Dear Friends,

This week marks the fifth week of working remotely for the team at the George W. Bush Presidential Center – and likely for most of you. We’ve settled into a routine, navigating the challenges that come with separation, barking dogs, children who need support with their schooling, and family members all spending much more time together than usual. We’re grateful for the technology that has enabled us all to connect virtually. And while routines have certainly changed, some of the little things remain unaltered, like our staff’s regular “lunch-bunch” gathering. Instead of enjoying a meal together in the Reading Room at the Bush Center, we log in to a Zoom call together.

Most significantly: while the last month has radically shifted how we do the work, it hasn’t stopped us from honoring our mission to develop leaders, advance policy, and take action to solve today’s most pressing challenges. Now, it seems that our work has never been more critical.

We’ve reconfigured our programming to put safety first. Certainly, things have been deferred, like our annual Forum on Leadership. Some of our public events have been canceled. And the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum remains closed. But across the country, nearly 90 employees of the Bush Center are working even harder to write, think, and provide resources about COVID-19 with content that adds value to this busy news cycle. These efforts are on top of their existing portfolio of work in support of our domestic excellence and global leadership initiatives. I’m proud of the team for providing a helpful, optimistic response to the unique and challenging times we’re experiencing together. You can find a thorough collection of that content here. That page is frequently updated, and we humbly ask that you consider sharing it with anyone who might benefit from the insight. Traffic to this content on our website has been steadily increasing, which indicates to us that the information is relevant and useful.

The Bush Center staff is also doing their part to help those in our local community with biggest need. The team pooled our personal resources to donate over $40,000 to the two Trailblazer Award winning organizations: Get Shift Done, a novel effort to provide labor in support of the North Texas Food Bank, and Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support. We hope that our contributions will keep more Americans healthy and safe during this difficult time.

As this pandemic shifts and changes, we’ll continue to adapt. That might mean that we move some programs online, or that we communicate more frequently via email or conference call. The best way to stay up to date on what’s happening at the Bush Center is via our website, www.bushcenter.org, via our Five For Friday newsletter, or on social media. You can find us and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Our podcast series, The Strategerist, kicked off season three with COVID-19 related content that is both informative and interesting to listen to. And make sure you stay tuned for our next edition of The Catalyst, which we will release in May with a special focus on America at its best.

Times of uncertainty are an opportunity to focus on what we can be grateful for. In this season, I’m thankful for your continued support of the Bush Center, our team, and our work. Be safe, and be healthy.

With thanks,

Kenneth A. Hersh
President and Chief Executive Officer
George W. Bush Presidential Center