NEW IN 2024: LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS

We’re proud to introduce a new professional development program specifically designed for Lyceum Directors and Alumni. For experts looking to refine technique or beginners interested in learning new skills, these practical workshops will help you be increasingly effective in your professional and civic life. Our first training series begins in 2024 and this year we will focus on communications and advocacy. Workshops will take place on the day before each quarterly meeting and will be led by Texas Lyceum alumni who are experts in the field. Participants who complete all four courses will receive a certificate of completion.

Workshop #1: Media Training

Whether speaking to a television reporter at the Capitol or sitting down for an interview with a podcast or your local daily, it’s important to deliver your message in a compelling and memorable way. In this session you will learn the fundamentals of news interviews, and how to be confident and stay on message when talking to reporters. This hands-on training will be packed with real-life examples and practical tips that will help you be ready the next time a media opportunity comes your way.

Presented by: Jenifer Sarver (2014)
Thursday, February 1, 2024, 3PM – 5PM
Texarkana | Water: A Deep Dive on Texas’ Most Precious Natural Resource | February 1-3, 2024

Workshop #2: Public Speaking & Moderating

In this workshop, you will learn techniques that will build your confidence in the art of public speaking. We will cover valuable skills, not just for formal speeches, presentations, and panels, but also for effectively communicating to stakeholders in any setting, from the personal to the professional. Practical tips will include everything from word choice to body language and you will come away with new tools ready to use immediately in everyday life.

Presented by: Mustafa Tameez (2013)
Thursday, April 4, 2024, 2PM – 4PM
Houston | PubCon | Mission Control: Texas’ Leadership in Space, Technology and Innovation | April 4-6, 2024
 

Workshop #3: Advocacy Communications

From school boards and city hall to the state capitol and Congress, an effective advocacy plan can help influence policymakers to achieve your goals. In this workshop you will learn how to identify your goals and craft an advocacy plan that includes the right audience, the right message, and the right communications vehicles to deliver it. This will be a practical, hands-on look at how each of us, as citizens, can interact with and impact our government.

Presented by: Merrill Davis (2013)
Thursday, September 26, 2024, 2PM – 4PM
Abilene | The State of Mental Health in Texas | September 26-28, 2024

Workshop #4: Storytelling

Storytelling is central to human communication. Think back to the most powerful lessons you learned as a child – were they conveyed in bullet points, facts, and statistics? Or in good tales that seared them into your memory? In this workshop, we will discuss the fundamentals of narrative structure and how storytelling can inform and persuade. You will learn practical skills for delivering your message in a story that will resonate with audiences and ensure that you are heard, understood, and remembered.

Presented by: Jenifer Sarver (2014) and Dave Shaw (2009)
Thursday, November 7, 2024, 2PM – 4PM
South Padre Island | Win, Lose or Draw: The Future of Marijuana and Gambling in the Lone Star State | November 7-9, 2024

Price and Registration

Market value for these workshops is $5,000 or more each. The price for the entire series is $400 per person to cover the Lyceum’s hard costs for producing the sessions. Presenters are donating their time and expertise.

If interested, please sign-up here.

Meet the Presenters

	Jenifer Sarver Texas Lyceum Class of 2014 Jenifer is the principal of Sarver Strategies, a communications consultancy. She has more than two decades of experience in media relations, crisis communications, speechwriting, coalition building, and media and presentation skills training. Her career has spanned the corporate, nonprofit, and political worlds, helping clients develop messages that will resonate with their core audiences and create strategies for effectively delivering those messages through the appropriate communications channels.
	Dave Shaw Texas Lyceum Class of 2009 Dave is the president of Arrow, a strategic branding and public relations firm. He has more than 25 years experience in marketing and communications that spans branding, advertising, public relations, and public affairs work with brands including American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, AT&T, H-E-B, Hyatt, and the LBJ Presidential Library. He has appeared as a communications expert on panels for the Public Relations Society of America, American Marketing Association and SXSW. Dave is a past chairman of The Texas Lyceum.
	Merrill Davis Texas Lyceum Class of 2013 Merrill is Vice President, Communications of Texas 2036 where she manages all aspects of the organization’s communications after working for more than 25 years in strategic communications and public affairs in Texas. Merrill has played a key role in building the Texas 2036 brand and reputation and expanding its reach and impact. She has brought together a team to grow its relationships with reporters and publications, build out the social media followers to over 60,000, and develop online and print publications, helping to solidify Texas 2036’s reputation as a thought leader in data and policy.
	Mustafa Tameez Texas Lyceum Class of 2013 Mustafa is the Founder and CEO of Outreach Strategists, a leading full-service public relations and marketing firm. With nearly 30 years of experience, Mustafa is a digital marketing expert, strategic consultant in communications and public affairs, and an authority in multicultural markets. Mustafa has worked with a diverse range of clients, including national brands like Uber, Facebook, and Blue Cross Blue Shield, as well as local entities and non-profits like AARP Texas and the Houston Police Department. He is a national opinion leader, with over 1,000 appearances on CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC.