Mayor Engen’s leadership course at the University of Montana exemplifies the Mansfield Center’s Initiative on Public Policy and Leadership.

We at the Maureen and Mike Mansfield Center http://www.umt.edu/mansfield/ were pleased to read the Missoulian’s Nov. 26 story on Mayor John Engen’s Leadership Seminar at the University of Montana http://matr.net/article-41956.html . In follow-up, we would like to provide some background on how the course was created as part of the Mansfield Center’s Initiative on Public Policy and Leadership.

The Mansfield Center was established in 1983 to honor U.S. Sen. Mike Mansfield’s long and distinguished public service. The center hosts programs that embody the core characteristics of Mansfield’s career: Modern Asian Affairs and Ethics in Public Affairs. Mansfield was the longest-serving majority leader of the U.S. Senate, serving in this role from 1961 to 1977. He also served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan from 1977 to 1988, under both the Carter and Reagan administrations. Mansfield was a remarkable public servant who helped guide the U.S. through important transitions in the domestic arena and in its relationship with Asia.

Following on Mansfield’s example, the Public Policy and Leadership program of the Mansfield Center was created last year in conjunction with former Congressman Pat Williams to emphasize the global nature of responsible decision-making, the ethical imperatives of leadership, and the skills necessary for careful policy analysis and development. This initiative serves to revive one of the original congressional mandates of the center: to foster dialogue on domestic policy considerations.

by DEENA MANSOUR

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/article_0790f066-fc92-11df-a6ac-001cc4c002e0.html