California State University, Northridge’s Delmar T. Oviatt Library, in partnership with the CSUN Athletics Department, will present the second Read To Lead panel discussion, which highlights the significant relationship between literature and leadership.

Women’s golf coach Gina Umeck

Campus leaders gather bi-monthly to discuss books that have influenced their leadership skills. The upcoming panel will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 9 a.m. in the Jack and Florence Ferman Presentation Room located on the garden level of the Oviatt Library.

Presenters at the second Read To Lead event include Michael Spagna, dean of CSUN’s Michael D. Eisner College of Education; Thor Steingraber, executive director of the Valley Performing Arts Center; Gina Umeck, head coach of CSUN women’s golf team and Deborah Wallace, CSUN’s associate vice president of financial services.

“When CSUN’s director of intercollegiate athletics, Brandon Martin, approached me with an idea to promote reading as a way to build leadership skills among staff, faculty, and students, I was on board immediately,” said Library Dean Mark Stover.

Thor Steingraber

The Read To Lead initiative includes 20 campus leaders from CSUN and includes faculty, staff, students and alumni. Each leader selects a book that played a vital role in their personal life and/or professional development. Some of the influential writing that will be discussed are “The Mismeasure of Man” by Stephen Jay Gould, “If”, a poem by Rudyard Kipling and “The Effective Executive” by Peter Drucker.

The panel discussion will be followed by a reception and light refreshments. The event is open to the public and RSVP’s are required by Thursday Feb. 20 by calling 818-677-5081 or via email at fatema.noor@csun.edu.

The Oviatt Library serves as the main research facility in the San Fernando Valley. Information about all library events can be found at the library’s website http://library.csun.edu/blogs/goingson or by calling 818-677-2638.