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One of America's most celebrated Hispanic entrepreneurs takes us behind the scenes of the White House Fellows program, revealing its priceless lessons-and featuring leadership wisdom from more than 200 former Fellows, ranging from Colin Powell to Doris Kearns Goodwin.

"A genuinely free society cannot be a spectator society. Freedom, in its deepest sense, requires participation-full, zestful, knowledgeable participation."-PRESIDENT LYNDON B. JOHNSON, announcing the creation of the White House Fellows program in 1964

"In this excellent book, Charlie Garcia provides readers with splendid examples of what it takes to make a difference in our turbulent world. ... Nothing in my career was more important than my year as a White House Fellow."-TOM JOHNSON, FORMER CEO, CNN; FORMER PUBLISHER, LOS ANGELES TIMES

For nearly 45 years, the nonpartisan White House Fellows program has granted a handful of young Americans the opportunity to spend a year serving as special assistants to the President, Vice President, cabinet secretaries, senior White House staff and other top-ranking government officials. Usually at an early or mid-career stage in their professional careers, the applicants number in the thousands-but fewer than twenty are chosen. Afterward, the experience often serves as a catalyst to remarkable careers marked by extraordinarily high levels of achievement in their professions, and in life. Now, one of the nation's top entrepreneurs (and a White House Fellow himself) showcases the powerful Fellows insights in LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS by Charles P. Garcia (McGraw-Hill; May 2009).

Reflecting on their first-hand experience in watching and working with senior leaders of our country this extraordinary group of our nation's next generation of leaders revealed their greatest lessons in a series of exclusive interviews with Garcia. Representing five generations of, White House Fellows, they also shared captivating stories from every presidential administration since the inception of the program, from Lyndon B. Johnson to George W. Bush. Garcia weaves these recollections with insightful quotations from the fellows, drawing together the common threads of insights about leadership at the highest levels. With life-changing advice for readers from all walks of life, at any stage of their career, and in any field, LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS is a unique "short course," featuring:

• Advice that crosses all sectors, including the military, government jobs, the media and academia

• Winning tips for inspiring reluctant team members, building trust, weathering change, and guiding others through challenging times

• Finding focus-on the mission, and on people-while living a balanced life, accepting that there is more to life than work

• The importance of fostering passion, persistence and urgency as a leadership skill

• Great communicators speaking out on asking tough questions and how to become a great listener while sharpening ones persuasive skills

• When to take risks, compromise and stand firm

• Breakthrough strategies that can easily be translated into convincing investors to fund a great new idea; encouraging employees to thrive in tough times; inspiring students to love learning; negotiating resolutions that benefit all sides

• Former Fellows who offer their candid observations include Robert Haas, CEO of Levi Strauss; Colin Powell, former U.S. Secretary of State; Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN medical correspondent; Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning author; Wesley Clark, U.S. Army general; Robert Joss, Stanford Business School dean; Deanell Reece Tacha, former chief judge, 10th U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals; Marshall Carter, former chairman of the New York Stock Exchange; Alexander Friedman, CFO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; and dozens more

• Everything a professional needs to know about applying for the White House Fellows program

From their biggest mistakes to their greatest triumphs, Garcia has gleaned a wealth of knowledge from these outstanding leaders in all walks of our society, producing a one-of-a-kind primer that sparks ingenuity and inspiration on every page. Published just in time for graduation, LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS is in a class by itself.
Outstanding Honors for Charles P. Garcia are as follows:

• Hispanic magazine's Entrepreneur of the Year Award
• Named one of Hispanic Business magazine's 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the U.S.
• Univision television selected Garcia for their series "Orgullo Hispano" (Hispanic Pride), which spotlights Hispanics who have made "an exceptional impact on the culture and life of American society"
• "Outstanding Business Leader" award by Northwood University, who also named Garcia Palm Beach County's #1 Entrepreneur
• Presidential appointment to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans
• Former Florida Governor, Jeb Bush, appointed Garcia to a four year term on the Florida Board of Education, a newly formed entity, and the first of its kind in the nation charged with the responsibility of executing revolutionary changes to Florida's K-20 educational system
• Receiving the Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez Public Service and Integrity Award for his leadership promoting diversity and championing rights for all persons, especially Latinos
• Graduated from Columbia Law School, where an article Garcia wrote for the Columbia Law Review, was selected as a "must read" in three legal categories by the National Law Journal
• Following the Anthrax bio-terrorism attacks on the United States, Garcia was called upon by the national news media to provide insights into the war on terror. His national call-to-action to form a "Global Defense Initiative" to fight biological warfare was sought by CNN/Crossfire, FOX News, CBS, CNN, Telemundo, Univision and CNN en Español, where he made frequent appearances discussing "insightful solutions" to the challenges faced by the nation
• In 1987, Garcia became one of the nation's leading experts on Fidel Castro's efforts to destabilize Latin America. His work in this field resulted in research that was approved at the highest levels in the States Department and "declassified" excerpts were published in May 1987 as a cover story by U.S. News and World Report magazine titled "Drugs, Terror and Politics: The Deadly New Alliance"
• Receiving the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the third-highest award bestowed upon members of the armed forces by the Department of Defense, for his counterinsurgency training of Latin American militaries and his analysis on sensitive geopolitical matters
• Graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy, achieving the rank of Deputy Wing Commander, the 4th highest-ranking officer over 4,400 cadets. Garcia's peers elected him to serve as the Chairman of the Cadet Honor Committee and he was awarded the "Class of 1983 Honor and Ethics Trophy," an honor bestowed to the graduating senior who "most personified the ideals of personal integrity." Currently serving his third term as the Chairman of the 15 member Board of Visitors of the U.S. Air Force Academy, appointed by the President

LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS: Learn How to Inspire Others, Achieve Greatness, and Find Success in any Organization by Charles P. Garcia; McGraw-Hill; May 2009; Cloth; $24.95; ISBN: 10: 0-07-159848-0; 13: 978-0-07-159848-4.

Charles P. García leads an investment banking group focused on the Global Hispanic Market, in the media, healthcare, real estate, energy, food and beverage, consumer products and project finance sectors in the U.S. and Latin America. In 2006, vFinance Investments purchased Sterling Financial Group of Companies, which Charles founded in 1997. At one point, his investment-banking firm had more than 60 offices in seven countries. In August of 2002, it was named by Inc. magazine as the # 8 fastest growing privately held company in the country and he was named Entrepreneur of the Year by three national organizations.

In 2006, Garcia was named to the Board of Directors of Winn Dixie Stores, a Fortune 500 company that is one of the nation's largest food retailers operating over 525 stores in the southeast. He serves as a financial expert on the Audit Committee, and on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Aetna, a Fortune 100 company, named him Chairman of an Advisory Council reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer - the first time in Aetna's history an external board of this type has been formed. In 2005, President Bush appointed him to the U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors which oversees all operations at the military academy.

In 2006, the 15-member board, which includes four U.S. Senators and four members of the U.S. House of Representatives, elected him the Chairman of the Board. Since 2003, he has served on the Diversity Senior Advisory Panel for the Intelligence Community. In October 2007 he was named Chairman of the Enlace Florida Board, a Kellogg funded statewide network promoting college readiness for Hispanic students. In February 2002, President Bush appointed him to the Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans, chairing the Communications Committee. In 2001, then Florida Governor Jeb Bush appointed him to two terms on the seven member State Board of Education, responsible for an annual budget of $15 billion.

Hispanic Business magazine recognized Mr. Garcia as one of the "100 most influential Hispanics in the United States" and he received the Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez Public Service and Integrity Award for his leadership championing rights for all persons, especially Latinos. He is profiled in three recent books: Think and Grow Rich: A Latino Choice; Building the Latino Future; and Hispanics in the USA: Making History where he was chosen as one of the 14 Hispanic role models for the nation.

In October 2003, Mr. Garcia authored his first leadership book, A Message from Garcia that was ranked # 6 on the Wall Street Journal Best Seller list and was favorably reviewed by the New York Times. Mr. Garcia graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree from the U.S. Air Force Academy achieving the rank of Deputy Wing Commander. A distinguished graduate of the skydiving program and the Army Reconnaissance Commando School, his peers elected him to serve as the Chairman of the Cadet Wing Honor Committee and he was awarded the "Class of 1983 Honor and Ethics Trophy."

In 1987, Garcia received a Masters degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and in 1994 a law degree from Columbia Law School, where he published an article in the Columbia Law Review that was cited extensively by the Florida Supreme Court in a landmark Fourth Amendment case.

He lives in Boca Raton, Florida with his wife Cristina, and their four children.

Suggested Interview Topics to Discuss with Charles P. Garcia, author of LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS

1. What inspired you to write this book?

2. Why are you donating 100% of your author royalties to the White House Fellows Foundation?

3. What makes LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS a timely book? How can the Fellows help readers in these uncertain times?

4. How did you go about producing the list of more than 200 top leaders (all former Fellows) featured in the book? How did you find time in your busy schedule to conduct so many exclusive interviews?

5. Whose anecdotes were the most memorable or the most surprising to you?

6. In the book, you describe your own journey to becoming a White House Fellow. When you first saw the notice, you did not apply. What did it take for you to gain the confidence to apply?

7. How has your experience as a Fellow served you in all aspects of your life?

8. What makes the message in LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS different from that of other books on leadership?

9. What do you mean when you say that leaders understand that every battle is not the end of the war? How does this analogy extend well beyond the military?

10. What advice do you have for young men and women who are thinking about applying to the White House Fellows program? What might they expect from their experience in the new administration?

11. You have won numerous awards and recently sold your highly successful company. What are your current leadership goals? What is your next challenge?

12. What do you want readers to take with them after reading LEADERSHIP LESSONS OF THE WHITE HOUSE FELLOWS?