UCSF Ophthalmology Hosts 3rd Annual McLeod Leadership Lecture

From Hope to Hope: Dr. Shirley Weber’s Journey of Leadership and Resilience

On October 30, 2025, the UCSF Department of Ophthalmology proudly hosted the 3rd annual Dr. Stephen McLeod Endowed Leadership Lecture in Ophthalmology, featuring Shirley N. Weber, PhD, California Secretary of State as Guest Lecturer on the topic of  “From Hope to Hope”. This lectureship, endowed through a generous gift from UCSF alumnus and ophthalmologist, Dr. David F. Chang and his wife, Victoria (pictured below), honors Stephen D. McLeod, MD, former UCSF Department Chair and current CEO of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

The William G. and Ruth R. Hoffman Auditorium was filled with attendees eager to engage in discussions on leadership in academic medicine and healthcare.

Before her historic appointment as California’s first Black Secretary of State, Dr. Weber served in the State Assembly, where she chaired key committees on Elections, Budget, and Higher Education. Her lifelong work champions civil rights, voting access, and educational equity.

Dr. Shirley Weber reflected on the personal values that have guided her life and leadership, sharing poignant stories from her early years that shaped her enduring commitment to justice and service.

Born in Hope, Arkansas, Dr. Weber was only three years old when her family fled to Los Angeles, known as the City of Hope, after an angry mob threatened to lynch her father.  Her father, a former sharecropper who later worked in a steel mill, and her mother, both of whom had little formal education, instilled in their eight children a deep belief in education, integrity, and perseverance. Despite their limited means, they encouraged their children to “be better, not bitter,” in the face of adversity and to pursue an education.

Dr. Weber’s lecture celebrated this journey from hardship to hope. Living in LA’s pueblo housing, she was determined to pursue higher education. She earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees from UCLA, becoming a first-generation college graduate and a second-generation voter. Her father’s inability to vote until his thirties profoundly influenced her lifelong dedication to advancing voting rights and civic participation.

Throughout her upbringing, Dr. Weber was surrounded by a supportive network of family and community who encouraged the children “to love people, envision a better world, and help others get there.” She often reminds others that “the path to a better world is neither easy nor straight, but hope, she asserts, must always prevail.

Dr. Weber believes that every life holds equal worth and that no one person is more important than another. These convictions have guided her throughout her distinguished career, as a professor at UC San Diego, a member of the California State Assembly, and now as California’s Secretary of State. She always encouraged her staff to pursue the highest level of education possible.

Grateful to those who helped her along the way, Dr. Weber continues to extend opportunities to others, often inviting friends, mentors, and community members to share in her travel experiences they might never have imagined.

The audience received the greatest lesson in leadership; to fight adversity, set a vision and strive to achieve it no matter how difficult it is and never forget the people who helped you along the way.

The McLeod Leadership Lecture continues to serve as an inspiring platform for thought leaders in ophthalmology, encouraging new perspectives on leadership and emphasizing the importance of lifelong learning in medicine.

Pictured above from left to right: Deborah Chesky, President, All May See Foundation; Nisha Acharya, MD, MS; Catherine R. Lucey, MD, MACP, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost; Nailyn Rasool, MD; Stephen D. McLeod, MD, CEO for the American Academy of Ophthalmology; Shirley N. Weber, PhD, California Secretary of State (Guest Lecturer); Talmadge E. King, Jr., MD, Dean, School of Medicine; Jacque Duncan, MD, Chair, UCSF Department of Ophthalmology; Aparna Lakkaraju, PhD; David F. Chang, MD

Pictures from this year’s event: