Chicago City Wire

Elgin has some big names coming to town.

Judson University will host its seventh World Leaders Forum on April 19, 2018, with some political heavy-hitters taking part.

“We’re pleased to announce that we have former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean that will share the stage," Gene Crume, president of Judson University, told Dan Proft and Amy Jacobson, hosts of "Chicago’s Morning Answer" radio show. “This will be the first time that they’ve done so since 2011, and our goal is to have a civil conversation about leadership.

Gene Crume, president of Judson University | http://www.judsonu.edu/About/Meet_the_President/

Proft is a principal of Local Government Information Services, which owns this publication.

The forum, titled "A Bi-Partisan Conversation About Leadership in Divided Times," will consist of two parts, with Gingrich and Dean taking questions from the audience in a formal setting and a separate, less-formal event for VIP guests.

Crume said local lawmakers will also be involved.

“We’ve approached Sen. Cristina Castro (D-Elgin) and State Sen. Karen McConnaughay (R-St. Charles), and they’ve both agreed to support and be a part of an event ahead of the (main) debate,” Crume said.

Dave Kaptain, the mayor of Elgin, and Kane County commissioners will also be in attendance.

“We’re going to have 40 student leaders in there because we have an expectation that we want them to model what good civil dialogue looks like,” Crume said. 

Crume said he wants his university to be a marketplace of ideas that can be expressed effectively.

“The response has been remarkable,” Crume said. “People are desiring a more civil conversation and want to get away from the polarizing debates that we have.”

This bipartisan political conversation will take place a month after Illinois' gubernatorial primaries, which will take place on March 20, 2018.