The Mosbacher Institute for Trade, Economics, and Public Policy at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University awarded the 2014 McLane Leadership in Business Award to Cindy B. Taylor, president and CEO of Oil States International, Inc., on October 2, 2014. The annual award recognizes a prominent figure in private business for outstanding contributions, at the national level, to business, public service, or community service.
A Bush School student meeting with Cindy Taylor marked the start of the event. Mrs. Taylor met with approximately 30 students before her presentation for an interactive and candid discussion session. Students had a unique opportunity to engage with the speaker and request her insights on a variety of topics ranging from professional development to the future outlook of the energy industry.
The student meeting was followed by a reception in the rotunda of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum. The McLane award program began with Dr. Arnold Vedlitz, executive associate dean of the Bush School, welcoming the audience and distinguished guests, including Drayton McLane Jr., the award namesake; Texas A&M University System Board of Regents Chairman, Phil Adams; Texas A&M University System Board of Regents Member, John White; and Texas A&M University Vice President for Finance and Administration, Jerry Strawser. Dr. Lori Taylor, director of the Mosbacher Institute, gave opening remarks and invited Mr. McLane on stage to confer the award to Mrs. Taylor.
After the award presentation, Mrs. Taylor spoke about the future outlook of the energy industry and the role of technology in dealing with future energy related challenges. She shared important insights on the economics of energy independence and talked about the capacity limitations of energy transportation systems. The event concluded with Dr. Lori Taylor joining Mrs. Cindy Taylor on stage for a question-answer session. Dr. Taylor posed a variety of questions touching upon topics like leadership, professional development, and student prospects in the industry. In responding to the questions, Mrs. Taylor related to her life experiences and expressed her belief in distributive leadership and learning by doing.
Students and faculty alike were very pleased to have in their midst the presence of such a strong industry leader. The Mosbacher Institute is very grateful to Mrs. Cindy Taylor and Mr. Drayton McLane, Jr., for making this event possible.
