Welcome to Fiore Forum Speakers


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Dickie Arbiter

Former press secretary to Queen Elizabeth II, Arbiter is a broadcaster and journalist with over 35 year’s experience covering royalty, heads of state, and other globally recognized personalities. Having had unprecedented access to so many notable figures of our time, he now brings his personal insights into the public forum as a multi-media royal commentator and international lecturer.

Holly Atkinson

A physician and award-winning medical journalist, Atkinson is editor-in-chief of HealthNews. She is also an Assistant Professor of Public Health, and President of Physicians for Human Rights. She has devoted her life to the health and well-being of the American public. In informative, humorous and inspiring presentations, she empowers participants to ask hard questions and demand responsible answers.

Rick Atkinsonn

Historian, journalist, author, and a former editor at the Washington Post, Atkinson’s primary interest is the U.S. Military. His best selling book, An Army at Dawn, won the Pulitzer Prize for History. His next book due for release in the fall of 2007, The Day of Battle: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943-1944 will be the second in an epic trilogy on WWII.

Donald L. Barlett

With co-author, James Steele, this acclaimed journalism team is considered the best in the history of investigative reporting and are multiple Pulitzer winners. As a Vanity Fair editor, formerly with TIME magazine, Barlett’s specialty is researching, analyzing and writing about issues and institutions that profoundly affect Americans. Their latest book, Critical Condition: How Health Care in America Became Big Business & Bad Medicine is a must read.

Regina Barreca

Hailed as "smart and funny" by People magazine, Barreca is a humorist and professor of English at UConn. She was appointed as an advisor to the Library of Congress for her work on humor and the American character. She is the celebrated author of the best-selling They Used to Call Me Snow White but I Drifted and editor of The Penguin Book of Women’s Humor. Her lectures are as poignant as they are funny.

Dave Barry

Dave Barry is a Pulitzer Prize-winning syndicated columnist, author, and humorist. His work has appeared in more than 500 newspapers in the United States and abroad and has written a total of 25 books. Although he claims, "...virtually none of them contain useful information", two were used as the basis for the CBS TV sitcom, Dave’s World. Lecture audiences know why so many of us can’t start our day without reading today’s Dave Barry column.

Daniel Benjamin

Currently a Senior Fellow of the CSIS International Security Program, Benjamin is a former National Security Council Member in the Clinton White House. He was a Wall $treet Journal correspondent and TIME magazine foreign correspondent and has written for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and New York Review of Books and is co-author of The Sacred Age of Terror and The Next Attack.

Lonise Bias

Youth, family and community advocate as well as the mother of two sons lost to drugs and violence, Bias has turned her personal loss into a mission to help others. She tours the country addressing the issues of drugs, alcohol, family, hope, and love. She is one of the most visible and successful warriors in the fight against substance abuse and inspires through example.

Jeffrey Birnbaum

Award-winning author and columnist for The Washington Post, he is the former chief of Fortune magazine’s Washington bureau, a former senior political correspondent for TIME magazine and Wall $treet Journal writer. He is an economic and political analyst for Fox News, a regular panelist on Washington Week and an expert on the intersection of business and politics.

Lori Borgman

Family humor columnist syndicated in 325 newspapers in the US and Canada, she is the author of several books including, I Was a Better Mother Before I Had Kids and All Stressed Up and No Place To Go. Borgman’s writing has been featured on Live! With Regis and Kelly, Paul Harvey News and Comment and has appeared in Reader’s Digest and Woman’s Day.

Joan Borysenko

World-renowned spokesperson for alternative and integrated approaches to health, Borysenko is an author, clinician, TV commentator, and former Director of Mind-Body clinical programs for Harvard Medical School. Her vision is to bring science, medicine, psychology and spirituality together in the service of healing. Her brilliance as a scientist, clinician and teacher has placed her on the leading edge of the mind-body revolution.

H.W. Brands

An award-winning historian and professor of history at the University of Texas, author of twenty books including T.R. (Teddy Roosevelt), The Reckless Decade: America in the 1890s, Andrew Jackson, The Age of Gold, The Strange Death of American Liberalism, and The First American. Brands vividly brings to life some of the most delightful, original, and important figures in American history.

David Broder

Pulitzer Prize-winning political correspondent for The Washington Post, syndicated in over 200 newspapers, rated "Hardest Working", "Least Ideological" and "Best Reporter", Broder has been called the high priest and unchallenged dean of political journalism. He is a regular on Meet the Press and Washington Week in Review. He has authored many books including The System: The American Way of Politics at the Breaking Point.

Jane Brody

The New York Times’ personal health columnist, author of seven books including Secrets of Good Health, You Can Fight Cancer and Win, Jane Brody’s Nutrition Book, Jane Brody’s The New York Times Guide to Personal Health and Jane Brody’s Cold and Flu Fighter. Brody is sought after as a speaker and has appeared on hundreds of radio and TV shows.

Jane Bryant Quinn

The nation’s leading commentator on personal finance with books and columns read by millions, her long career has established her as America’s most trusted voice on smart money management. Jane writes for Newsweek, and Good Housekeeping, and appears regularly on Good Morning America, and Nightline. She is the author of Smart and Simple Financial Strategies for Busy People.

Todd Buchholz

Witty, iconoclastic and engaging, Buchholz is an award-winning economics teacher at Harvard, political and global economics trend forecaster, and a former director of economic policy at the White House. He is the author of Bringing The Jobs Home and Market Shock and a frequent commentator on ABC News, PBS’ Nightly Business Report, and CBS, and recently hosted his own special on CNBC.

Ken Burns

The wonder boy of modern documentary film making and riveting PBS specials, Burns has built an award-winning career as America’s finest film interpreter of historical material. Among his most notable productions were his documentary miniseries The Civil War (1990), Baseball (1994), and JAZZ (2001). He is perhaps the most influential documentary maker of all time.

Joseph Califano

Former Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, Califano has extensive experience in the fields of healthcare delivery and cost containment. He is the founding chairman of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. He is a frequent lecturer about America’s healthcare system and is the author of numerous books including America’s Health Care Revolution: Who Lives? Who Dies? Who Pays?

The Capitol Step

A troupe of current and former Congressional staffers-turned-comedians, they travel the U.S. satirizing the very people who once employed them. The Steps monitor events and personalities on Capitol Hill, in the Oval Office, and in other centers of power around the world and perform a topical show of political humor and song that is a fresh as today’s headlines.

Frank Cappiello

An expert on the national economy and a recognized authority on investments, Cappiello is a financial analyst, and teacher. He is the author of four books, one of which, Finding The Next Superstock, went through eight printings. He has been the former commentator for PBS’ Wall $treet Week and a frequent guest on Good Morning, America as well as CNN’s Money Line, and CNBC.

Mary Higgins Clark

America’s top best-selling suspense novelist called the "Queen of Suspense," Higgins Clark is the author of 26 novels of suspense, three collections of short stories, and co-author of two Christmas novellas with her daughter Carol. Two of her novels were made into feature films, Where Are the Children? and A Stranger Is Watching. Many of her other works were made into television films.

Eleanor Clift

A contributing editor for Newsweek, Clift writes about the personalities and issues that drive the national agenda. She is currently assigned to follow the policy and politics of the U.S. Congress, and the emerging contenders for the 2008 presidential nomination. Clift is a regular panelist on The McLaughlin Group, a political analyst for the Fox News Network, and author of Founding Sisters, the true story of the American Suffrage movement.

Steve Coll

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author and former managing editor of The Washington Post, Coll spent years in New Delhi, India, as the paper’s South Asia correspondent covering India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal. His recent focus is on the geopolitics of the greater Middle East. His latest book, Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, From the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001.

Gail Collins

While writing a new book on the history of U.S. women, political columnist Collins was making history herself as the first woman at the helm of The New York Times editorial board. She has written three books, The Millennium Book, Scorpion Tongues: Gossip, Celebrity, and American Politics, and America’s Women: Four Hundred Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines.

Kathleen Cooper

Dean of the College of Business at University of North Texas, former Under Secretary for Economic Affairs at the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Dr. Cooper is one of our nations leading economists. She is a dynamic speaker who provides audiences with the business know-how and executive-branch experience to explain the effects of energy prices, trade, currency, globalization, and other factors on policy and world economy.

Donna Woolfolk Cross

English language expert, gifted speaker and teacher, Cross is the author of the best-selling historical novel, Pope Joan, about a ninth-century woman disguised as a man, sat on the Papal Throne for 2 years. The legend of Joan was the subject of an ABC Primetime special, and will soon be made into a feature film.

Sean Curran

Gifted dancer, choreographer, artistic director, and teacher at NYU’s Tish School of the Arts, Curran is an original member of the NYC cast of STOMP and founder of the Sean Curran Dance Company. Sean made his mark on the international stage as a principal dancer with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, and received a NY Dance and Performance Bessie Award. His talent and humor win over audiences wherever he goes.

Harm de Blij

America’s premier geographer, professor, NBC News’ Geography Analyst, de Blij introduces audiences to geography through insightful examination of the many geographic forces currently at work in shaping the complex features of the world’s civilizations and environments. He has written more than 20 books including Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America: Climate Change, The Rise of China, and Global Terrorism. He makes the notion of geographic literacy exciting and essential for every audience who witnesses his passion and unparalleled expertise.

Frank Deford

Hall of Fame sports journalist with Sports Illustrated and author of 12 books, Deford is an Emmy Award-winning commentator for ESPN and National Public Radio. He was voted Sports Writer of the Year six times and is a regular correspondent on the HBO show, RealSports with Bryant Gumbel, an eloquent and gifted speaker. He also served as the chairman of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and is now chairman emeritus.

E.J. Dionne

Noted syndicated columnist for The Washington Post, Dionne is also a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution, a political analyst for Meet the Press and CNN, and the author of Stand Up Fight Back: Republican Toughs, Democratic Wimps, and The Politics of Revenge. He is among the best of America’s new columnists combining his passions for people and politics with his keen intellect to deliver reasoned analysis.

Rose Earhart

A principal dancer with the Chicago City Ballet, a teacher of music, drama and dance, an actress, author, Earhart is also an historian and lecturer on Early American History. She is one of the foremost experts on the Salem Witch Trials and life in late 1600 Salem, MA.

Linda Ellerbee

An outspoken journalist, award-winning television producer, Ellerbee is the best-selling author of And So it Goes: Adventures in Television, an amusing and candid look at the realities of the profession. Currently, the host and producer of Nick News on Nickelodeon, which is syndicated in 92 percent of the United States, she is also a breast cancer survivor, mother, and one of the most sought-after speakers in America.

Jane Elmes-Crahall

An award-winning professor of communication studies, forensics, and debate, Crahall’s expertise in political communication has been used in producing and moderating dozens of political debates. She is a scholar with over 40 publications and convention presentations to her credit. An active lecturer, she writes expert analysis on political and media spin for USA Today and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Elliot Engel

Professor of English and American Literature, author, playwright, and actor, Engel is a brilliant speaker specializing in the lives and literature of the English language’s greatest writers from Chaucer to Dickens, the Bronte’s to Twain, Shakespeare to Poe. His depth of scholarship and anecdotal approach are unequaled on the lecture platform.

Peter Falk

Emmy Award-winning American actor, star of stage, film and television, Falk is best known for his role in the long-running TV series Columbo. He also excels as a successful artist—preferring charcoal, pencil or crayon. He is currently writing his autobiography.

J. Rufus Fears

A 21-time award-winner for outstanding teaching, Fears is an historian and classical scholar who brilliantly tells freedom’s dramatic story from ancient Greece to today. He is a fellow of many distinguished organizations, including the Woodrow Wilson Foundation, and the Guggenheim Foundations. He is the author of four books, including The Cult of Virtues and Roman Imperial Ideology.

Niall Ferguson

Former professor of financial, international, American and British imperial history at Harvard and Oxford, Ferguson is a frequent commentator on contemporary issues writing for the Sunday Telegraph, The LA Times and TIME magazine which named him one of the world’s hundred most influential people. His new book, War of the World: History’s Age of Hatred, looks unflinchingly at the 20th century.

Carol Firenze

Educator and seasoned lecturer, Firenze is the author of The Passionate Olive—101 Things to do with Olive Oil. No plant has enjoyed the mysticism or magic of the olive tree dating back to the dawn of civilization from Hippocrates to Cleopatra to Sophia Loren. Carol helps us all share in their secrets and to understand the significance of this intriguing topic.

James Alan Fox

Dean of Northeastern University’s School of Criminal Justice, Fox is arguably the nation’s foremost criminologist. He is author of sixteen books, including his latest two, The Will to Kill: Making Sense of Senseless Murder and Extreme Killing: Understanding Serial and Mass Murder. He a regular on national television and radio programs including the Today Show, Meet the Press, Dateline, 20/20, and Oprah.

The God Squad

The Clerical Dream Team, Monsignor Hartman and Rabbi Gellman are the first clergymen to be hired by a national network since Bishop Fulton J. Sheen in the 1950’s. They are religion consultants for Good Morning America and are known for their animated HBO special, How Do You Spell God. They are the award-winning authors of Where Does God Live?

Ellen Goodman

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, former Professor in Professional Journalism, Goodman is an American original whose abundant talents—intellect, wit, courage and news judgment—set her apart. She is a rare writer and thinker who senses emerging shifts in our public and private lives and sees their universal truths. She is syndicated in more than 375 newspapers, second only to George Will.

Ken Gormley

Professor of Law, expert on Constitutional Law, the 1st Amendment and the Presidency, Gormley is the author of Archibald Cox: Conscience of a Nation, an authorized biography of one of the leading lawyers of modern times. Gormley has written features and opinion pieces for newspapers across the nation, testified twice before the U.S. Senate and appears regularly as a legal commentator.

Joy Hakim

Renowned history educator, Hakim is the author of young-readers books including A History of Us, which was made into the PBS series, Freedom: A History of Us. Hakim’s latest books, The Story of Science, have met with high praise.

John Edward Hasse

Curator of American Music at the Smithsonian Institution, Hasse is the founding executive director of the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks. He is an educator, music historian, pianist, and award-winning author and record producer and author of Beyond Category: The Life and Genius of Duke Ellington. His varied lecture/performances on the history of music have won praise from audiences across the country.

Peter Howard’s Broadway

Legendary Broadway performer, composer, music director and dance arranger, Howard’s credits include such hits such as My Fair Lady, The Sound Of Music, Carnival, Hello, Dolly, 1776, Chicago, Annie, Baby, and Crazy For You and whose film credits include: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1776, Mame, and Annie. He delights audiences with his one-man show throughout the U.S.

Walter Isaacson

President of the Aspen Institute, Isaacson is the former chairman of CNN and managing editor of TIME magazine. He is the author of KISSINGER: A Biography and the coauthor of THE WISE MEN: Six Friends and the World They Made, and a superb new biography, Benjamin Franklin: An American Life. His next book will be a biography of Albert Einstein.

Lorna Kelly

Born and raised in the U.K., Ms. Kelly moved to America in the 1960’s and joined Sotheby’s where she specialized in Japanese art. In 1976 she became the first woman art auctioneer in America. In 1981 Ms. Kelly was inspired to travel to Calcutta to work with Mother Teresa, eventually returning to NYC and auctioneering. She is author of The Camel Knows the Way, her spiritual autobiography.

Geoffrey Kemp

Middle East policy expert and Director Of Regional Strategic Programs at The Nixon Center for Peace and Freedom, Kemp is the former Special Assistant to President Reagan for National Security Affairs and former member of the National Security Council. He has authored or co-authored several books including, America and Iran: Road Maps and Realism, and The Superpowers In A Multinuclear World. He is a regular commentator on Middle East.

David Kennedy

A professor of American History, Kennedy’s scholarship is notable for its integration of economic and cultural analysis with social and political history. He is he author of World War I, Over Here: The First World War And American Society and won the Pulitzer Prize for Freedom from Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945.

Morton Kondracke

A journalist for more than 40 years, Kondracke has covered nearly every phase of American politics and foreign policy in every news medium; newspapers, magazines, television, and radio. He is the former Washington bureau chief of Newsweek and is currently Executive Editor for Roll Call, Washington’s independent newspaper, and is a regular commentator for the Fox News Channel and co-host of The Beltway Boys.

Stephen Kotkin

Professor of European and Asian history, Director of the Russian Studies Program who also serves on the Editorial Board of Princeton University Press, Kotkin is the author, co-author and editor of nine books, including Armageddon Averted, and Political Corruption in Transition: A Handbook. His essays appear in The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and Financial Times.

David M. Lampton

Dean of Faculty, Professor and Director of China Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), founding director of China Studies at The Nixon Center in Washington, former president of the National Committee on United States-China Relations NYC, he is the author of numerous books including Same Bed, Different Dreams: Managing U.S.-China Relations.

Loretta Laroche

Renowned expert in the field of stress management through humor, Laroche is the star of six Emmy Award-winning specials on PBS including The Joy of Stress, Humor Your Stress, How Serious is This, Relax! You Only Live Once, Get a Life, and Life is Short! Wear Your Party Pants. She is an adjunct faculty member at The Mind/Body Medical Institute of Boston and is a best-selling author. Her performances are unforgettable for their joy and hilarity.

Philip Leonard

Lecturer at the National Gallery of Art, Leonard is the most frequently requested art lecturer with the internationally acclaimed Smithsonian Resident Associates Program where he has presented individual lectures and art history surveys. Especially popular with general audiences, he provides lively and informative presentations on The English Country Houses, the History and Architecture of London, Impressionism, The Art of the Czars.

Jay Lesenger

Acclaimed opera, musical stage and artistic director, Lesenger has spread his dramatic vision across the country and the globe with renditions of classic and modern opera and musical theatre. He is a nationally recognized teacher of acting for singers and is known for his quick wit and passion for the arts and arts education.

Jack Levin

Professor of Sociology and Criminology and Director of Brudnick Center on Conflict and Violence at Boston’s Northeastern University, Levin is a frequent guest on the Today Show, Dateline, Oprah, 20/20, Good Morning America and all network newscasts. He is an author and/or co-author of 24 books including Hate Crimes: The Rising Tide of Bigotry and Bloodshed, and The Will to Kill: Making Sense of Senseless Murder.

Mara Liasson

National political correspondent for NPR, Liasson’s reports are heard regularly on NPR’s award-winning newsmagazine All Things Considered and Morning Edition. She provides extensive coverage of politics and policy from Washington, D.C. focusing on the White House and Congress and also reports on political trends beyond the Beltway. Each election year, Liasson provides key coverage of the candidates and issues.

Keith Lockhart

In February 1995 Lockhart was named twentieth conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra. He has conducted more than 600 concerts and made 50 television shows, including 31 new programs for PBS’s Evening at Pops, the annual Pops Goes The Fourth! produced in Boston and shown nationally on A&E, and Holiday at Pops, also broadcast on A&E.

Dean Malissa

With his impressive stature and head of thick wavy hair, actor Dean Malissa is a natural as he portrays our first President and Commander in Chief, General George Washington. He has performed as Washington at Mount Vernon, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Constitution Center and in films including Moments in Time—Valley Forge: The Crucible for the Discovery Channel.

Charles C. Mann

A correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly and Science, Mann has covered the intersection of science, technology, and commerce for newspapers and magazines here and abroad, including Forbes, The New York Times and Smithsonian. Mann is the author of 1491, a history of the Americas before Columbus, and co-author of @Large: The Strange Case of the World’s Biggest Internet Invasion.

Michael Medved

Nationally syndicated radio talk show host, Medved is a veteran film critic whose daily program emphasizes the intersection of politics and pop culture reaching more than 2 million listeners in over 180 markets. He is listed by Talkers Magazine as one of their "Heavy Hundred" most important American talk show hosts and author of ten non-fiction books including bestseller, Hollywood Vs. America.

Donald L. Miller

Award winning Professor of History, Miller hosted the series A Biography of America on PBS and has appeared on the American Experience series and The History Channel. In 2005 he co-chaired the Planning Committee for the National D-Day Museum’s International Conference on World War II. He is the author of nine books. His latest book is entitled Masters of the Air.

Andrea Mitchell

Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent for NBC News, Mitchell reports on evolving foreign policy issues in the U.S. and abroad for all NBC News broadcasts including NBC Nightly News, the Today Show, CNBC, and MSNBC. Her book, Talking Back to Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels is a memoir about her experiences covering five presidents, congress and foreign policy was released in 2005.

Rita Moreno

Dancer, singer, and actress, born in Puerto Rico to a family of farmers, she moved to NYC with her mother at age 5 and went on to win an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy, and a Grammy. At age 13, she took her vibrant stage presence to Broadway, and by the next year had made it to Hollywood. Her credits include West Side Story, The King and I, Sesame Street, and Oz, just to name a few. She is as talented at the dais as she is on stage and screen.

David Nasaw

A leader and teacher in the field of American cultural history, David Nasaw, “...with the mind of an academician and the heart of an investigative reporter,” is the award-winning author of The Chief: Life and Times of William Randolph Hearst and his latest biography, Andrew Carnegie. Nasaw brilliantly plumbs the core of these fascinating men, deftly placing their lives and influence in cultural and political context.

Christiane Northrup, MD

A pioneer in the field of women’s health and wellness as a physician and former assistant clinical professor of OB/GYN at Maine Medical Center, Northrup helps empower women to tune in to their inner-wisdom to transform their health and lives. Her latest book, Mother-Daughter Wisdom: Creating a Legacy of Physical & Emotional Health was nominated for a prestigious Quill Award. She is a audience favorite where ever she speaks.

Deborah Norville

Broadcast journalist, Emmy Award-winner and mother of three, Norville currently anchors the syndicated show Inside Edition. She previously worked as a correspondent for Street Stories 48 Hours and co-anchor for America Tonight and the Today Show. She is the author of Back on Track: How to Straighten Out Your Life When it Throws You a Curve plus two children’s books.

Jerrold M. Post, MD

Forensic psychologist, professor of psychiatry, political psychology, and international affairs, Post is published widely on crisis leadership, and on the psychology of political violence and terrorism. He author of 7 books including The Mind Of The Terrorist and Leaders and Their Followers in a Dangerous World. He is the former director of the CIA’s Center for the Analysis of Personality and Political Behavior.

Luis Prieto-Portar

Former Assistant Chief Engineer of New York and New Jersey’s Port Authority, Prieto-Portar participated in every phase of construction of the World Trade Center. He is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering who holds a number of U.S. patents on housing systems of the future. His talk on the birth and death of the Towers is inspirational, and informative.

Gale Riley

Nurse Gale, as patients and audiences alike aff