Institute - The State of the American Dream
- Bush Institute- SMU Economic Growth Initiative Blueprint for Opportunity
In an interview on immigration insights with Bush Institute Executive Director Holly Kuzmich, former Mayor of El Paso Dee Margo discusses frontline perspectives from the U.S.-Mexico border and what a secure border looks like.
Related
- Read the transcript
- The Bush Institute's work on immigration
Recorded at the 2019 Forum on Leadership
What was born out of a race between governments to explore the frontier of space has shifted to a competition between private companies. As the frontier continues to change, what is a realistic expectation for the future of space? With both corporations and governments now in this arena, each with different goals and ambitions, how is the future of the new space race going to safely benefit the world?
Featuring
- Ariane Cornell Head of Astronaut Strategy and Sales, Blue Origin
- Sean O’Keefe (Moderator) Professor, Syracuse University Maxwell School; Former Secretary of the Navy; Former Administrator, NASA
- Matt Rooney (Remarks) Managing Director, Bush Institute-SMU Economic Growth Initiative
Related
- 2019 Forum on Leadership
- Bush Institute Economic Growth Initiative
In 2017, President George W. Bush delivered a powerful speech at the Bush Institute's Spirit of Liberty event in New York. He discussed the importance of the United States' role in the world, and stressed that we should not become an isolationist, nationalist, or protectionist Nation. With an introduction by U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Ramon Padilla Munguia.
Related
- The Spirit of Liberty
- Freedom and Democracy at the George W. Bush Institute
- About Sergeant First Class Ramon Padilla Munguia
At the 2021 Forum on Leadership, Bush Center CEO Ken Hersh sat down for the keynote conversation Hamdi Ulukaya, Founder and CEO of Chobani. He shared his inspiring story, including the experiences that brought him to America and eventually led him to create Chobani. He also discusses life in the United States -- and why this is the land of opportunity.
Related
- Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants
- 2021 Forum on Leadership
The George W. Bush Institute conducted an international symposium at the Invictus Games 2016 to discuss solutions to help returning servicemen and women overcome their invisible wounds and improve outcomes for their transition back to civilian life. Prince Harry joined President Bush for a conversation about the importance of reducing the barriers to care and the role of sport in recovery. President Bush also served as the Honorary Chairman for Invictus Games Orlando 2016.
Related:
- Watch the full Invictus Games Symposium
- Learn more about the Bush Institute Military Service Initiative
Holly Kuzmich, George W. Bush Institute Executive Director, sat down with Carlos Gutierrez, former Secretary of Commerce, to discuss the impact immigrants have on the United States.
Related
- Bush Institute work on immigration
In a companion event to the Bush Center’s special exhibit on immigration and President Bush’s new book, Out of Many, One: Portraits of America's Immigrants, a panel of experts examine the incredible biodiversity, agricultural strength, and beauty of our southern border. The conversation tackles how to thoughtfully secure and manage a diverse border region, and how to protect and preserve the land itself.
Texas Tribune CEO and Co-Founder Evan Smith leads the discussion with former U.S. CongressmanWill Hurd, former Mexican Ambassador to the U.S.Geronimo Gutierrez Fernandez, conservationist and film producerJay Kleberg(The River and the Wall), andAdair Margo, who has been involved in the El Paso/Juarez border community her entire life. She founded the Adair Margo Gallery in 1985 and co-authored an oral history of the region with renowned local artist Tom Lea.
The conversation also focuses on the people who live and work along the border, and the diversity of culture that makes the region unique. The panel examines topics such as the economy, food, the arts, and education, while also touching on policy that can help us facilitate a more efficient and compassionate immigration system.
Learn more about the Bush Institute's work on immigration
Michael Chertoff, former Secretary of Homeland Security and Co-founder and Executive Chairman of the Chertoff Group, discusses the U.S.-Mexico border and what it will take to address immigration reform that also tackles border security.
Related
- Read a transcript of this conversation
- Learn more about the Bush Institute's work on immigration
Recorded April 20, 2018 at Moody Coliseum at SMU
In 2018, Amazon Chairman and CEO Jeff Bezos sat down with Ken Hersh at the Bush Center’s first annual Forum on Leadership. They discussed his approach to entrepreneurship and his vision for Amazon in the early days, how he led his company to be the one of the largest retailers in the world, and his vision for the next frontier – space.
Related
- 2018 Forum on Leadership
Recorded December 9, 2020
In December at ExcelinEd’s EdPalooza, President Bush shared his insights on leadership in education, how to ignite change, and on the post-pandemic road ahead for education in America with former Secretary of Education and Texas 2036 CEO Margaret Spellings.
Related
- About the Bush Institute Education Reform Initiative
Former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice joined Holly Kuzmich, Executive Director of the Bush Institute, to discuss immigration -- "America's secret weapon."
Related
- Immigration policy at the George W. Bush Institute
- Dr. Rice at the 2021 Bush Center Forum on Leadership, introduced by President Bush
Recorded August 6, 2014
In 2014, First Ladies Mrs. Laura Bush and Mrs. Michelle Obama were joined by moderator Cokie Roberts to discuss their unique and powerful platform -- empowering young girls and women around the globe.
Related:
- Watch all sessions from Investing in Our Future
- Learn more about the Bush Institute Women's Initiative
Recorded April 19, 2018 at the Bush Center's Forum on Leadership
In 2018, President George W. Bush sat down with Bono from U2 to chat about life, leadership, and PEPFAR -- what Bono called “the greatest health intervention in the history of medicine.”
Related
- Bush Institute Global Health Initiative
- An Oral History of PEPFAR