Washington Post Columnist Michael Gerson and Former Congressman Chet Edwards Will Speak on Engaging Public Service Sept. 24

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WACO, Texas (Sept. 23, 2013) -- Washington Post columnist Michael Gerson and former Congressman Chet Edwards will speak at "Engaging Public Service: A Conversation" on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at Paul W. Powell Chapel in Truett Seminary.
The free event begins at 7:30 p.m. and is open to the public. The seminary is at 1100 S. Third St.
Besides being a nationally syndicated columnist, Gerson was a top aide to President Gorge W. Bush, serving as assistant to the Bush's assistant for policy and strategic planning. He was an advocate for the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the fight against global sex trafficking and funding for women's justice and empowerment. He also was a key administration advocate for the President's Malaria Initiative.
Currently, he serves as a senior advisor at ONE, a bipartisan organization dedicated to the fight against extreme poverty and preventable diseases. He serves on the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, the Holocaust Memorial Museum's Committee on Conscience, the board of directors of Bread for the World, the Initiative for Global Development Leadership Council and the Board of Directors of the International Rescue Committee.
Edwards is the W.R. Poage Distinguished Chair for Public Service at Baylor. He formerly represented portions of North Texas, Central Texas and the Brazos Valley in Washington, D.C. He served as a member of both budget and appropriation committees, assisting the economy with federal investments in key education, transportation and water programs in his district; the Central Texas Veterans' Health System and university research programs at Baylor and Texas A&M University.
His congressional career included significant work in the areas of nuclear non-proliferation and fighting for fiscal measures to benefit children, senior citizens and the middle class.
Edwards was honored with the T.B. Maston Christian Ethics Award for exemplary public service and with the Walter Cronkite Faith and Freedom Award from the Interfaith Alliance and the Barbara Jordan/Hatfield Courage Award from the Joint Committee for his defense of religious liberty.
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