Past Weis Memorial Lectures

Lecture 2008-09
We Never Know the Worth of Water 'till the Well is Dry
Presented by
Kathy L. Pape, of Pennsylvania American Water

Kathy Pape is president of Pennsylvania American Water, the largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility company in the U.S., providing drinking water and other water-related services to more than 16 million people in 29 states. In her role, Pape leads customer, regulatory and local government relationships; drives operational and financial results; and is the principal external contact for American Water in Pennsylvania. She has more than 25 years of experience in the utility industry and is a nationally recognized expert on the water and wastewater industries.

 

Lecture 2007-08
Presented by
Bill Strickland, President and CEO of Manchester Bidwell Corporation

A winner of the prestigious MacArthur Genius grant, Bill Strickland has lectured at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, served on the board of the National Endowment for the Arts and was presented the Coming Up Taller Award by former first lady Hillary Clinton. Strickland's accomplishments include turning a near-bankrupt training center in Pittsburgh into one of the most successful organizations in the country...and the model for that has already spread to other states.mAs William Taylor, founding editor of Fast Company magazine states, "Bill Strickland is quite simply one of the most inspiring human beings and one of the most mesmerizing speakers I have ever met. His voice is the right voice for these confusing and difficult times."

 

Lecture 2006-07
Founding Generals—Why Latin America Looks Like it Does Today
Presented by
José Piñera, master architect of Chile's socio-economic transformation

While serving as Chile’s minister of labor and social security, from 1978 to1980, José Piñera won a victory for capitalism and freedom when he devised and implemented what Investor’s Business Daily calls “the world’s most successful privatized pension system.” By replacing his country’s bankrupt pay-as-you-go practice with a funded pension system, Piñera laid the groundwork for the country’s economic revitalization and political opening. As minister of mining, he introduced the mining reform that established property rights in this key sector of the Chilean economy.

Piñera’s economic initiatives have initiated a worldwide paradigm shift, with seven other Latin American countries and three European countries, including Sweden, following his Chilean pension model. Bipartisan American interest has been shown for Piñera’s valuable reforms. Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, and internationally known economist Milton Friedman are among those who have expressed support for Piñera’s reforms.

As founder and president of the International Center for Pension Reform, Piñera has advised many governments on the process of economic liberalization. He has been called upon for his expertise by President George W. Bush and the United States Congress, and has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and The Economist.

Piñera currently serves as a senior distinguished fellow at the Cato Institute, a non-profit public policy research foundation. He is also co-chair of the organization’s Project on Social Security Choice and is a member of the Advisory Board of the Trade Policy Center. Piñera holds a master’s degree and doctorate in economics from Harvard University. He has published numerous articles and is the author of six books.

 

Lecture 2005-06
A Global Perspective
Presented by
Lisa Ling, television journalist

Lisa Ling is the host of the award-winning documentary series Explorer on the National Geographic Channel. As the first woman to host the series since it premiered two decades ago, Ling immerses herself in the stories she investigates, sometimes going undercover and into danger zones. Ling has covered the looting of antiquities in war-torn Iraq, investigated the deadly drug war in Colombia, examined the complex issues surrounding China’s one-child policy and journeyed more than 1,600 feet to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean in a high-tech submersible. Prior to hosting Explorer, Ling co-hosted ABC’s popular morning program, “The View,” with Barbara Walters, Star Jones Reynolds, Joy Behar and Meredith Vieira. She began her career at the age of 16, hosting a nationally syndicated teen magazine show originating in her native Sacramento. She subsequently worked for Channel One News, a network seen in middle schools and high schools across the country. By the age of 25, Ling was Channel One’s senior war correspondent, visiting violent hotspots around the globe. In addition to hosting Explorer, she also serves as a special contributor for “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and as a contributing editor for USA Weekend.

Other Past Lecturers Include:

• Vivian Banta, vice chair of insurance for Prudential Financial
• Pat Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
• Jerry Greenfield, cofounder of Ben & Jerry's Homemade, Inc.
• David L. Liebrock, Executive Vice President of Fidelity Investments
• William G. Shipman, principal of State Street Global Advisors, Boston