NAA Education Conference Speakers
George W. Bush
43rd President of the United States
Thursday, June 24
George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, was sworn into office on January 20, 2001, re-elected on November 2, 2004, and sworn in for a second term on January 20, 2005. Before his Presidency, he served for six years as Governor of the State of Texas.
President Bush was born July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, to Barbara and George H.W. Bush – later the 41st President of the United States. In 1948 the family moved to Texas, where President Bush grew up in Midland and Houston. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Yale University in 1968, and then served as a pilot in the Texas Air National Guard. President Bush received a Master of Administration degree from Harvard Business School in 1975. Following graduation, he moved back to Midland and began a career in the energy business. After working on his father’s successful 1988 Presidential campaign, President Bush led a group of partners that purchased the Texas Rangers baseball franchise in 1989.
On November 8, 1994, George W. Bush was elected the 46th Governor of Texas. He became the first governor in Texas history to be elected to consecutive 4-year terms when he was re-elected on November 3, 1998. In Austin, he earned a reputation for his bipartisan governing approach and his compassionate conservative philosophy, which was based on limited government, personal responsibility, strong families and local control.
As President, George W. Bush worked to expand freedom, opportunity and security at home and abroad. His first initiative as President was the No Child Left Behind Act, a bipartisan measure that raised standards in schools, insisted on accountability in return for federal dollars and led to measurable gains in achievement—especially among minority students. Faced with a recession when he took office, President Bush cut taxes for every federal income taxpayer, which helped lead to an unprecedented 52 straight months of job creation. And President Bush modernized Medicare by adding a prescription drug benefit that provided access to needed medicine for 40 million seniors and other beneficiaries.
President Bush also implemented free trade agreements with more than a dozen nations; empowered America’s armies of compassion by creating USA Freedom Corps and the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, promoted a culture of life, improved air quality and made America’s energy supply more secure, designated more ocean area habitats for environmental protection than any predecessor, transformed the military and early doubled government support for veterans, pioneered a new model of partnership in development that tied American foreign aid to reform and good governance, launched a global HIV/AIDS initiative that has spared millions of lives, expanded the NATO alliance; forged a historic new partnership with India, and appointed Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The most significant event of President Bush’s tenure came on September 11, 2001, when terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people on American soil. President Bush responded with a comprehensive strategy to protect the American people. He led the most dramatic reorganization of the federal government since the beginning of the Cold War, reforming the intelligence community and establishing new institutions like the Department of Homeland Security. He built global coalitions to remove violent regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq that threatened America—liberating more than 50 million people from tyranny. Recognizing that freedom and hope are the best alternative to the extremist ideology of the terrorists, he provided unprecedented American support for young democracies and dissidents in the Middle East, Eastern Europe and elsewhere. In the more than seven years following September 11, 2001, the United States was not attacked again.
Kevin Nealon
Emmy-nominated Actor and Comedian
Friday, June 25
Kevin Nealon—best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live—has set himself apart from other comedic performers with his unique sense of humor, dry wit, and likeable demeanor. As one of the longest-running cast members on the show (1986-1995), Kevin has created some of the most memorable characters, such as “The Subliminal Man” and “Hans and Franz.” His reoccurring role as an anchor on “Weekend Update” made the sketch a show staple.
He is a familiar figure on other television programs including guest appearances on Monk, Fat Actress, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Still Standing. More recently, Kevin has received critical acclaim for his role in the Golden Globe-nominated Showtime series Weeds. His first one-hour stand-up special called, Kevin Nealon: Now Hear Me Out! aired on Showtime to rave reviews. And last year he hosted TBS’ Funniest Commercials of the Year for the fourth time. The special highlighted the most outrageous commercials from around the world and is a continued success for the network.
His talents also extend to writing comedy. In 1988, Kevin was nominated for an Emmy Award as part of the SNL writing team. And his book, entitled, Yes, You’re Pregnant But What About Me?, a comical look at the male perspective of pregnancy, was released in May of 2008.
Kevin was last seen on the big screen in Aliens in the Attic opposite Tim Meadows and Ashley Tisdale. His other film credits include Remarkable Power with Tom Arnold, Anger Management opposite Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler, Joe Dirt with David Spade, Daddy Day Care with Eddie Murphy, Good Boy with Molly Shannon, Roxanne with Steve Martin, and the cult hit, Grandma’s Boy with Jonah and Nick Swardson. He has also starred with Adam Sandler in You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Eight Crazy Nights, The Wedding Singer, and Happy Gilmore.
Bruce Kimbrell
Program Facilitator for Disney Institute
Saturday, June 26
Disney Institute: Experience the Business Behind the Magic
Bruce Kimbrell’s Disney career began as Skipper on the world-famous Jungle Cruise at Disneyland® Park. After completing some 15,000 trips, Bruce decided it was time to disembark and further his opportunities by entering the Disneyland® Resort Management Training Program. That decision proved to be the jumping-off point for a career filled with adventure. Bruce’s leadership roles at Disneyland® have seen him serving his Cast and Guests in Food & Beverage, Merchantainment, Training & Development, Human Resources, Marketing, Guest Services, and the Resort Stage Manager Program. In these areas, Bruce served as both a front-line leader and leader of leaders where most recently he was the Operations Manager for Resort Transportation & Parking.
Bruce is the author of Walt Disney & You, an in-house training program designed to re-connect current Disney Cast Members with the ideals and founding principles of Walt Disney. The primary video used in this presentation won the U.S. Corporate Recognition Award for The Walt Disney Company in 2004. The program has been presented worldwide. Bruce also is an accomplished pianist and private pilot.
A Disney Cast Member for 27 years, Bruce attended Brigham Young University, where he majored in Public Relations/ Communications.
William C. Taylor
Co-founder and Founding Editor of Fast Company
Saturday, June 26
William C. Taylor is an agenda-setting writer, speaker, and entrepreneur who has shaped the global conversation about the best ways to compete, innovate, and succeed. The arrival of his new book, Mavericks at Work, promises to once again change how companies and their leaders navigate a fast-moving world and devise strategies that win in the marketplace. Mavericks is an inspiring and effective collection of next practices that amounts to a business plan for the 21st century.
Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win is the result of in-depth access to 32 of the world's most creative and disruptive competitors-organizations that are thriving in the marketplace by rethinking the logic of how business gets done. Just weeks after its release, it became a New York Times bestseller, a Wall Street Journal bestseller and a BusinessWeek bestseller, and has attracted worldwide attention and acclaim.
Mavericks at Work may be Bill's most recent project, but it's just the latest chapter in a career devoted to challenging conventional wisdom and showcasing the power of business at its best. As a cofounder and founding editor of Fast Company, he launched a magazine that won countless awards, earned a passionate following among executives and entrepreneurs around the world and became a legendary business success. In less than six years, an enterprise that took shape in some borrowed office space in Harvard Square sold for $340 million.
Fast Company, which recently celebrated its tenth anniversary, has won just about every award there is to win in the magazine world, from "Startup of the Year" to "Magazine of the Year" to two coveted National Magazine Awards. In 2004, in recognition of Fast Company's impact on business, Bill was named "Champion of Workplace Learning and Performance" by the American Society of Training and Development. Past winners of the award include Jack Welch of GE and Fred Smith of FedEx.
Read Bill Taylor's article, 
The 10 Questions Every Change Agent Must Answer, from June 2009.