Mission
The Center for Civic Leadership enables young leaders to consider the foundational ideas of leadership in a free society by connecting them with mentors and fellow young leaders through seminars, lectures, and fellowship programs.

The Center hosts public events throughout the year (as part of its Gorton Lecture Series), and private quarterly events (the Discovery Leadership Roundtable) for a select group of young professionals chosen through an application process.

Gorton Lecture Series
This series honors Discovery Institute board member and former U.S. Senator Slade Gorton, whose public service to Washington State serves as a model to future generations.  Lectures in this series are open to the public, and tailored to those who aspire to a career in public policy.  The Gorton Lecture Series has featured Senator Gorton, journalist Ted Van Dyk, radio personality Michael Medved, political scientist Mathew Manweller, Discovery founder Bruce Chapman, and Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain, among others.

If you would like to be notified of future Gorton Lecture Series events, please take a moment to subscribe to Center for Civic Leadership event announcements.

Leadership Roundtable
Discovery Institute’s Leadership Roundtable hosts quarterly events, as part of a one-year program, for a select group of young professionals and students from Washington State. The Roundtable features readings and discussions on civic leadership moderated by some of our state’s most distinguished leaders in business, education, media, religion, and public service. The goal of the Center is to develop the next generation of public and private sector leaders, in the spirit of collegiality and non-partisan cooperation.

Seminar fellows are also invited to special, invitation-only networking events throughout the course of the year.  If you are under the age of 35 and aim to make a significant leadership contribution to your community, you are encouraged to apply.

The application deadline is March 9, 2012.  Questions regarding the application process can be directed to:  cfcl@discovery.org

Support the Center for Civic Leadership
The work of Discovery Institute's Center on Civic Leadership (CFCL) is made possible by the generous financial support of foundations and individual donors. If you would like to donate to this program you can do so online by clicking on the yellow donate button above. To make a donation by mail, send your check payable to Discovery Institute to: Center for Civic Leadership, 208 Columbia Street, Seattle, WA 98104. To make a gift by phone call
1-800-685-0632 x111.

Advisory Board

Dr. Michael Allen
Professor of History
University of Washington

Hon. Steve Buri
President
Discovery Institute

Dr. Jeff Cain
Founding Partner
American Philanthropic

Hon. Bruce Chapman
Founder & Chairman
Discovery Institute

Dr. Reed Davis
Dept Chair, Political Science and Geography
Seattle Pacific University

Trent England
Vice President for Policy
The Freedom Foundation

Hon. Slade Gorton
Former U.S. Senator

Dr. Robert Kaufman
Professor, Pepperdine University
Biographer of Henry M. Jackson

Hon. Mary Ellen McCaffree
Former Legislator, Agency Director, Author

Ralph Munro
Former Washington Secretary of State

Rep. Kevin Parker
6th Legislative District, Spokane

Hon. George Scott, Ph.D.
Former State Senator, Historian

Dr. Andrew Tadie
Professor of English
Seattle University

Dr. John West
Senior Fellow
Discovery Institute