Revamped JBS reviving lecture series

Sep. 14—The John Ben Shepperd Public Leadership Institute has been re-imagined and the distinguished lecture series is being relaunched.

Number 1 bestselling author and leading art preservation advocate Robert M. Edsel will be the speaker Sept. 27 at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.

Edsel wrote the book The Monuments Men, which was made into a movie.

"He tells a story of a small group of unlikely heroes, a group of men and one woman. They were museum curators. They were regular people who stepped up and preserved cultural treasures and works of art from the ravages of World War II, and the Nazi regime," said Shelby Landgraf, director of Community Engagement for the Shepperd Leadership Institute. "He tells this story and it is an incredible story. ... This book, which became an award winning movie, has really elevated him into a premier advocate for cultural preservation, for art preservation and for reuniting art with its rightful owners. We are so excited to welcome him here to ... the University of Texas Permian Basin and to relaunch our distinguished lecture series."

Landgraf added that the Permian Basin knows the distinguished lecture series well as something they can count on to elevate thought, ideas and connection across the community.

Vice President of Student Development and Leadership Becky Spurlock said there will be another distinguished lecture in the spring.

"Sometime later this fall, we'll announce that ... That series will begin a regular pattern. I think we're looking at two or three lectures a year, and after the relaunch, we'll be able to begin putting out schedules further in advance. We're excited to bring back this very popular and beloved series," Spurlock said.

She added that they anticipate adding another speaker series. The Permian Basin Water and Energy Conference also is programmed out of the JBS Public Leadership Institute.

Part of Spurlock's charge when she arrived was to take the work that interim director, retired Gen. Tony Cucolo, did as interim and continue to "evolve into the future."

"... We made some very good progress in that fall, and then, of course, the story that is repeated over and over is COVID came and that derailed our planning to some extent," Spurlock said. "But I have to say, even though the news has been quiet, there's been really steady progress and growth. ... We have a lot to share."

Spurlock said they partnered with a program and curriculum called LeaderShape.

"We use their Catalyst training. We trained many trainers, who could then go out and offer this one-day leadership program that is focused on teaching people how to develop a vision, and how to go about making relationships and connections to drive that vision forward. We were very excited. In the spring, Shelby and Kate and our Dean of Students have trained 30 students during the Midland ISD intercession. We took that program into the high school. We expect to expand that this year and we are going to be working with all of the ISDs in the area that are interested to have staff that will bring in that program. I do want to thank the Warren Charitable Foundation. They covered supplies and food for that training that we did with students at MISD. We of course offer that program to our UTPB students, so we've trained many of the UTPB students and we'll continue to do that," Spurlock said.

Going to MISD and providing programming and leadership development to young adults during its intercession was truly a first, Landgraf said.

One of the things the Shepperd Institute has done for a long time is encourage students to consider lives committed to public service whether that's through career choices or volunteer time.

"... The Sheppard Institute sponsored students to go on the Odessa and Midland chamber fly-in program to Washington, D.C., because that is a program where you meet with your government representatives to talk about local issues and share what it means to be part of this community.

"The Shepherd Institute sponsored the students that went along on that trip, and then in addition to the itinerary that the students participated in, we created additional ... learning experiences for those students beyond just that event. That was such a successful event; we plan on continuing those kinds of partnerships. The chambers will go to Austin some years to advocate in Austin, and some years they'll go to D.C., and so both are great opportunities for us to bring students along, to represent and learn about how to share what's important about the local community," Spurlock said.

Landgraf said the students raved about the experience and this also was a first for the Odessa-Midland community.

"... The students that we brought in said, not only did they feel better connected to the idea of public service to the idea of government, but that they felt better connected to our local community, because they made connections with business leaders, with energy executives, with nonprofit leaders, with community leaders all within these few days in D.C., for the Midland-Odessa-D.C. fly in. As Dr. Spurlock and Dr. Woodley say, UT Permian Basin believes in being serial collaborators, and we really were able to walk that out with the Shepherd Leadership Institute partnering with the chambers and bringing students. The chambers both agreed that having UT Permian Basin students as part of this event really made it even more special as far as advocating for the community, as far as telling the story of West Texas, and really presenting an entire community picture to Capitol Hill," Landgraf said.

Spurlock added that the Shepperd Institute has provided leadership training programs with a school district that rented space on campus for a retreat.

"... I have been asked to speak and talk about leadership at a number of local events and organizations ... That is always in the name of the Shepherd Leadership Institute. (She) most recently talked to the Business and Professional Women of the Permian Basin. That was in Midland. I also spoke at the West Texas women's event, which was a big connecting event. ... I'll be back this next year. ... We sponsored and supported a number of students to go to leadership experiences. We helped students that wanted to connect to leadership experiences in their areas. We are part of a group called Project MALES that supports historically minoritized men in college and we sent students to that program. We sent students to the Southern Black Leadership Caucus so that they could grow in their leadership skills. We supported a lot of students to go to additional leadership conferences and then bring that knowledge back to campus to share it with their fellow students," Spurlock said.

Landgraf added that they also provided some leadership and communication development to the Nonprofit Management Center, which has been a community partner that they have worked with to "walk out" the ideals of leadership development.

Spurlock said the JBS Public Leadership Institute is located inside the Presidential Archives, which is its own operation, inside the Buddy and Shirley West building.

Landgraf said they are proud that the Leadership Institute helped forge and design the partnership between itself and the Ellen Noël Art Museum to ensure that the only Smithsonian accredited museum between Dallas and El Paso can stay open during its renovations as the institute is providing space to the museum.

"They are partnering with us to reanimate ... the Presidential Archives. ... So this is truly a beautiful partnership. Everyone walks away better; our community is better for it; it reopens the Presidential Archives and it allows the Ellen Noël Art Museum to stay open. It truly hits at our core values here at UT Permian Basin and the Shepherd Leadership Institute, and that we believe in collaboration very deeply, and that we believe in serving our region and we are doing both with this beautiful partnership," Landgraf said.

Spurlock said a good example of the way his partnership can elevate things is that the Ellen Noël is going to create some special programming in partnership with the Robert Edsel distinguished lecture.

Landgraf said they listened to community stakeholders as they were evaluating speakers and a number of them mentioned Edsel because they know him personally.

"... It was someone who we knew would have a positive impact and would inspire our community. ... He started out, he's a Texas man himself. He was first a nationally ranked tennis player, so he has a background in athletics, and moreover, the interesting West Texas tie is that he worked in the energy industry for essentially ... more than a decade. And back in the 80s, he founded a very successful oil and gas exploration company that was on the forefront of horizontal drilling," Landgraf said. "He has a very unique perspective. Having some professional experience in athletics, having professional experience in the oil and gas industry; he says himself that if you ask him what he's best at, it's getting things done; that he doesn't believe in overhyping; that he believes in a commitment to excellence, and getting things done. And that is such a true embodiment of the West Texas spirit. We don't believe in overselling things; we believe in getting things done. And Robert embodies that and his energy is contagious and we know that his story will inspire our community," Landgraf said.