Andrew Ortiz

What are you doing now?
I am currently serving as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ortiz Leadership Systems, LLC. Through my company I have developed and conducted seminars, workshops and keynote addresses on leadership, motivation, success, and personal development across the United States. My programs have been presented to government entities, corporations, colleges and universities, professional and trade associations, and philanthropic foundations. I consider myself a student of leadership, and I am always excited to share what I have learned with others, while also learning from my audiences. There is a Greek proverb that says that "In learning, we teach, and in teaching, we learn." This wisdom has guided me well both in business and in life. 

I have been privileged to have had leadership roles throughout my career in government, nonprofit management, higher education, health care, and association leadership. This diversity of experience has allowed me to view leadership from various vantage points. It is this experience that governs the work that I do through Ortiz Leadership Systems as well as my involvements in the various boards of directors that I serve on. Giving back to my community is very important to me and always has been. As a young boy, my mother taught me the important message from the Gospel of St. Luke that teaches us that "Of those to whom much is given, much shall be required." 

How has this Fellowship Impacted Your Career?
The Center Fellowship had a huge influence upon me. I have always been interested in the American Presidency, both as an institution and as a focal point of leadership and influence in the world. Likewise, I have always been fascinated by the individuals that have occupied the Presidency over the 250 years of our country's history. During my Fellowship, I wrote my Center thesis on the Presidency of John F. Kennedy. I titled it "John F. Kennedy: The Enigmatic Presidency." I was so thrilled to receive a lovely letter from Dr. R. Gordon Hoxie, who was then the Director of the Center, letting me know how much he enjoyed reading my paper and that he gave it his highest commendation. What a thrill that was to me, as a young leader and scholar, who held big dreams and lofty ambitions for my future. I was walking on a cloud after receiving this encouragement from Dr. Hoxie, whom I held in such high regard. 

My Fellowship experience allowed me to meet many wonderful leaders such as President Clinton's Chief of Staff Thomas "Mack" McClarty, Secretary of Labor Alexis Herman, Director of the Central Intelligence Agency Robert Gates, Political Party leaders such as Frank Fahrenkopf, Charles Manatt, Rich Bond, and David Wilhelm. Former Center Fellow, George Stephanopoulos was also someone that I enjoyed meeting. I also relished the opportunity to learn from and build friendships with those Fellows in my class and those from previous classes. All of these experiences opened up new horizons of curiosity and professional development that I could not have fathomed otherwise. The inspiration that I received as a Center Fellow truly changed my life and my career and has motivated me to be an agent of positive change through my efforts. I will continue to seek to pay forward all that I have gained through this amazing experience.

What is your favorite Memory of the Fellowship? 
There are so many wonderful memories that flood my mind as I recall my experience as a Center Fellow, but one stands head and shoulders above the rest for obvious reasons. You see, in March of 1993, the Center held its Annual Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Hotel on Capitol Hill. I was honored to be representing Arizona State University as a Center Fellow, and I was committed to soaking up every wonderful learning experience that was available to me, and there were many. 

On March 19, 1993, Eli Segal, the Director of the Corporation for National and Community Service delivered the Keynote Address at our evening banquet. In his speech, he highlighted some of my community service work in Arizona around youth leadership and mentoring. After dinner, a Broadcast Journalism student from the University of Central Oklahoma named Deborah Meek came to the dais where I was seated with Mr. Segal. She asked if she could interview me with the small tape recorder that he had in her hand. I agreed, and that conversation was captured on tape. Little did we know then that we would later embark on a four-year long-distance relationship and would get married on July 26, 1997. Boy, do I owe the Center big time for this! 

My Fellowship experience was replete with amazing opportunities to meet wonderful leaders from government, politics, international affairs, and the media. This was an education in and of itself. I enjoyed the opportunity to serve as a moderator for various policy panels on national affairs, and I relished the privilege to learn from my colleagues with the Center. My Fellowship experience allowed me the forum to expand my knowledge of the Presidency and statecraft, while also honing my speaking, writing, and interpersonal skills.  This alone was life-changing, but introducing me to my future wife was the cherry on top of the sundae. 

What is your dream job? 
I would love to lead an organization where I could research, write, and speak about how American Presidents have practiced leadership over the years, and to explore what guiding lessons and principles we can glean and apply in our own lives and careers today. I would love to work closely with presidential museums and library facilities across the country to access their archives for source materials and to present these lessons to broad audiences in the U.S. and around the world. This work would be of particular interest to companies, school districts, youth organizations, and a host of other potential publics. 

In the late 1990's, I was one of two finalists to become the Executive Director of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library (in Ann Arbor, MI) and the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Museum (in Grand Rapids, MI). I didn't get the job, but my interest in the American Presidency has never waned. If anything, it has grown over the years. Perhaps the future will afford the opportunity for me to come full circle from my Center Fellow experience and bring my love of politics, government and leadership into a "dream job" that will facilitate a chance to pursue all of these interests collectively.