CSUSB Palm Desert Announces 2018 Speaker Lineup

From CSUSB Palm Desert: Imagine an academic course that brings together preeminent business and cultural leaders, all focused on sharing their stories of success, and sometimes failure. That’s the focus of the Lessons from Leaders series at the Cal State San Bernardino, Palm Desert Campus.

These personal, intimate presentations are designed to inspire students at the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus to persevere, take chances and reach for goals they may never have thought possible.

This spring’s speakers in the university’s Lessons from Leaders series include:

· Mike Chedester, director of education, The Living Desert (April 2);

· Vince Battaglia, CEO and founder, Renova Energy (April 9);

· Felice Loverso, CEO and president, Casa Colina, Inc. (April 16);

· Cynthia H. Breunig, CEO, Girl Scouts Council of San Gorgonio (April 23);

· Tricia Gehrlein, director of population health, Morongo Basin Healthcare District (April 30);

· Bianca Rae, television news reporter, KESQ (May 7);

· Superintendents’ Panel with Scott Bailey, Desert Sands Unified School District; Edwin Gomez, Coachella Valley Unified School District; and Sandra Lyon, Palm Springs Unified School District (May 14);

· Kelly Steward, general manager, Ritz-Carlton Rancho Mirage (May 21); and

· Susan Stein, executive director, Fashion Week El Paseo (June 4).

Lessons from Leaders is a for-credit class that focuses on a different business, non-profit or government leader each week to highlight their professional experience and personal advice for success.

The class format begins with an introduction by instructor Michael J. Ortiz, president emeritus, Cal Poly Pomona; followed by the visiting speaker providing 30-40 minutes of content, and then an open conversation with the enrolled students. The class concludes with a reception where students can interact with the speaker and gain critical networking skills.

The experience and insight of the speakers can be a life-changing experience for students. The CSUSB Palm Desert Campus is comprised of predominantly first-generation college students, but they all have one great thing in common - a drive to succeed and be a force for change in their families and communities. The class looks for speakers who can inspire.

The class meets from 4-5:50 p.m. and the community is invited to attend at no cost.

Located in beautiful Palm Desert, the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees, a doctorate in educational leadership, and teacher credentials and certificates. With more than 1,400 students, it is the Coachella Valley’s four-year public university and plays a vital role in educating and training the region’s growing population.

For more information about the CSUSB Palm Desert Campus, contact Mike Singer in the campus’ Office of Public Affairs at msinger@csusb.edu or (760) 341-2883, ext. 78107, or visit the campus website at https://pdc.csusb.edu.

Image via Shutterstock