FROM THE SPEAKERS BUREAU:

In January of 2009, Michael Steele was elected the first Black Chairman of the Republican National Convention. A self-described Lincoln Republican, he became the first African-American elected to statewide office in Maryland in 2003 as Lt. Governor. His experience as a successful elected conservative Republican African-American and his engaging speaking style have launched Steele into national prominence.

An expert on political strategy, fund-raising, PACs, and election reform, Michael Steele has served on the National Federal Election Reform Commission and the NAACP Blue Ribbon Commission on Election Reform. As a senior advisor to GROWpac, he advised House Republican Conference Chairman J.C. Watts (R-OK) on strategic and political issues.

Michael Steele was raised in Washington, DC. He spent three years as a seminarian in the Order of St. Augustine in preparation for the priesthood, but, ultimately, chose a career in law instead. He earned his law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. From 1991 to 1997, Michael Steele was a corporate securities attorney at the international law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in Washington, DC, specializing in sophisticated financial transactions on behalf of Wall Street underwriters. He also was a corporate counsel for the Mills Corporation and founded The Steele Group, a business and legal consulting firm.