Alumni Speaker Series
In 2007, the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the LBJ School Alumni Association cosponsored a new lunchtime speaker series. The LBJ Alumni Speaker Series features distinguished alumni talking about their work and the lessons they have learned. There have been six speakers since the inception of the series.
Spring 2008
Frank Sturzl
Frank Sturzl, Executive Director, Texas Municipal League, and a graduate of the LBJ School was the first spring speaker for alumni speaker series cosponsored by the Lyndon Baines Johnson School of Public Affairs and the LBJ School Alumni Association. This event was held on Monday February 25, 2008, in the LBJ Student Lounge.
Attendees were provided a view of the issues facing municipalities, how they work collaboratively to affect public and private sector decisions both on the state and national level, and the importance of providing low cost risk pool coverage for local governments.
Mr. Sturzl has worked in several positions in many Texas Municipal League departments including federal and state policy analysis and insurance services. He served as Assistant Director from 1986 until June of 1988, when the board selected him as Executive Director.
David Crockett
LBJ alumnus Dr. David Crockett examined the upcoming fall election through the lens of "regime cycles." Dr. Crockett argued that we view American politics as a series of partisan regimes in which one political party has the natural advantage over another in any specific electoral era.
He discussed what is required for the normally disadvantaged party in a specific era to win presidential elections and what has to transpire for Democrats to win in 2008.
The talk focused on the factors common to opposition party victory: a governing party in trouble, an opposition party candidate who can be considered a blank slate and an opposition party campaign that does not launch a frontal attack on the core issue differences that divide the two parties.
Dr. Crockett examined these factors both from a historical and political context. His talk provided a clear understanding of the nature of this year’s campaign and what it will take for Democrats to win the presidential election.
Jorge Garcés
The final talk of the spring LBJ Alumni Speaker Series featured Jorge Garcés (LBJ Class of 1977) who is CEO of the North American Development Bank. The North American Development Bank (NADB) was created under a bilateral side agreement to NAFTA to certify and fund US-Mexico environmental infrastructure and is the only development bank that can finance projects in the United States.
His talk discussed how the bank assists border communities on both sides of the border to develop and finance affordable, self-sustaining projects with broad support from local communities. Mr. Garcés also talked about how NADB promotes a comprehensive approach to infrastructure planning and financing, including its grant and loan programs.
Fall 2007
Craig D. Pedersen
Craig D. Pedersen, Vice President of Water and Wastewater in Texas for URS Corporation spoke on September 17, 2007. Mr. Pedersen talked about the challenges and opportunities that accompany managing water in Texas. He discussed why we should care about water in Texas, how the water system is organized today, the factors influencing water management, challenges we face, and our plans for the future. View Webcast
DeAnn Friedholm
On October 15, 2007, DeAnn Friedholm was the second speaker and discussed how she has worked to improve health and social services for disadvantaged people. She talked about how her desire to help realize President Johnson's vision led her to Washington, back to Austin, to South Africa and back again to Austin.
She discussed how she was successful in creating strategies for accomplishing program improvements and reforms including stints with the US Department of Health and Human Services, US Senate Budget Committee, with Governors Mark White and Ann Richards, and as Texas Medicaid Director. And, she made mention of her experiences working in the political arena and how that prepared her time at the LBJ School, and for her commitment to empowering people. View Webcast
Frank Curtis
On November 19, 2007, LBJ Alum Frank Curtis (Class of 1975) was the final guest for the fall semester in the lunchtime speaker series. Mr. Curtis discussed his long career as a public servant. He talked about the importance of empowering others and how one can be a successful human services provider. He discussed how a background in public policy allows one to be successful in any career path, and how his experiences were a testimony to this fact. View Webcast
Spring 2007
Susan K. Rieff
The inaugural speaker was Susan K. Rieff, executive director of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. On February 19, 2007 Ms. Rieff discussed her work at the Wildflower Center since being named Executive Director in July 2004. She also spoke to the changes the center has undergone after its September 2006 acquisition by the University of Texas at Austin and the relationship with the LBJ School. View Webcast
David Firestein
On March 19, 2007, the series' second speaker was David Firestein, a Foreign Service officer at the U.S. Department of State. He gave an interactive presentation discussing the political communication effect of the contemporary country music in which he argues that country music radio reinforces a specific sense of social and political identity. In his presentation, he played a number of country music hits, including the official theme songs off the 2000 and 2004 Bush/Cheney campaigns. View Webcast
Billy Hamilton
The last speaker of the spring was Billy Hamilton, former deputy comptroller of public accounts for the State of Texas Comptroller. On April 23, 2007, he discussed the current state and future of Texas finances. He also discussed his experience performing performance reviews for other states including assisting California Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration. Mr. Hamilton also discussed how the LBJ School provides an exceptional skills training for future public servants. View Webcast
