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William J. Bennett is one of America’s most important, influential and respected voices on cultural, political, and education issues. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Bill Bennett studied philosophy at Williams College (B.A.) and the University of Texas (Ph.D.) and earned a law degree (J.D.) from Harvard. He is the Washington Fellow of the Claremont Institute. He is a Senior Advisor to Project Lead The Way, one of the nation’s leading providers of training and curriculum to improve STEM education in American schools; he is on the advisory board of Udacity, Inc., Viridis Learning, Inc. and the board of directors of Vocefy, Inc. and Webtab, Inc. He is also the Chief Education Advisor to Beanstalk Innovation, an international education company.

Over the course of his professional life, in education, government and the private sector, Dr. Bennett has succeeded in a trifecta of American institutions. He is an award-winning professor in academia, having taught at Boston University, the University of Texas and Harvard; he is a three-time confirmed executive in the Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush administrations including holding two cabinet-level positions, Secretary of Education under Ronald Reagan and the Nation’s first Drug Czar under the first President Bush; he is the author of more than 24 books, including two New York Times Number One best sellers and two of the most successful books of the 1990s; and he is the host of the number seven ranked nationally syndicated radio show, Morning in America.

In his various roles, Dr. Bennett is perceived—even by his adversaries—as a man of strong, reasoned convictions who speaks candidly, eloquently, and honestly about some of the most important issues of our time.

Dr. Bennett’s latest book is entitled, Is College Worth It? His three volume set of the history of the United States entitled America: The Last Best Hope, has been widely praised. The volumes have been adopted for school use in the State of Indiana and the City of New York, and are currently being adopted by other school systems around the country and digitalized for distribution. As a communicator, Dr. Bennett has received rare acclaim. In 2002 he was named by focus groups and leading analysts the “Best Communicator of 2002,” and the most well-received public commentator on the issues of “pride, patriotism, faith, and moral conviction.” In April of 2005, the Sunday New York Times named Dr. Bennett the “leading spokesman of the Traditional Values wing of the Republican Party.” Although he is a well-known Republican, Dr. Bennett often has crossed party lines in order to pursue important common purposes. He has worked closely with Democratic leaders such as Senator Joseph Lieberman to fight the decline of popular culture and to end worldwide religious persecution.

Thanks to his government positions, his writings and speeches, and thousands of media appearances, William Bennett has extraordinary influence on America’s political and social landscape. In many surveys and publications he has been named one of the most influential individuals in America. He is the recipient of more than 30 honorary degrees.

Dr. Bennett and his wife, Elayne, reside in North Carolina and are the parents of two sons.

Donald Hense is Founder and Chairman of the Board of Friendship Public Charter Schools in Washington, DC. Friendship is the largest chartered public school in the nation serving more than 4,000 students on six campuses. Additionally, Friendship manages one DC Public School (DCPS) and four schools in Baltimore, in partnership with Baltimore City Public School System.

Mr. Hense is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia. He attended graduate school at Stanford University and completed all requirements for the Ph.D. except the dissertation. He was a Rockefeller Intern in Economics at Cornell University; a Merrill Scholar to the University of Ghana; a Ford Foun dation Fellow at Stanford and a Lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley. Mr. Hense has served as Vice President of the National Urban League; Director of Development of the Children’s Defense Fund; Director of Governmental Relations at Howard University, Boston University and Dartmouth College. He is former Vice President of Prairie View A & M University of the Texas A & M System. He is co-founder of the Bridges to Friendship Initiative which provided the early impetus for the revitalization of the Navy Yard and was recognized by Vice President Gore as a model community initiative.

Mr. Hense was in the 2011 class of inductees in the National Charter School Hall of Fame. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World and recently received a distinct honor of serving as the 2012 Convocation speaker at Morehouse College.

Dr. Howard Fuller’s career includes many years in both public service positions and the field of education. Dr. Fuller is a Distinguished Professor of Education, and Founder/Director of the Institute for the Transformation of Learning at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The mission of the Institute is to support exemplary education options that transform learning for children, while empowering families, particularly low-income families, to choose the best options for their children.

Immediately before his appointment at Marquette University, Dr. Fuller served as the Superintendent of Milwaukee Public Schools June 1991 – June 1995. Dr. Fuller became nationally known for his unending support for fundamental educational reform.

His prior positions included: Director of the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services 1988 -1991; Dean of General Education at the Milwaukee Area Technical College 1986 – 1988; Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Employment Relations 1983 – 1986; and Associate Director of the Educational Opportunity Program at Marquette University 1979 – 1983. He was also A Senior Fellow with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University 1995 – 1997.

Dr. Fuller received his B.S. degree in Sociology from Carroll College in Waukesha, Wisconsin, in 1962; M.S.A. degree in Social Administration from Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1964, and his Ph.D. in Sociological Foundations of Education from Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1986.

He has received numerous awards and recognition over the years, including four Honorary Doctorate Degrees: Doctorate of Humane Letters from Carroll College in 1987; Doctorate of Laws from Marian College, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin in 1992; Doctorate of Business and Economics from Milwaukee School of Engineering in 1995. Doctorate of Humane Letters from Edgewood College, Edgewood College, Madison WI.

He is the Chair of the Board of: The Black Alliance for Educational Options and Milwaukee Collegiate Academy. He also serves on the Board of Milwaukee Region Board of Teach for America, Milwaukee Charter School Advocates. He also is a member of the Board of Trustees of his Alma Mater, Carroll University. He is an Advisory Board member of the Big Picture Company and the National Association for Charter School Authorizers.

T. Willard Fair is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Urban League of Greater Miami, Inc. A powerful voice in the effort to improve his community, he has worked for the Urban League since September, 1963.

Fair is academically and professionally prepared, having attended local elementary and high schools in his native home of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He received a B.A. degree in Sociology, graduating Cum Laude, in the top 10% of his class, from Johnson C. Smith University in 1961. He received a M.S.W. degree from Atlanta School of Social Work in 1963. Fair has served as an adjunct professor at the Atlanta University School of Social Work, Bethune Cookman College, Florida International University, and the National Urban League’s Whitney M. Young, Jr. Center for Urban Leadership. Fair’s published works include articles in the Miami Herald, Miami Magazine, and Tropic Magazine. He has been a host of both radio and television programs. As an analyst on some of the pressing issues of the day, he has been interviewed by 60 Minutes, Tom Brokaw Show, Ebony Magazine, and National Geographic. Fair was selected “Icon of the Month” by Florida Trend Magazine, the magazine of Florida business, September 2006.

Fair has met with four different Presidents of the United States, relative to Issues of Concern to Black Americans. He was appointed by former Secretary of State, Colin Powell, to the United State’s Advisory Committee on Cultural Affairs, where his responsibilities included visiting American embassies in Egypt, Oman and the United Kingdom to promote cultural diplomacy. He served on the United States People to People Ambassadors Program and traveled to Cuba to discuss issues related to child welfare and education.

In 2010, he was appointed by President Barak Obama to the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships-Miami Regional Selection Panel, reappointed in 2011. Fair’s 200, plus, service and recognition awards include: Family Christian Association of America (FCAA) Presidential Excalibur Award; The Greater Miami Region of the National Conference of Christians and Jews Community Service Award, 1995; Phillip Morris Companies, Inc. Community Service Award, 1992; The National Network for Social Work Managers, Inc., 1989 Award; Exemplar Award for Exemplary Leadership as a Change Agent, Coalition Builder, Creative Activist Award; and the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Leadership Award. He is also listed in “Who’s Who Among Black Americans.” ; State of Florida’s Outstanding Citizen Award; National Council for Community and Educational Partnerships (NCCED), State of Florida 2003; Whitney M. Young, Jr. National Urban League :Living Legend Award 2007, Bethany Seventh-day Adventist Church Outstanding Service Award; Johnson C. Smith University Distinguished Alumnus Award, May 2007; Florida’s Champion for Children Award, Office of Independent Education and Parental Choice, Florida Department of Education; 2011 National State Boards of Education (NASBE) Distinguished Service Award to Public Education; Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Social Justice and Human Rights Award, April 2011. Fair is co-founder with former Florida State Governor Jeb Bush, of the Liberty City Charter School; the first charter school organized in the State of Florida.

Kevin P. Chavous is a founding board member and executive counsel for the American Federation for Children and the Alliance for School Choice, a noted author, and national education reform leader. As a former member of the Council of the District of Columbia and Chair of the Council’s Education Committee, Mr. Chavous was at the forefront of promoting change within the District public school system. His efforts led to more than $500 million new dollars being made available to educate children in D.C.

A leading national advocate for educational choice, Mr. Chavous helped to shepherd the charter school movement into the nation’s capital. Under his education committee chairmanship, the D.C. charter school movement became the most prolific charter school jurisdiction in the country, with now nearly half of D.C.’s public school children attending charter schools. In addition, Mr. Chavous assisted in shaping the District’s three-sector education partnership with the federal government. That partnership led to $60 million in annual federal dollars for D.C.’s public schools, public charter schools, and the first federal scholarship program which has provided access to private schools for nearly 6,000 children from low-income families since inception.

In recent years, Mr. Chavous has worked to advance charter school and parental choice programs in a host of jurisdictions around the country, most notably in Louisiana and Tennessee. A prolific writer and much sought after speaker, Mr. Chavous’ opinion editorials have appeared in many major newspapers and he has given education reform speeches in nearly every state.

Mr. Chavous is also an accomplished author, having published Serving Our Children: Charter Schools and the Reform of American Public Education, and his most recent book, Voices of Determination: Children that Defy the Odds. Mr. Chavous is involved with many education reform groups and is the Board Chair for Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) and former Board Chair for the Black Alliance for Educational Options (BAEO).

Mr. Chavous was born and raised in Indianapolis, Indiana and graduated from Wabash College, where he was an NCAA All-American in basketball. He also graduated from the Howard University School of Law, where he was president of his graduating class. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Lisa Graham Keegan is the Principal Partner at the Keegan Company, where she consults, writes, and speaks on critical issues in American education. Keegan’s expertise and outspoken nature have made her a sought after education reform expert who has worked with national education leaders, the media, U.S. Congress, state legislative bodies, business groups, policy organizations, community groups, and the education industry.
From 2004 through 2010, she served as advisor to numerous private companies, non-profit organizations, and briefly as an assistant County Manager in Maricopa County, Arizona. She served as education advisor and spokesperson for the McCain 2008 Campaign for President, and recently co-authored the education chapter for Newt Gingrich’s 2010 bestseller, “To Save America.”

Mrs. Keegan was Chief Executive Officer of the Education Leaders Council (ELC) in Washington, D.C., from 2001 until 2004. Prior to ELC, Mrs. Keegan spent a decade serving as an Arizona state official, where she led that state’s education reform movement. She was the elected state school chief from 1995 to 2001, and from 1991 to 1994 she served as Vice-Chairman and Chairman of the House Education Committee and authored much of Arizona’s education reform legislation in the early 1990s.

Mrs. Keegan’s leadership in Arizona earned her a national reputation as a strong advocate for student-based education policies. In March of 1999, Milton and Rose Friedman personally presented Mrs. Keegan with the first Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation Award for Leadership in Educational Choice. She was honored in the same year by the National Republican Women Leaders Forum as Educator of the Year. In 2000, she was education advisor to the John McCain Campaign for President, and was later interviewed by President-Elect Bush for the job of U.S. Secretary of Education.

Her work has appeared or been cited in such publications as the Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard,Newsweek, Forbes Magazine, Education Week, and Phoenix Magazine. She has also discussed education issues on NPR, The PBS News Hour, Fox News Channel, CNBC, and local stations nationwide. She serves on the boards of The Century Council, Teach for America/Phoenix, Boy Scouts of America/Grand Canyon Council, Arizona Charter Schools Association, and Education Equality Project Action Fund.

Mrs. Keegan graduated from Stanford University in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts in human language. She earned a Master’s Degree in communications disorders from Arizona State University (ASU) in 1983. Keegan lives in Peoria with her husband, Justice of the Peace John Keegan, who served as Mayor of Peoria, Arizona for a decade. They have five children and one grandson.

Eugene Hickok was a professor of political science and law at Dickinson College and the Dickinson School of Law for many years. An award-winning teacher, he has published numerous books and articles on topics related to the Constitution, the presidency, congress and the courts, including Justice vs. Law: Courts and Politics in American Society (with Gary McDowell). In 1995, he was appointed Pennsylvania Secretary of Education by Governor Tom Ridge. The office has broad authority over all of education in the Commonwealth, elementary through graduate. With Governor Ridge, Hickok was able to establish charter schools, tuition tax credits, higher standards for students and teachers, alternative routes to teacher certification and Pennsylvania’s first state-wide education technology initiative, “Link to Learn.” In 2001, Hickok became U.S. under secretary of education in the George W. Bush Administration. With oversight of the budget, policy and implementation of secondary and elementary education, higher education and special education initiatives, Hickok had overall responsibility for the implementation of President Bush highest domestic priority, No Child Left Behind. In 2004, he was appointed U.S. deputy secretary of education. Currently he is Senior Policy Advisor for Whiteboard Advisors in Washington D.C. His commentary has appeared in a number of publications, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Education Week and The Richmond Times Dispatch. His most recent books are Why States? The Challenge of Federalism and Schoolhouse of Cards: An Inside Story of No Child Left Behind and Why America Needs a Real Education Revolution. Hickok resides in the city where grew up, Richmond, Virginia.

Leah Vukmir is serving in her second term in the Wisconsin Senate. Leah previously served four terms in the Wisconsin Assembly. Leah is the Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Health and the Co-Chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules.

Leah has spent her entire career serving the needs of children and families. Her extensive and varied professional activities have focused on children’s health issues as well as issues involving K-12 educational policy and education reform.

Leah is a Registered Nurse and Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner. She received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Marquette University in 1980, and a Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1983 where she specialized in child development and primary care treatment of children. She is a nationally certified pediatric nurse practitioner with over 25 years of nursing and teaching experience at St. Mary’s Medical Center and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Prior to her election to the legislature, Leah served on various gubernatorial committees studying statewide educational policy and worked as a contributing author and research fellow for the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute.

Kevin D. Teasley is president and founder of the Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation, a non-profit educational organization headquartered in Indianapolis. GEO was founded in 1998. Teasley is also co-founder of several charter schools including the Indianapolis-based Fall Creek Academy, Fountain Square Academy, the 21st Century Charter School @ Gary, Gary Middle College, and Pikes Peak Prep in Colorado Springs, CO. GEO Foundation currently manages and supports three charter schools including Pikes Peak Prep, 21st Century Charter School @ Gary and the Gary Middle college.

Teasley is co-founder and former president of the American Education Reform Foundation and Council, and former vice president of the Los Angeles-based Center for the Study of Popular Culture. From 1992-3, Teasley served as executive director of ExCEL, the organization that sponsored California’s Prop. 174 school choice initiative of 1993. He also served as Public Affairs Director of the Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation, as public affairs associate with the Washington, DC-based Heritage Foundation, and the Reagan White House. His columns have been published in numerous newspapers including USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Indianapolis Star, Los Angeles Daily News, Washington Times, Orange County Register, and many others. He is a graduate of Indiana University with a double major in political science and journalism.

A native of Wilmington, Delaware, Bill Manning has practiced law there since 1976 and leads the Wilmington office of Saul Ewing LLP. Bill also serves as Co-Chair of Saul Ewing’s Higher Education Practice Group.

Married to Martha – the first Executive Director of the Delaware Charter Schools Network – for 43 years, they have four children. Both Bill and Martha have been involved in public education reform for nearly 30 years. Bill led Delaware’s second largest school district, promoting changes that put families, rather than bureaucrats, in control of school selection. After collaborating with the Carper Administration on Delaware’s charter school enabling legislation in 1995, Bill’s school district authorized Delaware’s first charter school. 17 years later, the Wilmington Charter School is acclaimed as one of the best public high schools in the nation. Bill’s former district chartered four more schools and remains the only local school district in Delaware ever to do so.

Since then, Bill and others in his firm have provided legal counsel to nearly all of Delaware’s charter schools. He serves on the boards of the Delaware Charter Schools Network and one of the State’s leading charters, MOT Charter School. For the past two years, Bill has served on the board of the Community Education Building, Inc., a foundation formed to transform a donated office building in center city Wilmington into a home for high-performing charter schools. Ironically, the building stands on the site of a former public school, and the foundation expects to open the new “Public School No. 5” in 2014 to 2400 charter school students in schools selected to provide a world class education.