Gov. Whitman to Speak for Rebuilding Democracy Lecture Series

This event, conducted on Zoom, will feature a discussion between Whitman and Dean Robert Brinkmann on various topics, such as the current state of democracy, civic engagement, centrist dialogue and bipartisanship, and the role of federal and state government in environmental justice. A moderated question and answer session will follow.

Whitman served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush as administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from January 2001 until June 2003. She was the 50th governor of the State of New Jersey, serving as its first woman governor from 1994 until 2001. As Governor, Christie Whitman earned praise from both Republicans and Democrats for her commitment to preserving a record amount of New Jersey land as permanent green space.

She currently serves as vice-chairman of the Trustees of the Eisenhower Fellowships, Executive Committee of the National World War II Museum, and member of the Boards of Directors of the World Food Program USA and the Meridian Institute. She co-chairs the Forward Party, the States United Democracy Center, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative Leadership Council, the Aspen Institute K12 Climate Action Task Force, and the National Institute for Civil Discourse. She is a founding member of the Climate Leadership Council and a Senior Fellow at the Kettering Foundation. She is a member of the advisory boards of the Rick Herema Foundation and the ERA Coalition, and a member of the Consensus for American Security. She was co-chair of the Commission on the Rule of Law and Democracy at the Brennan Center at New York University. During the 2020 election cycle, she served as Chair of Republicans and Independents for Biden, and as an advisory board member for the Voter Protection Project.

In 2018, Whitman received the Panetta Institute’s Jefferson-Lincoln Award for her dedication to the key principles of American democracy and the nation’s ideals. She was also recognized with The Eisenhower Medal for Leadership and Service in 2017.