RootsTech 2016 Announces Keynote Speakers David Isay and Michael Leavitt and Musical Guests the Crescent Super Band, featuring Ryan Innes, and The Lower Lights

Time is quickly passing, as  usual, and RootsTech 2016 is right around the corner. Meanwhile, the final lineup of Keynote Presenters has been released. Here is the latest news from FamilySearch.

RootsTech, the largest family history conference in the world, announced today additional musical guests and keynote speakers who will join its inspiring all-star lineup. Nationally renowned musicians the Crescent Super Bandand Ryan Innes will partner for an exclusive performance during the opening social event on Thursday, February 4. The session of RootsTech on Friday, February 5, will feature award-winning radio producer and founder of StoryCorps, David Isay, while the session on Saturday, February 6, will feature Michael Leavitt, who served in the Cabinet of President George W. Bush. Concluding the conference on February 6 will be the musical group The Lower Lights.

Here is the additional information on the newest additions to the Keynote lineup.

David Isay

David Isay is one of the most trusted and respected broadcasters working today. The recipient of four Peabody Awards and a MacArthur “Genius” Fellowship, his work taps into the heart and soul of the human experience. He is an author, documentarian, and founder of StoryCorps.

StoryCorps is an award-winning organization that provides people of all backgrounds and beliefs with the opportunity to record, share, and preserve their life stories. 50,000 interviews have been archived and preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress, and weekly, millions of listeners experience these stories on NPR’sMorning Edition.

David is the author and editor of numerous books that grew out of his public radio documentary work, including the New York Times bestsellers Listening Is an Act of Love and Ties That Bind: Stories of Love and Gratitude from the First Ten Years of StoryCorps. In 2015, David was recognized with the TED Prize, awarded to one exceptional individual with a creative, bold vision to spark global change.

Michael Leavitt

Michael O. Leavitt is the founder and chairman of Leavitt Partners, where he helps clients navigate the future as they transition to new and better models of care. In previous roles, Mr. Leavitt served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush (as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and Secretary of Health and Human Services) and as a three-time elected governor of Utah.

Mike Leavitt grew up in Cedar City, Utah, where his upbringing was rooted in the values of the American West, with its emphasis on hard work and common sense. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business while working in the insurance industry. In 1984, he became chief executive of the Leavitt Group, a family business that is now the nation’s second largest, privately held insurance brokerage.