October 22, 2025
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter at center of exhibit, lecture at SVSU
Deborah Hakes, former Carter Center communications profesional, to deliver Barstow Lecture
After leaving the White House, President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, worked tirelessly to improve the lives of people throughout the world. Deborah Hakes, a former Carter Center communications professional who traveled extensively with the Carters, will offer a glimpse into the couple’s work as global ambassadors for peace through a photographic exhibit and lecture at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University.
Hakes will present “Steps Toward Democracy in the Developing World: A Photographic Journey with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter” on Thursday, Nov. 6, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the museum. A reception, at 5 p.m., will precede the lecture. The event is free and open to the public.
In addition to the lecture, “Steps Toward Democracy,” an exhibit of photographs Hakes took during her career at The Carter Center, is on display at the museum through Saturday, December 20.
The lecture and exhibit are made possible by the Barstow Excellence in Teaching Humanities Seminar and the William and Julia Edwards Lectureship in Philosophy and Religion.
Hakes, a 2003 SVSU graduate, began her career in the communications office of former President Jimmy Carter at The Carter Center, where she documented international programming and elections through writing and photography. Her efforts brought her to more than 20 countries, including Liberia, Nepal, Egypt and South Sudan, where she worked closely alongside the Carters. Hakes documented significant events such as Liberia’s historic 2005 election that peacefully brought Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to the presidency after years of civil war.
Currently leading marketing and communications for the Georgia Public Library Service, Hakes was named Library Journal’s 2020 Marketer of the Year. Her career has focused on uplifting nonprofit, humanitarian and public service organizations through storytelling and engagement. Hakes holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Saginaw Valley State University, a master’s in journalism from Michigan State University and a graduate certificate in nonprofit leadership from Georgia College and State University.
The Barstow Excellence in Teaching Humanities Seminar was created through a gift from The Barstow Foundation to promote excellence in teaching and scholarship in the humanities, particularly in the greater Midland area. The William and Julia Edwards Lectureship in Philosophy and Religion, endowed by SVSU founding donors William and Julia Edwards, invites renowned scholars of faith and philosophy to campus for public lectures and student involvement.
For more information, visit svsu.edu/publiclectures.