University President Thomas LeBlanc held the first of 10 planned receptions across the country last Tuesday to celebrate GW’s achievements and increase community engagement.

The GW + You Community Receptions, at which LeBlanc aims to engage alumni, students and their families in a “conversation about the vision for GW’s future as we approach our third century,” will take place in six states and D.C. over the course of the spring semester. The receptions come amid planning for GW’s bicentennial anniversary in February 2021, during which officials are slated to launch a major fundraising campaign.

LeBlanc traveled to Philadelphia last week for the first event and will head to California next week to hold events in Los Angeles Jan. 28 and San Francisco two days later. Registration is open for people interested in attending the receptions in California and Florida, where LeBlanc will head in February to meet community members in Miami and Tampa.

LeBlanc named philanthropy and constituent engagement among his five key strategic initiatives after arriving at GW two years ago. In his first year in office, he embarked on a tour of five U.S. cities to discuss his priorities and traveled to London to boost alumni engagement.

Later this semester, LeBlanc will visit cities like New York City, Boston and Richmond, Virginia, in addition to a stop in Northern Virginia. The tour will end with an event in the District on June 11.