Ken Mehlman recently made an appearance at The Riverside Theater in Vero Beach, Florida. The Riverside Theater opened the 16th season of its Distinguished Lecturer Series with a lecture by George W. Bush. Ken Mehlman had the opportunity to interview Bush, posing questions about his presidency and some of the most defining decisions of his personal life. The interview also covered president Bush’s philanthropic work through the George W. Bush President Center in Dallas. Ken Mehlman has a longstanding relationship with the former president as his former campaign manager and head of the Republican National Convention. 1,600 Distinguished Lecturer Series subscribers listened to the lecture, either live in the Riverside Theater or at its simulcast location in the adjacent Waxlax Theater.
Autographed copies of Bush’s book, “Decision Points,” were available for purchase at the lecture. The American Association of Political Consultants voted Ken Mehlman “Campaign Manager of the Year” in 2005 for his work on the Bush campaign. The Distinguished Speakers Series has brought 60 speakers to the Riverside Theater over the past 16 years. Other speakers who will be featured this year include Dr. Robert Scales, Leon Panetta and Robert D. Kaplan. Former President Bush is the series’ most notable featured speaker to date, and security around the event was especially tight. His arrival was unannounced even to local police forces until directly before the event, and all event attendees had to submit to a rigorous background check before they were put on the approval list. Bush has tried to remain out of the public eye lately, so this interview with Ken Mehlman was a great chance for some of the community to learn about his life after presidency.