ANDREW YOUNG: ATLANTA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE WORLD. This fits my personal hero, friend, mentor and HOPE Global Spokesman Ambassador Andrew Young just perfectly. He is Atlanta's Ambassador to the world, and the friend of the poor throughout the world as well. I am deeply honored to have him as my friend and chief advisor, and one who I also consider a father-figure.
This special ceremony, this week, was as special as I imagined it would be, culminating with hundreds of Atlanta's best saluting Ambassador Young as we all saluted the unveiling of the Delta Airlines "over-water" jet named in his honor. In fact, within a short period following this ceremony the jet was already in the air, headed to England!
A special thank you to Delta Airlines CEO Richard Anderson, as well as my new friends Tim Maps and Tad Hutcheson from Delta for making this happen. The Operation HOPE, Atlanta family was honored to join the Delta Airlines and Young extended family and friends for this special celebration.
Ambassador Young served on the Delta Airlines board of directors for some time and as a direct result of his influence, proding (smile) and legacy, Delta Airlines now flies throughout Africa, with Nigeria amongst other routes amongst their most profitable. Turns out Ambassador Young's recommendations were not so crazy after all (smile).
Onward and with HOPE,
John Hope Bryant is a thought leader, founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass) the only African-American bestselling business author in America, and is chairman of the Subcommittee for the Under-Served and Community Empowerment for the U.S. President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability, for President Barack Obama. Mr. Bryant is the co-founder of the Gallup-HOPE Index, the only national research poll on youth financial dignity and youth economic energy in the U.S. He is also a co-founder of Global Dignity with HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and Professor Pekka Himanen of Finland. Global Dignity is affiliated with the Forum of Young Global Leaders and the World Economic Forum.