Institute schedules diverse array of speakers

August 25, 2006

Institute schedules diverse array of speakers

by Sun Min

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- A "dream team" of speakers will grace the stage during the fall lecture series sponsored by the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

The schedule includes former White House Chief of Staff Andrew H. Card, Jr., civil rights leader Martin Luther King III, civic leader Paula Wolff, New York Times journalist Philip Taubman, United Nations adviser Gillian M. Sorensen and union leader Henry L. Bayer.

"We are pleased to present a diverse array of speakers who have played pivotal roles in policy making at various levels -- international, national and state," institute Director Mike Lawrence said. "I am confident our audiences will benefit from the perspectives of a White House chief of staff, a civil rights activist, the Washington bureau chief for the New York Times, a senior staff member at the United Nations, the top policy person in a gubernatorial administration and a dedicated, highly capable union leader."

Card, whose appearance is part of the Morton-Kenney Public Affairs Lecture Series, will speak on Oct. 10. "I am delighted to come to SIU and Southern Illinois at the invitation of the institute founded by someone for whom I had great respect," he said. "It was my pleasure to work with Paul Simon on a number of occasions. I viewed him as a wise man who listened well and responded with intellect."

From November 2000 to April 2006, Card served as chief of staff for President George W. Bush. He was the second-longest serving White House chief of staff. Under President George H.W. Bush, Card served as secretary of transportation, assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff. He managed the daily operations of the White House staff and participated in the full range of economic, foreign and domestic policy development. Card served in President Ronald Reagan's administration as special assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs and subsequently as Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs.

This weekend, Martin Luther King III will make two appearances in Carbondale. On Saturday, Aug. 26, he will speak at 5 p.m. at the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 803 N. Robert Stalls Ave. On Sunday, Aug. 27, he will speak at 10:45 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church, 214 W. Main St. King, the son of the late Martin Luther King, Jr., is president and CEO of the King Center in Atlanta, Ga. King is also the former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

Paula Wolff will visit SIUC on Sept. 18. She is senior executive at Chicago Metropolis 2020, a civic organization implementing policy initiatives and programs for regional action on issues including land use, transportation, childhood development and education. She will receive the 2006 Ralph A. Dunn Public Service Award, named for the former Du Quoin businessman and state legislator. Dunn, who served 22 years in the Illinois General Assembly, died in 2004 at the age of 90. Wolff is a former president of Governors State University in University Park and a former director of policy and planning for former Gov. James R. Thompson.

As a prelude to Philip Taubman's visit, the institute will host a discussion on "Public Officials, the Media and the Public Interest" on Sept. 20. Panel members will explore issues related to the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act.

Taubman is Washington, D. C., bureau chief of The New York Times. On Sept. 25, he will speak on "Why We Publish Secrets." The day after Taubman's lecture, the institute will hold a panel discussion on how journalists decide to publish sensitive information. Taubman joined the Times in 1979 as a reporter in the Washington bureau, initially covering the Justice Department and working on investigative projects and later specializing in national security and intelligence issues. Taubman is the recipient of two George Polk awards – the first in 1981 for national reporting about two former CIA employees who provided aid to Libya and the second in 1983 for foreign affairs reporting for coverage of American policy in Central America.

Gillian M. Sorensen, senior adviser at the United Nations Foundation, will visit SIUC on Oct. 24. She has had a long career working with and for the U.N. Since l993, she served as special adviser for public policy for Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali, then as assistant secretary general, head of the Office of External Relations for Secretary General Kofi Annan.

On the calendar for Nov. 15 is Henry L. Bayer, executive director of Council 31, the Illinois affiliate of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME). Council 31 is presently the bargaining representative for more than 75,000 state, university and local government employees throughout Illinois. Since 1992 Bayer has also served as international vice president of the 1.3 million-member AFSCME and, as such, sits on the union's highest policy-making board.

The institute also rescheduled an appearance by Illinois House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie, D-Chicago. Currie was originally scheduled to speak on campus last spring but was forced to postpone her visit due to an extended Illinois General Assembly session. She plans to speak at SIUC next spring.

All events are free and open to the public. The fall schedule follows:

Martin Luther King III

Saturday, Aug. 26

5 p.m.

New Zion Missionary Baptist Church, Carbondale; and

Sunday, Aug. 27

10:45 a.m.

First United Methodist Church

Paula Wolff

Recipient of the Ralph A. Dunn Public Service Award

Monday, Sept. 18

7 p.m.

SIUC Student Center, Auditorium

Panel discussion on "Public Officials, the Media and the Public Interest"

Wednesday, Sept. 20

9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

SIUC Student Center, Ballroom D

Philip Taubman

Washington D.C., bureau chief of the New York Times

Monday, Sept. 25

7 p.m.

SIUC Student Center, Ballroom D

"Publishing Secrets: A Panel Discussion"

Tuesday, Sept. 26

10-11:30 a.m.

SIUC Student Center Auditorium

Andrew H. Card, Jr.

White House chief of staff 2000-2006

Tuesday, Oct. 10

7 p.m.

Shryock Auditorium

Gillian M. Sorensen

Senior adviser, United Nations Foundation and

former under-secretary general of the United Nations

Tuesday, Oct. 24

7 p.m.

SIUC Student Center Auditorium

Henry Bayer

Executive director, Illinois AFSCME

Wednesday, Nov. 15

7 p.m.

SIUC Student Center, Ballroom D

Developing citizen-leaders with global perspectives, and pursuing leadership opportunities to address social, health and economic development issues of importance to our region are among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.