ST. LOUIS, July 1, 2008 – Sarah Steelman, Mo. State Treasurer and Republican candidate for Mo. Governor, will speak as part of the Webster University Holden Public Policy Forum’s Pizza and Politics speaker series, on Tuesday, July 8 at 4 p.m. in the Emerson Library Conference Room, 101 Edgar Rd., Webster Groves. The event is free and open to the public.

Pizza and Politics is a town-hall style meeting, moderated by Forum founder and former Mo. Gov. Bob Holden, where public policy makers, members of the community and students discuss the political process and key issues of the day. Steelman will speak with students and members of the community about her campaign platform and her stand on key issues in the gubernatorial race. Topics to be covered range from taxes and spending, to pro-life, second amendment rights, ethics reform, property rights, education, illegal immigration and economic development.

Steelman served in the Mo. State Senate from 1998 until 2004, when she was elected State Treasurer. Prior to holding public office, Steelman worked as an economist for the Mo. Dept. of Revenue, deputy director of the Mo. Dept. of Natural Resources, adjunct professor of economics at Lincoln University, executive director of Big Brothers and Big Sisters in Rolla, Mo., and an investment broker for A.G. Edwards. She earned a bachelor's degree in History and a master's degree in Economics from the University of Missouri.

The Holden Public Policy Forum at Webster University is a bi-partisan speaker series, created by former Mo. Gov. Rob Holden and Webster University to bring public policy leaders to St. Louis to discuss key national and international issues. For more information about the Holden Public Policy Forum, visit www.webster.edu/holdenppf.

With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University (www.webster.edu) is a worldwide institution committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence. Founded in 1915, Webster offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs through five schools and colleges, and a global network of more than 100 campuses. Its 20,000-plus student population represents almost 150 nationalities. The University’s core values include excellence in teaching, joining theory and practice, small class sizes, and educating students to be lifelong independent learners, fully prepared to participate in an increasingly international society.

Since opening its first campus overseas in Geneva in 1978, Webster has become a recognized leader and innovator in global education, with an international presence that now includes campuses in London; Vienna; Amsterdam and Leiden, the Netherlands; Shanghai, Shenzhen and Chengdu, China; and Bangkok and Cha-am, Thailand. Webster also has educational partnerships with universities in Mexico and Japan.

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