William Jefferson Clinton, the first Democratic president in six decades to be elected twice, led the United States to the longest economic expansion in American history, including the creation of more than 22 million jobs.
After leaving the White House, President Clinton established the Clinton Foundation in order to continue working on the causes he cared about. Since its founding, the Foundation has endeavored to help build more resilient communities by developing and implementing programs that improve people’s health, strengthen local economies, and protect the environment.
The Foundation is guided by the belief that every problem has a solution and together with a diverse set of partners, works to improve lives around the globe and across the United States through a wide range of initiatives, including the now independent Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), which has helped over 11 million people in more than 70 countries access critical HIV/AIDS medications at CHAI-negotiated prices. The Clinton Climate Initiative, the Clinton Development Initiative, and the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership are applying a business-oriented approach to promote sustainable economic growth and fight climate change in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean. In the United States, the Foundation is focused on helping children and adults live full and active lives by working to combat the rise in childhood obesity through the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a partnership forged with the American Heart Association; reduce health disparities and address emerging health threats like the opioid epidemic by partnering with local communities through the Clinton Health Matters Initiative; and increase awareness about the importance of early childhood development through the Foundation’s Too Small to Fail initiative.
The Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock remains the heart and soul of the Clinton Foundation, and since it opened its doors in 2004, the Clinton Center has hosted hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, catalyzing $3.3 billion in economic impact throughout the community. Today, the Clinton Center also cooperatively manages the Presidential Leadership Scholars Program—a joint effort between the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the George Bush Presidential Library Foundation, and the Lyndon Baines Johnson Foundation that seeks to equip emerging leaders with the tools they need to drive positive change in their communities.
Above all, President Clinton has always believed that we can do more together than any of us can do on our own. In 2005, he founded the Clinton Global Initiative to foster partnerships among governments, businesses, nongovernmental organizations and private citizens to turn good ideas into measurable results. To date, over 3,600 CGI commitments have already improved the lives of more than 435 million people in more than 180 countries. CGI’s work continues through these ongoing commitments and through the Clinton Global Initiative University which this year, celebrates 10 years of bringing together college and university students from every corner of the globe to turn good ideas into action.
In addition to his continuing roles with the Foundation and CHAI, President Clinton has joined with other former Presidents to support relief efforts for communities recovering from natural disasters—partnering with President George H.W. Bush three times to organize aid and support for those affected by the 2004 tsunami in South Asia, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and Hurricane Ike in 2008, and with President George W. Bush in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti to raise money and assistance for communities devastated by the storm. To this day, the Clinton Foundation continues to support economic growth, job creation and sustainability in communities across Haiti.
President Clinton was born on August 19, 1946, in Hope, Arkansas. He and his wife Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton have one daughter, Chelsea; two grandchildren, and live in Chappaqua, New York.
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.
Michael Dowling is the President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Northwell Health.
Rodney F. Hochman, MD, serves as president and CEO of Providence St. Joseph Health, leading the five-state health system. Before serving as group president and now president and CEO of Providence, Dr. Hochman was president and chief executive officer of Swedish Health Services. He and his team helped transform Swedish and positioned the organization for a strong, stable future. In his five years at Swedish he strengthened the community safety net, created a strong culture of safety and re-invented their business model from a downtown hospital focus to a regional system of care. Knowing that greater collaboration among providers was the future of health care, Dr. Hochman and the Swedish board conducted an exhaustive search over the course of his tenure and aligned Swedish with the right partner – Providence.
In addition, Dr. Hochman is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He is the recipient of the 2001 Physician Executive Award of Excellence, sponsored by Modern Physician magazine and under his leadership, 569-bed Sentara Norfolk General Hospital won the American Hospital Association’s prestigious Quest for Quality national award in 2002. In May 2009, Dr. Hochman was honored for the second time by Modern Physician magazine as number eleven of the 50 Most Powerful Physician Executives in Healthcare.
Janice E. Nevin, MD, MPH, is the President and CEO of Christiana Care Health System.
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.
Dr. Redonda Miller is president of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Before her May 2016 appointment as the hospital’s 11th president and the first woman to hold the position in The Johns Hopkins Hospital’s 127-year history, she served as vice president of medical affairs for The Johns Hopkins Hospital and senior vice president of medical affairs for the Johns Hopkins Health System.
In the Department of Medicine, Dr. Miller has focused her academic and clinical career on medical education and women’s health. She lectures widely and writes on midlife women’s health topics, including osteoporosis and menopause. Dr. Miller is a founding editor of The Johns Hopkins Internal Medicine Board Review book, now in its fifth edition, and is the administrative editor for Practical Reviews in Internal Medicine, an audio lecture series. She has published over 35 book chapters and manuscripts. In addition, Dr. Miller serves on the executive board for the Maryland Hospital Association and chairs its Council on Clinical and Quality Issues. Dr. Miller is also a fellow of the American College of Physicians and past treasurer of the Society of General Internal Medicine.
Mr. Garrett began his time with Hackensack University Medical Center in 1981 as a resident, and served as president and CEO of the Hackensack University Health Network from 2009 through 2016, at which time he assumed his current position as CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health. In the face of healthcare reform, Mr. Garrett optimally positioned HackensackUHN and HackensackUMC for success through a series of acquisitions, mergers, partnerships and affiliations.
Mr. Garrett’s leadership and strategic vision has garnered much professional praise. He was ranked second on the NJBIZ 2016 "Power 50 Health Care" list. He was also ranked on the "NJBIZ Power 100: The most powerful people in New Jersey business" list for five consecutive years. He was selected as a member of The Wall Street Journal CEO Council, an invite-only council representing some of the most well-respected business leaders in America.
Mr. Garrett received his Master of Health Administration from Washington University in Saint Louis and his bachelor’s degree from Binghamton University in New York. He and his wife, Laura, live in Morris Township, NJ, with their two sons, Jonathan and David.
Lloyd Dean is a nationally recognized leader within healthcare. As president and CEO of Dignity Health, he is responsible for the organization’s overall management, governance, strategy and direction. He has led Dignity Health through significant strategic, operational and financial transformations to its current status as a leading healthcare organization recognized for high quality, compassionate care, operational excellence and successful financial results.
Prior to joining Dignity Health, Mr. Dean was executive vice president and COO of Advocate Health Care, a healthcare delivery system in Oak Brook Illinois. During his tenure, Advocate Health Care was named one of the nation’s Top 100 Integrated networks by Modern Healthcare magazine. Prior to Advocate, Mr. Dean was with the Upjohn Company, where he held executive positions in the Health Care Services Division. He received the prestigious W.E. Upjohn Award for his management and operational excellence.
Currently, Mr. Dean serves as Chair of the Board of Directors for Cytori Therapeutics, a leader in regenerative medicine and adult stem cell research and Chair of the Board of Directors for Committee on Jobs, a business-sponsored organization that strives to ensure the long-term economic vitality of San Francisco. He is a member of the Boards of Directors of Wells Fargo, Mercy Housing California, Bay Area Council, and Catholic Health Association. A strong advocate for health care reform, he has been actively engaged with President Obama and the White House Cabinet on healthcare issues.
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 2012 he was ranked number 23 in Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” and is consistently named as one of the “Top 25 Minority Leaders in Healthcare.” He was recently profiled by Fortune Magazine in its January 2013 issue.
Ms. Kaiser joined SSM Health as President/CEO in May 2017, bringing 30+ years of experience in health care strategy, improving clinical quality, fueling innovation, managing operational performance and growth, leading change management and successfully facilitating health care integration.
Ms. Kaiser previously served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Intermountain Healthcare. She also served at Ascension Health in a number of senior leadership roles including Regional Executive for the Gulf Coast/Florida region and President/CEO at Sacred Heart Health System in Pensacola, FL.
Ms. Kaiser currently serves on the boards of Nuance Communications and the Scottsdale Institute, as well as on the American Hospital Association Health Strategy & Innovation Committee and the St. Louis Regional Business Council. She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Missouri, a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Healthcare Administration from Saint Louis University. Ms. Kaiser is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, and in 2018 was named one of the “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” by Modern Healthcare magazine.