Challenge and Opportunity for Rural America

As CoBank’s president and chief executive officer, Bob Engel is responsible for implementing the bank’s strategic and business direction as set by the Board of Directors. Previously, he served as CoBank’s president and chief operating officer for six years. Mr. Engel is a member of CoBank’s Senior Leadership Team and the Management Executive Committee.

Prior to joining CoBank in 2000, Mr. Engel was chief banking officer at HSBC Bank USA in New York. He has 24 years of banking experience, primarily with HSBC Bank USA, and eight years of accounting experience, including an agribusiness specialization, with the firms of KPMG and Deloitte & Touche. During his 14-year tenure at HSBC, he served in a variety of management and credit positions, including chief credit officer, before being named chief banking officer.

Mr. Engel earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Niagara University in Niagara Falls, New York, where he was designated Magna Cum Laude and later received an honorary doctorate. He is a member of the board of directors for the Federal Farm Credit Banks Funding Corporation (Vice Chairman) and Farm Credit Leasing (Chairman). Mr. Engel is also a member of the Farm Credit System Presidents Planning Committee (Chairman). In addition, he serves on the board of trustees for Regis University, the board of directors of New Ventures in Higher Education, Inc., the Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership, Mile High United Way, Buffalo Sabres Alumni Association and as trustee emeritus at Niagara University. He also serves on the Executive Council of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives. He is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

Liberal Bob Beckel and conservative Cal Thomas co-author the “Common Ground” column in USA Today. Mr. Beckel and Mr. Thomas use their differences to find and explore opportunities for agreement and compromise within the nation’s often fractious political discourse. Mr. Beckel and Mr. Thomas also have co-authored the book Common Ground: How to Stop the Partisan War That is Destroying America.

Mr. Beckel’s liberal pedigree is as good as it gets. He began his career in politics working for Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 campaign. He later served as a deputy assistant secretary of state for the Carter Administration and worked as campaign manager for Walter Mondale. Today, he is a graduate professor of politics at George Washington University.

A veteran of both broadcast and print journalism, Mr. Thomas is one of the nation’s leading conservative voices. His columns are syndicated in more than 600 newspapers nationwide, and he is a regular guest on the Fox News Channel. He also has worked for NBC, CNBC and PBS. Mr. Thomas has authored 10 books, including Blinded by Might: Can the Religious Right Save America? and Liberals for Lunch.

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As the former head of training for Walt Disney Company, Doug Lipp takes audiences behind the scenes of the Magic Kingdom and provides insight into the iconic company’s secrets to success. Mr. Lipp spent more than 25 years with Disney, where he was head of the world-famous Disney University. He also was a member of the start-up team for Tokyo Disneyland, Disney’s first international theme park.

After leaving Disney, Mr. Lipp co-founded the Intercultural Relations Institute, a consulting firm that focuses on helping international teams overcome cross-cultural barriers to form more effective business partnerships. He is the author of numerous articles and seven books on leadership, customer service and international business, including The Changing Face of Today’s Customer: How to Attract and Retain a Diverse Customer and Employee Base.

Mr. Lipp earned a bachelor’s degree in Japanese and recreation from California State University-Long Beach and a master’s degree in international business communication from California State University-Sacramento.

Jim Morris was a 35-year-old teacher and high school baseball coach when he made a promise to his team: Win the district championship and he’d try out for a Major League Baseball team. They did, so he did. At his try-out he threw 12 straight 98-mph fastballs, impressing a Tampa Bay Devil Rays scout and winning a professional contract. Three months later, he made his MLB debut.

Mr. Morris pitched in only 20 big league baseball games, but he turned his improbable story into the book, The Oldest Rookie. Eventually, his book became the popular Disney movie, The Rookie, starring Dennis Quaid. Mr. Morris now serves as a motivational speaker.

Economist Marci Rossell has a unique ability to take complex financial issues and make them relevant to people’s lives, families and careers.

Ms. Rossell is best known for the time she spent in broadcast television as as chief economist for CNBC. She has also served as a corporate economist and investment spokesperson for Oppenheimer Funds, one of the nation’s largest mutual fund companies. She began her career as an economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Ms. Rossell earned a Ph.D. in economics from Southern Methodist University, where she was also named Young Alumni of the Year in 2002.