Nate's Blog

I will never forget the day President Trump invited me to the White House. Not once, but twice. I attended a conference in Washington D.C., the Presidential Sites Summit in 2018. I made it pretty public that I got to tour the White House, but I didn't share with many that a few days later, I met President Trump, the First Lady  (and Betsy Devos, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Steven Mnuchin, and Kellyanne Conway). Many did not accept the invitation to attend, but I am so glad I did.

This past week brought announcements of expansions and renovations for three major landmarks in Little Rock: the Clinton Presidential Center, the new venue for the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, and the historic Boyle Building. These updates spurred me to reflect on the city’s robust developmental blueprint (investments, projections, and vision), conservatively valued at a billion dollars.

DPS Mathura Road, New Delhi, India, 2011 There's a part of my life that I've held close to my chest, a transformative and deeply personal story. I'm a Thomas J. Watson Fellow, a title I've often hesitated to share openly, not out of shame but a complex blend of modesty, reverence for the experience, and irrational fear. But today, as I'm heading to Bowdoin College for a returning fellows conference, I feel encouraged to share more about this chapter of my life. If you’re interested in knowing the details, you're in the right place