Durham, NC – Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows will convene for the Higher Education Summit on the campus of Duke University today, bringing together Fellows from across all five cohorts. The Summit is being hosted by the Hunt Institute with support from the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy. Over the course of two days, Fellows will hear about innovative, scalable best practices that can be used to reach a variety of higher education policy goals.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Learning is a continuum, and state leaders need to be versed in these topics from early learning through K-12 and onward into postsecondary education,” stated Dr. Javaid Siddiqi, President & CEO of the Hunt Institute. “While each piece is critically important, higher education is a policy issue that state leaders cannot afford to ignore if they are serious about their commitment to a thriving economy.”[/perfectpullquote]
Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows attending include:
- John “Jay” Ashcroft, Secretary of State of Missouri (2017 – present)
- Barbara Cegavske, Secretary of State of Nevada (2015 – present)
- John Chiang, State Treasurer of California (2015 – 2019)
- Eugene DePasquale, Auditor General of Pennsylvania (2013 – present)
- Michael Frerichs, State Treasurer of Illinois (2015 – present)
- Bethany Hall-Long, Lieutenant Governor of Delaware (2017 – present)
- Tre Hargett, Secretary of State of Tennessee (2009 – present)
- Jeff Hayden, Senator of Minnesota (2011 – present)
- Glenn Hegar, Comptroller of Texas (2015 – present)
- Michael Lee, State Senator in North Carolina (2014 – 2019)
- Mamie Locke, State Senator in Virginia (2004 – present)
- Angela McLean, Lieutenant Governor of Montana (2014 – 2016)
- Tim Moore, House Speaker and Representative in North Carolina (2003 – present)
- Sean Reyes, Attorney General of Utah (2013 – present)
- John Sanchez, Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico (2011 – 2019)
- Stefany Shaheen, Portsmouth City Councilor (2014 – 2015)
- Mac Warner, Secretary of State of West Virginia (2017 – present)
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Dr. Judith Kelley, Hunt Institute Board Member and Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy, reflected on her experiences in higher education noting that “meeting the challenges of higher education today requires the kind of partnerships among institutions and state leadership that this Summit is seeking to foster.”[/perfectpullquote]
Policy discussions at the Summit will address barriers to access, changes to accountability requirements, strategies to support college completion, use of data to increase the number of adults with a postsecondary degree, and business partnerships. Fellows will have the opportunity to hear an opening keynote address from former Governor Bill Haslam-TN as well a leadership panel with five former governors: Governors Jim Hunt-NC, Jim Geringer-WY, Jim Douglas-VT, Dannel Malloy-CT, and Jim Hodges-SC. These leaders will provide insight into how they used their positions as governors to drive change in higher education.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“Access to an affordable, quality postsecondary education is vitally important to our individual and collective prosperity,” says former California State Treasurer, John Chiang. “I’m eager to engage with my peers and experts about strengthening the community college system, controlling the rise of tuition and fees, and holding our institutions accountable for improved results.”[/perfectpullquote]
In addition to the six former governors, other resource experts include Dr. Judith Kelley, Dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy; Dr. Kim Hunter Reed, Commissioner of Higher Education for the Louisiana Board of Regents; Ben Cannon, Executive Director of the Oregon Higher Education Coordinating Commission; Scott Jenkins, Strategy Director for Lumina Foundation; Peter Hans, President of the North Carolina Community College System; Dr. Nicole Hurd, CEO of College Advising Corps; and Lisa Moerner, Director of Corporate Public Policy at Dominion Energy.
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“It is exciting to re-connect with my colleagues through the Hunt-Kean Leadership Fellows program on the topic of higher education,” said Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. “I’m looking forward to hearing from private and public sector leaders about ways in which we can strategically solve these complex problems that are preventing Americans from earning meaningful postsecondary degrees or credentials.”[/perfectpullquote]
About The Hunt Institute
An affiliate of the Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy, the Hunt Institute is a recognized leader in the movement to transform public education. Marshaling expertise from a nationwide partner network since it was established in 2001, The Institute brings together people and resources that help build and nurture visionary leadership and mobilize strategic action for greater educational outcomes and student success.
About Duke University Sanford School of Public Policy
The Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University educates tomorrow’s leaders and improves the quality of public policymaking through teaching, research, professional training, and policy and community engagement.
