Keynote Speakers

Robert L. Caslen, Jr.
Lt. General U.S. Army (Retired) and Keynote Speaker

2019 NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award Recipient

Fee: Negotiable
Travel: Robert travels from New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

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Topics

Winning the right way | Becoming a Leader of Character

You can be #1 in your class, or the best athlete on the team, but when you fail in character, you fail in leadership. How do you build character in leaders, and how do you sustain a culture of character within your organization? This is not only about the impact of character in effective leadership, but a discussion on how character is developed, how it is assessed, and how it is sustained.

Developing a Culture of Excellence | Accomplish the Mission and Win

When America puts boots on the ground in harm's way, they don't expect them to go out there and look good or to do their best, they expect them to accomplish the mission and win. But they also expect them to win in accordance with our Nation's values and ethic. This is a story of the transformation of the Army Athletic Department and the Army Football team, and how West Point developed a culture of excellence in not only the athletic department, but in everything else that occurs at the Academy. The discussion then transitions to the application of these leadership principles into the corporate environment.

Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault on College Campuses Today

Surveys indicate one of four women on college campuses today is sexually assaulted during their time in college. This scourge has to be addressed and strategies must be developed to address root causes and how to build a respectful environment among students and faculty today. This talk highlights the problem, and shares existing strategies that are making an impact and difference within today's collegiate population.

Building Diverse and Inclusive Teams

Within the Profession of Arms, our client is the American people whom we have the task to serve and protect. We also have the responsibility to build a trust relationship with America. If we fail to represent all of our clients, we risk becoming illegitimate in the eyes of certain ethnic or other groups. Further, as our Nation becomes more diverse in so many areas, and as our organizations become more diverse, it is increasingly important to develop leaders who know how to lead and build diverse teams.

Biography

Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen is a United States veteran who served in the U.S. Army for 43 years. His military career culminated in 2018 as the 59th superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He also served as the 29th president of the University of South Carolina.

Under his direction as Superintendent, the Academy was recognized as the number one public college in the Nation by Forbes Magazine and the number one public college by U.S. News and World Report. Through the establishment of Centers of Excellence at West Point, General Caslen developed an integration between Army applied problem sets and West Point research and intellectual capital. Caslen refined West Point's leadership program with a focus on professional ethics as an essential part of leadership and character development.

As the University of South Carolina's president, Caslen successfully led the university through its most challenging period, the 2020-21 Pandemic. Keeping the university's strategic plan functional during the pandemic, the university remained open, profited an additional 50 million dollars, opened a national on-line program, and increased its enrollment applications by 21%.

Working with the West Point Director of Athletics, Caslen revamped the athletic program, made it self-sustaining, and fielded 25 competitive intercollegiate teams. He created partnerships with the NCAA and Department of Defense to conduct research into preventing and treating concussions and traumatic brain injury that have led to significant improvements in prevention and care. And, fulfilling a pledge he made soon after becoming Superintendent, he led a sweeping reversal of Army's football program and developed a culture of excellence through winning with character, culminating in Army defeating Navy in 2016 for the first time in 14 years, and beating both Air Force and Navy in 2017 to win the Commander-in-Chief's trophy for the first time in 21 years, as well as 100 national and conference championships in team sport athletics.

Before becoming the West Point Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Caslen served as the chief of the Office of Security Cooperation in Iraq, where he served as the senior military commander in Iraq after the drawdown of U.S. and allied forces in 2011. Caslen held several other notable positions including commanding general of the 25th Infantry Division, commanding general of the Multi-National Division- North during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Chief of Staff of both the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT) and the 10th Mountain Division, where he also served as Chief of Staff of TF Mountain during Operation Enduring Freedom. He also has served in combat and overseas deployments in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, JTF-B in Honduras, and Operation Uphold Democracy and the United Nations Mission in Haiti.

While at West Point, Caslen played offensive center on the Army football team, and remained at West Point for a season as a graduate assistant football coach. Caslen later returned to West Point as a young Army officer serving as an assistant coach for the 1981-2 Army football teams.

Lt. Gen Caslen holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Long Island University and a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Kansas State University. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the United States Military Academy, a member of the Kansas State Engineering College Hall of Fame, recognized for a Life Time of Service Award from the American Red Cross, was selected as the Honorary Rock of the Year Award for his efforts in diversity as the Superintendent of West Point, the 2018 Gerald R. Ford Legends Award for lifetime service as a former football offensive center, the NCAA Theodore Roosevelt Award for a former NCAA student-athlete who is a distinguished citizen of national reputation exemplifying the ideals to which collegiate athletics programs and amateur sports competition are dedicated, and was recognized with an honorary Doctorate from Long Island University.

He and the former Michele Pastin, from Highland Falls, N.Y. have been married for 44 years and have 3 sons and 5 grandchildren.