Guest Speakers

At each LeadAmerica conference, students meet and attend briefings with leaders in the field they are studying. Lectures, discussions and question-and-answer sessions bring leadership alive. Past speakers, meetings and briefings have included:

White House and Cabinet Members

• Madeline Albright, Former Secretary of State
• George W. Bush, President
• Laura Bush, First Lady
• Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff
• Jimmy Carter, Former President
• Dick Cheney, Vice President
• Elaine Chow, Secretary of Labor
• Bill Clinton, Former President
• Arie Fleischer, Former White House Press Secretary
• Al Gore, Former Vice President
• Stephen Lineberry, Deputy Associate Director, Office of Public Liaison
• Rod Paige, Secretary of Education
• Janet Reno, Former Attorney General
• Donald Rumsfeld , Secretary of Defense

Lawyers, Judges and Legal Experts

• Maryam Ahranjani, Professor, American University Washington College of Law
• Olegario Cantos, Office of the Attorney General
• Michele Coleman-Mayes, Senior Vice President & General Counsel, Pitney Bowes, Inc.
• David Cross, Associate, Weil, Gotshal & Manges
• Toby Heytens, Law Clerk to Supreme Court Justice Ginsberg
• Brian Hook, White House Policy Counsel
• Robert Khuzami, Former Assistant U.S. Attorney, New York City, New York
• Karen McKenna, Deputy Director, Victim/Witness Assistance Unit Program
• Michael Melloy, Judge, 8 th Circuit Court of Appeals
• Gilbert Morris, Ph.D., Barrister
• Paul Palumbo, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Jamin Raskin, Professor, American University Washington College of Law
• Brian Sandoval, Attorney General, Nevada
• Susan Sloane, Attorney
• Edward Stern, Assistant Dean for Pre-Law Advising, Boston University
• Thomas Tauke, Esq., Former Congressman, E.V.P., Public Affairs and Communications, Verizon
• David Vinikoor, Attorney
• Felicia Walker , Director, MLK Forensics Speech and Mock Trial Teams, Howard University
• Steve Wermiel, Professor, American University Washington College of Law
• Jack Wertzberger, Assistant Director of Development, Georgetown University Law Center

Business Leaders and Academics

• Ryan Allis, CEO, Broadwick Corporation
• Page Arnof-Fenn, CEO, Mavens & Moguls
• Lynn Baker, Director of Product Development, Illinois Coalition
• Robert Bennett, Senator, Vice Chairman, Joint Economic Committee
• Theresa Boyce, President & Partner, Hodak Value Advisors, LLC
• Paul Buckovich, Vice President of Finance, Competitive Power Ventures
• Julie Coker, General Manager, Hyatt Lodge Oak Brook
• James Dickenson, Writer & Media Consultant
• J.J. Gilmartin, Account Director, Euro RSCG 4D
• Aaron Greenspan, CEO, Think Computer
• Patrick Gregory, Director, Hughey Center for Financial Services, Bentley College
• Artis Hampshire-Cowan, Vice President & Secretary, Howard University
• Shawn He, CEO, iNetworks 128
• John Katzman, Founder & CEO, The Princeton Review
• Allyson Knox, Harvard Graduate School of Education
• Marty Kress, President, SCORE Boston
• Randall Lucas, CEO, Super Survey
• John Magee, Director of Marketing Technology, Euro RSCG 4D
• Bob Mauro, Former COO, CBS
• Steve McCoy, Former Assistant Program Director, Old Dominion University, Model United Nations Society
• Bob McHardy, President, The PLUS Corporation, Canada
• Rob McHardy, Account Manager, The Plus Corporation, Canada
• Jerry Mitchell, President, Midwest Entrepreneurs Forum
• Barry Moltz, Co-Founder, Prairie Angels
• Gordon Reichard, Partner, Northern Illinois Angels LLC
• David Sabin, Chairman, Salton Inc.
• Andy Schlessinger, Principal, Andy & Associates
• Gaurav Shah, Director, Center for Marketing Technology, Bentley College
• Kathy Shea, CFO, Capital Thinking
• Michael Simmons, CEO, Success Manifesto
• Celia Szelwach, President, Creative Collaborations Consulting, Inc.
• Nancy Van Milligan, President & CEO, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, IA
• Marc Vial, MIT Ph.D. Programmer
• Jocelyn Vigreux, CEO, TomTom USA
• John Werner, Executive Director, Citizen Schools

Physicians and Health Professionals

• Arturo Bendixin, AIDS Foundation of Chicago
• John Bogdan, M.D., Scientific Review Administrator, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health
• Marcis Braunfelds, M.D.
• Louis Cohen , M.D., Rheumatologist
• Ryan D'Souza, M.D.
• Byron Eisenstein, M.D., Otolaryngologist
• Craig Ferris, Ph.D., Director, Center for Comparative NeuroImaging , University of Massachusetts Medical School
• John Finerty, M.D., Department Head, Micro-Immunology, National Institutes of Health
• Mike Gilboe, Lake Forest College
• Hilary Godwin, Ph.D., Professor of Chemistry Northwestern University, Institute for Nanotechnology
• Susie Graw, Accelerated Rehab Specialist
• Bruce Harris, M.D., Emergency Medicine
• Beverly Hubble Tauke, Therapist & Author, Cornerstone Family Counseling
• Kathy Kopnisky, M.D., Chief, Secondary Cellular & Molecular Mechanisms of Neuropathogenesis, National Institute of Mental Health
• Sam Mbulaiteye, M.D., Principal Investigator, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health
• Sarah Meier, Lake Forest Hospital
• Karen Middleton, ABCCPR, Inc.
• Kenneth Robertson, M.D.
• M. Rosenblatt, M.D., Gastroenterologist
• Aziza Shad, M.D., Director, Division of Pediatric Hemotology & Oncology, Georgetown University Hospital
• Jan Sikorsky, Ph.D., Associate Director of Academics, LeadAmerica
• Sue Sirota, M.D., Pediatrics
• David Spitz, Public Information Officer, Pan American Health Organization, Regional Office, World Health Organization
• Karen Stec, Executive Vice President, Advanced Life Sciences
• Megan Steinbeck, Highland Park Hospital
• Cam Trout , R.N.
• Angela Wakhweya, M.D., Center for International Health, Boston University
• Robert Witzberg, M.D., Associate Dean, Boston University School of Medicine

Criminology and Forensic Science Speakers

• Bradley Adams, M.D., Forensic Anthropologist, Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, New York City, New York
• Michael Byrnes, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Frank Cornetta, Sergeant, Broward County Florida Bomb Squad
• Joi Dickerson, Senior Forensic Specialist, Culver City Police Department
• Lisa Ference, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• John Giordano, D.D.S., Forensic Odontologist
• Erin Gould, Criminalist, San Diego County California Sheriff's Office, Regional Crime Laboratory
• Madeline Hinkes, Forensic Anthropologist, San Diego County California Medical Examiner's Office
• Vici Inlow , U.S. Secret Service
• Lori Jensen , Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Tin Nguyen, 2nd Lieutenant, U.S. Marine Corps
• Amy Solen, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Norman Sperber, Chief Forensic Odontologist, Reserve Deputy Sheriff, Homicide Unit, San Diego and Imperial Counties, California
• Barry Vecchioni, Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Members of the U.S. Military and Military Science Experts

• William B. Allen, Professor of Political Science, Michigan State University
• Charles F. Brower, Brigadier General, Virginia Military Institute
• Nathaniel H. Brown, Lieutenant, U.S. Navy, Virginia Military Institute
• Steve Brozak, Lieutenant Colonel, Ret., U.S. Marine Corps
• Randy Cheek, Department of Defense
• Chae Chels, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
• Wesley Clark, General
• Daniel Colfax , Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Marine Corps
• Stephen P. Colvin, Captain, U.S. Air Force
• Dan Connely, Major, U.S. Marine Corps
• Dean M. Danas, Major, U.S. Air Force
• Jose A. DeVarona, Major, U.S. Air Force
• Sherman L. Fleek, Program Manager for Interpretation & Education, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation, New Market Battlefield
• Tommy Franks, General, Ret., U.S. Army
• David Griffith, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, National War College
• Clifford D. Harmon, Instructor of History, Virginia Military Institute
• James B. Hickey, Colonel, U.S. Army
• Stewart W. Husted, Professor of Business, Virginia Military Institute
• Joseph M. Irby, II, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
• John D. Johnson, Colonel, Pentagon
• Stuart Jolly, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army, Professor of Military Science, Central Oklahoma University
• Chad A. Joyce, Instructor, Virginia Military Institute
• Daryl J. Laninga, Major, U.S. Marine Corps
• Frank Lever, Command Sergeant Major, U.S. Army National Guard
• Robert C. Lynn, Colonel, U.S. Air Force
• Stewart A. MacInnis, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
• Alex Major, Captain, U.S. Air Force, Defense Intelligence Agency
• David B. Mann, Author, "Battle of Zig Zag Pass"
• David McCaffree, Jr., Manpower and Reserve Affairs, CMC, U.S. Marine Corps
• Philip McChesney, Lieutenant Colonel, Ret., U.S. Army
• Turk M. McCleskey, Professor of History, Virginia Military Institute
• Timothy S. McElhannon, Commander, U.S. Navy, Virginia Military Institute
• John W. Mountcastle, Brigadier General, Ret., U.S. Army
• Malcolm Muir, Jr., Professor of History, Virginia Military Institute
• Brian L. Quisenberry, Captain, U.S. Navy, Virginia Military Institute
• Frank Reynolds, Lieutenant Colonel, U.S. Army
• James S. Romasz, Major, U.S. Army
• Bill Shugrue, Colonel, U.S. Army
• Fred Winton Smith, Commander, U.S. Navy, Pentagon
• Robert J. Smullen, Major, U.S. Marine Corps, White House Fellow
• Robert Spidel, Sergeant Major, U.S. Army National Guard
• Thomas W. Stevenson, Assistant Instructor, Virginia Military Institute
• Wilma Vaught, Brigadier General, Ret., U.S. Air Force and President, Women in Military Service Memorial, American Memorial Foundation, Inc.
• John D. Willis, Major, U.S. Air Force
• John J. Wranek, Major, U.S. Army

Intelligence, National Security and Defense Officials

• Marcus Bembenisa, Defense Intelligence Agency
• Steve Berry, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Joe Biden, Senator, Committee on Foreign Relations
• Kit Bond, Senator, Select Committee on Intelligence
• Alan Capps, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Homeland Security, Anser Institute for Homeland Security
• Saxby Chambliss, Senator, Armed Services Committee
• Hillary Clinton, Senator, Armed Services Committee
• Elizabeth Dole, Senator, Armed Services Committee
• Michael Duffy, Nuclear Information Officer
• Bob Etheridge, Representative, Homeland Security Committee
• Ken Gerhardt, Defense Intelligence Agency
• Erika Green, Defense Intelligence Agency
• Enrique Gonzalez, Hiring Official, Central Intelligence Agency
• Lindsey Graham, Senator, Armed Services Committee
• Chuck Hagel, Senator, Select Committee on Intelligence
• Orrin Hatch, Senator, Chairman, Select Committee on Intelligence
• James Inhofe, Senator, Armed Services Committee
• Ted Kennedy, Senator, Armed Services Committee
• Debra Lake, Hiring Official, Central Intelligence Agency
• Michael Levin, Intelligence Official, National Security Agency
• Joe Lieberman, Senator, Armed Services Committee
• Richard Marshall, Former Deputy Director of Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office, U.S. Department of Defense
• Paul Palumbo, Federal Bureau of Investigation
• Jeff Sessions, Senator, Armed Services Committee
• John Schuhart, Central Intelligence Agency
• John Warner, Senator, Chairman, Armed Services Committee
• Warren Wofford, Master Sergeant, USAF, National Security Agency
• John Wolfarth, Anser Institute for Homeland Security

Governors, Mayors, State and Local Officials

• Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of the City of New York
• Howard Dean, Former Governor of Vermont
• Rudy Giuliani, Former Mayor of the City of New York
• Jennifer Granholm, Governor of Michigan
• Kerry Healey, Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts
• Bernard Kerik, Former Police Commissioner New York, New York
• Linda Lingle, Governor of Hawaii
• Thomas Menino, Mayor of Boston
• Janet Napolitano, Governor of Arizona
• Martin O'Malley, Mayor of Baltimore
• George Pataki, Governor of New York
• Ed Rendell, Governor of Pennsylvania
• Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico
• Mitt Romney, Governor of Massachusetts
• Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor of California
• Marc Racicot, Former Governor of Montana
• Michael Steele, Lieutenant Governor of Maryland
• Carolyn Stennett, Chief Administrative Officer, Washington D.C. Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services
• Bob Taft, Governor of Ohio
• Regena Thomas, Secretary of State, New Jersey
• Mike Van Milligan, City Manager, City of Dubuque, Iowa
• Christie Vilsack, First Lady of Iowa
• Mark Warner, Governor of Virginia

Political Leaders, Policy Experts & Lobbyists

• Carina Armenta, Legislative Director, Office of Representative Hilda Solis
• Ward Baker, Republican Political Director, State of Mississippi
• Sara Gear Boyd, Secretary of the Republican National Convention
• Carol Mosely Braun, Former Senator and Democratic Primary Candidate
• Donna Brazile, Al Gore Campaign Manager
• Marilyn Byers, President, National Conference of Republican County Officials
• Chuck Cunningham, Director of Federal Affairs, National Rifle Association
• Michael Davis, Senior Deputy and Voting Supervisor
• Susan Davis, President, Irish-American Republicans
• Bonnie Garcia, Assistant Secretary of the Republican National Convention
• Kevin Gentry, Campaign Consultant
• Ed Gillespie, Former Republican National Party Chairman
• Christine Hanson, Deputy Press Secretary, Senator Bill Nelson
• Bill Harris, CEO, 2004 Republican National Convention
• Eric Hoplin, President, College Republicans
• Reverend Jesse Jackson, President, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
• Christine Kocher, Program Assistance, Global Education Center, The Academy for Educational Development
• Dennis Kucinich , Democratic Party Candidate
• Michael Mack, Young Republicans President
• Fernando Mateo, President, Hispanics Across America
• Kenneth Maxey II, Democratic National Convention GAIN Director of Grass Roots Campaigns
• Terry McAuliffe, Former Democratic Party Chairman
• Pat McCrory, President, Republican Mayors and Local Officials
• Jane Norton, Assistant Secretary of the Republican National Convention
• Dario Payo, Congressional Leader, Independent Democratic Union
• Tim Phillips, Founder & Vice President, Century Strategy
• Ralph Reed, Founder & President, Century Strategy
• Al Sharpton, Presidential Candidate and Political Activist
• John Sweeney, President, AFL-CIO
• Joe Trippi, Chair , Howard Dean Campaign
• Ann Wagner, Co-Chairman, Republican National Convention
• Michael Williams, Assistant Convention Secretary
• Grant Woodward, National President, Young Democrats

Members of the Diplomatic Community

• Nawaf Al Ahamad, Second Secretary, Embassy of Kuwait
• Zainab Al-Suwaij, Executive Director, American Islamic Congress
• Steve Atkins, Press Advisor, Embassy of Britain
• Catherine Bertini, Under Secretary General for Management, United Nations
• Gary Crocker, U.S. Department of State
• Stephanie Dejarric, Associate Spokesperson, United Nations
• George Dragnich, Deputy U.S. Coordinator, U.S. State Department
• Scott Harris, U.S. Department of State
• Kevin Kennedy, Branch Chief, United Nations
• Jean David Levitt, Ambassador, Embassy of France
• Juliana Lindsey, Coordinator, Humanitarian Response Unit, UNICEF
• Katsuo Nagai, Deputy Press Secretary, Embassy of Japan
• Mary Pensabene, Team Leader of Washington Programs, U.S. Department of State
• Carina Perelli, Department Director, United Nations
• Elisabeth Reuss, Embassy of Austria
• Anna Schwan, Public Diplomacy Specialist, Embassy of Germany

Members of the Media

• James Carville, Host of CNN's "Crossfire"
• Ben Ferguson, Radio Talk Show Host and Author
• Arianna Huffington, Syndicated Political Columnist
• Rich Lowery, Senior Editor, National Review
• Ron Reagan, Host, MSNBC