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	Governor Haley Reeves Barbour In two historic, successful campaigns for Governor, Yazoo City native Haley Reeves Barbour offered a new path for Mississippi in job creation, education, health care, energy, safer communities and stronger families. His message resonated with voters: His election in 2003 marked the largest voter turnout in Mississippi gubernatorial history, and he was reelected in 2007 with 58.2 percent of the vote. He is only the second governor since Reconstruction to be elected to a second consecutive term as Mississippi 's chief executive.
	Craig Barrett Craig Barrett is chairman of the board of Intel Corporation and a leading advocate for improving education in the U.S. and around the world. He is also a vocal spokesman for the value technology can provide in raising social and economic standards globally. Craig Barrett was born Aug. 29, 1939, in San Francisco, Calif. He attended Stanford University in Palo Alto, California from 1957 to 1964, and received his Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in Materials Science. After graduation, he joined the faculty of Stanford University in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and remained through 1974, rising to the rank of Associate Professor. Dr. Barrett was a Fulbright Fellow at Danish Technical University in Denmark in 1972 and a NATO Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Physical Laboratory in England from 1964 to 1965. Dr. Barrett is the author of over 40 technical papers dealing with the influence of microstructure on the properties of materials, and a textbook on materials science, Principles of Engineering Materials.
	Maria Bartiromo In 1995, Bartiromo became the first journalist to report live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on a daily basis where she covered breaking news for the network's unscripted and fast-paced business morning program, "Squawk Box." She reported from the NYSE for 10 years. Bartiromo joined CNBC in 1993 after five years as a producer and assignment editor with CNN Business News. She has anchored the television coverage of New York City 's world famous Columbus Day Parade since 1995. In 2004, Bartiromo was honored with The Union League of Philadelphia's prestigious Lincoln Statue Award, for significant contributions to the United States of America . In 1996, Bartiromo was nominated for a CableACE Award for her three-part series on the Internet and its implications for investors. In 1997, she received the Coalition of Italo-American Associations' Excellence in Broadcast Journalism Award. In 2002, Bartiromo was nominated for a Gerald Loeb Award for Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism for her piece on the widows of September 11.
	Steve Chen Steve Chen is Chief Technology Officer of YouTube and co-founded the company in 2005 after he and Chad Hurley resolved to provide a more simple way to share videos online. Steve has been instrumental in building YouTube into a viral video phenomenon and helped lead YouTube through the Google acquisition for $1.65 billion less than a year after launching the site. As the company's key technologist, Steve is credited with developing the company's massive data centers and helping build YouTube into a premier entertainment destination and one of the most popular Web sites on the Internet today. He oversees all areas of both engineering and product development, including managing site operations, and developing features and services that are compelling and easy to use for everyone.
	Mayor Richard M. Daley Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has earned a national reputation for his innovative, community-based programs to address education, public safety, neighborhood development and other challenges facing American cities. Time magazine, in its April 25, 2005 issue, said Daley “is widely viewed as the nation's top urban executive.” A former state senator and county prosecutor, Daley was first elected Mayor in 1989, and was re-elected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007 by overwhelming margins. Daley attracted national attention in 1995 when he assumed responsibility for the Chicago Public Schools. His management team closed a $1.8 billion deficit; made homework mandatory; ended social promotions; improved school safety; expanded summer school, after-school and early childhood education programs; and invested $4 billion in capital improvements. Those efforts have been rewarded with continually rising student test scores.
	Mark Drabenstott Mark Drabenstott is a seasoned observer of regional development and policy issues whose insights have gained national and international recognition. Mark is a native of Markle, Indiana, where he grew up on his family’s farm and learned agriculture and basketball firsthand. Mark earned his bachelor’s degree from Earlham College and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Iowa State University. Mark was named founding director of RUPRI’s national Center for Regional Competitiveness at the University of Missouri-Columbia in September 2006. The Center helps regions craft world-class development strategies for competing in the global economic race. The Center’s products help regions understand where they stand in that race, diagnose their new competitive advantage, and sustain innovative models of regional governance. The Center is also part of the University of Missouri’s Truman School of Public Affairs.
	John Engler John Engler is President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the largest industry trade group in America, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. A former three-term Governor of Michigan, John became NAM President on October 1, 2004. As NAM President, John is a leading advocate for the nearly 14 million Americans employed directly in manufacturing, educating the public and policymakers on issues that affect this critical sector of the U.S. economy. He promotes a broad-based agenda for maintaining U.S. competitiveness by lifting unnecessary burdens on manufacturing: excessive taxation and regulation, the high cost of health care, expensive litigation, and soaring energy costs.
	Louis V. Gerstner Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. was chairman of the board of IBM Corporation from April 1993 until his retirement in December 2002. He served as chief executive officer of IBM from 1993 until March 2002. In January 2003 he assumed the position of chairman of The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm located in Washington, DC. Prior to joining IBM, Mr. Gerstner served for four years as chairman and chief executive officer of RJR Nabisco, Inc. This was preceded by an 11-year career at American Express Company, where he was president of the parent company and chairman and CEO of its largest subsidiary, American Express Travel Related Services Company. Prior to that, Mr. Gerstner was a director of the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Co., Inc., which he joined in 1965. A native of Mineola, New York, Mr. Gerstner received a bachelor's degree in engineering from Dartmouth College in 1963 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1965. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, The Business Council, the National Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and has been awarded honorary doctorates from a number of U.S. universities. Mr. Gerstner is a member of the advisory board of Sony Corporation and a director of the National Committee on United States-China Relations. He is vice chairman of the board of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and vice chairman of the board of the American Museum of Natural History. In past years he served on the boards of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, The New York Times Company, American Express Company, AT&T, Caterpillar, Inc., Jewel Companies, Melville Corporation, RJR Nabisco Holdings Co., and DaimlerChrysler Chairman’s Council.
	Rick Goings Rick Goings is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Tupperware Brands Corporation. Tupperware Brands Corporation is a global direct seller of premium, innovative products across multiple brands and categories through an independent sales force of approximately 2 million. Product brands and categories include food preparation, storage and serving solutions for the kitchen and home through the Tupperware brand and beauty and personal care products through its Avroy Shlain, BeautiControl, Fuller, NaturCare, Nutrimetics, Nuvo and Swissgarde brands. Following college, Goings founded one of the nation’s first direct sellers of home security systems. He was recruited to Avon Products Inc. in 1985 where he held a number of senior management positions: in Europe as President Avon Germany, in the Pacific Rim as Group Vice President and Senior Operating Officer and ultimately in the United States where he served as President of Avon USA. He was recruited to Sara Lee Corporation in the early 90’s and served as Corporate Senior Vice President in charge of household products and President of Sara Lee Global Direct Selling.
	Carlos M. Gutierrez Carlos M. Gutierrez is the 35th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce, the voice of business in government. The former chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Kellogg Company, Secretary Gutierrez is a core member of President Bush's economic team. In nominating Mr. Gutierrez, President Bush said, "He understands the world of business, from the first rung on the ladder to the very top. He knows exactly what it takes to help American businesses grow and to create jobs." A top priority for Secretary Gutierrez is prying open global markets for U.S. companies so they can continue innovating and competing to build a stronger American economy. The Secretary regularly travels internationally to visit with foreign government and business leaders to discuss ways to enhance trade and promote U.S. exports. He played a key role in the passage of CAFTA-DR, a landmark agreement that strips away trade barriers, expands export opportunities and boosts hope and opportunity throughout Latin America. He believes passionately in President Bush's vision of a 21st century where America is the best country in the world to do business and where everyone has the opportunity to experience the joy and pride of living the American Dream. "We have the best people, we have the training, we have the culture," Gutierrez says. "I believe the 21st century is really and truly the American century."
	John Koten John Koten is the CEO of Mansueto Ventures LLC and editor in chief of Inc . and Fast Company magazines. He oversees the editorial and business departments of both magazines. From September 2002 until July 2005, Koten was editor of Inc . He strengthened the magazine's mission to serve the leaders of entrepreneurial companies by making Inc . a more dynamic and topical resource at the center of a profound and exciting change in the American economy and the world. Before joining Inc ., Koten was editor in chief of Worth magazine for 10 years, as well as bureau chief, senior editor, and reporter at The Wall Street Journal for 15 years. Under his leadership, Worth 's paid circulation grew from 175,000 to more than 500,000; was a National Magazine Award finalist in four separate categories in one year – the most ever for a business or financial publication—and the magazine's annual ad pages surpassed 900.
	Robert Lane ROBERT W. LANE has served as chairman and chief executive officer of Deere & Company since August 2000. Lane, following an early career in global banking, joined John Deere in 1982, initially managing various operations within the Worldwide Construction Equipment Division and later serving as president and chief operating officer of Deere Credit, Inc. In 1992, he joined the Worldwide Agricultural Equipment Division where, as senior vice president, he directed equipment operations in Latin America, Australia and East Asia . Elected chief financial officer in 1996, Lane subsequently moved to Germany where, as managing director, he led Deere's agricultural equipment operations in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, India and the nations of the former Soviet Union . He returned to the United States as president of the Worldwide Agricultural Equipment Division and thereafter was elected president and chief operating officer of Deere & Company. Lane also serves as a director of General Electric Company and Verizon Communications Inc. He is an honorary director of the Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, and a national director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
	Jim McNerney Jim McNerney, Jr., is chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer of The Boeing Company, effective July 1, 2005. He has served as a member of the company's board since 2001. McNerney, 58, oversees the strategic direction of the Chicago-based, $66.4 billion aerospace company. With more than 161,000 employees, Boeing is the largest manufacturer of commercial jetliners and military aircraft, with capabilities in rotorcraft, electronic and defense systems, missiles, satellites and advanced information and communications systems. Previously, McNerney held the position as chairman of the board and CEO of 3M, a $20 billion global technology company with leading positions in electronics, telecommunications, industrial, consumer and office products, health care, safety and other businesses. He joined 3M in 2001 after 19 years at the General Electric Company. McNerney joined General Electric in 1982. There, he held top executive positions including president and CEO of GE Aircraft Engines and GE Lighting; president of GE Asia-Pacific; president and CEO of GE Electrical Distribution and Control; executive vice president of GE Capital, one of the world's largest financial service companies; and president, GE Information Services. Prior to joining GE, McNerney worked at Procter & Gamble and McKinsey & Co., Inc. McNerney is a director of Procter & Gamble and serves as a trustee of Northwestern University. He is the chair of the US-China Business Council and The Business Council. He also serves on The Business Roundtable and the American Society of Corporate Executives. McNerney is a fellow at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a member of The Field Museum Board of Trustees in Chicago, and is on the Northwestern Memorial HealthCare Board, where he serves on the Finance Committee.
	Janet Napolitano Governor Janet Napolitano is one of our nation’s most innovative, influential and inspirational leaders. As the 21st governor of Arizona she has taken the reins with a clear vision, and moved the state into the 21st cenury. Chosen by Time Magazine as one of America’s Top Five Governors, Janet Napolitano’s hallmark is common sense – she does what makes sense and what works. She continues to fight for quality schools, affordable health care, sensible and forward-thinking economic development, a safe homeland, and has taken extensive measures to create fiscal responsibility and to end bureaucratic waste.
	Steve Odland Steve Odland joined Office Depot as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in March 2005. Since joining the company, Odland has led the cross-functional team of Office Depot associates that is responsible for creating the Company’s global vision – “Delivering Winning Solutions That Inspire Worklife” – and set of values. Under Odland’s leadership, Office Depot has grown into the $15.5 billion Company it is today. Office Depot is currently taking care of business for customers in 43 countries through a network of more than 1,600 worldwide retail stores, a $4.9 billion e-commerce operation and a dedicated sales force.
	James W. Owens Jim Owens is chairman and chief executive officer of Caterpillar Inc. in Peoria, Illinois. After joining the company in 1972 as a corporate economist, he has held numerous management positions. Owens was named chief economist of Caterpillar Overseas S.A. in Geneva, Switzerland in 1975. From 1980 until 1987 he held managerial positions in Peoria in the Accounting and Product Source Planning Departments. In 1987 he became managing director of P.T. Natra Raya, Caterpillar's joint venture in Indonesia. He held that position until 1990, when he was elected a corporate vice president and named president of Solar Turbines Incorporated, a Caterpillar subsidiary in San Diego. In 1993 he came to Peoria as vice president and chief financial officer with administrative responsibility for the Corporate Services Division. In 1995, Owens was named a group president and member of Caterpillar's Executive Office. Over the next eight years as a group president, Owens was at various times responsible for 13 of the company's 25 divisions. In December 2003, the Caterpillar Board of Directors named Owens vice chairman and appointed him chairman and chief executive officer effective February 1, 2004.
	Henry Paulson President George W. Bush nominated Henry M. Paulson, Jr. to be the 74th Secretary of the Treasury on June 19, 2006. The United States Senate unanimously confirmed Paulson to the position on June 28, 2006 and he was sworn into office on July 10, 2006 by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. As Treasury Secretary, Paulson is the President's leading policy advisor on a broad range of domestic and international economic issues. Before coming to Treasury, Paulson was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs since the firm's initial public offering in 1999. He joined Goldman Sachs Chicago Office in 1974 and rose through the ranks holding several positions including, Managing Partner of the firm's Chicago office, Co-head of the firm's investment Banking Division, President and Chief Operating Officer, and Co-Senior partner. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Paulson was a member of the White House Domestic Council, serving as Staff Assistant to the President from 1972 to 1973, and as Staff Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon from 1970 to 1972. Paulson graduated from Dartmouth in 1968, where he majored in English, was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and an All Ivy, All East football player. He received an M.B.A. from Harvard in 1970. He and his wife, Wendy, have two children, Amanda and Merritt.
	Jim Phillips Jim Phillips holds BBA and MBA degrees from the University of Memphis, graduating with academic honors. As a student, he was President of the Tennessee Student Association, Cadet Commander of the largest ROTC detachment in the U.S. and Vice President of the SGA. He was honored with the Professor of Aerospace Studies Award and the United States Air Force Distinguished Military Graduate Award. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant and attended Jet Pilot Training at Webb AFB. Throughout his business career, Jim has held numerous prominent positions and has founded and co-founded many successful corporations. He was formerly Vice President of Nortel Networks; President & Co-Founder of SkyTel - the nation’s largest messaging company; President & Vice Chairman of Telular Corp.; Corporate Vice President and General Manager of Motorola, PCS and Multimedia divisions, where his team invented the cable modem. He was instrumental in the development of the wireless local loop cellular voice and data telephone, alarm and telemetry systems.
	Michael E. Porter Michael E. Porter is the Bishop William Lawrence University Professor at Harvard Business School . A leading authority on competitive strategy and the competitiveness of nations and regions, Professor Porter's work is recognized in governments, corporations, non-profits, and academic circles across the globe. His ideas on strategy have become the foundation for the required strategy course at the Harvard Business School , and his work is taught in virtually every business school in the world. Professor Porter's core field is competition and strategy, and this remains a primary focus of his research. His ideas have also re-defined thinking about competitiveness, economic development, economically distressed areas, and the role of corporations in society. Professor Porter is the author of 17 books and numerous articles, and is a six-time winner of the McKinsey Award for the best Harvard Business Review article of the year, most recently for “Strategy and Society: The Link Between Competitive Advantage and Corporate Social Responsibility”. Professor Porter has recently devoted considerable attention to understanding and addressing the problems in health care evident in the United States and abroad. His book, Redefining Health Care (with Professor Elizabeth Teisberg), develops a new framework for understanding how to transform the value delivered by the health care system, with practical recommendations for providers, health plans, employers, and government, among other actors. The book received the American College of Healthcare Executives 2007 James A. Hamilton book of the year award.
	Governor Mark Sanford Mark Sanford was elected as South Carolina 's 115 th governor in 2002 and re-elected in 2006, becoming only the third two-term governor in state history. Prior to being elected governor, Sanford served in the U.S. Congress for six years before voluntarily stepping down to honor a personal commitment to limit his time in office. In Congress, Sanford was an advocate for the taxpayer – ranking No. 1 in the U.S. Congress in 1995, 1996 and 1997 by Citizens Against Government Waste for his efforts to limit government growth. As governor, Sanford has pursued an agenda of competitiveness. First and foremost, he has been unrelenting in his efforts to limit the growth of government. His administration became the first in state history to submit full operational budgets to the Legislature. In 2003, South Carolina was in an almost $1 billion financial hole in addition to a $155 million unconstitutional deficit. After years of engaging in a tug-of-war with the Legislature over the issue of spending, the Sanford administration has begun to see signs of progress – the 2007 budget process started in the black for the first time in 16 years. Sanford has also succeeded in cutting taxes. In 2005, largely as a result of his administration's work, the South Carolina Legislature passed the first-ever cut in marginal tax rates for businesses. And in 2007 Sanford 's advocacy resulted in the largest recurring tax cut in state history – totaling $221 million per year.
	Carl Schramm Carl Schramm has been President and Chief Executive Officer of the Kauffman Foundation since 2002 and is one of the world’s most recognized thought leaders on fostering and advancing entrepreneurship. The Economist has hailed Schramm as the, “evangelist of entrepreneurship,” and USA Today noted, “On every front, the Kauffman Foundation has worked intelligently to promote and sustain entrepreneurs – in the fields of entrepreneurship education, research, policy, economic development, and access to capital.” Most recently, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez appointed Schramm as Chairperson of the Department of Commerce’s Measuring Innovation in the 21st Century Economic Advisory Committee. Schramm’s recent books, Good Capitalism, Bad Capitalism, with Robert Litan and William Baumol (Yale University Press, 2007) and The Entrepreneurial Imperative (HarperCollins, 2006), are regarded as emerging classics, providing new insight into the American and international economies. An entrepreneur himself, who brings a variety of experiences in business, public policy and academia, Schramm has developed a unique perspective on the financial power of entrepreneurs and how public policies encouraging entrepreneurship can cultivate more dynamic economic growth. Under his leadership, the Kauffman Foundation has developed innovative programs that: expose students to the power of entrepreneurship, open new pathways to move university innovations into the marketplace effectively, create better qualified angel investors as a critical source of seed capital for entrepreneurs, and engage economists of the highest caliber to study impacts of entrepreneurship.
	Mathew J. Slaughter Matthew J. Slaughter is Associate Dean of the MBA Program and Professor of International Economics at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth. He is also currently a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research; a Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations; an academic advisor to the McKinsey Global Institute; and a member of the advisory boards of the International Tax Policy Forum and the Tuck Center for Private Equity. From 2005 to 2007, Professor Slaughter served as a Member on the Council of Economic Advisers in the Executive Office of the President. In this Senate-confirmed position he held the international portfolio, advising the President, the Cabinet, and many others on issues including international trade and investment, currency and energy markets, and the competitiveness of the U.S. economy. In recent years he has also been affiliated with the Federal Reserve Board, the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the National Academy of Sciences, the Institute for International Economics, and the Department of Labor.
	Deborah L. Wince-Smith Deborah L. Wince-Smith is the president of the Council on Competitiveness - a premiere group of CEOs, university presidents and labor leaders committed to driving U.S. competitiveness. Since her appointment as President in 2001, she has spearheaded a national campaign that made innovation a top-tier national policy issue. Deborah is recognized in the global business community as a “go to” person for strategic counsel, as exemplified by her recent appointment to the Board of Directors of the NASDAQ Stock Market. As president of the Council on Competitiveness, Deborah's expertise in technology policy, economic development and global competition is frequently sought after by government, industry and news media. Most recently, she was appointed by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as a member of the Oversight Board of the Internal Revenue Service. She is also a member of the U.S. Department of State's Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy.
	Beth Williams Beth Williams is the CEO, president and owner of Roxbury Technology Corporation an eco-friendly, full service remanufacturer and distributor of recycled toner and ink cartridges. Roxbury Technology is a company committed to providing sustainable printing solutions that are good for the environment and your company’s bottom line. Beth graduated from Brown University in 1986 and started working for her father’s business Freedom Electronics upon graduation. After 3 years she then went on to work for Raytheon as a sub-contract administrator and then became Raytheon’s minority business liaison officer for its Missile systems division. In 1994 Beth accepted a position at Blue Cross and Blue Shield as a purchasing manager before rising to the role of director of Business Diversity for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts. In late 2002, after her father Archie Williams, founder of Roxbury Technology Corp died suddenly, Beth left Blue Cross & Blue Shield to succeed her father as President and CEO of Roxbury Technology Corporation.