The first annual Truman conference was held from 19-21 June in Washington, DC. The class of 2006 was well represented, led by Katie Liberman’s amazing organizational ability. The pictures and words below capture a bit of the action for those of you in absentia.
Truman Conference [19-20 June 2009]
Madeleine Albright & Fred Slabach
Note Merola is on the Blackberry
Tom Scott's eyes are scary...
Jake and Julia
Kunal is looking cute
Dinner
Andrew Lee innovating a solution
Katie Lieberman, our organizer
Mary and Katie
The 2007 Trumans
Max (?) and Emily
Jake and Mary
Stace
Merola and Sarah
Pucker up, Bruce
Andrew and Bruce
Bruce's real girlfriend
Kunal's fake girlfriend
Julie, Manasi, and Adam
Birthday girl and Te-Ping
Laura, Te-Ping, Dereck
Make a wish
And then blow out the candle
Long shot
Merola meets Tuttle (蛋糕)
Julia looking for something in Laura's ear
Adam
More pics
Merola, asleep
Chuck, our waiter
Emily and Amber
Quick, who shot first?
Julia, Bruce, and the girlfriend
Some random dude
Group shot one
Group shot two
2006 + 2007 = 4013
4013 take two
REFLECTIONS ON THE CONFERENCE (M. Zedler)
The conference started on Friday afternoon with drinks and a dinner where former Secretary of State and Truman Foundation big-wig Madeleine Albright gave the keynote address. Due to a bit of a traffic snarl in northern Virginia, I arrived just as the dinner was starting. Older Trumans gave some introductory remarks and a remembrance speech for Brooks Burdette (1981, GA). Secretary Albright next spoke. The speech was short, humorous, and contained much time for questions afterwards. In typical Truman fashion, the questions were probing and multi-faceted - what did the former Secretary think of the situation in Iran, right-wing talk show radio (apparently, she listens to a few shows every now and then for a kick), and other such matters. With her departure, the revelry started. After a bit of dancing in the National Press Club (led by Ryan Merola and Amber Herman), the 2006 and 2007 classes sojourned to a nearby bar for some further merriment.
The next morning came rather soon, and fewer Trumans made it back to the panel session (especially for the 8:45 morning session). I managed to sit on the following panels;
>>> Responses to Climate Change: Individual, Local, and National <<<
Led by Joy Hecht (MA ‘78), Kyle Gracey (PA ‘05), and Jenny Magill (GA ‘06)
This panel showcased local solutions to climate change in Nashville, TN, municipal responses in Arlington, VA, and Newfoundland, and national responses in the form of SustainUs. While the conversation and ideas were good, my main take-away was that the issue has been and will always be an economic one. Until a price is put on inefficiency and carbon pollution, there will be no widespread change in behavior. For those interested in carbon offset credits, K. Gracey suggested checking out carbonfund.org.
>>> Beyond the Stimulus: Opportunities and Challenges in Reforming Our National Healthcare System <<<
Led by April Joy Damian (CA ‘05)
I won’t comment much on this panel as both Julie Curti and I thought it divided rather far into the specifics without covering the basics for the help of those of us not well-versed in the medical field. However, it was quite clear that the majority of the Trumans and panel members presenting were in favor of universal healthcare and an increased governmental role in the process, for better or for worse.
>>> How Emerging Trends in Technology Can Benefit Your Public Service Career <<<
Led by Andrew Lee (CO ‘06)
The venture capitalist / entrepreneur of our class Andrew Lee led was arguably the most entertaining panel. Consisting of the director of Sunlight Labs (non-profit dedicated to government transparency), the founding partner of Fission Strategy, the business development director of Facebook causes, and the assistant deputy chief technology officer of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the panel was rather adamant about the ways technology could be used to increase awareness (i.e, the Iran democracy crisis and iReporters). There were some interesting questions asked about the lack of access to such media and the speed of change required to stay on top of the Web 2.0 phenomenon. Perhaps most entertaining was Andrew Lee’s request to text questions to his cell phone or his free giveways - including a bag that declares, “I Love Shoes” won by yours truly.
>>> Crossing the Line: How to Partner Successfully with the Private Sector <<<
Led by Jessica Sotelo (ID ‘00)
This panel highlighted the possibilities brought forward by public-private partnerships (PPPs) and stressed the importance of having one’s own pot of money rather than having to rely on charity. Perhaps most riveting was Jonathan Evans’ (PA ‘03) presentation that highlighted how his group, DonorsChoose.org, had actually gained profit in the recent recession by allowing consumers to direct corporate donations. David Zipper (NC ‘99) was equally captivating as he explained how the NYC Business Solutions department invested in training for lower-income workers in NYC.
>>> Background and Discussion of the Truman Scholar Exchanges to the United Arab Emirates <<<
Led by Anthony Shop (MO ‘04) and including Te-Ping Chen (CA ‘06)
This panel covered the reflections of the Trumans who had most recently visited the UAE. While the general consensus was that the trip had provided a positive view of this Middle Eastern country, some Trumans also highlighted the negatives that still exist in the UAE. For more detail on the most recent exchange, I would highly suggest checking out their blog.
I stepped out of the last session a bit early to meet an MIT friend before meeting up with the Trumans shown above for dinner at Elephant & Castle. It was good to hear where people are heading next (several to joint MP-something & MBA programs, many back to law school, a few to more exotic places such as the President’s Economic Council and Houston’s city government, and a few like myself still wondering in which direction they should turn.). We also had the chance to celebrate Laura Kleinman’s birthday and thoroughly perplex our waiter Chuck. In addition, I had the chance to distribute Dan Tuttle’s awesome business cards advertising his unique web site, ChinaClown.org, that I had picked up while in China over the previous two weeks. I then headed out with Manasi for the return trip to Virginia, but the memories of a weekend well spent with friends were there to keep me excited about the future long into the night...