COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO Mary Matalin, former assistant to President George W. Bush, and political consultant turned television pundit James Carville will headline an Aug. 22 fundraising event for student scholarships at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
Together, Matalin and Carville will deliver the keynote address at the third annual community lecture series to benefit the university’s Reach Your Peak Scholarship Fund. The event begins at 6 p.m. at the Broadmoor Hotel International Center.
Each year the lecture pays tribute to successful community leaders who help further the university’s mission. This year’s lecture will honor Brenda K. and Charles “Chuck” Smith, Colorado Springs. Tickets for the event are $250 and include dinner. Corporate tables and sponsorship opportunities also are available. For more information, call 262-3357.
Proceeds from the lecture are donated to the Reach Your Peak Scholarship fund. This fund provides need- and merit-based scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students at the university. About half of the university’s 7,600 students receive some form of student financial aid.
Carville, co-host of CNN’s “Crossfire,” and Matalin will discuss current political issues with emphasis on the presidential election. Co-authors of the national best-seller All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President, both Matalin and Carville offer unmatched insight on the political scene highlighted by quick-witted repartee.
“James Carville and Mary Matalin will provide one of the most entertaining and provocative speeches we have had since initiating this series,” Chancellor Pam Shockley-Zalabak said. “Their insight will be particularly timely just three months before the general election.”
Previous speakers included former New York City Mayor Rudy Guiliani and former U.S. Senator and presidential candidate Robert Dole.
Mary Matalin’s no-nonsense approach made her a top Republican strategist and a highly visible political commentator. Having served concurrently as counselor to the vice president and assistant to the president, she understands the issues facing the nation. Matalin first gained national prominence while serving as campaign manager for President George Bush’s 1992 campaign. She also has makes frequent television appearances as a political commentator and served as co-host of CNN’s Crossfire and CNBC’s Equal Time.
Known for his shoot-from-the-hip style, Carville is one of the world’s most insightful and entertaining political analysts. Carville, known as “The Ragin’ Cajun,” squares off against his conservative counterparts as co-host of CNN’s Crossfire. Credited for President Clinton’s White House victory in 1992, he became a household name with the release of the Academy Award-nominated documentary The War Room, a behind-the-scenes look at the campaign.
“We are delighted to have Mary Matalin and James Carville deliver our keynote address,” Mary Ellen McNally, Colorado Springs, and co-chair of the lecture series organizing committee, said. “They will give us the insider’s perspective about this election season in a balanced format.”
Organizers of the lecture series event are also pleased to honor the community contributions of Charles “Chuck” and Brenda K. Smith.
A graduate of CU-Colorado Springs, Brenda Smith is partner in charge at BKD, Colorado Springs, the region’s largest CPA firm. In 1988, she was named CU-Colorado Springs’ Outstanding Alumna and in 2003 earned the University of Colorado Distinguished Service Award. She was the first female chair of the Greater Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and helped create the Chamber Nonprofit Partnership and the Colorado Springs Leadership Institute. She serves as a trustee for El Pomar Foundation and on numerous state and national boards.
Charles “Chuck” Smith is president and CEO of Electronics Metal Finishing Corporation, Colorado Springs, but devotes considerable energy to community service. He is active in the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce and was honored in 1991 for his role in moving two businesses to the area and for his volunteer leadership within the organization. The U.S. Small Business Administration named him Small Business Subcontractor of the Year in 1988 and he served on the Colorado Regulatory Reform Advisory Commission and United Bank’s board of directors. He served in the U.S. Air Force and attended the University of Illinois.
CU-Colorado Springs, located on Austin Bluffs Parkway in northeast Colorado Springs, is the fastest growing university in Colorado and one of the fastest growing universities in the nation. The university offers 25 bachelor’s degrees, 17 master’s and two doctoral degrees. The campus enrolls more than 7,600 students annually.
EDITOR’S NOTE: A photo of Carville and. Matalin is available. Please call 262-3439.