Audrey Coleman

Audrey Coleman became director of the Dole Institute in November 2021. She previously served as associate director and director of museum and archives, assistant director and senior archivist at The Institute.

With nearly a decade of prior leadership at the Institute, Audrey created transformative programs and partnerships that reached audiences and institutions across the region and the nation. Her experience with public engagement crosses disciplines, generations and political philosophies.

Audrey’s long history with Sen. Bob Dole and Sen. Elizabeth Dole position her to effectively lead the Institute and continue its mission to promote civic participation and civil discourse in a bipartisan manner.

As Dole Institute director, Audrey’s leadership strategy centers on a resourceful leveraging of the assets exclusive to the Dole Institute including the leadership legacies of Sen. Bob and Elizabeth Dole, their papers and the vast network of support associated with the senators, the Dole Institute and the University of Kansas.

Audrey builds on two decades of public service in libraries, museums and archives, and is an advocate for these institutions as essential public resources and spaces that form foundations of our democracy and our society. With this perspective, she will ensure the Dole Institute will be an impactful, enduring and future-oriented organization.

Upon her appointment, both Sen. Dole expressed their support for Audrey’s leadership:

“Elizabeth and I are very pleased that Audrey Coleman has been selected as the new director of the Dole Institute of Politics,” Sen. Bob Dole said. “We have known and worked with Audrey for many years, and she personifies everything the institute stands for. She is a proven leader, a gifted and strategic thinker and a wonderful person. We remain optimistic about the future of the institute with Audrey at the helm. She is a tremendous asset.”