The Panetta Institute for Public Policy has graciously made available to SF State students a limited number of free seats for this year's Leon Panetta Lecture Series. The series will combine small group exercises led by Panetta Institute scholars and discussions among thought leaders moderated by Leon Panetta, former secretary of defense and former director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
ICCE is the SF State campus lead for the Panetta Institute programs. If you have questions regarding tickets to the events or lectures listed below, please contact the Panetta Institute for Public Policy directly.
2025 Lecture Series: What Will Be the Legacy of the Trump Era?
- All events will be held at the Monterey Conference Center on Monday afternoons between 12:45 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (registration opens at 11:15 a.m.).
- Location: Monterey Conference Center,1 Portola Plaza, Monterey, CA 93940 in the Colton Rooms on the third floor. Parking is available in the West Garage at a charge of $3.00. Map
- Attendees must arrange their own transportation.
- The lectures are open to all currently enrolled SF State students but seats are available only to the first 30 students who RSVP for each day. Students must RSVP by emailing Tati Martinez (altimartinez@sfsu.edu) with your full name, home address, phone number, SFSU email address, and which lecture you are interested in attending.
Monday, March 17, 2025, featuring:
- Brian Deese, Director of the National Economic Council (2021-2023) and Senior Advisor to President Obama (2015-2017);
- Christina Romer, Chair, Council of Economic Advisers (2009-2010) and Professor of Economics, University of California, Berkeley;
- Robert Rubin, Secretary of U.S. Department of Treasury (1995-1999), Co-Chair, Council on Foreign Relations (2007-2017);
- Susan Schwab, U.S. Trade Representative (2006-2009); and
- Kevin Warsh, Member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors (2006-2011), Shepard Family Distinguished Visiting Fellow in Economics, The Hoover Institution
Monday, April 14 2025, featuring:
- Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2021-2025);
- Janet Napolitano, President of the University of California (2013-2020), Secretary of U.S. Department of Homeland Security (2009-2013), Governor of Arizona (2003-2009);
- Chuck Rosenberg, NBC and MSNBC Legal and Law Enforcement Analyst, Administrator of the DEA (2015-2017), Chief of Staff to Director of the FBI (2013-2015), and U.S. Attorney (2005 -2008); and
- Jeff Sessions, U.S. Attorney General (2017-2018), U.S. Senator, Alabama (1997-2017)
Monday, May 19 2025, featuring:
- Nicholas Burns, U.S. Ambassador to China (2022-2025);
- John Kerry, Secretary of U.S. Department of State (2013-2017), U.S. Senator, Massachusetts (1985-2013);
- John Kirby, Rear Admiral (U.S. Navy, Ret.), White House National Security Communications Advisor (2022-2025), Pentagon Press Secretary (2021-2022), State Department Spokesman (2015-2017); and
- HR McMaster, Lieutenant General (U.S. Army, Ret.) U.S. National Security Advisor (2017-2018) and Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow, The Hoover Institution
Monday, June 9 2025, featuring:
- James Carville, Democratic political consultant, and former advisor to President Bill Clinton;
- Chris Christie, Governor of New Jersey (2010-2018); and
- Mary Matalin, Republican political consultant and former advisor to President George W. Bush
2025 Afternoon Student Program
The Panetta Institute also welcomes high school, college and military students from throughout the Central Coast region and beyond to hear from and ask questions of the same speakers that appear at the evening Lecture Series at the The Afternoon Student Program. This opportunity is education at its most illuminating—first-hand interactions with major leaders and thinkers of our day. Students leave engaged and inspired, having discovered a new relevance of public service careers and having observed first-hand positive examples of leadership and civic debate.
- These Afternoon Student Programs will begin with registration at 12 p.m. at the Monterey Conference Center in Monterey.
- From 12:45 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Panetta Institute professors will facilitate an academic exercise focusing on the lecture topic. This session informs students about the issues to be discussed and encourages them to develop questions and comments for interactive dialogue with the speakers.
- After a fifteen-minute break, the lecture begins at 2:45 p.m. with the guest speakers and Secretary Panetta presenting a discussion amongst themselves. During the second half they will answer the students’ questions.
- The program will end at 4:30 p.m.
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