Leadership Under Pressure
with Chris Cassidy
November 4, 2025 | 5–7pm
About the event
November 4, 2025 | 5–7pm
The Holdsworth Center
Campus on Lake Austin & Livestreaming
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5:00 - 6:00PM - Reception
6:00 - 7:00PM - Program
Join us Nov. 4 for The Holdsworth Center’s next Place the Ladder event with Chris Cassidy, retired Navy SEAL, former NASA Chief Astronaut and CEO of the new National Medal of Honor Museum in Arlington, TX.
Holdsworth President Dr. Lindsay Whorton will sit down with Cassidy to talk about his extraordinary journey—from combat missions to spacewalks—and how those experiences shaped his leadership. He’ll share lessons on resilience, trust, and teamwork that apply to every leader, no matter the field.
The event will take place November 4 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm CST. In-person tickets include a reception from 5:00 – 6:00 with bites and drinks.
The conversation runs from 6:00 – 7:00 pm CST. There is no charge to watch the livestream.
We hope to see you there!
About Chris Cassidy
Chris Cassidy’s leadership journey spans battlefields, ocean depths, and outer space.
He is a retired U.S. Navy Captain, NASA astronaut, and former Chief Astronaut of the NASA Astronaut Office. Today, Cassidy leads as President and CEO of the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation, advancing a mission to inspire leadership and service through stories of courage.
A graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and MIT, Cassidy spent 11 years as a Navy SEAL, completing four deployments and earning two Bronze Stars for valor.
Selected as an astronaut in 2004, he became the 500th person in space during his first mission on the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Over the course of three spaceflights, he logged 378 days in orbit and 10 spacewalks, including a term as commander of the International Space Station. From 2015 to 2017, Cassidy served as NASA Chief Astronaut, overseeing astronaut training and flight crew assignments.
“Whether on the battlefield, in orbit, or here at home, leadership is about building trust, staying calm in the face of uncertainty, and always putting the team first.”
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