April 09, 2019

Emeritus faculty lecture will look at leadership challenges ahead in Illinois and Washington, D.C

by Pete Rosenbery

john-shawCARBONDALE, Ill., — John Shaw, director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, will discuss the leadership challenges facing political leaders in Washington, D.C. and in Springfield later this month.

Shaw will present “Daunting but Different Leadership Challenges Loom in Springfield and Washington” at 9 a.m., April 23, at Grace United Methodist Church, 220 N. Tower Road, Carbondale. The lecture is an Emeritus Faculty Organization event.

Admission is free and the lecture is open to the public.

2019 could be a ‘challenging year’

Shaw said it is likely that 2019 will be one of the “most challenging and consequential years” in recent Illinois and American history.

“Meeting these challenges will require leaders in both Springfield and Washington to display qualities that have been in short supply in recent years: vision, courage, compassion, civility, fairness, and wisdom,” he said. “Our leaders must begin by asking what is best for our state and country and then fairly consider issues, weigh evidence, and render judgments, even if they clash with personal or partisan preferences.”

Paul Simon Institute’s Statesmanship Initiative, upcoming speakers

The Statesmanship Initiative will include the publication of a booklet later this year, “The Urgent Need for Statesmanship: A Citizen’s Guide.”

Two lectures this fall will include Betty Koed, U.S. Senate Historian on Sept. 9 and David Kennedy, a Pulitzer Prize-winning professor and historian from Stanford University on Sept. 23.

Shaw’s 26-year career includes reporting for a variety of influential publications

Prior to becoming institute director in January 2018, Shaw was a 26-year veteran congressional reporter with Market News International and covered political and economic issues for the global news service.

He was a contributing writer for the monthly magazine The Washington Diplomat for the past 20 years. Shaw’s “People of World Influence” column profiled international affairs leaders including Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, James Baker, Sam Nunn and Zbigniew Brzezinski. 

Shaw is the author of five books including “Richard G. Lugar: Statesman of the Senate” and “JFK in the Senate: Pathway to the Presidency.” His latest book, “Rising Star, Setting Sun: Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and the Presidential Transition That Changed America” was released last year.

A native of Peoria, Shaw earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Knox College in Galesburg. He earned his master’s degree in history from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia and did graduate work in international relations at The Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

He has been a congressional analyst for media outlets including C-SPAN, ABC’s “20/20,” “The PBS Newshour,” and SkyNews Australia.