The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets will host cadets and faculty from more than 27 military institutions, academies, and colleges across the country, as well as several military high schools, at the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Leadership Conference this month .

The March 25-27 conference will focus on topics related to personal leader development and the role diversity plays in leadership. Attendees will also have an opportunity to participate in plenary sessions designed to expand their thinking about developing their style of leadership.

As part of the conference events, The Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets will hold a formal retreat ceremony at the flag pole on Upper Quad behind Lane Hall at 4:45 p.m. on March 25. Lane Hall is located at 280 Alumni Mall. The regiment will be formed between Lane, Shanks, and Major Williams halls. The Color Guard will lower the flag; Skipper, the Corps of Cadets cannon, will fire; and the Highty-Tighties, the regimental band, will play. All are welcome to view this event.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author and noted presidential historian Doris Kearns Goodwin will speak to the entire regiment and all visiting guests at the Cutchins Distinguished Lecture at Virginia Tech on March 26 at 7:30 p.m. in the Burruss Hall auditorium located at 800 Drillfield Dr. The Cutchins Distinguished Lecture is sponsored by the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Maj. Gen. W. Thomas Rice Center for Leader Development and the Pamplin College of Business. Her talk, “Leadership Lessons from the White House,” is open to the public at no charge and no tickets are required.

Parking information is available online.

Other sessions include a panel discussion on leadership from the noncommissioned officer perspective and a talk on professional competence by retired Col. Richard Roszak, U.S. Air Force, Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Class of 1971.

Cadet Maj. Jona Lewis of Yorktown, Va., a senior majoring in international studies and Russian language in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences who is pursuing a minor in leadership studies from the Virginia Tech Corps of Cadets Rice Center for Leader Development explains why the conference is valuable.

"Our leadership conference provides a great opportunity for both Virginia Tech cadets and our guests to reflect not only on the similarities and differences between our programs, but also on questions of leadership that all of us will face in our future careers. We are looking forward to hosting all attending schools and having a very successful conference."

Lewis is a member of the Naval ROTC program and is serving as the cadet-in-charge for the leadership team organizing the conference this year.

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