[WardFive] Dr. Elsie Scott Named Founding Director of Ron W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center

Dr. Elsie Scott Named Founding Director of Ron W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center

Elsie L. Scott WASHINGTON (October 2, 2012) – Howard University has named Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D., former president and chief executive of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, as the founding director of the Ron W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center. “I am excited to have been selected to be the first director of the Ron W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center,” Scott said. “Dr. Walters was a role model for me as a political scientist.  I valued his wise counsel and consider it an honor to have been entrusted with a major role of preserving his legacy.” Scott will spearhead the development of the Ron W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center into a focal point for leadership development and public policy research and analysis into the areas of African-American contributions to U.S. national and foreign policy, and the role of African Americans in U.S. presidential and congressional politics. Through seminars, conferences, symposia, visiting scholars, executive programs, internships , publications and public events, the Center will play a critical role in developing leaders; providing resources to political leaders, policy-makers and nonprofit leaders; and serving as an epicenter for policy discussion on issues critical to the global black community. Between 2006 and 2012, Scott served as president and chief executive of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. Previously, she had served as the organization’s vice president for research and programs. Scott led the foundation’s annual legislative conferences, which attract more than 10,000 attendees each year. In addition, Scott successfully launched several foundation initiatives that sought to strengthen the influence of African Americans in public policy development. Scott has enjoyed a distinguished career in federal, local, nonprofit and academic settings. She has served as executive director of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives and Deputy Commissioner of Training for the New York City Police Department. She has held senior and supervisory roles in the police departments of Detroit and the District of Columbia and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. She has also taught political science, urban studies and criminal justice at several universities, including Howard, Rutgers, Central Florida and North Carolina Central. Dr. Scott earned a B.A. from Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., a M.A. from the University of Iowa and a Ph.D. from Atlanta University. She has written many articles and monographs on topics related to crime, police and the black community, as well as on women’s issues, hate violence, management and training, and race and poverty. Howard University established the Ron W. Walters Leadership and Public Policy Center in 2011. Ronald W. Walters, Ph.D., served as a Howard University professor for 25 years and was a preeminent global scholar and expert on American political behavior, black politics and comparative politics. He died in September 2010. Walters served as a campaign manager and consultant to the Rev. Jesse Jackson during his two presidential bids and was instrumental in the creation of the Congressional Black Caucus.