Governance & Policy Master Class Recap: Leadership, Trust, and Institutional Accountability

Published: May 26, 2026

On Friday, May 15, 2026, the World Affairs Council of Atlanta convened it's last Master Class of the year on Governance & Policy. Hosted at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, the setting itself reinforced many of the day’s central themes. As one of the nation’s key financial institutions, the Federal Reserve operates at the intersection of governance, policy, public trust, and economic stability — making it an especially fitting environment for conversations about institutional leadership and decision-making under uncertainty. Throughout the day, Fellows examined how organizations build legitimacy, navigate complexity, and maintain credibility in moments when confidence and accountability matter most. 

Setting the Stage 

Mark Jensen, Vice President and Senior Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, opened the day by grounding Fellows in the Fed's role within the broader economic and policy landscape — a foundation that threaded through every session that followed. 

What Makes an Institution Legitimate? 

In the opening Expert Instruction session, Paige Alexander, CEO, The Carter Center, challenged Fellows to think critically about institutions — what gives them credibility, where trust fractures, and why strong institutions remain essential in navigating complex global challenges. Drawing on examples from governance, democracy, and public health, she brought the conversation back to leadership as the throughline. 

She closed with a reflection from Rosalynn Carter that stayed with the room: "A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don't necessarily want to go but ought to be." 

Governance in Practice 

The panel brought together three leaders whose careers span the full arc of governance — Brent Furse, Executive Vice President at the Baim Institute for Clinical Health, Dennis Lockhart, Former President & CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and Lisa Robinson, CEO of OnBoard. Drawing from experience in monetary policy, board recruitment, and executive leadership, they examined what governance demands in practice: how boards and executives stay aligned under pressure, what separates a qualified board from an effective one, and how diversity of perspective sharpens high-stakes decision-making. 

Decision-Making Under Pressure 

In his case study, The Honorable John Tien, Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, brought the day's themes to life through a case study grounded in General Stanley McChrystal's Risk: A User's Guide. Fellows stepped into C-suite leadership roles at a multinational company navigating rising geopolitical tensions  — assessing risk in real time, aligning across functions, and making calls with incomplete information and high stakes. It was exactly the kind of exercise that makes the abstract tangible. 

Behind the Scenes 

Mark Jensen and Amy Hennessy, Director of Outreach and Economic Education, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, also led Fellows through the Bank’s board room and Monetary Museum, offering a closer look at the institution’s history, governance structure, and role in shaping economic stability and public confidence. 

Together, the day’s sessions challenged Fellows to think more deeply about leadership not simply as influence or authority, but as the stewardship of institutions, trust, and decision-making in an increasingly complex world. They explored how leaders operate when conditions are uncertain, stakes are high, and confidence must be continually earned. Set within one of the country’s most consequential financial institutions, the Master Class offered a multidimensional look at how governance functions in practice — and the responsibility leaders carry in shaping organizations capable of navigating complexity with credibility, accountability, and public trust. 

Save the date: The application cycle for the 2028 Global Leadership Fellows cohort will open on January 4, 2027.