Atheneum announces summer speakers
Jack Welch, David Gergen and Calvin Trillin included
BY MARLI GUZZETTA INDEPENDENT ARTS EDITOR
"In this global age, is the United States leading or following?" That is the question posed to this year's slate of speakers in the Geschke Lecture Series, hosted by the Nantucket Atheneum.

"At the end of last year's Geschke, I solicited ideas from a variety of people and also Nan and Chuck Geschke, and this seemed like a good idea, particularly as we're in a pre-election year," said Molly Anderson, director of the Atheneum. "The opening years of the 21st century have pointed to the fact that we live in difficult and complex times. We're in a world with a lot of complex issues, and it requires thoughtful and effective leaders. So we thought it would be interesting to bring together people who are either leaders themselves and have done some thinking on the topic of leadership or who have studied leadership, to see what their thoughts were about individual leadership or organizational leadership in this complex global age."

The series intends to explore the components of leadership, not just in the political realm, but also in business, world health, the environment, education and science.

Anderson conceded that art and religion are absent, in terms of the speakers' specialties - she's leaving the subjects open as possible themes for future Geschke series.

"We tried to pull together a group of people who

would give us a variety of perspectives," Anderson said. "Hopefully it will give our audience things to think about going into an election year, but also help each of them figure out what one can do, as a citizen, to make sure that we support strong leaders and are concerned about how we generate the next generation of leaders."

Anderson offered a quick explanation on some of the reasons for choosing each of the speakers:

+ Charles Kolb, President of the Committee For Economic Development and president and C.E.O. of Aerodyne Research, Inc. Kolb is President of the Committee for Economic Development with offices in New York City and Washington, D.C. CED is an independent, nonpartisan organization of 250 business and education leaders dedicated to economic and social policy research and the implementation of its recommendations by the public and private sectors. (Speaking Wednesday, July 11, 8 p.m., at the Unitarian Church)

"I didn't know a lot about the CED until my neighbor, who'd had some contact with Charlie Kolb, said, 'Oh, you've got to get Charlie, because he's a really forward thinking person.' The Committee for Economic Development has been around a long time and was responsible for the Marshall Plan. … Today, the group is an interesting think tank that brings together 250 CEOS - business-minded people - who look at social policy and decide how the business community can help implement positive social change. The members of the committee come together as volunteers to put their heads together and ask, 'How can we use our expertise to solve these problems?' Their big issue right now is early childhood education."

+ Dr. Susan Hockfield, President of Massachusetts Institute Of Technology A noted neuroscientist whose research has focused on the development of the brain, Hockfield is the first life scientist to lead MIT and holds a faculty appointment as professor of neuroscience in the Institute's Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences. (Friday, July 20, 8 p.m., at the First Congregational Church)

"Susan Hockfield will be really interesting. The whole educational scene up there on the Charles is changing - with a woman president at M.I.T. and a woman president at Harvard. I just think it's a very cool period, and she has a wonderful science and education background. I'm interested to hear what she has to say not just about women and education, but just education in general."

+ Frances Beinecke, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council Beinecke became the NRDC's second president in 2006. She served as executive director from 1998 through 2005 and has been with NRDC for more than 30 years. The NRDC is a national environmental action organization that uses law, science and the support of 1.2 million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. Beinecke's leadership is informed by a strong background in ecosystem studies. She received her bachelor's degree from Yale College and a master's degree from the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. (Monday, July 23, 8 p.m., at the Unitarian Church)

"Frances Beinecke is of course related to the island Beineckes, and she has been just a powerful force for the environment for a long time. Again, that's an area that will be focused on a great deal in the next election, and it's important for us to know who are the agents for change and how this one organization has been able to make significant changes in the world. … I want her to also tell us how we can paticipate and what we can expect in the future."

+ David Gergen, Director of Harvard University's Center for Public Leadership, and U.S. News & World Report editor-at-large In earlier years, he served as a White House advisor to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Clinton. (Wed., Aug. 1, 8 p.m. at the United Methodist Church)

"David Gergen you probably know from television. In these times of change, you need the anchor people, and he is an anchor guy - he makes me feel the way Walter Cronkite made me feel, when I hear him speaking on television. The fact that he's been in the White House under so many different umbrellas, his perspective is really incredible.

+ Dr. John Howe, president and CEO of Project Hope Howe first served as Distinguished Chair in Health Policy at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and then became President & CEO of Project HOPE on May 1, 2001. Project HOPE is an international health foundation, with offices and programs in 24 countries on five continents. He is board certified in both internal medicine and cardiovascular disease and is a tenured professor in the University's Department of Medicine. Dr. Howe had also been the Health Services Center's chief executive for fifteen years, where he provided leadership to the University's Medical School, Dental School, Nursing School, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Allied Health Sciences and Doctor of Pharmacy program. (Wed., Aug. 8, 8 p.m. at the Unitarian Church)

"In my childhood, Project HOPE was a de-commissioned Navy ship that went to places with crisis, bringing volunteer doctors and nurses who would go on the ship and serve for three months. It was like a floating Peace Corps. The ship had to be de-commissioned again because it was too old, so Project Hope decided they would broaden their mission and send volunteer medical groups out into the world without having them tied to a ship. They do really interesting things. They put up a children's hospital in Basra. They have a nursing school in China. They were huge in the tsunami effort. They've had a trajectory of being leaders in global health, having had to change their method of delivery to reflect the times, and I think the past reflects their history of leadership. John Howe also has a summer house here, and he's a very, very thoughtful guy."

+ Jack and Suzy Welch, authors of "Winning" and Business Week columnists

Former chairman and CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch now heads Jack Welch, LLC, where he serves as an advisor to a small group of Fortune 500 business CEOs and speaks to business people and students around the world. He currently teaches a leadership course at MIT's Sloan School of Management. Suzy Welch is a contributing writer for O Magazine, where she writes frequently about balancing work and life, as well as the delicate art of managing career challenges. She is also the Executive-in-Residence at Babson University's Center for Women's Leadership, where she teaches and advises both undergraduates and MBAs. Together Jack and Suzy write a weekly column for Business Week magazine and a global weekly syndicated column appearing in over 45 countries answering questions about business, company, or career challenges. In 2006, they published these columns in a book called "Winning:The Answers." (Wed., Aug. 15, 8 p.m., at Nantucket High School's Mary P. Walker Auditorium)

"The Welches have had interesting careers, each one of them - they've seen a lot in the business world. I expect that this one will be very interactive, because Jack doesn't like to get up and give a lecture, which is great. … I think people will come with their own questions that will help frame the discussion. I'll also be sharing with them key questions and ideas we're addressing in this series."

+ Constance Laibe Hays Memorial Lecturer: "Deadline poet" and New York Times bestselling author Calvin Trillin Trillin has been acclaimed in fields of writing that are remarkably diverse. As someone who has published solidly reported pieces in The New Yorker for forty years, he has been called 'perhaps the finest reporter in America.'His wry commentary on the American scene and his books chronicling his adventures as a 'happy eater' have earned him renown as 'a classic American humorist.' Trillin was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo. and now lives in New York. He graduated from Yale in 1957. Since 1990, Trillin has written a piece of comic verse weekly for The Nation. His latest book, "About Alice," released in January of this year is a New York Times Best Seller. (Wed., July 25, 8 p.m., at the Unitarian Church)

"Calvin has been one of my favorite authors through the years. The minute I get my New Yorker, I open to the list of contributors and scan it for Calvin. It's going to be wonderful to hear him in person. I adored his last book on Alice, but we didn't ask him specifically to talk about the book, so he's chosen a topic that's specifically of interest to him, on being a 'deadline poet.'Anumber of people have said they're coming on island

specifically that week to catch him." I