The Hargrove Foundation will host its fifth annual gala on Friday, November 22nd, 2019 in Mobile, AL. We are privileged to announce Gen. Colin Powell, USA (Ret.), United States statesman and a retired four-star general in the United States Army, as our keynote speaker for this year’s event. He was the 65th United States Secretary of State, serving under George W. Bush. He was also the first African American appointed as the U.S. Secretary of State, and the first (so far the only) African American to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He served in this position for both President George H.W. Bush and for President Bill Clinton.

“We could not be more honored for Gen. Colin Powell to join us for the 2019 Hargrove Foundation Gala,” says Ralph A. Hargrove, President and CEO of Hargrove Engineers + Constructors. “His years of service to our country are sure to have revealed fascinating insights, and I am pleased to announce his participation in our fifth Gala event.”

The son of Jamaican immigrants, Powell was born in Harlem in April 1937 and was raised in the South Bronx. He was educated in the New York City public schools and attended the City College of New York where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology. He received a commission as an Army second lieutenant upon graduation in 1958 and went on to serve in the United States Army for 35 years, rising to the rank of Four-Star General. From 1987–1989 Powell served as President Ronald Reagan’s National Security Advisor. He served from 1989–1993 as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and was the youngest officer and first ROTC graduate to ever serve in the position. During his time as chairman, he oversaw 28 crises to include the Panama intervention of 1989 and Operation Desert Storm in the victorious 1991 Persian Gulf War.

Gen. Colin Powell is the latest addition to a high-caliber list of The Hargrove Foundation’s recent keynote speakers, including John Stallworth, former American football wide receiver, Gen. Russell Honoré, USA (Ret.), commander of Joint Task Force Katrina, Captain Scott Kelly, retired United States astronaut, and Frank Abagnale, inspiration behind the Steven Spielberg film “Catch Me If You Can”. The Hargrove Foundation is honored to continue to host such renowned individuals in support of causes like the Hargrove Adaptive Toy project, which modifies toy vehicles for children with mobility limitations, helping them gain independence, motor skills, vocabulary, and more.

Mark your calendars early for this truly remarkable event and keep an eye out at hargrovefoundation.org for further details including ticket sales and sponsorships. Tickets will be on sale very soon! You don’t want to miss out!