Leadership Montgomery Launches New Series

Cokie and Steve Roberts to start “Conversation on Leadership.”

— Leadership Montgomery was founded more than 20 years ago — and since that time, Potomac has provided many of the community leaders who have graduated from its Core, Senior, Executive and Youth programs. The one-year program affords a diverse group of leaders from around the county the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational experiences to better understand Montgomery County and its ever-changing environment.

On Monday, Dec. 10, Leadership Montgomery will launch its “Conversation on Leadership” Series with an event at Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center, 7995 Georgia Ave, Silver Spring, from 6-8:30 p.m. Debbi Jarvis, PEPCO’s vice president of corporate citizenship and social responsibility and former NBC4 news anchor will moderate the program. Jarvis is also a graduate of the Leadership Montgomery program. The program is sponsored by Montgomery College and the Sanford and Doris Slavin Foundation.

According to Ali Levingston, Leadership Montgomery’s director of member engagement, “This program is an excellent opportunity for insightful conversation and a question and answer dialogue with broadcast legends Cokie and Steve Roberts. The evening will begin with a networking reception from 6-7 p.m. and then the program will run from 7 – 8:30 p.m. The public is encouraged to attend this valuable program and to learn more about Leadership Montgomery.”

Cokie and Steve Roberts are journalists, TV commentators and best-selling authors. Cokie Roberts is a political commentator for ABC News and a senior news analyst for National Public Radio. Steve Roberts’ 25-year career with the New York Times included assignments as congressional and White House correspondent. He appears regularly on ABC as a political analyst and is a substitute host on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show. He has taught for 20 years at George Washington University, and also lectures around the U.S. on American politics and the role of the news media. Both have been awarded a number of awards and honorary degrees.

The Roberts have been married for more than 40 years and have two children. In 2011, they co-authored “Our Haggadah, Uniting Traditions for Interfaith Families.” Previously, they wrote “From this Day Forward,” a New York Times best-seller about their marriage and other marriages in American history. Cokie Roberts has had a number of bestsellers including “We Are Our Mothers’ Daughters,” “Founding Mothers” and “Ladies of Liberty” — histories of women and their roles throughout American history. Steve Roberts writes a bi-monthly column, “Hometown” for Bethesda Magazine, reviews sports books for the Washington Post, and has authored a childhood memoir called, “My Fathers’ Houses” and another book, “From Every End of This Earth.”

Tickets for this event are $45 for the public and $30 for Leadership Montgomery Members. The event is free for Leadership 100 and Premium members. For information and to purchase tickets, visit www.leadershipmontgomerymd.org.