T. Boone Pickens to Provide Keynote Address at 2009 NPA Convention

T. Boone Pickens to Provide Keynote Address at 2009 NPA Convention

Entrepreneur, author and philanthropist T. Boone Pickens will be the opening general session speaker at The Parking Show of Shows, the National Parking Associations 58th Annual Convention and Exposition. The convention will be held Oct. 12-15, 2009, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac in National Harbor, Md.

Pickens will speak on Tuesday, Oct. 13 at 8:30 a.m. His presentation will be called Its Time to Get Off Foreign Oil.

"We are thrilled that T. Boone Pickens will provide the keynote address at this year's convention and exposition," said Martin L. Stein, president of the NPA. "Mr. Pickens is an unrivaled expert on how energy and energy policy affect the economy. Both have a huge impact on the parking industry, and anyone whose business involves parking planning or development can benefit from hearing Mr. Pickens' message and vision for the future."

Pickens has gained widespread renown since introducing The Pickens Plan, a comprehensive energy plan aimed at reducing Americas dependence on foreign oil by harnessing domestic energy alternatives, including natural gas, wind and solar power. To date, more than 4.5 million people have signed up online to support the plan since its introduction in July of 2008. His New York Times best seller The First Billion is the Hardest, details what our country must do to win back its energy independence.

Pickens is one of the worlds foremost authorities on energy and the world energy economy. In addition to founding Mesa Petroleum, one of the worlds largest independent oil companies, he is also the founder of the United Shareholders Association (USA), which tackled an assortment of corporate governance issues deemed important to shareholders. USA gathered substantial grassroots support, counting 65,000 members at its zenith.

Pickens currently serves as chairman of BP Capital Management, one of the nations most successful energy-oriented investment funds. He is also the largest shareholder in Clean Energy, the largest provider of vehicular natural gas in North America. Clean Energy is an Allied member of the NPA and will be exhibiting at the convention.

In addition to his business ventures, Pickens is also well-known for his philanthropy nearly $700 million during his career which includes health and medical research, treatment and services; entrepreneurship; kids at risk; education and athletics, with a particular focus on his alma mater, Oklahoma State University; corporate health and fitness; and conservation and wildlife management.

For more information, contact Denise Gable, vice president, communications, at 202.470.6303 or dgable@npapark.org.