General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret.) became the 65th Secretary of State on January 20, 2001. As he stated at his confirmation hearing, the guiding principle of U.S. foreign policy during his tenure was that "America stands ready to help any country that wishes to join the democratic world."

Powell brought extensive experience with him to his office. Before becoming Secretary of State, Powell served as a key aide to the Secretary of Defense and as National Security Advisor to President Reagan. He also served 35 years in the United States Army, rising to the rank of Four-Star General and serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989 - 1993). During this time, he oversaw 28 crises to include the Panama intervention of 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in the victorious 1991 Persian Gulf War.

That experience served him well, both before and particularly after the events of September 11, 2001, the day of the greatest tragedy on American soil since Pearl Harbor. As Secretary, he stood shoulder to shoulder with the President and the other members of the President's cabinet in fighting the war on terrorism. As he often said, "winning that war is our first priority, and it will remain so for as long as necessary."

A fervent purveyor of democratic values, Powell stressed that fighting the war on terrorism is not just a military but also a diplomatic task - the two go hand in hand. He led the State Department in major efforts to solve regional and civil conflicts - in the Middle East, between Israel and its Arab neighbors; in Sudan, Congo and Liberia; in the Balkans, Cyprus, Haiti, Northern Ireland and elsewhere. He was especially concerned with the peace and security of Afghanistan and Iraq, countries where winning the peace is as important as Coalition battlefield victories. In all areas, he used the power of diplomacy and the universal ideal of democracy to build trust, forge alliances and then begin to transform these once unstable regions into areas where societies and cultures prosper.

Powell was devoted to grasping opportunities as well as to confronting the global and regional security challenges of the 21st century. He was at the forefront of the administration's efforts to advance economic and social development worldwide - in the fight against HIV/AIDS, in the promise of the Millennium Challenge Account, the most significant change in helping needy nations since the Marshall Plan, and in pursuing a freer trading and investment climate worldwide. These efforts, too, are not separate from the nation's security agenda. Indeed, in testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, then Secretary Powell affirmed that our main purpose is to extend democracy, prosperity, and freedom to every corner of the world. It is a process that is establishing a balance of power that favors freedom across the globe.

Born in New York City on April 5, 1937, Powell was raised in the South Bronx. His parents, Luther and Maud Powell, immigrated to the United States from Jamaica. Powell was educated in the New York City public schools, graduating from Morris High School and the City College of New York (CCNY), where he earned a bachelor's degree in geology. He also participated in ROTC at CCNY and received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in June 1958. His further academic achievements include a Master of Business Administration degree from The George Washington University.

Powell is the recipient of numerous U.S. military awards and decorations including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with 3 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Soldier's Medal, Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.

Powell's civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President's Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal. He has received awards from over two-dozen countries to include a French Legion of Honor and an honorary knighthood bestowed by H.M. Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain.

Powell was the founding Chairman of America's Promise-The Alliance for Youth, a national crusade to improve the lives of our nation's youth. Established at the Presidents' Summit for America's Future in Philadelphia in April of 1997, and endorsed by every living U.S. President, America's Promise aims to ensure all children in America have access to the fundamental resources needed to build and strengthen them to become responsible, productive adults. He has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of Howard University and the Board of Directors of the United Negro College Fund. Powell also served on the Board of Governors of The Boys & Girls Clubs of America and was a member of the Advisory Board of the Children's Health Fund.

Since returning to private life, Powell has become a strategic limited partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, the renowned Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Powell is the Founder of the Colin Powell Policy Center at his alma mater, the City College of New York, and he is helping to raise funds for the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC and for the construction of an education center for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Powell is the author of his best-selling autobiography, My American Journey.

Powell is married to the former Alma Vivian Johnson of Birmingham, Alabama. The Powell family includes son Michael; daughters Linda and Annemarie; son-in-law Francis; daughter-in-law Jane; grandsons Jeffrey, Bryan and Patrick; and granddaughter Abigail.

As president of one of the nation's largest family owned businesses, Chick-fil-A's Dan Cathy represents the next generation of leadership for the Atlanta-based quick-service chicken restaurant chain founded by his father, S. Truett Cathy. Eager to incorporate his own skills and talents into the business, Dan has taken an unconventional, yet personally and professionally rewarding approach to Chick-fil-A leadership.

Since 2001, Dan has served as the president and chief operating officer of the 1,400-plus unit chain, but he also has personally challenged himself with upholding Chick-fil-A's efforts to provide genuine, heartfelt hospitality, and ensuring that customers chain wide have an exceptional dining experience when visiting a Chick-fil-A restaurant. In his quest to provide customers with "second-mile" service (exceeding even the highest expectations of a typical fast-food restaurant), Dan has defined a special role for himself – humbly saying, "I work in customer service."

Rather than leading from his corporate office in Atlanta, Dan chooses to spend the majority of his time traveling to the chain's growing family of restaurants and interacting with Chick-fil-A's committed team of restaurant Operators and team members. His actions stem from a belief that working in the field provides a clearer understanding of the ever-evolving wants and needs of Chick-fil-A customers, and leading from the front line also enables him to personally convey his servant spirit to the chain's 50,000-plus employees.

The majority of his travels include participating in grand-opening ceremonies for new Chick-fil-A restaurants. In yet another example of how he keeps in tune with customers and employees, Dan attended numerous restaurant openings last year, spending the night in restaurant parking lots along with hundreds of customers who were vying for a chance to win free Chick-fil-A for a year as part of a special customer-focused promotion the chain conducts in conjunction with new restaurant openings. Reflecting on these experiences, Dan notes, "I'm having the most fun I have ever had at Chick-fil-A."

Six major marketplace awards recently have affirmed the commitment and performance of Chick-fil-A Operators and team members. In early 2008 BusinessWeek and J.D. Power and Associates named Chick-fil-A among the top 25 "Customer Service Champs." Chick-fil-A ranked 22nd overall, and was one of only two restaurant concepts listed. In 2007 Chick-fil-A received Restaurant & Institutions magazine's "Choice in Chains" award for the 13th time in 14 years. That same year, Chick-fil-A was recognized as first in overall service in a survey jointly conducted by Zagat and NBC's "Today Show;" as well as received first-place ranking for food accuracy, menu board appearance and "employee smiles" as part of QSR Magazine's "Best Drive-Thru in America" study. In 2004, Chick-fil-A was honored with Fast Company magazine's inaugural "Customer First" award; and was the highest rated quick-service chain in the South in J.D. Power and Associate's Customer Satisfaction survey.

Dan's nearly lifelong career at Chick-fil-A began at age nine as he sang songs for customers and did radio commercials for the chain's original "Dwarf House" restaurant in Hapeville, Ga.

After receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Georgia Southern University, Dan returned to Chick-fil-A where he served as director of operations - opening more than 50 new Chick-fil-A restaurants throughout the country.

As Chick-fil-A continued to grow, so did Dan's responsibilities with the company. He has served as senior director of operations, vice president of operations and executive vice president prior to being named president and chief operating officer.

As dedicated to Chick-fil-A as he is, Dan also finds time to give generously of his time and efforts in the community. Following is just a partial list of his awards, affiliations and associations:

• Member, Board of Trustees, Berry College
• Member, Board of Advisors, Berry College's Campbell School of Business
• Member, Board of Councilors of The Carter Center
• Member of the New Hope Baptist Church (and trumpet player in the church band)
• Member, Foundation of Gordon College
• Member, Board of Advisors, Eagle Ranch
• Member of the International Society of Business Fellows
• Member, Board of Atlanta Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Recipient of the Buckhead Rotary Humanitarian Award – 2002
• Inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame – 2003
• Honorary Doctorate Degree from the State University of West Georgia
• Honorary Doctorate of Humanities Degree from Anderson College - 2005

And in his "spare" time, Dan has completed the owner/management course at Harvard Business School, earned his pilot's license (and is in fact an instrument-rated commercial pilot), and has run in and completed numerous marathons in Atlanta, Orlando, Los Angeles, Boston and New York. Additionally, Dan is a passionate trumpet player and an avid motorcyclist.

A native of Jonesboro, Georgia, Dan has been married to the former Rhonda Palmer (whom he met while in the 1st grade at age 6) for more than 35 years, and has two sons, Andrew and Ross.

His personal passion is to see the fulfillment of the Chick-fil-A Corporate Purpose: "To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us. To have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A."

General David H. Petraeus assumed command of the United States Central Command in October 2008, after serving for over 19 months as the Commanding General, Multi-National Force-Iraq. Prior to his tour as MNF-I Commander, he commanded the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth. Before that assignment, he was the first commander of the Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq, which he led from June 2004 to September 2005, and the NATO Training Mission-Iraq, which he commanded from October 2004 to September 2005. That deployment to Iraq followed his command of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), during which he led the "Screaming Eagles" in combat throughout the first year of Operation Iraqi Freedom. His command of the 101st followed a year deployed on Operation Joint Forge in Bosnia, where he was the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations of the NATO Stabilization Force and the Deputy Commander of the US Joint Interagency Counter-Terrorism Task Force-Bosnia. Prior to his tour in Bosnia, he spent two years at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, serving first as the Assistant Division Commander for Operations of the 82nd Airborne Division and then as the Chief of Staff of XVIII Airborne Corps.

General Petraeus was commissioned in the Infantry upon graduation from the United States Military Academy in 1974. He has held leadership positions in airborne, mechanized, and air assault infantry units in Europe and the United States, including command of a battalion in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and a brigade in the 82nd Airborne Division. In addition, he has held a number of staff assignments: Aide to the Chief of Staff of the Army; battalion, brigade, and division operations officer; Military Assistant to the Supreme Allied Commander - Europe; Chief of Operations of the United Nations Force in Haiti; and Executive Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

General Petraeus was the General George C. Marshall Award winner as the top graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College Class of 1983. He subsequently earned MPA and Ph.D. degrees in international relations from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, and he later served as an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the US Military Academy. He also completed a fellowship at Georgetown University.

Awards and decorations earned by General Petraeus include two awards of the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Distinguished Service Medal, two awards of the Defense Superior Service Medal, four awards of the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star Medal for valor, the State Department Distinguished Service Award, the NATO Meritorious Service Medal, the Gold Award of the Iraqi Order of the Date Palm, and the French Légion d'Honneur. He is a Master Parachutist and Air Assault and Ranger qualified. He has also earned the Combat Action Badge and French, British, and German Jump Wings. In 2005 he was recognized by the U.S. News and World Report as one of America's 25 Best Leaders, and in 2007 he was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential leaders of the year and one of four runners-up for Time Person of the Year. Most recently, he was selected by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the world's top 100 public intellectuals and by Esquire magazine as one of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century.

President, Aflac; Chief Operating Officer, Aflac U.S.

Mr. Amos was named executive vice president, Aflac U.S. in January 2005 and assumed the additional responsibilities of chief operating officer in February 2006. He is responsible for the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategic plan designed to increase U.S. sales, enhance recruiting and training, and maximize operational efficiencies.
Mr. Amos is responsible for centralizing the recruiting and training functions for Aflac's 70,000+ sales associates, creating a new broker channel, and broadening the company's marketing plan to include diversification of both media and messages.

Previously, Mr. Amos served as the state sales coordinator for the Georgia-North sales territory. Under his leadership, the Georgia-North sales territory grew to become the company's No. 1 state operation.

Prior to joining Aflac, Mr. Amos worked in the corporate legal division of the merger and acquisition firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom, in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Amos holds a bachelor's degree in economics from Duke University and a master's degree in business administration from Emory University. He also holds a juris doctor degree from Tulane University.
Mr. Amos is a member of the boards of directors of Aflac Incorporated, the Winship Cancer Center at Emory University, the Turner School of Business at Columbus State University and the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Southwest Georgia.