Lyles Center InForum series

New Valley InForum, a series sponsored by the Lyles Center for Entrepreneurship, will bring three innovative speakers to Fresno State this spring to communicate the mosaic of change happening around the nation and in our community. They will discuss how to prepare for success in our schools, government, businesses and region.

Peter Hutchinson, author of "The Price of Government," will speak on "Root Causes, Real Solutions" at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8, at the Fresno Memorial Auditorium. A networking time will begin at 5:30 p.m.

Courage to change is a founding principle of the Public Strategies Group (PSG) founded by Hutchinson. Fundamental change is what he has fostered in communities, the private sector, education and the public sector. He convinced Dayton Hudson Corp. (now Target Corp.), to invest 5 percent of profits into philanthropy, arguing that it is the surrounding community that ultimately sustains business. This idea has sprouted across the United States. His firm took on the challenge of turning around the Minneapolis Public Schools and he did just that as superintendent of the 50,000-student system, leading a dramatic turnaround in student achievement and financial health.

As Commissioner of Finance in Minnesota he began his search for common-sense budgets built around results. Hutchinson’s “Price of Government” was assigned reading for Michigan House and Senate caucuses.

A VIP reception and book signing will follow the speech.

Future speakers in the series will be Donna Zajonc, author of "The Politics of Hope" on March 23 and Rebecca Ryan speaking on "Hot Jobs, Cool Communities" on April 21.

Tickets for the Hutchinson speech are $15 general, $10 student and $10 VIP reception.

Tickets for the series are $40 general, $25 student and $25 VIP reception.

For tickets call 294-2045. For more information see http://www.lylescenter.com/inforum.htm.