From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & BRAND STRATEGY
The Democracy and Public Policy Research Network in the Department of Political Science at Bowling Green State University will host its first-ever leadership luncheon with former Ohio Governors Richard Celeste and Bob Taft at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1, in the Lenhart Grand Ballroom at the Bowen-Thompson Student Union.
Open to the learning and greater community with registration required, the free event will feature a bipartisan conversation with Celeste and Taft, highlighting the important role leadership and civility can play during challenging times and the value of robust, civic dialogue when conflicts arise.
Current network advisory board chair and former state legislator and Ohio Department of Higher Education chancellor Randy Gardner will facilitate the conversation with Celeste and Taft. Gardner previously worked with the former governors while serving in the Ohio House and Senate.
“It is an honor to have former governors Celeste and Taft join us at our inaugural leadership luncheon at Bowling Green State University,” BGSU President Rodney K. Rogers said. “Through their combined 16 years of service to our state as governors, they each bring a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in leadership. As a public university for the public good, lifelong learning is at the center of all we do, and through this event, our students and learning community will be able to engage directly with two longtime public servants who have built careers on creating good in our communities. I want to thank the Democracy and Public Policy Research Network for its continued work in elevating dialogue, promoting democracy and the public good.”
“It is a tremendous honor to have Ohio governors who served a collective 16 years join us at our inaugural leadership luncheon,” Gardner said. “Our organization is quickly becoming a respected program elevating civil discourse and promoting democracy and the public good.”
The inaugural luncheon advances the network’s mission of promoting civic literacy through research, discussions and events that foster deeper understanding of the importance of community engagement.
Founded in Fall 2024, the Democracy and Public Policy Research Network at BGSU conducts nonpartisan research, polls and policy briefs that educate and inform the learning and greater community and policymakers in Ohio and beyond.
The network also provides BGSU students with real-world, hands-on experiential learning opportunities and creative activities, including faculty-guided research projects, podcast productions, speaking engagements and workshops.
For more information and to register, visit BGSU.edu/DEPOluncheon. Registration closes on March 25.
