Episode #PVP-85 – Guest: Congressman Pete Hoekstra
Pete Hoekstra is a successful politician, businessman, and leader. He represented Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. Congress from 1993 to 2010. Congressman Hoekstra served as Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2004 to 2007. The HPSCI has oversight over the entire U.S. Intelligence Community. Directors of National Intelligence, CIA, DIA, NSA, and other intelligence offices all answered to Pete Hoekstra. With this background and the knowledge his position gave him, he was a fair critic of the Bush and Obama administrations for intelligence failures.
Mr. Hoekstra, as a former Chairman of the HPSCI one of the best informed men in the world, will share his views on the global threats Americans face, now and in the future. Here is a rare opportunity for our audience to question the man who, until recently, was taskmaster of our nation’s spy agencies.
Mr. Hoekstra is currently campaigning for Senator for his state of Michigan. Before running for Congress, he worked at Herman Miller. He graduated from Hope College in 1975 and earned a Masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Michigan.
After graduating Pete launched a successful career at Herman Miller, Inc. of Zeeland , Michigan — a company frequently cited as one of the most admired in America and one of the best places to work. Over his 15 year career at Herman Miller, Pete worked in product development, product management, dealer development, rising through the ranks to become Vice-President of Marketing.
During his time with the company, Pete had the unique opportunity to partner with outside designers in the development and introduction of such ground-breaking, world-renowned product lines like the Equa Chair, Ethospace Interiors, and the Aeron Chair.
His career at Herman Miller allowed Pete to build on his U. of M. MBA , developing skills at the cutting edge of innovative management practices — learning the concepts of participative management and team building in practical applications. These not only worked at Herman Miller but also led to success in his public service career.
In one of the major upsets of Michigan election history, Pete defeated a twenty-six year Republican incumbent in the congressional primary of 1992. It was truly a grassroots effort in which he was outspent at least 15 to 1.
In the U.S. House, Pete has served on numerous committees including Education and Labor, Budget, and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He also was privileged to participate in the development of the Contract with America that in 1994 laid the foundation for Republicans to capture the House for the first time in 40 years.
This episode aired live on January 25, 2012.
