George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, was sworn into office on January 20, 2001, and served as Commander in Chief for two consecutive terms. Before his presidency, he served for six years as Governor of the State of Texas. President Bush was born July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, to Barbara and George H.W. Bush – later the 41st President of the United States. In 1948, the family moved to Texas, where President Bush grew up in Midland and Houston. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University in 1968 and then served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. President Bush received a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School in 1975. Following graduation, he moved back to Midland and began a career in the energy business. After working on his father’s successful 1988 Presidential campaign, President Bush led a group of partners that purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989. 

On November 8, 1994, George W. Bush was elected the 46th Governor of Texas. He became the first governor in Texas history to be elected to consecutive four-year terms when he was re-elected on November 3, 1998. In Austin, he earned a reputation for his bipartisan governing approach and his compassionate conservative philosophy, which was based on education reform, limited government, personal responsibility, strong families and local control. As President, George W. Bush worked to expand freedom, opportunity and security at home and abroad. His first initiative as President was the No Child Left Behind Act, a bipartisan measure that raised standards in schools, insisted on accountability in return for federal dollars and led to measurable gains in achievement – especially among minority students. Faced with a recession when he took office, President Bush cut taxes for every federal income taxpayer, which helped lead to an unprecedented 52 straight months of job creation. President Bush also modernized Medicare by adding a prescription drug benefit that provided access to needed medicine for 40 million seniors and other beneficiaries. 

President Bush implemented free trade agreements with more than a dozen nations; empowered America’s armies of compassion by creating USA Freedom Corps and the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives; promoted a culture of life; improved air quality and made America’s energy supply more secure; designated more ocean area habitats for environmental protection than any predecessor; transformed the military to meet the changing threats of the 21st century and nearly doubled government support for veterans; pioneered a new development strategy that tied American foreign aid to reform and good governance; launched global HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives that have saved millions of lives; expanded the NATO alliance; forged a historic new partnership with India; and appointed Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The most significant event of President Bush’s tenure came on September 11, 2001, when terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people on American soil. President Bush responded with a comprehensive strategy to protect the American people. He led the most dramatic reorganization of the federal government since the beginning of the Cold War, reforming the intelligence community and establishing new institutions like the Department of Homeland Security. He built global coalitions to remove violent regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq that threatened America, liberating more than 50 million people from tyranny. Recognizing that freedom and hope are the best alternative to the extremist ideology of the terrorists, he provided unprecedented American support for young democracies and dissidents in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and elsewhere. In the more than seven years President Bush remained in office following September 11, 2001, the United States was not attacked again.

Since leaving office, President Bush has returned to Texas, where he has focused his attention on the development of the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, which opened in May 2013. The Bush Center encompasses President Bush’s presidential library, museum and archives, as well as the George W. Bush Institute. The Bush Institute seeks to improve the human condition, and its work is based on the principles that have guided President Bush throughout his life: freedom is universal; each human life is precious; to whom much is given, much is required; and the marketplace is the best way to allocate resources. President Bush has continued to promote these values through the work of the Bush Institute in economic growth, education reform, global health, human freedom, the Military Service Initiative and the Women’s Initiative. Through events like the Warrior Open Golf Tournament, a 36-hole competition that brings together patriots who volunteered to defend our Nation in the face of danger and were severely wounded in the War on Terror and programs such as Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, an innovative partnership established to leverage public and private investments in global health to combat breast and cervical cancer in developing nations in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, President Bush continues his public service and advancing the policies he has championed throughout his life through the work of the Bush Institute.

In addition to his work with the Bush Center, President Bush published his memoir, Decision Points, a personal and candid account of the most defining decisions of his personal life and presidency in the fall of 2010. He is also the author Connecting You with the World's Greatest Minds of an intimate biography of his father, President George H.W. Bush, entitled 41: A Portrait of My Father. In the spring of 2017, President Bush will release another book entitled Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to
America’s Warriors, a vibrant collection of oil paintings and stories by President Bush honoring the sacrifice and courage of America’s military veterans. President Bush partnered with President Bill Clinton in the wake of Haiti’s devastating earthquake to lead a major fundraising effort to assist the Haitian people. President Bush also serves as the Honorary Chairman of the First Tee, an organization that provides young people with character-building and life skills lessons using golf as the platform. President Bush is married to Laura Welch Bush, a former teacher and librarian whom he met at a friend’s backyard barbeque. They have twin daughters, Barbara and Jenna, a son-in-law, Henry Hager, and two granddaughters, Mila and Poppy Louise Hager. The Bush family also includes two cats, Bob and Bernadette. 

Nancy Howell Agee has served as president and CEO of Carilion Clinic, an integrated healthcare organization in Roanoke, Va., since July 2011.

Nancy Howell Agee serves as CEO of Carilion Clinic. As president and CEO, Ms. Agee oversees a multi-specialty physician group, eight hospitals, the Jefferson College of Health Sciences and a joint ventured medical school with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

Ms. Agee began her career in healthcare as a nurse for Carilion Clinic. She has served in various management roles over the past 20 years. In 1996, she was appointed as vice president of medical education. In 2000, she became vice president of the organization. She was quickly promoted to executive vice president and COO in 2001, a position she held until her appointment as CEO.

Outside the health system, Ms. Agee participates in many professional and community activities. She is a member of the boards of the Roanoke Gas Company, HomeTown Bank, Solstas Lab, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, the Mill Mountain Theatre and Center in the Square.

As the President and CEO of Philadelphia-based Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, is bridging the art and science of medicine and healthcare transformation. He has championed transformation of American health care as university president, dean of two medical colleges, and CEO of three academic health centers. He is author of 2016’s We CAN Fix Healthcare in America, and editor in chief of “Healthcare Transformation.”

Since 2014, Jefferson Health has grown from a three hospital urban academic medical center with annual revenues of $1.8 billion to a major regional academic medical center. Currently an eight-hospital system, resulting from the merger of Jefferson with Abington Health, Jefferson Health will expand to an 11-hospital system with the proposed partnership mergers with Aria Health and Kennedy Health. Jefferson has the largest tele-health network in the region, the NCI-designated Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, and an outpatient footprint that is among the most technologically advanced in the region.
Upon completion of the proposed merger with Philadelphia University — creating a comprehensive university with a forward-thinking education model — Jefferson will have combined annual revenues exceeding $4.8 billion, more than 28,000 employees, 7,800 students, 6,000 physicians/practitioners and 4,000 faculty.

Through a unique four pillar model, academic-clinical-innovation-philanthropy, Jefferson has attracted venture capital and transformational gifts. Under Dr. Klasko’s leadership, Sidney Kimmel donated $110 million to Jefferson on June 18, 2014, the largest gift in the University’s history. Philanthropy and innovation have also resulted in the addition of the Brind-Marcus Center of Integrative Medicine, nationally recognized for its modern medical and integrated therapies.
Dr. Klasko’s research and experience led to his 1999 book: The Phantom Stethoscope: A Field Manual for an Optimistic Future in Medicine. His new book, We CAN Fix Healthcare in America, posits a future with “twelve disruptors of the demise of the old healthcare.” He has been an international speaker on changing the DNA of health care through physician leadership.

Previously, as CEO of USF Health and Dean of the Morsani College of Medicine at the University of South Florida, Dr. Klasko built an “assessment of technical and teamwork competence” center known as CAMLS (Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation). He also led a partnership with the country’s largest retirement community (The Villages) to create “America’s healthiest hometown,” an innovative primary-care-driven, patient-centric, Medicare-based accountable care model.

Lloyd H. Dean is a nationally recognized leader within and beyond the field of health care. He is Chief Executive Officer of CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest nonprofit health system in the United States, focused on creating healthier communities and transforming health care delivery for millions of Americans. Located in 21 states, CommonSpirit Health is composed of 150,000 employees, 25,000 physicians and advanced practice clinicians, 700 care sites and 142 hospitals.

As Chief Executive Officer of CommonSpirit Health, which has a combined revenue of $29.2B, Mr. Dean is responsible for all of the system’s complex hospital and clinical operations, financial strategy, and human resources. On an annual basis, CommonSpirit Health provides $4.2B in charity care and community benefits, and unreimbursed government programs.

Currently, Mr. Dean serves on the Board of the McDonald’s Corporation and has been appointed to its Board Audit and Finance Committee and Board Compensation Committee. He is Co-Chair of the California Future Health Workforce Commission, an organization composed
of senior leaders from California’s leading health philanthropies focused on deploying a workforce addressing the health care delivery system of tomorrow. In 2019, Mr. Dean was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the Future of Work Commission, whose aim is to create long-term economic grown in California. Mr. Dean is Board Chair of the Board of Directors for the Committee on Jobs, an organization that brings employment to the San Francisco Bay Area. Previously, Mr. Dean has served on the Board of Directors of Wells Fargo & Company; Board of Navigant Consulting, Inc.; as Board Chair of the Bay Area Council; as Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Catholic Health Association of the United States; Board Member for Mercy Housing California, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to developing, operating and financing
affordable housing, and Board Chair of Cytori Therapeutics, an international leader in regenerative medicine and adult stem cell research.

A passionate advocate for health care reform, Mr. Dean was actively engaged with the White House Cabinet on health care issues during the Obama administration and directly participated in health care reform discussions with the former president during the formation of the Affordable Care Act. In California, Mr. Dean has been appointed to the State Health Care Cost Containment Commission charged with developing practical state policies to contain health care costs in the nation. Mr. Dean holds degrees in sociology and education from Western Michigan University and received an honorary doctorate of humane letters from the University of San Francisco. In 2019 he was ranked number 39 in Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” and is consistently named to Modern Healthcare’s “Top 25 Minority Leaders in Healthcare.”

Mr. Dean has dedicated his career to eliminating the social disparities that are the root problems behind so many health issues.

Laura Bush, former First Lady of the United States, is an advocate for literacy, education and women’s
rights. After leaving the White House, President and Mrs. Bush founded the George W. Bush Presidential
Center in Dallas, Texas. The Center is home to the Bush Presidential Museum and Library and the George
W. Bush Institute, a public policy center established to solve today’s most pressing challenges by
developing leaders, advancing policy, and taking action.

As Chair of the Bush Institute’s Women’s Initiative, Mrs. Bush promotes access to education, healthcare,
and economic opportunity for women and girls around the world. The Women’s Initiative programs are
preparing and empowering the next generation of women leaders in North Africa and the Middle East,
working to ensure the expansion and protection of women’s rights in Afghanistan, and engaging and
supporting First Ladies from around the world to effectively use their unique platforms to advance issues
for women and girls in their countries.

Laura Bush is a leading voice for spreading freedom and promoting human rights across the globe. For
more than a decade, she has led efforts through the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council to protect the hardearned
rights of women in that country. As First Lady, she made three trips to Afghanistan and in 2001
she delivered the President’s weekly radio address—a first for a First Lady—to direct international
attention to the Taliban’s oppression of women.

Long a supporter of the people of Burma, in 2006 Laura Bush hosted a roundtable discussion on Burma at
the United Nations headquarters in New York. After Cyclone Nargis devastated the country in May 2008,
she held an unprecedented press conference in the White House Press Briefing Room and urged the
ruling junta to accept international aid. She then traveled to the Thai-Burma border, where she met with
Burmese refugees. In 2012, Mrs. Bush helped to bestow the Congressional Gold Medal to Burmese
opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. The legislation awarding the medal to Daw Suu was signed by
President Bush in 2008 when she was still living under house arrest in Burma.

As First Lady, Mrs. Bush advocated the importance of literacy and education to advance opportunity for
America’s young people and to foster healthy families and communities. She highlighted the importance
of preparing children to become lifelong learners, convening in 2001 a White House Summit on Early
Childhood Cognitive Development. Laura Bush has visited schools around the world and met with
students in nations from Afghanistan to Zambia, with a particular focus on the education of girls and
women. Mrs. Bush worked with the Library of Congress to create the National Book Festival in
Washington, D.C. in 2001. The National Book Festival continues to this day and annually attracts more
than 120,000 Americans. The Texas Book Festival in Austin was founded in 1996 by Mrs. Bush while she
was First Lady of Texas. At the Bush Institute in Dallas, President and Mrs. Bush’s Education Reform
initiative works to improve student achievement through effective school leadership, middle school
transformation, and the use of accountability.

Because heart disease is the leading cause of death among American women, in 2003 Laura Bush
partnered with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to launch The Heart Truth campaign and the
Red Dress project. The Heart Truth campaign aims to raise awareness among women about their risk for
heart disease. In 2006, she helped launch the first international partnerships for breast cancer awareness
and research. As First Lady, she visited countries in Europe, the Middle East, Central and South America
to support programs that help women detect breast cancer early so they can seek treatment when it has
the best chance of success. Mrs. Bush has visited more than a dozen countries to support the President’s

Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the President’s Malaria Initiative. Laura and George Bush continue
their work to promote women’s health through Pink Ribbon Red Ribbon, an independent affiliate of the
George W. Bush Institute and a global partnership fighting women’s cancers.
Mrs. Bush is the author of the bestselling memoir, Spoken From the Heart, and bestselling children’s
book, Our Great Big Backyard. She serves on many boards, including the National Advisory Board for the
Salvation Army, the Council for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and
Culture, the Board of Trustees for the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and the SMU Board of
Trustees.

Laura Bush was born in Midland, Texas, to Harold and Jenna Welch. She holds a Bachelor of Science
degree in education from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree in library science from
the University of Texas. She taught in public schools in Dallas, Houston and Austin and worked as a public
school librarian. She served as First Lady of Texas from 1995 to 2000.
President and Mrs. Bush are the parents of twin daughters: Barbara, married to Craig Coyne, and Jenna,
married to Henry Hager. The Bushes also are the proud grandparents of Margaret Laura “Mila” and
Poppy Louise Hager. The Bush family also includes two cats, Bob and Bernadette, as well as Freddy the
dog.

Rod Hochman, MD, is the president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health, a faith-based not-for-profit health and social services system through which 111,000 compassionate caregivers serve patients and communities in 50 hospitals, 829 clinics and hundreds of programs and services offered outside hospital walls. A leading parent organization in health care, Providence St. Joseph Health offers a comprehensive range of services across Alaska, California, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington through a diverse family of Catholic, other faith-based and secular organizations. Providence St. Joseph Health provides accessible, high-quality, compassionate health care to all in an increasingly uncertain world—regardless of coverage or ability to pay.

Under Rod’s leadership, Providence St. Joseph Health is transforming health care for the future through digital innovation, genomics and scientific wellness, population health, and outreach to the poor and vulnerable. In addition, mental health is a top for priority for Providence St. Joseph Health, which is contributing $100 million to establish an independent foundation focused on improving the mental health and wellness of communities.

Rod was named the 2015 Innovator of the Year by Press Ganey. He is also the recipient of the 2017 Partners in Care Foundation Vision and Excellence in Health Care Leadership Award. He has been selected multiple times as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare and 50 Most Influential Physician Executives by Modern Healthcare. He is a board member for the American Hospital Association (AHA), chair of AHA's Regional Policy Board 9 and vice chair of the board of trustees for the Catholic Health Association. Rod is also actively involved in Providence Health International and has traveled to Guatemala to strengthen Providence St. Joseph Health’s local relationships to continue to improve the health of Guatemalan communities in a sustainable way. He is passionate about drawing on the diverse resources and talents of Providence St. Joseph Health’s seven-state health system to touch lives wherever relief, comfort and care are needed most.

Rod served as a clinical fellow in internal medicine at Harvard Medical School and Dartmouth Medical School. In addition, he is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology. He received his bachelor’s degree and medical degree from Boston University.

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Magic Johnson Enterprises, an investment conglomerate valued at an estimated $1 billion dollars. Since retiring from the NBA over 20years ago, the legendary basketball star has morphed into a business powerhouse who has dedicated hislife to leaving a positive impact in underserved urban communities. Having left the basketball court forthe boardroom, Johnson parlayed the skills and tenacity he acquired on the court into a winning formulafor his successful business ventures.

For the last two decades Johnson has consistently turned heads with his unprecedented partnerships. Inhis early years as an entrepreneur, he forged an alliance with Sony Pictures to develop Magic JohnsonTheatres. In 1998, he teamed with Starbucks to become the only franchisee in the history of thecompany, acquiring and eventually selling 125 stores in a lucrative move which further solidified hisposition in the business world. Both ventures served as catalysts for redevelopment in urbancommunities, and are widely recognized as the corporate blueprint for engagement and success withurban consumers across America.

Still a commanding presence in the sports world, he made history in 2012 when he became co-owner ofthe Los Angeles Dodgers, a Major League Baseball franchise that was purchased for an astronomical $2billion dollars. It was the highest purchase price for any professional sports team at the time. He also coownsthe Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Football Club, and eSportsfranchise Team Liquid.

Johnson continues to expand his influence through a number of other investments. He currently hascontrolling interests in EquiTrust, a $17 billion financial services company, ASPiRE, an African-Americantelevision network, and SodexoMAGIC, a food service and facilities management company.

The Lansing native is constantly evolving and remaining relevant in a dynamic digital age by broadeninghis scope into infrastructure and technology. Through a newly formed fund, Johnson is investing millionsof dollars on infrastructure improvement in the United States. Operating under the philosophy that truesuccess is making others successful, he is one of the leading investors in a number of minority-ownedtech companies that include Uncharted Power, a company that uses their renewable kinetic energysolutions to generate clean, consistent, and cost-efficient power for communities, facilities, and theInternet of Things; ShotTracker, a company that makes wearable technology for basketball players thathelps track player and ball movement; Jopwell, a diversity and hiring recruiting platform; Walker & CoBrands, a company that develops health and beauty products for people of color; and MiTú, the Latinofueledmedia brand and digital network that connects thousands of Latin content creators with viewersaround the world. He is deliberate in his investment strategy to bring positive impact to the community.

Johnson proudly serves as Chairman and Founder of the Magic Johnson Foundation, who has awardedover $21 million in grants – cash and technology hardware/software – and made a positive impact in thelives of over 500K individuals through various program and social efforts. The Taylor Michaels ScholarshipProgram has graduated over 435 students, the HIV/AIDS initiatives have tested over 40K individuals, and15 Community Empowerment Centers have provided technology access to over 260K individuals.Remaining true to his humble Lansing beginnings, he is unwaveringly dedicated to working with majorcorporations and partners to bring jobs and high quality products and services to underservedcommunities.

Wright L. Lassiter III is the President and CEO of Henry Ford Health System, overseeing the $7.5 billion health system comprised of six hospitals, a health plan and a wide range of ambulatory and retail and related health services consisting of more than 250 locations and 32,000 employees.  

Lassiter joined Henry Ford in December 2014, and assumed the role of President  & CEO in 2016.  Since his arrival, he led the Board and senior management through a comprehensive strategic planning effort to position Henry Ford for the future. Under his leadership, Henry Ford has completed two successful mergers, expanding its geographic footprint and generating an additional $1 billion in revenue.  The system has significantly increased its quality and financial performance, earning top honors in several publicly reported quality programs and receiving both outlook and ratings upgrades from Moody’s and S&P services.  With a major focus on collaboration, the system has inked major partnerships with a host of organizations, including the Detroit Pistons, General Motors, Syapse, Presbyterian Villages of Michigan and Beckman Coulter.

A seasoned health care executive, Lassiter has nearly 30 years of experience working in large, complex health systems, including Dallas Methodist Health System and JPS Health Network in Fort Worth, Texas.  Prior to joining Henry Ford, Lassiter was CEO of Alameda Health System in Oakland, California, where he was credited with leading the expansion and turnaround of the $865 million public health system, achieving eight years of positive financial performance, The Joint Commission Top Performer status, significant increases in patient engagement and reductions in patient harm. 

Lassiter’s work has received many national accolades, most notably “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” (2018/2017/2016) by Modern Healthcare; “Top 25 Minority Healthcare Executives in U.S. Healthcare”  (2018/2016/2012) by Modern Healthcare; “Crain’s Detroit Top 10 Newsmakers” (2017), “Top Blacks in U.S. Healthcare” (2014) by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Disparities Solutions; and “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better” in the U.S” (2011) by HealthLeaders.  In 2011, Fast Company prominently featured Lassiter’s work to rebuild Alameda. 

An avid community leader, Lassiter currently serves on the boards of the American Hospital Association, America’s Essential Hospitals – Chair Elect, Arsenal Capital Partners, City Year - Detroit, Detroit Regional Chamber, Detroit Children’s Fund, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, LeMoyne College, Invest Detroit, Motown Museum and Downtown Detroit Partnership.   These efforts have garnered numerous recognition including the Industry Award (2019) from Results Mentoring, Corporate Leadership Award (2018) from National Medical Fellowships, and The Legacy Award (2014) from the Jobs and Housing Coalition.

Lassiter received his master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from Indiana University where he graduated number one in his class, and completed his bachelor’s degree with honors in Chemistry from LeMoyne College.

As President and CEO of Louisiana’s largest non-profit, academic healthcare system, Warner Thomas is responsible for Ochsner Health System’s overall strategic growth and development. In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Ochsner invested in the community by acquiring six hospitals and developing strategic partnerships and affiliations to grow its presence across Louisiana and the Gulf South. Thomas joined Ochsner in 1998 and served for 14 years as Ochsner’s President and Chief Operating Officer.

Thomas received his Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 1994 from Boston University Graduate School of Management, and an undergraduate degree in Accounting and Computer Information Systems from New Hampshire College in Manchester, NH. He believes in setting industry best practices and forging innovative partnerships with major companies including General Electric. He spearheaded innovationOchsner to create future health innovations to revolutionize patient-centered care. In 2014, his expertise was nationally recognized through his appointment to advise Congress on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission.

Mike Slubowski serves as president and chief operating officer of Trinity Health. He provides leadership and oversight to execute the organization's strategy, and ensure that people, processes, IT systems and resources are in place to achieve successful operations. He reports to and partners with the CEO providing overall strategic leadership for the organization by overseeing all system operations, and serving as the chief functional and operational integrator for the Ministry. Currently, he serves as the board chair of the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

Previously, Slubowski served as president and CEO of Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System (SCL Health), based in Broomfield, Colorado. He provided executive leadership to SCL Health's entire health care ministry and led numerous strategic initiatives. Slubowski also served as president, Health Networks for Trinity Health, at that time the fourth largest Catholic health system in the U.S. serving nine states before its merger with Catholic Health East. In this capacity, Slubowski was the executive responsible for Trinity Health's non-inpatient services and strategies.

Slubowski started his career in hospital management 40 years ago. His first health care role was 10 years with Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, Michigan, where he was vice president of Ambulatory Satellites and Prepayment Programs. Subsequent roles included leadership positions at St. Joseph's Hospital in Macomb County, Michigan, Samaritan Health Services, Phoenix, Arizona, and Providence Hospital, Southfield, Michigan.

At Providence, he was executive vice president and chief operating officer and went on to become CEO. He joined Mercy Health Services, Farmington Hills, Michigan, as executive vice president-Michigan, which later merged with the Holy Cross Health System to become Trinity Health.

Slubowski holds a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in business administration from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. He also completed advanced health care leadership training through an Advanced Leadership Institute conducted by the University of Michigan School of Business and sponsored by the National Center for Healthcare Leadership.

Veteran political strategist Donna Brazile is the former Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the author of The New York Times bestseller Hacks: The Inside Story of the Break-Ins and Breakdowns That Put Donald Trump in the White House. She is also the author of the 2004 best-selling memoir Cooking with Grease: Stirring the Pots in American Politics. She is a co-author of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics.

Ms. Brazile has devoted her life to working for progressive change, responsible governance, and the advancement of all people in a society that is fair and equitable. Brazile first got involved in politics at the age of nine when she worked to elect a City Council candidate who had promised to build a playground in her neighborhood; the candidate won, the playground was built, and a lifelong passion for political progress was ignited. Brazile has worked on every major presidential campaign since 1976 and in 2000 Ms. Brazile became the first African American woman to serve as the manager of a major party presidential campaign, running the campaign of former Vice President Al Gore.

Ms. Brazile loves working with young people, encouraging them to vote, to run for office, and to work within the system to strengthen it. She has lectured at over 200 colleges and universities across the country on such topics as “Inspiring Civility in American Politics,” “Race Relations in the Age of Obama,” “Why Diversity Matters,” and “Women in American Politics.” In 2013, Ms. Brazile was appointed by President Obama to serve on the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. She is also the proud recipient of more than ten honorary doctorate degrees from major colleges and universities, including her alma mater Louisiana State University. In October 2017, Ms. Brazile was the recipient of the W.E.B Du Bois Medal, Harvard’s highest honor in African American studies.  Brazile has served as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University since 2002 and spent the fall of 2017 serving as a Joan Shorenstein fellow in Media, Politics and Public Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School.  O, The Oprah Magazine chose Ms. Brazile as one of its 20 “remarkable visionaries” for the magazine’s first-ever O Power List. In addition, she was named among the 100 Most Powerful Women by Washingtonian magazine, Top 50 Women in America by Essence magazine, and received the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s highest award for political achievement. In 2016, Ms. Brazile was awarded Wonk of the Year from the Kennedy Political Union at American University.

Ms. Brazile has worked passionately on behalf of her beloved hometown of New Orleans. In the aftermath of the two catastrophic hurricanes that devastated the Gulf region, Ms. Brazile was appointed by former Governor Kathleen Blanco to serve on the Louisiana Recovery Board to work for the rebuilding of the state and to advocate for the Gulf recovery on the national stage. Ms. Brazile was also appointed by former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu to serve on the Tricentennial Commission.

Ms. Brazile was formerly a contributor to ABC News, CNN, and a syndicated newspaper columnist for Universal U’Click. Most recently she's joined Fox News as a commentator to, as she wrote in her announcement, "Listen more, talk less. Be civil to one another. Find common ground." She moonlights as an actress and is especially honored to have made three cameo appearances on CBS’s The Good Wife, and two cameo appearances on Netflix’s series House of Cards. She most recently appeared on BET's Being Mary Jane. Ask her and she’ll tell you that acting, after all, is the key to success in politics.

Ms. Brazile is the founder and director of Brazile & Associates LLC, a general consulting, grassroots advocacy, and training firm based in Washington, DC.

Karl Rove, an iconic political strategist and one of the most sought-after political pundits of our time, is best known for his provocative and robust knowledge of the major political issues of the day.

Rove served as Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush from 2000–2007 and Deputy Chief of Staff from 2004–2007. At the White House he oversaw the Offices of Strategic Initiatives, Political Affairs, Public Liaison, and Intergovernmental Affairs and was Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, coordinating the White House policy-making process.

Rove has been described by respected author and columnist Michael Barone in U.S. News & World Report as “…unique…no Presidential appointee has ever had such a strong influence on politics and policy, and none is likely to do so again anytime soon.” Washington Post columnist David Broder has called Rove a master political strategist whose “game has always been long term…and he plays it with an intensity and attention to detail that few can match.” Fred Barnes, executive editor of The Weekly Standard, has called him “the greatest political mind of his generation and probably of any generation… He knows history, understands the moods of the public, and is a visionary on matters of public policy.”

Mr. Rove writes a weekly op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, appears frequently on the Fox News Channel, and is the author of the New York Times best seller, Courage and Consequence.  His latest book is The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1886 Still Matters.  

A Colorado native, he attended the University of Utah, the University of Maryland-College Park, George Mason University, and the University of Texas at Austin.