Amidst welcoming new and returning students to the Hilltop, the McCourt School hosted a unique collection of off-the-record conversations with members of the McCourt Advisory Board . The inaugural Advisory Board Speaker Series featured experts covering a variety of timely policy and political topics. 

Members of the McCourt community had the opportunity to meet and engage with dynamic members of the McCourt Advisory Board who shared their perspectives and experiences making a transformative impact in public policy across the business, nonprofit and government sectors.

A recap of the Advisory Board Speaker Series events

Navigating the System To Get “Stuff” Done 

McCourt Advisory Board member Dan Tangherlini , former administrator of the General Services Administration and current managing director at Emerson Collective, joined Dean Maria Cancian in a conversation about how to put policy into practice. The event was co-sponsored by the Georgetown Tech Policy Initiative.

Cybersecurity, Democracy and Veterans

McCourt Advisory Board member Craig Newmark , founder of craigslist and Craig Newmark Philanthropies, hosted a virtual coffee for McCourt students and Newmark Scholars . Matt Gallagher (MPM‘23) and Kevin Marks (MPM‘23) led the discussion on emerging online threats to our democracy, including the theft of voter information, misinformation and disinformation campaigns on social media, declining trust in media, and election interference by foreign actors. The event was co-sponsored by the National Defense Policy Initiative.

Think Tanks and Policy Impact 

McCourt Advisory Board members Robert Doar , president of AEI, and Cecilia Muñoz , senior advisor at New America, joined McCourt alumna Anne Hyslop (MPP’11) in conversation about the influence of think tanks at all levels of government and how they can impact policy design, evaluation and measurement. The event was co-sponsored by the McCourt Education Policy Initiative and McCourt Migration & Refugee Policy Initiative.

Telling the Story in Public Policy

McCourt Advisory Board member and Georgetown alum Joe Lockhart (C’80), managing director at Rational 360, joined Mo Elleithee (SFS‘94), founding executive director of the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service , to talk about the important role of communications in policymaking — from communicating policy goals to responding rapidly in urgent moments. The event was co-sponsored by the Georgetown Public Policy Review.

The Future of Pandemics and Response

McCourt Advisory Board member Dr. Scott Gottlieb , former commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, joined Dean Maria Cancian in a conversation about successful response approaches and what our government is doing now to prepare for the next pandemic. The event was co-sponsored by Food and Health Research at McCourt.

Driving Policy Impact as Women in the Private Sector

Dean Maria Cancian moderated a panel discussion with McCourt Advisory Board members Regina Johnson (MPM‘20), senior manager at Microsoft, Chanelle Hardy , head of civil rights at Google, Tami Buckner , partner at Michael Best Strategies, and Maria Ghazal (MPP‘90), senior vice president and counsel at Business Roundtable. These powerful female leaders discussed how they advance innovation and impact within their organizations and at federal and state policy levels. The event was co-sponsored by Women in Public Policy Leadership and Black Perspectives in Public Policy.