Pizza & Public Affairs: Charles Boustany

Former congressman, Charles Boustany, joins us for Pizza & Public Affairs! Boustany served in the U.S. Congress from 2005 to 2017, representing a coastal Louisiana district. He served on the House Ways and Means Committee, chaired three subcommittees, and focused on foreign policy, international trade, energy, healthcare, and U.S.-China relations. He also played a role in LNG exports, led Congressional delegations to China, and helped coordinate recovery efforts following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

After leaving Congress, Boustany worked as a consultant and lobbyist and served as president of the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a senior counselor and adviser at the National Bureau of Asian Research. Before Congress, he was a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon in Lafayette and holds a master’s degree in history. He is currently pursuing a doctorate in history at LSU.

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The Pizza & Public Affairs series invites students, faculty, and staff from across campus to enjoy free pizza and engage in meaningful conversations with guest speakers, whether a public official, civic leader, public affairs practitioner, or polarization expert. Speakers will share with students how they have achieved successful policy or program outcomes by building coalitions and communicating in a way that bridges division.

Pizza & Public Affairs is part of the Common Ground Project, a collaborative effort between the Reilly Center and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR) to promote civic engagement, bipartisan dialogue, and trust in democratic institutions.

Faculty: We encourage you to share this announcement with your students and your network!