Originally published in The Sylva Herald on Feb. 7, 2019.
Former RNC chairman Michael Steele will speak to WCU students on Feb. 12, 2019. Photo Courtesy of WCU.
Former Republican National Committee chairman and lieutenant governor of Maryland, Michael Steele, will be speaking at Western Carolina University on Tuesday, Feb. 12 in the Bardo Fine and Performing Arts Center as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series.
Steele will be speaking on the concept of leadership during the chancellor’s list ceremony recognizing the academic excellence of 1,652 WCU students who achieved a GPA of 3.8 or higher in the fall 2018 semester. The Distinguished Speaker Series as stated on the website intends to pair “national topics and high-profile speakers to engage students, campus, and our community.”
Steele was the first African-American elected to state office in Maryland. He was lieutenant governor of Maryland from 2003-2007 under Robert Ehrlich, who served as the 60th governor of Maryland from 2003-2007. He served as the chairman of the RNC from 2009 until he lost to Reince Priebus in 2011. In 2018, he was declared a faculty fellow at Brown University’s Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs led a seminar on United States politics and co-hosted two events revolving around the midterm elections.
“Following the Keynote from Steele, as well as remarks from Interim Chancellor Morrison-Shetlar and Acting Provost Burton, students will pick up their certificates in the BAC lobby. A reception follows in the Star Atrium,” said Glenda Hensley, Director for Student Transitions, one of the organizers of the event.
Previous speakers in the series include co-founder of Home Depot, Ken Langone and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch. Political science professor, Dr. Niall Michelsen, said it’s important to have politicians such as Lynch and Steele come and talk to students.
“They are both retired from the active political field which confers upon them greater freedom to speak honestly and freely. The two are from different sides of the political aisle, but they are both noted for their mature and even-handed views even in this vitriolic time. Students will benefit from the speakers’ unique experiences and insights and will see models of civic discourse that should stick with them for a very long time,” said Dr. Michelsen.
The event starts at 5 p.m. and it is free and open to the public.
