Renowned Leader Honor to Speak at Centennial Lecture Series on Coast campus

Few people are more qualified to discuss the importance of leadership in a crisis situation than retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel L. Honoré.

Honoré, renowned for his forceful, productive leadership during the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort, will be the guest speaker for the Issues and Answers Lecture Series presented by The Sun Herald, The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast College of Arts and Letters and the Centennial Celebration Committee on Tuesday, Sept 7. The lecture is set for 7 p.m. at the Fleming Education Center Auditorium on the Gulf Park campus in Long Beach.

The theme for Honoré's presentation is “The Art of Crisis Leadership: Lessons Learned Building a Culture of Preparedness.” The lecture is free and open to the general public. A live Webcast of the lecture will be presented at 7 p.m. at Bennett Auditorium on the Hattiesburg campus.

“I can think of no one more capable of addressing crisis preparedness better than Lt. Gen. Honoré,” said Dr. Vafa Kamali, director and instructor in the Office of the Vice President for Research at Southern Miss. “He is a proven motivator and has already illustrated that he knows what needs to be done when faced with a crisis situation. We are delighted to have him share some insight as part of our Centennial Lecture Series.”

Five years ago Hurricane Katrina devastated much of New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Several buildings on the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus were destroyed by the high winds and massive storm surge. But today a concerted rebuilding effort continues at Gulf Park which has emerged from the disaster more resilient than ever.

A native of Lakeland, La., Honoré, is a coveted speaker on the lecture circuit and a regular commentator for CNN. Last month he was one of the featured speakers at the National Sports Safety and Security Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. He retired in February of 2008 following 37 years of active service with the United States Army.

“I think he relates to people so well because he truly cares about helping others,” said Kamali. “He has always understood that one of the primary missions of the military is to make life better for people in need.”

For more information contact Jennifer Payne at 601.266.4095 or CentennialFREEMississippi