1/24/20
NORTH ADAMS, MASS.—Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) announces this spring’s Michael S. and
Kitty Dukakis Public Policy Lecture, “Election 2020 and the State of U.S. Politics,”
will be presented by former Arizona Congressman Jeff Flake at 7 p.m. on Thursday,
April 23 in the MCLA Church Street Center’s Eleanor Furst Roberts Auditorium. This
event is free and open to the public.
In 2008, MCLA announced the establishment of the Public Policy lecture series, making
public policy forums an ongoing part of the College's long-term speaker offerings,
a complement to MCLA’s major in political science and public policy. The series is
made possible through the generosity of the Ruth E. Proud Charitable Trust.
John DeRosa, administrator of the Ruth E. Proud Charitable Trust, said Senator Flake is an important figure to hear from in these fractious times. “Senator Flake is someone who has exhibited civility and bipartisanship throughout his Congressional career,” said DeRosa. “He has been outspoken about what he believes the legislative branch’s job to be, even, at times, calling his own Republican colleagues to task."
Drawing on his nearly two decades of experience on Capitol Hill, in both the Senate and House of Representatives, Jeff Flake will share candid, thought-provoking, and engaging insights on today’s political climate. Combining anecdotes from his time in office, lessons from his New York Times bestselling book “Conscience of a Conservative,” and insights on the importance of civil leadership and bipartisanship, Flake will paint a vivid picture of our current political environment and where we can expect our nation’s democracy to go from here.
After serving six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, Senator Flake was elected to the United States Senate, where he served for six years. While in the Senate, he chaired the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology & the Law and chaired the Africa Subcommittee of the Foreign Relations Committee, where he passed landmark legislation on wildlife trafficking and democratic governance.
Prior to entering Congress, Senator Flake served as executive director of the Goldwater Institute in Arizona. He also directed the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia during that nation’s transition to independence. He holds degrees in international relations and political science from Brigham Young University.
Known for his ability to work across the political aisle, Senator Flake was the lead House Republican in the successful efforts to prohibit spending earmarks and to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba.
His 2018 Senate floor speech, “Truth and Democracy,” was carried live on CNN, MSNBC and the FOX News Channel. During his time in the Senate, Senator Flake was a frequent guest on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” ABC’s “This Week,” CBS’ “Face the Nation,” and CNN’s “State of the Union.” He is currently a contributor to CBS News and partners with CBS on a series called “Common Ground.”
For more information, please call (413) 662-5224 or visit www.mcla.edu/publicpolicy.
