Top American Leaders

Sheila C. Bair

Former Chairman, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation

Gov. Chris Christie

Governor of New Jersey

Jared Cohen

Director, Google Ideas

Freeman A. Hrabowski III

President, The University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Michael M. Kaiser

President, John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

Nicholas D. Kristof

Columnist, The New York Times

Ahmed Zewail

Nobel Prize Winner and Professor of Chemistry and Physics, California Institute of Technology

David Gergen (Moderator)

Professor of Public Service and Director of the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School; Senior Political Analyst, CNN

Steven Pearlstein (Moderator)

Columnist, The Washington Post

Photo Gallery

Top American Leaders Awards Forum, hosted by Washington Post Live and Harvard's Center for Public Leadership, convened the year's best in their fields. The forum took place at Ford's Theatre on December 5, 2011 and honored, from left, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Former FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair, Google Ideas Director Jared Cohen, President of the University of Maryland Baltimore County Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President of the Kennedy Center Michael M. Kaiser, Columnist for The New York Times Nicholas D. Kristof and Nobel Prize Winner and Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology Ahmed Zewail.
Top American Leaders Awards Forum, hosted by Washington Post Live and Harvard's Center for Public Leadership, convened the year's best in their fields. The forum took place at Ford's Theatre on December 5, 2011 and honored, from left, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Former FDIC Chairwoman Sheila Bair, Google Ideas Director Jared Cohen, President of the University of Maryland Baltimore County Freeman A. Hrabowski, III, President of the Kennedy Center Michael M. Kaiser, Columnist for The New York Times Nicholas D. Kristof and Nobel Prize Winner and Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology Ahmed Zewail.
Freeman A. Hrabowski, III makes brief remarks after being honored as a Top American Leader for 2011. The selection committee consisted of academics and experts in leadership convened by the Harvard Kennedy School's Center for Public Leadership.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie talks with Washington Post Live Editor Mary Jordan, left, and Former Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Coorportation Sheila C. Bair during the Top American Leaders 2011 Leadership Forum at Ford's Theatre.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie talks with Washington Post Live Editor Mary Jordan, left, and Former Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Coorportation Sheila C. Bair during the Top American Leaders 2011 Leadership Forum at Ford's Theatre.
Honorees sat down with moderators to discuss leadership in America. On the first panel, former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corportation Sheila C. Bair talks with Washington Post Live Editor Mary Jordan, left, and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie during the Top American Leaders 2011 Awards Forum at the Ford's Theatre.
Washington Post Columnist Steven Pearlstein moderates the second panel discussion with, from left, Google Ideas Director Jared Cohen, President of the University of Maryland Baltimore County Freeman A. Hrabowski, III and President of the Kennedy Center Michael M. Kaiser at Ford's Theatre.
Washington Post Columnist Steven Pearlstein moderates the second panel discussion with, from left, Google Ideas Director Jared Cohen, President of the University of Maryland Baltimore County Freeman A. Hrabowski, III and President of the Kennedy Center Michael M. Kaiser at Ford's Theatre.
Nobel Prize Winner and Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology Ahmed Zewail talks with David Gergen, Director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard Kennedy School, left, and New York Times Columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, center, at Ford's Theatre.
David Gergen, Director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School moderates the third panel discussion with New York Times Columnist Nicholas D. Kristof, center, and Nobel Prize Winner and Linus Pauling Chair Professor of Chemistry and Professor of Physics at the California Institute of Technology Ahmed Zewail.