CONWAY, Ark. – The Hendrix College Center for Civic Leadership will host the next lecture in its Civic Impact Series on Tuesday, February 10, with featured speaker Nate Coulter. The event will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Hundley-Shell Theater at Hendrix College's Miller Creative Quad. The title of the lecture is “Paths for Civic Engagement Amid Disillusion and Despair”.
Coulter will address how individuals and communities can remain civically engaged during moments of uncertainty and discouragement. “Despair is an understandable human emotion,” Coulter said. “But I do not want to give in to a hopelessness that breeds apathy and cynicism.” He emphasizes collective action and working with others “to bring about something that you all believe matters” as a meaningful response to disillusionment.
Following the lecture, a brief Q&A session will be held with the audience members, as well as a reception to follow in the lobby of the Windgate Museum. This lecture is free and open to the public.
The goal of the Civic Impact lecture series is to appeal broadly to students and the community by featuring accomplished professionals from a variety of fields who discuss the importance of civic engagement and leadership in their personal and professional lives, and share their hopes for the future that their work will help create.
Civic Leadership Scholar Jacee Wheat said that Nate Coulter is “an outstanding example of someone who plays a significant role in serving the central Arkansas community.” She said the program has “deepened her understanding of what it means to be a civic leader.” Fellow scholar Sanskruti Ghanti agreed, “It’s an important conversation for anyone interested in local civic life.”
Nate Coulter, a native of Nashville, Arkansas, graduated from college and law school at Harvard University. Later, earning his Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, Coulter became the Executive Director of the Central Arkansas Library System (CALS) in March 2016. CALS has 15 libraries in operation and more than 300 employees.
As Executive Director, Nate Coulter oversees the entire CALS organization and focuses on advocating for the library in the community, fostering partnerships with other organizations, and securing the necessary resources for the organization’s staff to do their critical work.
About the Center for Civic Leadership in Arkansas
The Hendrix College Center for Civic Leadership (CCL) empowers students to become active, informed citizens through hands-on engagement with community issues. Founded to connect learning with action, the CCL supports leadership development, public service, and civic responsibility in Arkansas and beyond. For more information, visit hendrix.edu/civicleadership.
About Hendrix College
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 45 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About Colleges and celebrated among the country’s leading liberal arts colleges for academic quality, engaged learning opportunities and career preparation, vibrant campus life, and value. The Hendrix College Warriors compete in 21 NCAA Division III sports. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. Learn more at www.hendrix.edu.
“… Through engagement that links the classroom with the world, and a commitment to diversity, inclusion, justice, and sustainable living, the Hendrix community inspires students to lead lives of accomplishment, integrity, service, and joy.” –Hendrix College Statement of Purpose