Gen. Colin L. Powell (Ret.) will present the keynote address at the 42nd Annual National Truck Equipment Association (NTEA) Convention held in conjunction with The Work Truck Show 2006. He will make his speech during the President’s Breakfast and NTEA Annual Meeting on the morning of Thursday, March 2, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, GA.

Powell became the 65th secretary of state in January 2001. It was the culmination of a career in public service. He had previously served as a key aide to the secretary of defense and as national security advisor to President Ronald Reagan. He spent 35 years in the U.S. Army, rising to the rank of four-star general and serving as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 to 1993.

During that time, he oversaw 28 crises, including the Panama intervention of 1989 and Operation Desert Storm. Following the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001, Powell assisted President George W. Bush with the war on terrorism. Powell stressed that this war is a combined military and diplomatic effort.

He led the State Department in major campaigns to solve regional and civil conflicts around the globe, including the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans, Cyprus, Haiti, and Northern Ireland.

Powell was born and raised in New York City. He attended New York City public schools and earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from the City College of New York. While in college, he participated in ROTC. Upon graduation in 1958, he received an Army commission as a second lieutenant. He later earned a master of business administration degree from George Washington University.

Powell has received numerous military awards and decorations, including the Defense Distinguished Service Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Distinguished Service Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit (with Oak Leaf Cluster), Soldier’s Medal, Bronze Star Medal and the Purple Heart.

His civilian awards include two Presidential Medals of Freedom, the President’s Citizens Medal, the Congressional Gold Medal and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal.

The President’s Breakfast and NTEA Annual Meeting at which Powell will speak is open to all show attendees by ticket only. A ticket to the meeting also is included in the Complete Event Package, which also covers admission to all three days of the show, all educational conference sessions and the opening reception.

The Work Truck Show runs March 1 to 3, 2006, with the convention, including approximately 40 educational sessions, starting Feb. 28.

For more information, call 800/441-6832 or visit www.ntea.com.

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