Claim: Loida Lewis influenced Harvard Kennedy School to pick former vice president Leni Robredo as Hauser Leader.

The claim said that Lewis, who is the current chairman of the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation’s Board of Directors, influenced the selection process for the said program.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The post containing the claim has over 5,700 reactions, 1,400 comments, and 67,000 views on Facebook, as of writing.

What Harvard said: Clayton M. McClesky, director of communications & external relations of the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership, told Rappler that the Reginald F. Lewis Foundation does not have any involvement in the selection process for the Hauser Leader Program. 

The Harvard Center for Public Leadership also told Rappler:

“The Center for Public Leadership engages in an independent, internal, multi-stage vetting and selection process for the Hauser Leaders, which our multidisciplinary faculty and staff lead. As part of our mission to promote principled, effective public leadership, selection of any appointments at CPL is not made by donors; the decision of who to invite to participate in the Hauser Leaders program is made solely by the leadership of the center and the Kennedy School.”

What is the Hauser Leaders Program? According to the Harvard University website, the Hauser Leaders Program “hosts a unique portfolio of high-profile leaders and practitioners from across public, nonprofit, and private sectors.” Chosen Hauser Leaders will spend time at Harvard advising students and engaging with faculty throughout the academic year.

Aside from former Vice President Leni Robredo, the following were also chosen as Hauser Leaders for the Fall of 2022:  

• Jane Harman – Former United States Congress Representative
• David Ignatius – Novelist and Foreign Affairs Columnist of The Washington Post
• Michael Lomax – President and CEO of the United Negro College Fund (UNCF)
• Dov Seidman – Founder and Chairman of The HOW Institute for Society and LRN

– Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com

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