2011 Governmental Affairs Conference -- Speakers

SPEAKERS

The 2011 GAC will feature four general sessions with keynote speakers, as well as a variety of breakout sessions. Additional speakers will be announced as they are confirmed.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

CHESLEY B. "SULLY" SULLENBERGER, III
Former pilot, US Airways

Chesley B. "Sully" Sullenberger, III is the heroic pilot who masterfully landed US Airways Flight 1549 on the Hudson River and saved the lives of 155 people. Captain of what has been dubbed the “Miracle on the Hudson,” Sully is an aviation safety expert and accident investigator who also serves as the founder and chief executive officer of Safety Reliability Methods, a consulting company dedicated to management, safety, performance and reliability consulting. He is also a New York Times best-selling author and was named one of the 2009 world's 100 most influential people by TIME magazine.

MARK HALPERIN
Editor-at-large and senior political analyst, TIME

As editor-at-large and senior political analyst for TIME, Mark Halperin covers politics, elections and government for the magazine and TIME.com. He is also the creator and author of TIME.com’s “The Page,” a news and analysis tip sheet that gathers and edits the latest political stories, campaign ads, and more, along with his own analysis. Mark is also senior political analyst for MSNBC, and appears regularly on the network’s Morning Joe and other programs. He is co-author of the New York Times #1 best-seller Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, Palin and McCain, and the Race of a Lifetime.

JOHN HEILEMANN
National political correspondent and columnist, New York magazine

John Heilemann is a national political correspondent and columnist for New York magazine, and writes The Power Grid column, as well as longer features. Along with Mark Halperin, he is co-author of the New York Times #1 best-seller Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, Palin and McCain, and the Race of a Lifetime. John is an award-winning journalist and for nearly two decades has covered politics, business and their intersection in America and abroad. He frequently appears as a commentator on The Chris Matthews Show, Morning Joe, Hardball and Charlie Rose, as well as CNN and NPR.

ARIANNA HUFFINGTON
Co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post

Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally- syndicated columnist and author of 13 books. She is also co-host of Left, Right and Center, public radio’s popular political roundtable program. Arianna has been named to the Time 100, TIME magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people, as one of the most influential women in media by Forbes magazine, and to the Financial Times’ list of 50 people who shaped the decade. She has made guest appearances on numerous television shows, and currently hosts Both Sides Now, a nationally-syndicated radio program, with Mary Matalin.

MARY MATALIN
Republican strategist and political contributor, CNN

Mary Matalin is a celebrated conservative voice and political contributor for CNN. She formerly served as assistant to President George W. Bush and counselor to Vice President Dick Cheney, and was the first White House official to hold that double title. Mary has hosted many television and radio shows, including the nationally- syndicated radio program Both Sides Now, with Arianna Huffington. She has also made frequent television appearances as a political commentator, and has written for various periodicals including Newsweek and The Los Angeles Times.