MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT served as the 64th secretary of state of the United States, which at the time made her the highest-ranking woman and the first female in that position in the history of the U.S. government. From 1993 to 1997, Albright served as the U.S. permanent representative to the United Nations and was a member of the president's Cabinet. Previously, she was a member of President Jimmy Carter's National Security Council and White House staff and served as chief legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Edmund S. Muskie. For her many years of service, Albright received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, from President Obama. Today, Albright is a professor in the practice of diplomacy at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, chair of Albright Stonebridge Group (a global strategy firm), and chair of Albright Capital Management LLC. She chairs both the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs and the Pew Global Attitudes Project and serves on the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Policy Board. Albright is the author of five New York Times bestsellers: her autobiography, Madam Secretary: A Memoir; The Mighty and the Almighty: Reflections on America, God, and World Affairs; Memo to the President: How We Can Restore America's Reputation and Leadership; Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box; and Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948. A book signing will follow her Forum. Photo Credit: Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.
