I’m honored to have been appointed as the Sammons Enterprises Fellow at the Bush Institute. I will be focusing on education and workforce issues, including supporting several of the Institute’s initiatives.

It’s an exciting opportunity and I’m flattered to have been selected along with Keith Hennessey , Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, and Robert A. McDonald.

Bush Institute Announces Endowed Fellows to Advance Mission and Broaden Expertise

DALLAS -- The George W. Bush Institute is proud to announce the appointment of four Endowed Fellows to help further the mission to develop leaders, advance policy, and take action to solve today’s most pressing challenges. They include: Sammons Enterprises Fellow John Bailey; Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow Nicole Bibbins Sedaca; David Rubenstein Fellow Keith Hennessey; and April and Jay Graham Fellow Robert A. McDonald.

“A key objective of the A Charge to Keep capital campaign was to establish an Endowed Fellows program that would attract the finest minds of our time to the Bush Center,” said Ken Hersh, President and CEO of the George W. Bush Presidential Center. “This program enables us to continue our work on important and pressing issues for generations to come.”

“These four distinguished individuals bring varied, prestigious backgrounds to support our growing expertise and thought leadership, as well as expand our body of work across the Institute,” said Holly Kuzmich, Executive Director of the Bush Institute.

Sammons Enterprises Fellow John Bailey  supports the Bush Institute’s efforts to ensure that students are prepared for college and a career. Bailey’s experience has spanned government, philanthropy, and the private sector working on a range of issues including technology, education, economic mobility, and immigration. He served as a domestic policy advisor in the White House, Deputy Policy Director to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, and Director of Educational Technology at the U.S. Department of Education. He co-founded the strategic advisory firm Whiteboard Advisors, served as a senior program officer at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and advisor at the Walton Family Foundation, and most recently was the VP of Policy for Governor Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education.

Kelly and David Pfeil Fellow Nicole Bibbins Sedaca  brings expertise on American foreign policy, democracy, freedom, human rights, and leadership. She will continue her work writing and speaking on behalf of the Bush Institute and serves as faculty in our various leadership programs. In Georgetown University’s Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) program, Bibbins Sedaca serves as the Deputy Director and Chair for the Global Politics and Security Concentration, as well as a Professor in the Practice of International Affairs in MSFS. Bibbins Sedaca has held numerous positions in the public and non-governmental sectors in the United States and Ecuador, including ten years in the United States Department of State, working on democracy promotion, human rights, human trafficking, religious freedom, refugees, and counterterrorism.  

David Rubenstein Fellow Keith Hennessey  serves as a faculty member of the Presidential Leadership Scholars (PLS) program, where he leads classroom sessions focused on Values-Based Leadership, Effective Decision-Making, and Effective Policy Design and Implementation.  He also serves as a faculty member in the Bush Institute’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program. As a Lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, Hennessey teaches economic policy and civics to MBA students and is a winner of the MBA Distinguished Teaching Award. Hennessey served as Deputy Director and then Director of the National Economic Council for President George W. Bush, advising him on a wide range of economic policies.

April and Jay Graham Fellow Robert A. McDonald  serves as a key member of the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative team, advocating for post-9/11 veterans and building awareness for the issues that affect their successful transitions to civilian life including employment, education, and health and wellbeing. McDonald served as the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs from 2014-2017. While at the helm of the VA, he was able to help transform the agency into one that delivered better care for our military veterans. Prior to that, McDonald served Procter & Gamble (P&G) for 33 years with the last four as Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.  An Army Veteran, he served with the 82nd Airborne Division. He completed Jungle, Arctic, and Desert Warfare training and earned the Ranger tab, the Expert Infantryman Badge, and Senior Parachutist wings. Upon leaving military service, then-Captain McDonald was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.

About the George W. Bush Institute

Housed within the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the George W. Bush Institute is an action-oriented, nonpartisan policy organization with the mission of developing leaders, advancing policy, and taking action to solve today’s most pressing challenges. Through three Impact Centers – Domestic Excellence, Global Leadership, and an Engagement Agenda – the Bush Institute delivers measurable results that save and improve lives. To learn more, visit http://www.bushcenter.org.