Interview with former Under Secretary of State Ellen Tauscher: Survivor, Leader, Public Servant [Video]

It was really important to me to include former Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher in the series on extraordinary women at the Dole Institute. I had seen Ellen in action as my representative in the U.S. Congress and watched her ascend to one of the highest levels of government as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

Since leaving the State Department in 2012, Tauscher has assumed a number of publicly-held corporate and non-profit board positions, including serving on the boards of Southern California Edison, SpaceX, and the Executive Committee of the Atlantic Council. She recently took on a new role helping with bipartisan citizens redistricting at You Draw the Lines.

But the story I most wanted to tell is the story of Ellen as a survivor. It’s not just about surviving Washington, D.C. It’s about surviving one of the most severe forms of cancer. Esophageal cancer is among the deadliest cancers, with only a 10% relative survival rate after five years. Ellen just had her 5th anniversary of being cancer-free, making her an even more remarkable woman than I even realized. Watch my interview with her here.

The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics celebrates public service and promotes civil discourse and the legacy of Senator Bob Dole by providing public programming, research and educational opportunities, a museum gallery, and other offerings. Museum gallery features include the world’s largest stained-glass American flag, Kansas veterans WWII memory wall and World Trade Center beams. It is home to the Robert J. Dole Archive & Special Collections, which includes over 35 years of congressional papers, as well as objects and materials from the Senator’s entire life.

“In America we take pride in the past, but we live for the future. To the young people who will come here for inspiration as well as information, may you never stop reaching for the stars – whatever the difficulties.”  – Senator Bob Dole, July 22, 2003, Dole Institute dedication.