James Donderoand His Company, Highland Capital Management, Make Endowment to Bush Center
In January, Highland Capital Management has announced that it will continue to support the George W. Bush Presidential Center by granting an endowment of $10 million. This will help the center sustain its different public programs. With this grant, HCM becomes the sponsor for the center’s “Engage at the Bush Center, presented by Highland Capital Management.”
This particular series has been sponsoring discussion and lectures of various newsmakers, thought leaders and book authors on the center all through the years. There was a joint announcement made in this regard by both James Dondero, the president and co-founder of HCM and Kenneth Hersh, the CEO of the Bush Presidential Center.
Hersh, in acknowledging the grant, said that HCM has supported the center right at the start and has helped build the center. He added that this latest investment is a major gift for the center’s future. Hersh also expressed his gratitude for Jim Dondero’s commitment and hoped for his continuing support of bringing in national newsmakers and thought-provoking programs in Dallas.
To date, HCM gifted the Bush Center over $5 million. Since 2012, Highland has been one of the Founding Benefactors of the center. It funded the development of the center which opened its doors to the public in 2013. Dondero, on his part said that his company was impressed by the influence and impact the center has provided their community. The events sponsored by the center, according to Dondero, encourage critical dialogue focused on important policy issues.
Dondero added that Highland Capital Management is proud to be a part of the long-term goals of the center by supporting its Engage series through their endowment gift. He says HCM will do this every year which includes the annual “Highland Capital Lecture.” In this connection, James Dondero is set to join the Executive Advisory Council of Hersh at the George W. Bush Presidential Center.
The center’s Engage series has gained popularity with the public and became a critical part of the Engagement Agenda of the center since 2015. Headliners of past programs have featured top newsmakers and world leaders which included the likes of Michael Hayden, former NSA and CIA director, Bill Browder, a corruption fighter in Russia, and Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush Hager.
Other personalities that graced the Engage series in the recent past are Lorne Michaels, the creator of Saturday Night Live, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Christopher Jackson, a former cast member of ‘Hamilton,’ and Mark McKinnon, a campaign expert.
Jim Dondero, together with Mark Okada, founded HCM in 1993. This company is a multibillion dollar investment manager with global interests and reach. Its operations are focused on investment alternatives that include CLOs or collateralized loan obligations, ETFs or exchange traded funds, separate accounts, special situations private equity, hedge funds and many others.
HCM’s client base is much diversified. It included high net-worth personalities, fund of funds, public pension plans, endowments, financial institutions, governments, foundations, corporations and many more. Its headquarters are located in Dallas, Texas and maintains offices in Seoul, Singapore, Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, and New York.