Two California State University, Bakersfield students are participating this week at the Panetta Institute's seventh annual student leadership seminar for college student body officers.

Kenneth Beurmann, CSUB's Associated Students president for 2006-07; and Valerie Poyner, an ASI director, are attending the eight-day seminar hosted by the Leon and Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy in Monterey, along with student leaders from throughout the CSU system as well as Dominican University and Santa Clara University.

The program features classes on topics such as local politics and leadership skills, leadership and crisis from the congressional perspective, ethics of leadership, as well as sessions on student attitudes towards politics and public service, and leadership in business and economics.

The students will hear from a diverse group of public officials, journalists and military leaders. Among them are California Assembly members John Laird and Joseph Canciamilla.

Panetta, who has more than 30 years experience in Washington, D.C., as a member of Congress and as chief of staff to President Clinton, will join the other speakers in exploring the state of leadership today.

For more information about the seminar, please call the Panetta Institute at (831) 582-4200.

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