And, what is learned is not necessarily all business-related. At this year’s gathering March 2-6, for instance, attendees got the opportunity to hear from former President Gerald Ford, former Baltimore Orioles shortstop and third baseman Cal Ripken Jr., and U.S. Olympic winner in the men’s skeleton, Jimmy Shea.
With a war looming on the horizon, politics was not out of the picture, either. At the opening breakfast, former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik gave a chilling account of that fateful day, Sept. 11, 2001. While Kerik advocated that Americans should not forget what happened, another speaker, Dr. John Stoessinger — who is currently Distinguished Professor of International Affairs at the University of San Diego and a survivor of the Holocaust — hinted that war did not have to occur, turning to his recollections of the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962. Senator Fred Thompson also shared his thoughts on politics at the closing session.