President Bush headlines Summit

America’s 43rd president to speak at Legatus’ 25th annual Summit . . .

Legatus Founder Thomas S. Monaghan (left) and Peggy Hartshorn (right) present George W. Bush with Legatus’ Cardinal John J. O’Connor Pro-Life Award

President George W. Bush will headline a stellar lineup of speakers at Legatus’ 25th anniversary Summit from Feb. 2-4, 2012, at the Ritz-Carleton Beach Resort in Naples.

The 43rd U.S. President’s appearance will mark the third time he has addressed Legatus members in person. The first occurred in the first year of his presidency. He  spoke at the first annual Legatus Pro-Life Conference in Washington, D.C., on May 23, 2001. After leaving office, he addressed Legatus’ annual Summit in Dana Point, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2010. Following his remarks, Legatus founder Thomas S. Monaghan presented the President with the Cardinal John J. O’Connor Pro-Life Award.

Legates will also hear from Cardinal Raymond Burke, prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura; U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.); Dr. William A. Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights; Dr. Carolyn Woo, the new president of Catholic Relief Services; and J. David Karam, president of Wendy’s International, Inc., the parent company of Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers.

Legatus is an international membership organization of Catholic presidents and CEOs founded in Ann Arbor Michigan in 1987 by Thomas S. Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza and Ave Maria University. Monaghan got the idea for Legatus after graduating from the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO) in 1987.  Mere hours after meeting with Pope John Paul II for the first time on May 7, 1987, Monaghan was inspired to found a “YPO for Catholics.” Legatus moved its headquarters to Naples in 2005, and subsequently to Ave Maria, Fla., two years later. Legatus has more than 2,000 CEO members in 75 chapters in the United States, Canada and Ireland.

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