Keynote Speakers

Sterling Schoen Awards Luncheon – Saturday, May 30, 2009

Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell

Ben Nighthorse Campbell was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Colorado in 1987 and subsequently served in the U.S. Senate from 1992–2004. Throughout his career, he has fought to reduce spending in order to balance the federal budget and lower tax rates across the board. He has worked steadily to decrease crime, improve education, and support veterans’ issues. He is one of a handful of American Indians who has served in the U. S. Senate, and is one of the 44 Chiefs of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe. Campbell’s efforts off the political range are varied. He was the U.S. Judo Champion 1961-1963, and All-American 1964. Also in 1964, he was captain of the U.S. Olympic judo team and placed fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. He is a renowned jewelry designer, rancher, and trainer of champion quarter horses.

Peter C. Thorp Leadership Awards Luncheon – Sunday, May 31, 2009

The Honorable Alexis M. Herman

Born in Mobile, Alabama, Alexis Herman began her career working for Catholic Charities helping young out-of-school men and women find work in the Pascagoula, Mississippi shipyard. At the age of twenty-nine, President Jimmy Carter’s appointment made her the youngest director of the Women's Bureau in the history of the Labor Department.  And on May 1, 1997, Alexis M. Herman was sworn in as America’s 23rd Secretary of Labor and the first African American ever to lead the United States Department of Labor.  She also served as a valued member of the National Economic Council. Currently, Ms. Herman serves as chair and chief executive officer of New Ventures, LLC.  She has continued to lend her expertise and talent to a vast array of corporate enterprises and nonprofit organizations. 

Gala Dinner – Sunday, May 31, 2009

Keynote Speaker – To Be Named

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