A Commemorative Birthday Band Concert Honoring Senator Robert J. Dole
Presented by Trust for the National Mall in partnership with the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation, the Friends of the WWII Memorial, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and the National Park Service. This event is open to the public.
Thursday, July 21, 2022
5:30–7:00 PM
World War II Memorial
The Trust for the National Mall invites the public to join us for a Commemorative Birthday Concert honoring the late U.S. Senator Robert J. Dole on the eve of what would have been his 99th birthday.
This special event will take place on Thursday, July 21, at 5:30 PM at the World War II Memorial on the National Mall. We are pleased to share that Senator Elizabeth Dole will join us as a featured speaker to share tributes to her late husband. Congressman Jim Slattery will also share remembrances of Senator Bob Dole during the program. The concert will be performed by the U.S. Army Blues Band and will feature music from the Big Band era with vocal performance.
In addition to his military service and decades of public service, the late Senator Bob Dole was a driving force behind the creation and construction of the WWII Memorial. His frequent presence at the memorial made him a beloved figure to all of the dedicated volunteers who served alongside him at the WWII Memorial, especially while welcoming Honor Flights.
This event is presented in partnership with the National Park Service, the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, the Friends of the National World War II Memorial, and the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation. Thank you to our partner at Georgetown Cupcakes for generously providing Senator Bob Dole-themed cupcakes to the first 200 guests.
This event is presented in partnership with:
With refreshments generously provided by:
About the Speakers
Senator Elizabeth Dole
U.S. Senator for North Carolina from 2003–2009
A native of Salisbury, North Carolina, Elizabeth Dole graduated with distinction from Duke University as a member of Phi Beta Kappa, earned a law degree from Harvard Law School, and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Harvard University. She served as Deputy to the Special Assistant for Consumer Affairs during the Nixon Administration, launching a career of dedication to public safety, for which she received the Humanitarian Award from the National Commission Against Drunk Driving and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. She was selected for induction into the Safety and Health Hall of Fame International for her transportation, workplace, and blood safety accomplishments. In the fall of 2012, the National Safety Council presented her their “Flame of Life Award” as one of the century’s foremost leaders on safety.
Her resume includes six years as a member of the Federal Trade Commission, and two years as Assistant to President Reagan for Public Liaison. In 1983, she became the first woman to be appointed U.S. Secretary of Transportation, serving five years. She later served as U.S. Secretary of Labor where top priorities included workplace safety, resolving the very bitter 11-month Pittston Coal Strike, and initiatives to help youth at-risk.
Throughout her career, she has strived to help women and minorities reach their full potential. Elizabeth Dole learned to leverage resources, look for innovative solutions and inspire people to work together to champion breakthrough issues of quantum importance during her years in public service.
Elizabeth Dole was only the second woman to serve as president since Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross in 1881. Following the Red Cross, she sought the Republican presidential nomination, becoming the first viable female candidate from a major political party. Elected in 2002, Senator Dole became the first woman to represent North Carolina in the United States Senate.
In 2012, she founded Caring for Military Families: The Elizabeth Dole Foundation to raise awareness and support for the 5.5 million young spouses, mothers, fathers and other loved ones caring for our nation’s wounded warriors at home. She is leading a movement to expose the military caregiver crisis and generate critical resources to help these hidden heroes.
Jeffrey Reinbold
Superintendent, National Mall and Memorial Parks, National Park Service
Jeffrey P. Reinbold is a national park manager with 28 years’ experience and expertise in public-private partnerships, has served as Superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks since March 2019. He manages the iconic monuments and memorials of the nation’s capital, and cares for treasured neighborhood green space with a budget of approximately $35 million and alongside a staff of nearly 300 and more than 6,000 volunteers. Reinbold also manages the National Mall’s infrastructure improvement projects, ensuring the enjoyment of future park visitors.
Reinbold previously served as the National Park Service’s assistant director for partnerships and civic engagement, where he was responsible for partnerships, philanthropy, national trails, and wild and scenic rivers. In more than 28 years with the National Park Service, Reinbold has led planning and partnership projects around the country: protecting historic sites and Civil War battlefields, developing new ways for national parks to work with their neighboring communities, and exploring ways to connect people to the national parks. He served at the National Park Service’s central planning, design, and construction center in Denver, and as the superintendent of the five National Parks in Western Pennsylvania, including Flight 93 National Memorial, where he also oversaw the international design competition for the Memorial. He started his National Park Service career as a seasonal ranger in 1990 at the Johnstown Flood National Memorial.
Reinbold holds a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Pittsburgh and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the Ohio State University. He is married to Jacqueline Reinbold and they have two sons.
Congressman Jim Slattery
Former U.S. Congressman (D-KS) from 1983–1995
Congressman Jim Slattery served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1983 to 1995 representing Kansas's 2nd congressional district as a Democrat. He was also the Democratic nominee for governor in 1994 and was the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator in 2008. While in Congress, Slattery was a central player on many key issues, including environmental protection, health care, telecommunications, and budget cutting efforts. He served on the Energy & Commerce, Veterans' Affairs, Budget, and Banking Committees.
Before running for Congress, Slattery served in the U.S. Army, earned a law degree from the Washburn University School of Law, served in the Kansas House of Representatives, and founded a successful real estate company.
Catherine Townsend
President and CEO, Trust for the National Mall
As the President and CEO of the Trust for the National Mall, Catherine leads a dynamic team to bring critical resources in support of the organization’s mission and programs, focused on restoration and sustainability, educational engagement and volunteerism on the National Mall. With over 30 years of experience in fundraising, strategic partnerships and organizational management, Catherine and the team have ambitious plans to develop new initiatives and strategic philanthropy to meet the Trust’s vision by the year 2026, which is the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and a celebration that will showcase the National Mall. Before joining the Trust, she was a consultant to non-profit leaders, served as the President of the DC Public Education Fund for two years and was a founding director of Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry for 18 years.
In her spare time, Catherine enjoys cycling and is the director and lead coach for HoopGirls DC, a girls youth basketball and empowerment program she founded on Capitol Hill in 2005. Catherine lives on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC and is the mother of four children.
About the Trust for the National Mall
As the leading nonprofit, nonpartisan philanthropic partner of the National Park Service dedicated to restoring, enriching and preserving the National Mall, the Trust for the National Mall brings expertise, private funding and in-kind support to time-sensitive restoration and sustainability projects, mobilizes volunteers and provides educational opportunities to ensure that the National Mall endures and evolves as a vibrant space for all. With over 36 million visits annually to the National Mall, combined with aging infrastructure and the need for better visitor amenities throughout the park, the Trust is helping the National Park Service tackle the more than $800 million needed for critical repairs and improvements.