CHRIS GIBSON, FORMER CONGRESSMAN & RETIRED ARMY COLONEL,
TO SPEAK ON LEADERSHIP AT PATTERN FOR PROGRESS LUNCHEON
Address will be part of municipal/nonprofit executives’ graduation from leadership program
NEWBURGH — Chris Gibson, whose extensive career has taken him from the front lines of combat with the United States Army to Capitol Hill and then the halls of academia, will speak on leadership qualities during a Hudson Valley Pattern For Progress special event June 22 at the Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel.
Gibson’s address, which is open to the public, is part of a graduation commencement for Pattern’s Fellows Program, a dynamic training initiative celebrating its 10th anniversary. The program sharpens valley leaders’ abilities to address issues from a regional perspective. Participants include corporate managers, academic leaders, government officials and those who hold top positions at nonprofits whose mission is to enhance their communities. The program has had more than 200 graduates.
“Chris Gibson’s exceptional blend of experiences, from his military service to his work in Washington and now at Williams College, where he teaches leadership, will offer outstanding insights to our Fellows,” Pattern President and CEO Jonathan Drapkin said. “His dedication to public service will no doubt inspire the next generation of leaders working to improve quality of life in the Hudson Valley.”
Gibson joined Congress in 2011, representing the 20th District until 2013. Due to redistricting, he started serving the 19th District in 2013 and did so until declining to seek another term in 2016. He now is a visiting professor of leadership studies at Williams College in Williamstown, Mass.
Gibson served in the Army from 1986 to 2010, rising to become a colonel. He served in the N.Y. National Guard from 1981 to 1986 and taught politics at the United States Military Academy at West Point. He earned four Bronze Stars, a Purple Heart and two Legions of Merit awards. His academic credentials include a doctorate degree in government from Cornell University in 1998; a master’s degree in public administration from Cornell in 1995; and a bachelor’s degree in history from Siena College in 1986. His forthcoming book is “Rally Point: Five Tasks to Unite the Country and Revitalize The American Dream.”
The luncheon and discussion start at 11 a.m. and conclude at 1:30 p.m. The Poughkeepsie Grand Hotel is at 40 Civic Center Plaza in the City of Poughkeepsie. Registration is $45 for Pattern members; $55 for non-members; and $35 for elected and appointed officials and employees of local governments, including boards and school districts. The Fellows alumni fee is $25. Register at PatternForProgress.org or call (845) 565-4900. Contributions to fund future Fellows scholarships are welcome.
Sponsors are D.J. Consulting, Inc. and the State University of New York at New Paltz. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available.
Click here to register for event.
Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress is a nonprofit policy/planning organization that promotes smart valley growth. Visit PatternForProgress.org. Follow us on Twitter at @HVPattern. Like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/PatternForProgress.
