Dr. Nido Qubein  President High Point University Dr. Nido Qubein came to the United States as a teenager with little knowledge of English, no contacts and only $50 in his pocket. His life has been an amazing success story. As an educator, he is president of High Point University, an undergraduate and graduate institution with 4,500 students from over 51 countries and 44 states. He has written numerous books and scores of audio and video learning programs distributed worldwide. His foundation provides scholarships to 48 deserving young people each year. To-date the Qubein Foundation has granted more than 700 scholarships, worth over six million dollars. As a business leader, he is chairman of Great Harvest Bread Company with 220 stores in 43 states and past president of the Big South Athletic Conference. Read more of his bio here.

Preliminary Special Session > 2012 Political Outlook (9:30 a.m.) Ronald Brownstein National Affairs Columnist Los Angeles Times  Mr. Brownstein writes a weekly column every Wednesday on politics and policy for the newspaper's Opinion pages. Regularly, he is called upon to be an analyst for CNN. Mr. Brownstein has been named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize twice before in regards for his political coverage of the 1996 and 2004 presidential campaigns. Mr. Brownstein is also the author or editor of five books. Read more of his bio here. Distinguished Award Ceremony Support this year's Distinguished Public Service Award recipient Representative Howard Coble and Distinguished Citizenship Award recipient James Maynard! Distinguished Public Service Award Corning Award for Distinguished Citizenship    Congressman Howard Coble NC-6th U.S. Congress James Maynard Chairman and CEO Investors Management Company Chairman, Golden Corral Corporation Silver Sponsors: Bank of America Duke Medicine Ernst & Young, LLP Franklin Baking Company, LLC KDI Capital Partners Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP Lord Corporation Mechanics and Farmers Bank Medical Mutual Insurance Company of North Carolina Nexsen Pruet, PLLC O'Brien/Atkins Associates, P.A. Piedmont Natural Gas Company PSNC Energy Smith, Anderson, Blount, Dorsett, Mitchell & Jernigan, L.L.P. Vidant Health Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice, PLLC   Bronze Sponsors: Broyhill Investments, Inc. Capstone Bank Caterpillar, Inc. Cormetech, Inc. Food Lion Inc. General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products Gregory Poole Equipment Company International Paper John & Betty Allison McKim & Creed, Inc. NC Association of Defense Attorneys North Carolina Railroad Company Rex UNC Healthcare TE Connectivity The Budd Group Volvo Group of Companies Wyrick Robbins Yates & Ponton, LLP Special hotel rates available!

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