A University of Colorado at Boulder program that aims to mold the next generation of leaders has introduced a "leader in residence" initiative this year that will give students opportunities to work closely with the state's top corporate and nonprofit executives, government policymakers and entrepreneurs.
The Presidents Leadership Class, or PLC, has named Lloyd S. Lewan as its 2007-08 Leader in Residence. Lewan is a well-regarded Denver businessman, speaker and longtime dean of the Semester at Sea program. During his yearlong tenure he will advise and teach students, meet with faculty and staff, serve as a keynote speaker and identify other potential lecturers.
"Students humble you and insist that you be a leader. You can't fool students. You have to be authentic," said Lewan, who was instrumental in bringing the Semester at Sea program to CU-Boulder in the late 1970s. "I think it's important that college students today have a connection with those who've been out in the community in leadership positions. I'm honored to share my experience."
Lewan is chairman of the board and executive dean emeritus for the Institute for Shipboard Education, the organization that sponsors the international Semester at Sea program. He served as Semester at Sea's chief academic officer for 20 years and led thousands of university students, faculty and staff during shipboard sojourns, introducing them to people and cultures around the globe.
A former U.S. Marine Corps officer with a doctorate and two honorary doctoral degrees, Lewan was chairman of the board of Lewan & Associates Inc., a large office technology company now part of a wholly owned division of Xerox Corp. He authored "To Be a Leader: Leadership Beyond Management" and "Women in the Workplace: A Man's Perspective," and is known as a charismatic public speaker.
He has been involved with community-based economic development, international trade, the Special Olympics, gang prevention and care for burned children. This year will be his 20th as Santa Claus at The Children's Hospital in Denver.
Founded in 1972 by William Coors and other Colorado business leaders, the Presidents Leadership Class is a pioneering student leadership program of national renown that aims to keep the state's top undergraduate students from leaving Colorado to study at Ivy League universities. Most of the students who enter the prestigious program already have been accepted by some of the nation's top universities. Many are Boettcher scholars and recipients of other major college scholarships. Their majors cross the spectrum - from history to science.
"A priority of the Presidents Leadership Class is to provide opportunities for our scholars to interact with experienced leaders from the local, state, national and international communities," said Barbara Volpe, executive director of the program.
"We ask our students to blend professional expertise with personal humility," she said. "Ultimately, we are developing leaders who will serve the greater good of society and have a bias toward action."
For more information about the Presidents Leadership Class, go to .