Remarks by:
James Stuart Gilmore, III, 68th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia:
Jim Gilmore is the son of supermarket meat cutter. His mother was a church secretary. After high school, he became the first in his family to attend college and was accepted at the University of Virginia where he elected to study in the field of foreign policy. Upon graduation, Jim Gilmore volunteered for the U.S. Army and won honors after completing training at the Army Intelligence School and Defense Language Institute. He was then assigned to the 650th Military Intelligence Group. Serving in Germany during the Vietnam War and fluent in German, Jim Gilmore played an important role in counter-intelligence work safeguarding the security of American bases in Europe. In a career encompassing important roles as an attorney, army intelligence specialist, prosecutor and state attorney general, he rose to become the 68th Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. As Governor, Mr. Gilmore hired 4000 new teachers to reduce class sizes, reduced college tuition, implemented stronger educational standards, and for the first time ensured all lottery profits went directly to education. Gilmore’s successes laid the basis for additional roles in the service of others. Congress chose him to chair a national commission charged with making recommendations on methods to prevent and respond to terrorist attacks inside the United States. The Gilmore Commission warned in 1999 and in 2000 that America was facing a possible terrorist attack inside our borders. After 9/11 Congress adopted 146 of the Gilmore Commission’s 164 recommendations. He also chaired a Congressional Commission to study Internet Commerce and guided that group to a recommendation that the Internet remain free of taxation. Today, Jim Gilmore is a recognized authority on homeland security. He has worked tirelessly across the country adopting best practices to formulate a National Blueprint for homeland security that community leaders can use to protect their cities without trampling civil freedoms. He is also a former chairman of the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a former chairman of the Republican National Committee. At the Gala, Mr. Gilmore will discuss the impact of American Revolution and how it influenced the American character as we move forward as a country in the 21st Century.
Dr. Eugene W. Hickok, Former Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department Of Education:
A former professor of political science and law, Mr. Hickok began his education service on the local school board. In 1995, then Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge named Gene the state’s Secretary of Education. He held that post for six years and earned a national reputation as a reformer, embracing charter schools, school choice, higher standards for students and teachers, expansive use of technology, and competition. In 2001, Gene joined the George W. Bush Administration as Under Secretary of Education. He became Deputy Secretary in 2003. Gene feels educational entrepreneurship holds the key to improving America’s schools and keeping America competitive globally. He currently serves as a senior policy director at Dutko Worldwide.
Master of Ceremonies:
Tim O’Brien:
Mr. O’Brien, an attorney and award-winning journalist, covered the U.S. Supreme Court for more than two decades. His unique perspective and anecdotes about the Court are both entertaining and illuminating. Mr. O’Brien’s reporting has received the highest accolades of both the legal and journalism professions. The National Academy of Arts and Sciences awarded Mr. O’Brien an Emmy for his contributions to CNN’s coverage of the September 11th terrorism attacks. Active in the Washington legal community, Mr. O’Brien is a member of the District of Columbia Bar and the Bar of the Supreme Court of the U.S.
Special Guest:
Bruce Andrews, Vice President of Governmental Affairs, Ford Motor Company:
Mr. Andrews joined Ford Motor Company in March, 2007. He leads a team of Ford employees responsible for public policy, Federal relations, and state government affairs. He was formerly with Quinn Gillespie & Associates, one of the leading lobbying firms in Washington. Prior to joining Quinn Gillespie, Bruce served as an attorney in the Public Policy and Telecommunications Groups at Arnold & Porter working on a variety of legislative and public policy matters. He spent seven years on Capitol Hill, including three years as Legislative Director for U.S. Representative Tim Holden (D-PA). Ford Motor Company Fund is a proud sponsor of the Institute’s “We the People” IMAX film.
Information about the Being An American Video:
At the Being an American Awards Dinner on April 3rd, the Institute will be announcing the national launch of the Being an American Essay Contest. In conjunction with the national rollout of our Essay Contest in September 2008, the Institute is proud to unveil the campaign video of Americans from all walks of life discussing what being an American means to them. This year’s video includes: NBA Man of the Year and Washington Wizards Forward Antawn Jamison, Brigadier General Jack Nicholson (ret.), FoxNews and NPR commentator Juan Williams, John Huling of the National Symphony Orchestra, New York Times Best Selling Author Jason Wright, and others.
www.BeingAnAmerican.org