Dayton Mayor, Wright State alumna Nan Whaley to give libraries talk

Nan Whaley, who received an M.P.A. in 2009 from Wright State, will discuss “Leadership in Challenging Times” during the Friends of the Libraries Virtual Lunch-In on April 21.

Dayton Mayor and 2009 Wright State University alumna Nan Whaley will give a presentation on leadership during the Friends of the Libraries Virtual Lunch-In.

The lunch-in event will take place on Webex on Wednesday, April 21, from noon to 1 p.m.

Registration is required. The event is free. Participants can help support the Friends of the Libraries by registering as a luncheon patron for $25.

In her talk, titled “Leadership in Challenging Times,” Whaley will discuss the challenges of leading the City of Dayton, which has experienced tornadoes, a mass shooting and the pandemic.

Whaley will talk about how leaders navigate challenges in a polarized climate and how she evaluates information to bring community members together. She will also address the role active citizens can play to work toward shared visions and outcomes for the region.

Following Whaley’s presentation, Mandy Shannon, head of instruction and research services, will discuss strategies for fact-checking information, improving news literacy, and being responsible consumers of news and other media.

Whaley graduated from Wright State in 2009 with a Master of Public Administration. She has remained involved with Wright State, teaching a course on Women and Leadership and working with administrators and faculty on efforts to cultivate women leaders throughout the community. She has also given several presentations at the university.

Whaley was elected to the Dayton City Commission in 2005 as the youngest woman ever chosen for a commission seat. She successfully ran for mayor in 2013 and was re-elected in 2017. As mayor, she has focused on the areas of community development, manufacturing, and women and children.

She has served as vice president for the U.S. Conference of Mayors as well as the chair of the International Committee for the conference. She is a founding board member of the Ohio’s Mayor Alliance, a bipartisan coalition of Ohio’s 30 largest cities.

Whaley has been committed to the political process in local, state and national elections. While in college, she served as Ohio Chair of the College Democrats. She currently serves as vice president of the National Conference of Democratic Mayors. In addition, she is a five-time delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

The Friends of the Libraries support the mission of the Wright State University Libraries to provide quality research services, materials and library spaces for students, faculty, staff and the Miami Valley community. New members are welcome. Learn more at libraries.wright.edu/friends.