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Upcoming Events
2024-25 "Paradigm Shifts" Program Schedule Overview
Paradigm shifts challenge how leaders interact with and influence their followers to achieve goals. Center events and programs will explore leadership competencies and skills for authentic and ethically grounded leaders who understand how to manage the organizational change curve and are intellectually, morally, and physically resilient. We invite you to participate in these opportunities wherever feasible!
In-Person 2024-25 Schedule:
- March 18: Civil Discourse & Debates Intercollegiate Debate with W&L, SVU, and MGCC to be held at Southern Virginia University
- Mar. 24-26: Amber Smith, Leader-in-Residence, Last Visit
- Mar. 26: Superintendent's Annual Leadership Dinner
- April 1: Courageous Leadership Speaker Steve Cannon, distinguished executive, philanthropist, and veteran
- April 8-10: 35th Annual Environment Virginia Symposium
2024-25 Virtual Offerings:
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VMI Leader Journey podcast - Leadership insights with cadets, alumni, faculty/staff, and VIP speakers involved in programming at the Center.
- Virtual Leadership Engagement Programming (VLEP) will occur on the Center's social media platforms. We will feature posts on our Center “Paradigm Shift" theme and weekly #TipTuesday posts featuring practical leadership advice.
Join the Conversation!
Connect with the CLE on social media.
Courageous Leadership Speakers Series
Featured "courageous leaders" come to post to engage with cadets, staff, and faculty, providing their personal insights. These speaker events are also open to the general public.
Their role as influencers helps support our mission of enhancing the VMI community's leadership development journey and raising the Institute's profile to a broader national audience.
Lessons Learned from the Boardroom and Professional Sports
Tuesday, Apr. 1, at 8:00 p.m.
Former Atlanta Falcons Executive, Veteran, to Speak at VMI
VMI’s Center for Leadership and Ethics invites the general public to an evening of inspiration and leadership with Steve Cannon, a distinguished executive, philanthropist, and military advocate. Cannon will speak Tuesday, April 1, at 8 p.m. in Gillis Theater at Marshall Hall.
A graduate of West Point and a former U.S. Army Airborne Ranger, Cannon made a name for himself after his military service in the automotive and sports industries. As CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, he led the company to record growth. Later, as CEO of AMB Sports and Entertainment, he oversaw the Atlanta Falcons, Atlanta United, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium, transforming them into top-performing brands and premier venues for major national and international events.
For more information, contact Lt. Col. Kim Connolly at connollykv@vmi.edu.
2024
- Marc Polymeropolous, "Leadership Lessons from the CIA" - View Talk on YouTube
- Photos from Robert Child's Talk during Black History Month - co-sponsored by the VMI Office of Diversity, Opportunity and Inclusion and the Dean's Academic Speakers Fund
- Brad Snyder, "Fire in My Eyes: An American Warrior's Journey from Being Blinded on the Battlefield to Gold Medal Victory" - View Talk
2023
- Shaquem Griffin made history as the NFL’s first-ever one-handed player. View Event Photos.
- Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Scott Mann is a former U.S. Army Green Beret and author of Operation Pineapple Express. View Event Photos and Speech.
- Amber Smith is the author of Danger Close. She served in the 101st Airborne in Iraq and Afghanistan and was an OH-58 Delta Kiowa Warrior air mission commander. View Event Photos and her Speech.
2022
- Former CIA Officer and FBI Special Agent Tracy Walder's photos and video. Walder is the 2022-23 General J. H. Binford Peay, III, '62, Leader-in-Residence.
- Andy Milburn is a former Marine Special Operations Commander and author of 'When the Tempest Gathers.' View event photos and speech.
- First Casualty Speaker Panel featuring VMI alumni Col. Justin Sapp and Scott Spellmeyer: photos and video.
2020
- Former NFL Defensive Lineman for the Ravens, author, and mathematician John Urschel - listen to our interview on the VMI Leader Journey podcast episode featuring Urschel titled "The First Form of Leadership."
2019
- 2019 Army Ranger Jeff Struecker, whose story was featured in the movie "Black Hawk Down."
- 2019 Pittsburgh Steelers player Alejandro Villanueva - hear his thoughts on leadership with this podcast episode titled "The Importance of Culture and the Academy Advantage with Alejandro Villanueva."
We invite you to watch and subscribe to our YouTube channel playlist featuring the speakers from this series.
H.B. Johnson Jr.'26 Distinguished Speakers
The H.B. Johnson Distinguished Speaker series features top-tier speakers who typically have national reputations and renown in the military, public policy, entertainment, business, or other sectors whose personal stories and leadership insights align with VMI's mission of developing citizen-soldiers of character and integrity.
These events are free and open to the public.
Past Speakers
- Cmdr. Kirk Lippold, U.S. Navy (Ret.), was the former commanding officer of the USS Cole when it came under suicide attack by al Qaeda in the port of Aden, Yemen, on Oct. 12, 2000. Hear his talk on leading during crises held during our 14th Annual Leadership and Ethics Conference.
- General (Ret.) Robert B. Neller, Former Commandant of the Marine Corps, was the 37th Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. Hear his speech given at the 13th Annual Leadership & Ethics Conference.
- Staff Sergeant (Ret.) David Bellavia was the first and only living Iraq veteran to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Read about his visit from VMI News.
- Retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, former commander of U.S. and International Security Assistance Forces, Afghanistan, spoke on lessons learned from his book "Team of Teams: New Rules of Engagement for a Complex World" during our virtual leadership conference held Feb. 15-16, 2021.
- Retired Four-Star General Joseph Votel, Keynote for "Disruption: Challenging Leadership at Every Turn" on Tuesday, October 29th at 9 a.m. in Cameron Hall on the Post of VMI
- William "Bill" Bennett, Keynote, 2018 Annual Leadership and Ethics Conference "GRIT and the American Character"
- Robert Kaplan, Convocation 2016 speaker "Our Current Geopolitical Climate" - watch his speech on Our Current Geopolitical Climate.
- Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster "Developing the Next Marshall: Trends in Future Strategic Leadership to 2040" - watch his remarks on our YouTube Channel
- Daniel Rodriquez "Goal Setting: Achieving Your Goals"
- Kirsten Powers, Convocation 2015 speaker, "Free Speech on College Campuses" - watch her speech on Free Speech on College Campuses
- Ray Kelly "A Conversation with Ray Kelly on his Memoir: Vigilance: My Life Serving America and Protecting its Empire City"
- Retired Four-Star General Keith Alexander "Ethical Dilemmas Facing Leaders in American National Security" - watch his presentation on Public Privacy and National Security
- Retired Lieutenant Colonel Dave Grossman "The Bulletproof Mind: Psychological Preparations for Combat."
- Edward Ayers, Ph.D. "The Shape of the Civil War"
- Nina Totenberg "The Supreme Court and Its Impact on You."
- Mr. Edward Viesturs "No Shortcuts to the Top."
- Lieutenant Governor Ralph Northam
Caroline Dawn Wortham'12 Speaker Series
Established by the Wortham Family, this speaker series honors the memory of Caroline Dawn Wortham.
Caroline "Carrie" Dawn Wortham, passed away at the age of 26, on September 5, 2015, in Hanover County, Virginia. In her short life, she readily impacted others as a force for good and sought to serve God with passion. She was gifted with the skills to encourage others and challenge them to excel. Carrie lived fully and was never afraid of hard work...being persistent, disciplined, and driven.
Having vibrant red hair and a direct and poignant wit tempered by compassion, one always knew when they were with Carrie. Though being a skilled athlete and exceptional student with numerous academic and athletic accomplishments at VMI (among others; Cincinnatus Award recipient, President of VMI’s chapter of Beta Beta Beta, Regimental S-2 Captain, Women's Track and Field team Captain, and 2011-12 Big South Woman of the Year) she remained humble and selfless.
Carrie graduated from St. Catherine's School of Richmond, Virginia in 2008, going on to earn a B.S in Biology in 2012 at VMI. She then dedicated the next two years to Midwives For Haiti, a nonprofit organization which upholds the vision that "all Haitian women will have access to prenatal care and delivery with the assistance of a Skilled Birth Attendant." Her love for and service to the Haitian people led to the opening of the “Carrie Wortham Birth Center” in Cabestor, Haiti, shortly after her death. Her final months were spent in preparation to matriculate into Marine Corps officer training.
2023 - Retired Chief Jan Rader, formerly with the Huntington Fire Department, WV. Hear her talk, "Compassionate Leadership," given during the "Leading During Crises" Leadership Conference.
2022—Rachel Denhollander, a former gymnast, was the first woman to pursue criminal charges against Dr. Larry Nasser. She spoke at our "Principled Dissent" Leadership Conference. See the NBC News Channel 10 coverage story.
2021 - Amy Chua, Yale Law professor and author, Political Tribes. Watch her talk during the 12th Annual Leadership and Ethics Conference. Read more about the Evolving Civic Leadership Conference from VMI News.
2019 - Poppy Crum, chief scientist at Dolby Laboratories, adjunct professor at Stanford University in the Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics and Program in Symbolic Systems
2018 (Inaugural Year) - Milana Hogan, author & chief legal talent officer at Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Convocation & Event Speakers
The CLE sponsors several guest speakers at major VMI events. Check the VMI Calendar, which includes an 'Add to my Calendar' button, for upcoming convocation speakers. Information may be pending or subject to change.
Past speakers have included:
- Peter Leyden, futurist, tech expert, and former managing editor of WIRED magazine - Academic Convocation 2023 - read the VMI News Story
- Deborah Lee James, 23rd Secretary of the Air Force - Founder's Day 2019
- Nancy Giordano, Strategic Futurist - Academic Convocation 2019
- Robert Kaplan, Geopolitical Analyst and Author - Academic Convocation 2016
- Kirsten Powers, Fox News Political Commentator, and Author - Academic Convocation 2015
