Barry McCaffrey served in the United States Army for 32 years and retired as a four-star General. At retirement he was the most highly decorated serving General, having been awarded three Purple Heart medals for wounds received in his four combat tours – as well as twice awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest award for valor. For five years after leaving the military, Barry McCaffrey served as the nation’s Cabinet Officer in charge of U.S. Drug Policy.

A former special assistant to President Obama, Ambassador Dennis Ross is a scholar on the Middle East. He played a key role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, working as point man in both the George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. Ambassador Ross is now counselor at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He’s written many books on the peace process, most recently Myths, Illusions, and Peace: Finding a New Direction for America in the Middle East.

LT. General Russel L. Honoré, US Army (Ret), was widely hailed by the media as the "Category 5 General" who led Task Force Katrina in the aftermath of the devastating hurricanes that struck the Gulf Coast in the summer of 2005. General Honoré is currently a Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization, where he is working on developing questions to determine levels of preparedness, and a CNN Preparedness Contributor. His latest book, Leadership in the New Normal is now available.

Kay Bailey Hutchison has been one of the top five ranking Republicans in the Senate, serving on the Appropriations Committee, Veterans Affairs, Science and Transportation, Defense, and Water and Energy Committees. She was the first woman elected to represent the state of Texas and she has been named one of the top thirty most powerful women in America. In January 2013, after finishing her third full term, Kay Bailey Hutchison retired from the U.S. Senate.

Henry William Brands is one of a handful of presidential historians who were invited to dine with President Obama. He is the Dickson Allen Anderson Centennial Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin. He writes on American history and politics, with books including Traitor to His Class, Andrew Jackson, The Age of Gold, The First American, and TR. Several of his books have been bestsellers; two, Traitor to His Class and The First American, were finalists for the Pulitzer Prize.

In the aftermath of the 1993 kidnap and murder of his tweleve-year-old daughter Polly, Marc Klaas gave up his lucrative rental car franchise to pursue an aggressive child safety agenda. Through federal and state legislative efforts Marc Klaas promotes prevention programs for at-risk youth, stronger sentencing for violent criminals and governmental accountability and responsibility. Klaas has also been instrumental in the development of child safety measures like the state of the art high tech Amber Alert and most recently, a SmartPhone app missing child alert system.

Joe Arpaio is the self-described “Toughest Sheriff in America” and he has overseen law enforcement in Maricopa County, Arizona for 20 years. Outspoken and controversial, he’s a lightning rod over illegal immigration enforcement. For several years, “Sheriff Joe” has lead crime sweeps in the Phoenix area. Critics say they’re aimed at Latinos; Arpaio insists he’s enforcing the law. The Obama Justice Department disagrees and has been engaged in a legal battle with the sheriff. Love him or hate him, Arpaio is never dull.

Paul H. O’Neill was the 72nd Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, serving from 2001-2002. The uncommonly outspoken business leader was appointed Secretary of the U.S. Treasury, then forced out in short order after challenging President Bush’s tax cuts. Prior to politics, O’Neill was chairman and CEO of Alcoa from 1987 to 1999 and President of International Paper Company from 1985 to 1987.