New Series Teaches Leadership through Interaction and Dialogue

New York State Attorney General Letitia James will be the first guest on a new leadership series designed for UAlbany students, from 7 to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 16. The program, to be broadcast as a Zoom webinar, is free and open to the UAlbany community.

Leading Questions will provide an opportunity for UAlbany students to gain insights into the essentials of leadership from a number of diverse leaders who will share their knowledge and experience and, true to the program’s name, field questions from the audience. Registration is required.

“UAlbany creates opportunities for our students to interact with successful and tested leaders so that they may gain a better understanding of the complexities of leadership,” said President Havidán Rodríguez. “This is an essential part of empowering students to become confident, capable leaders and engaged global citizens who will help create a better world.”

Vice President for Government and Community Relations Sheila Seery noted that, “One of the great advantages UAlbany’s location offers our students is the ability to interact with the governor’s office, the New York State Legislature, and other prominent leaders from state government and their staffs. The COVID-19 epidemic has caused us to think a little differently about how we facilitate those important personal and professional connections for our students. We were determined to find ways for our aspiring leaders at UAlbany to continue to be able to learn from the best experts in the public, nonprofit, and private sectors.”

Seery said Leading Questions opens a two-way channel of communication between UAlbany students and some of the most talented and effective leaders in New York State.

“We are thrilled and honored that Attorney General Letitia James has accepted our invitation to be the first guest on the program, and to share her valuable insights, deep experience and compelling personal journey with our students,” she said.

The first session will be co-hosted by Public Engagement Office Executive Director Alfredo Medina Jr. and by Damilola Adesanya, president of the Student Association.

“It is important to have representation in leadership roles,” said Adesanya. “As a Black woman, seeing people like Attorney General Letitia James have such a huge impact in the world is inspiring.”

About Letitia James

Attorney Letitia “Tish” James is the 67th Attorney General for the State of New York. She is the first woman of color to hold statewide office in New York and the first woman to be elected Attorney General.

James was elected Public Advocate for the City of New York in 2013, becoming the first woman of color to hold citywide office. As Public Advocate, she served as a watchdog over New York City government agencies and as an advocate for the city’s most vulnerable communities. Her office advocated for a groundbreaking law that banned questions about salary history from the employment process to address the pervasive gender wage gap. James successfully pushed New York City’s largest pension fund to divest from gun and ammunition retailers. She was elected to a second term as Public Advocate in November 2017.
Prior to serving as Public Advocate, Tish James represented the 35th Council District in Brooklyn in the New York City Council for 10 years, and served as head of the Brooklyn Regional Office of the state Attorney General’s Office. She assisted the Civil Rights Bureau in its investigation of the NYPD’s stop-and-frisk policy and cracked down on firms engaged in deceptive business practices.

James began her career as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society. A proud Brooklynite, she is a graduate of Lehman College and Howard University School of Law.