Like a character in a Shakespearean play, Chet Powell has endured tragedy and grief that would be unimaginable to most people. A member of the American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress and the National Center for Crisis Management, he has not merely survived. He has achieved success thanks to a combination of resilience, extraordinary leadership ability and a proven collaborative management style.

Throughout much of his life, Chet was simply known as "C.J.'s Boy", also the title of his forthcoming book. His father, a World War II veteran, had been a successful small business owner/operator. The elder Powell further distinguished himself as a state employee and was later elected to the Georgia House of Representatives where he served four terms. As C.J. Powell's oldest son, Chet came to realize that much was expected of him. He was determined to meet those expectations, but life had other plans.

Like his father, Chet began with a career in law enforcement that went very well... at first. It started in the 1980's with a divorce that also separated him from his small children. Then came a car crash in which he was severely injured (the other driver died), and two shootings, including the loss of a fellow officer and friend. With a distinguished unblemished public service record, he decided to make a major career change to sales for the new decade.

Chet excelled from the start in sales bringing home three times the salary of his previous profession. He was quickly promoted to Regional Manager for a national corporation. The possibilities seemed limitless, but In 1995 he lost his father and five other members of his family in a plane crash bringing pain and grief even more intense than he had faced before. He channeled his emotion into creativity and emerged stronger.

Chet moved forward and welcomed the new millennium with a positive attitude. Tragedy returned in 2005 forcing him to endure another difficult period which eventually led to even higher levels of success, receiving four promotions in quick succession and national recognition. Just days after the Deepwater Horizon explosion in 2010, Chet organized and led a team that was involved in several major aspects of the response to the disaster. He worked throughout the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 and upon returning home to Georgia, founded the Georgia Wildlife Rescue Association, a non-profit organization saving native wildlife and ecosystems.

Chet Powell has learned how to move beyond tragedy and grief. Never satisfied with just getting by, he has achieved a higher level of success with every obstacle that he has faced. He believes in excellence and he believes in perseverance.

• Your audience will be touched.
• They will be motivated.
• They will be inspired!

Chet has been featured on Animal Planet, CNN, Discovery's America, NBC Nightly News, PBS & NPR's Talk Of The Nation, Georgia Public Radio and numerous local and regional ABC, CBS and NBC affiliates. He is a member of the Global Speakers Federation and the National Speakers Federation.

His clients include non-profit organizations, emergency responders (including Fire & EMS) small businesses, law enforcement agencies, regional companies and national and international corporations such as Alcoa Inc., BASF, Blue Bell Creameries, Delhaize Group, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, JM Manufacturing and Rotary International.

Sales, Customer Service, Children, Ethics & Integrity, Teamwork & Teambuilding, For Young Audiences, Leadership, Grief,