The White House Fellows Foundation And Association Names Myron E. (Mike) Ullman III Recipient Of John Gardner Legacy Of Leadership Award

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — The White House Fellows Foundation and Association today announced that Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III, White House Fellow Class of 1981-82, and Chief Executive Officer of J.C. Penney, has received the annual John Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award. The award is presented to outstanding leaders who are alumni of the White House Fellows Program.

The White House Fellows Program is America’s most prestigious program for leadership development and public service. Created in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson and John W. Gardner, the Program is dedicated to giving promising American leaders firsthand, high-level experience with the workings of the Federal Government, and to increasing their sense of participation in national affairs.

Mr. Ullman’s White House Fellow classmates recommended him for his career achievements, lifelong dedication to public service, and his continuing support of the White House Fellows Program. Jennifer Kaplan, Director of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships, said, “Mike Ullman is an incredible individual who received the Legacy of Leadership award because he reflects the enduring qualities of character, determination, insight and responsibility. He is a selfless leader in the public, private and humanitarian sectors who focuses on the people, companies and causes he champions. In the 32 years since his White House Fellowship, Mike has had an extraordinary career of service to our nation and it has been an honor to work with him.”

Recipients of the Award, named after John W. Gardner, past President of the Carnegie Corporation, who, with President Lyndon B. Johnson, challenged all White House Fellows to commit to a lifetime of public service and become agents of change and renewal, include General (Ret.) Wesley Clark, General (Ret.) Colin Powell, Julia Vadala Taft, RADM (Ret.) Marsha Evans, and the Honorable Doris Meissner, among others.

Mr. Ullman said, “I am honored to receive this award just as the White House Fellows Program is celebrating its 50(th) anniversary. My year as a White House Fellow was a true ‘pivot point’ in my life, and I am deeply grateful for that experience and the chance to remain active over the years in the White House Fellows community.” Mr. Ullman served his one-year White House Fellowship as Executive Assistant to the U.S. Trade Representative, William E. Brock III.

Over nearly three decades, Mike Ullman has successfully led five major global enterprises in the United States, France and Hong Kong, and has distinguished himself as a highly accomplished international retail industry leader with a deep commitment to humanitarian initiatives. He is the Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of J. C. Penney Company, Inc. and recently completed his six-year term as a Director and later Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

In addition, Mr. Ullman has served for the last 13 years as Chairman of Mercy Ships International, a global medical and human services charity and is a Director of F.I.R.S.T, a non-profit organization that sponsors high school robotics competitions to encourage students to pursue an education and careers in science and technology. He is a Trustee of Gordon College and serves on the Boards of Starbucks, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, and the National Retail Federation, of which he is a past Chairman. His alma mater, the University of Cincinnati, awarded Mr. Ullman the William Howard Taft Medal and the Carl Linder Medal for outstanding business achievement. He is also the 2014 honoree of the Woodrow Wilson Center Award for Corporate Citizenship for his dedication to the nation and to the Dallas community.

About the White House Fellows Program

Founded in 1964 by President Lyndon B. Johnson, the White House Fellows program is America’s most prestigious program for leadership and public service, offering exceptional young men and women first-hand experience working at the highest levels of the Federal Government. Fellows typically spend a year as special assistants to senior White House Staff, Cabinet Secretaries and other top-ranking government officials. Fellowships are awarded on a strictly non-partisan basis to selected individuals from diverse backgrounds and varied professions, who have demonstrated a strong commitment to public service, career achievement and leadership. For information about the Program and its participants, including applications, visit: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about/fellows.

About The White House Fellows Foundation and Association (WHFFA)

The White House Fellows Foundation and Association (WHFFA) is as an alumni group of members who have successfully served as White House Fellows, members of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships and members of the Commission staff who administer the Fellowship Program on a day-to-day basis. The WHFFA supports the White House Fellows Education Program financially, engages in a series of activities to broaden members’ understanding of government and the problems confronting government and encourages members to commit to a lifetime of public service and education of the public. For more information, please visit: http://www.whff.org/.

Contacts:Jack LeCuyerExecutive DirectorWhite House Fellows Foundation and Association (202) 360-0294orKimberly KrigerKekst and Company(212) 521-4862

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The White House Fellows Foundation and Association

Web site: https://www.whitehouse.gov/about/fellows/