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Home > About Us > Gleaves Whitney & Staff
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Gleaves Whitney
Director
Gleaves Whitney became director of Grand Valley State University's Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies in 2003. During his tenure he has been the architect of more than 275 public programs, including four national conferences covered by C-SPAN, and three internationally web cast debates -- one to more than 3,500 viewers in eighteen countries, and another watched on YouTube by more than 75,000 people in some 30 nations on all six inhabited continents. He has overseen tremendous growth of the Hauenstein Center's website, premiered a popular web column called Ask Gleaves -- the first presidential Q & A column in the nation -- and created a leadership academy for students and young professionals committed to public service.
"Gleaves Whitney is a real treasure for those of us who do presidential studies and work in the field of presidential history," said award-winning biographer H. W. Brands. "He’s also one of the most effective entrepreneurs in the business of higher education," he continued. "You can tell this by the growth in the Hauenstein Center over the five years that he’s been the director."
"Gleaves Whitney and his energetic team at the Hauenstein Center have become, in a remarkably short time, a force to reckon with -- and learn from -- in the presidential studies field," said historian Richard Norton Smith. "The Hauenstein Center is a jewel in the crown of Michigan."
Prior to his arrival at Grand Valley, Gleaves worked 11 years in Michigan Governor John Engler's administration, serving as senior writer, chief speechwriter, and historian. In 1993, the governor assigned him to a task force that helped bring sweeping education and school finance reforms to Michigan that The New York Times called "the most dramatic in the nation."
In addition to his public work, Gleaves is a scholar who writes and lectures nationally on a variety of historical topics. He is author or editor of 14 books including most recently (with Mark Rozell) Religion and the American Presidency and Religion and the Bush Presidency. Other books include American Presidents: Farewell Addresses to the Nation, 1796-2001; John Engler: The Man, the Leader & the Legacy; and 6 volumes of Messages of the Governors of Michigan. Another book on the Bush presidency, based on a Hauenstein Center conference he organized, is forthcoming.
In 2008, Gleaves and a Hauenstein Center team were awarded a Mawby fellowship to explore the connection between philanthropy and the American presidency. He has been appointed to Michigan's Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee, a two-year effort charged with helping the state celebrate our 16th president's contributions to the nation. He served on the Arthur Vandenberg Memorial Committee and is presently partnering with M. W. Grass Strategic Communications and Meijer Inc. President Hendrik Meijer to produce a documentary film on Michigan's famous senator. Also, Gleaves is a senior scholar at the Center for the American Idea in Houston, Texas, and he is the first senior fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal. Several of his talks have appeared on C-SPAN; his commentary has appeared in numerous newspapers, magazines, and journals; and he has been interviewed by, among others, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, FOX News, Newsweek, US News & World Report, and NPR affiliates.
In his current position as director of the Hauenstein Center, he has cultivated many institutional partnerships -- e.g., the National Park Service, Houston Museum of Natural Science, and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum -- and numerous ongoing professional partnerships -- e.g., H. W. Brands, Richard Norton Smith, William Barker, and George Nash.
Gleaves graduated with honors from Colorado State University (1980), was elected into the Phi Beta Kappa honor society (1980), and was a Fulbright scholar in Germany (1984-85). His master's degree and doctoral candidacy were at the University of Michigan, where he was a Richard M. Weaver fellow (1987-88) and an H. B. Earhart Fellow (1988-91). He has taught at the University of Michigan, Droste-Hulshof Gymnasium, Colorado State University, Aquinas College, and Grand Valley State University. In 2006, he received the honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California.
Gleaves was born and raised in Houston, Texas, and now makes his home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Brian Flanagan
Associate Director
Brian Flanagan is associate director of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University, and program director for the Center's Peter Cook Leadership Academy. Since joining the staff in August 2003, Brian has helped organize more than 275 public programs, including four national conferences covered by C-SPAN, and three internationally web cast debates -- one to more than 3,500 viewers in eighteen countries, and another watched on YouTube by more than 75,000 people in some 30 nations on all six inhabited continents. For six years, Brian developed the Center's presence online, with a traditional web site that has attracted 21 million page views, and a "Hauenstein Center Everywhere" campaign that established popular Hauenstein Center sites on iTunes, YouTube, Wikipedia, Blogger, Flickr, Facebook, Issuu, Linked In, and MySpace. He also designs the Center's trademark postcards; sign up here to receive them in the mail.
Brian's research interests include the American presidency, leadership, and current political and foreign affairs. He has presented papers on Abraham Lincoln, Harry Truman, George W. Bush, and national security at conferences in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Washington, D.C., and his work has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Times, H-Net, and on the Hauenstein Center's web site. He has conducted research at six presidential libraries, including the Herbert Hoover in West Branch, Iowa; the John F. Kennedy in Boston, Massachusetts; the Lyndon B. Johnson in Austin, Texas; the Gerald R. Ford in Ann Arbor, Michigan; the Jimmy Carter in Atlanta, Georgia; and the George H. W. Bush in College Station, Texas.
In 2008 and 2009, Brian and a Hauenstein Center team were awarded the Russell G. Mawby Fellowship for Philanthropic Studies to explore philanthropy and the American presidency. In 2007, Brian was appointed to the Michigan Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Committee, a two-year effort charged with providing leadership and direction for Michigan's celebration of the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth. He also served as a Teaching and Learning Resources adviser for the National Endowment for the Humanities, and was selected by the Grand Rapids Center for Community Leadership to participate in its eight-month Leadership Grand Rapids program. He is a member of the World Affairs Council of Western Michigan, and a judge for the "We the People" high school competition in Michigan's 3rd Congressional District.
Brian earned his B.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame in 2003, where he also studied history and American studies. He earned his M.P.A. from Grand Valley State University in 2009, with a dual emphasis in public management and urban & regional policy and planning. His graduate work earned him a place in Phi Kappa Phi and Pi Alpha Alpha, and he was awarded the Graduate Dean's Citation for Academic Excellence and the M.P.A. program's 2009 Outstanding Student Award.
Brian was born and raised in Plymouth-Canton, in the Detroit metropolitan area, and he currently resides near Grand Rapids with his wife Lauren and daughter Ella.
Recent Writings:
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Kathy Rent
Executive Assistant and Office Coordinator
Kathy Rent joined the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies as the office coordinator on Presidents' Day 2004. Famous for her energy, enthusiasm, and personality, Kathy is the glue that keeps everyone in the Hauenstein Center's orbit together. She brings great expertise and sleuthing skills to her daily work. Having lived in Michigan for over 40 years, Kathy is active in the community and volunteers for several organizations. She currently tutors for the Grand Rapids YMCA's Youth Mentoring Program and serves as treasurer of the Greater Grand Rapids Women's History Council.
Prior to arriving at the Hauenstein Center, Kathy worked in banking and university development. A lifelong learner, she studies the presidents and is working towards a degree in sociology at Grand Valley State University.
Kathy and her husband, Andy, have four daughters, two grandsons, and a granddaughter.
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Mandi Bird
Event Planner
Mandi Bird, a native of White Cloud, Michigan, became the Hauenstein Center's event planner in June 2006 after serving as a research assistant in 2005. She has planned 150 successful events for the Hauenstein Center, including a national conference in Washington, D.C., covered by C-SPAN, and two internationally web cast debates -- one watched on YouTube by more than 65,000 people in some 30 nations on all six inhabited continents. Hauenstein Center staff and speakers consistently note Mandi's attention to detail and her courtesy.
Mandi earned both her Bachelor of Science in exercise science and her Master's of Public Administration from Grand Valley State University. As a Hauenstein Center Leadership Fellow, Mandi has studied George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind and his capacity to lead.
Mandi is active in the Grand Rapids community as a volunteer for the Grand Rapids Ballet and the World Affairs Council of West Michigan. She is a charter member of the Grand Valley Young Alumni Council and also a member of the Administrative Professional (AP) committee.
Recent Writings:
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Austin Knuppe
Research Assistant
Austin Knuppe joined the Hauenstein Center staff in June 2008 as a research assistant. He writes articles for the Hauenstein Center's website and works with the Center's director and associate director on original research for speeches, publications, and public events. In April 2009, Austin organized a path-breaking conference covered by C-SPAN on the lessons of antiquity for President Barack Obama. In November and December 2008, Austin moderated the Hauenstein Center's "Bush Legacy" conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Washington, D.C. He has conducted research at two presidential libraries: the John F. Kennedy in Boston, Massachussetts, and the Herbert Hoover in West Branch, Iowa. Austin brings great ideas, energy, and dynamism to his work at the Hauenstein Center.
Prior to arriving at the Hauenstein Center, Austin worked in Washington, D.C., as a research intern at various think tanks. Austin graduated with honors in political science and history from Calvin College, completing an honors thesis on military privatization. In the future he hopes to earn a PhD in international relations and pursue a career in the diplomatic corps of the U.S. State Department.
Recent Writings:
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Kayleigh Fehsenfeld
Intern
Kayleigh has been interning with the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies since the fall of 2009. As an aspiring event-planner, she works with Mandi Bird in planning and executing the Center's events. She is a full-time student at Grand Valley, studying hospitality and tourism management with a minor in business. In the furture, Kayleigh aspires to become an event coordinator in the Virginia area. When she is not working or studying, she enjoys reading, and spending time with her boyfriend, Dustin.
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Betsy Fessenden
Intern
Betsy has been an intern with the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies since the fall of 2009. She works as an intern for Mandi Bird, planning and executing the Center's events. She is planning on graduating from Grand Valley in the spring with a bachelor's degree in hospitality and tourism management. Betsy plans on moving to the Detroit area after graduating and pursuing a career in Hospitality.
Betsy enjoys reading, knitting, and traveling throughout Michigan on her free weekends. She is also very interested in history and politics, making the Hauenstein Center events particularly fascinating for her. |
Jake Kenworthy
Intern
Jake has been interning with the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies since the fall of 2009. As an event planning intern, he helps the staff with logistics for the Center's public programming. He is a senior at Grand Valley with a major in hospitality and tourism management and will soon begin graduate work in business administration.
He also joined the Leadership Academy in 2009 and since then, it has presented him with opportunities to surround himself with inspirational and committed company, and further his passion for the general good. Jake is thankful that Gleaves and his staff are continuously available and enthusiastic colleagues.
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Laura Miller
Intern
Laura joined the staff at the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies as an event intern in August of 2009. Along with Jake Kenworthy, Kayleigh Fehsenfeld, and Betsy Fessenden, she works with Mandi Bird on planning and executing the Center's public events. She is a senior at Grand Valley, and will obtain a Bachelor's in December 2009 in hospitality and tourism management with an emphasis in event management. Laura would like to begin her career in West Michigan in the field of event planning and contribute to the Grand Rapids community.
As Laura moved from the east side of Michigan, she enjoys exploring and taking advantage of everything West Michigan has to offer -- community events, festivals, Lake Michigan, and lake-effect winters. Additionally, Laura enjoys independent and family travel across the United States and around the world. Laura's recent travels took her to Australia, Germany, and a study abroad experience in Italy. She is excited for what will come next in her life.
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Hauenstein Center Associates
Laura Bulkely Goldsmith
Laura Bulkeley Goldsmith is a graduate of the University of Georgia with a BA in English. She has her Master's Degree from Northwestern University in radio-TV-film. From 1991 to 1996, she was an associate editor of two separate media newsletters, Between the Lines and Dispatches, writing articles on popular culture. She is currently a film historian and freelance writer.
Marc Jordan
Marc Jordan is a recent graduate of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. Prior to studying at Harvard, he earned a J.D. from Michigan State University/ DCL. An alumnus of Michigan State University, Jordan has focused on presidential studies from both a historical and leadership perspective. Professionally, he served the State of Michigan for more than a decade in various policy positions. He currently works as a regional director with GSP Consulting Corp.
Jim Kratsas
James Kratsas is deputy director of the Gerald R. Ford Museum where he has worked since 1989. He was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and earned his BA and MA in history at West Virginia University, and his MA in museum studies at Duquesne University. Before joining the staff at the Gerald R. Ford Museum, Mr. Kratsas worked as curator of the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum, and as curator of the Kansas Museum of History.
Hank Meijer
Hendrik "Hank" Meijer is co-chairman and co-CEO of Meijer, Inc., which currently operates 176 stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. A graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in English and significant graduate work in history, Meijer is the vice chair of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation board of trustees, vice president of the Grand Rapids Area Council for the Humanities, and a board member for Fifth Third Bank, the Kettering Foundation, and the Food Marketing Institute. He is author of Thrifty Years: The Life of Hendrik Meijer, and a forthcoming book about Arthur Vandenberg, the influential U.S. Senator from Grand Rapids who became a chief architect of U.S. foreign policy after World War II. He has made three academic presentations at Hauenstein Center events.
George Nash
George H. Nash earned his doctorate at Harvard University and was a research fellow at Harvard's Charles Warren Center for Studies in American history. Dr. Nash has lectured and written extensively on 20th-century American political and intellectual history, and his publications include The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America since 1945. Dr. Nash is also an authority on the life of President Herbert Hoover. He is the author of the first three volumes of The Life of Herbert Hoover, a definitive, scholarly biography commissioned by the Hoover Presidential Library Association. His articles and reviews have appeared in National Review, Policy Review, Modern Age, New York Times Book Review, University Bookman, and other publications.
Michael Toth
Mike Toth is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he received a joint J.D./M.A. (History), and Stanford University (B.A. History). He is a former staffer for the White House Budget Director, Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. A former Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow and Intercollegiate Studies Institute Honors Fellow, Mike's work has been featured by the Claremont Review and the Acton Institute. He is currently working on a biography of the Connecticut Founding Father, Oliver Ellsworth, to be published by ISI Books. |
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