JANIE LEASK: Good morning and welcome to Commonwealth North. My name is Janie Leask and I'm manager of community relations for Alyeska Pipeline Service Company and president of the board for Commonwealth North.

This morning we're very pleased to have Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez with us.

First of all, please join me in thanking Shawn Lyons for the lovely guitar music that you heard this morning. (Applause) Shawn, thanks for getting up so early and coming to play with us. We appreciate it. Thank you very much.

For those of you with cell phones, please either turn them off, reach for them right now, turn them off or put them on silence out of respect of your fellow members and our speaker this morning.

You have question cards on your table. Actually you have a couple of cards on your table. The first one is the question cards, please write your questions down and hold them until the Secretary has finished his speech, and then at that time the staff will come around, collect them, bring them to the head table. Just to let you know the Secretary is on an extremely tight schedule this morning. He needs to be out of here by 7:00 -- I keep on saying 7:40 'cause normally that's when our forums are, 8:30 this morning, so if your questions are not answered I apologize in advance.

On your table also are feedback forms as part of our next 25 years study. We pledge to increase communication between the Commonwealth North board and our members. Please take some time, fill out those questionnaires and give us your thoughts. We would really appreciate that. And you can either leave them on the table or hand them to staff at the door on your way out.

Before I introduce the head table this morning I would like to acknowledge a very special guest in the audience, Edilia Gutierrez. Edilia is the wife of Secretary Gutierrez. We're so glad you're able to join us this morning and we hope you really enjoy your stay here in Alaska.

Now I'll introduce our head table. From your left to right Bill Tobin. Mr. Tobin is one of the founding members of Commonwealth North and he is the editor of the Voice of the Times.

Next to Bill Tobin is Alaska Senior Senator as you all well know, Senator Stevens. Senator Stevens holds position (Applause) -- Senator Stevens holds the position of Senate President Pro Tem. He's also chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

Next to Senator Stevens is Jo-Li Sellin, vice president and relationship manager at Wells Fargo Bank, and also a past board member of Commonwealth North and a very active member of the organization. And, Jo-Li, we thank Wells Fargo for underwriting today's event. Thank you very much. (Applause)

Next to Jo-Li is Governor Hickel, twice governor of Alaska, former Secretary of Interior, and co-founder of Commonwealth North.

And next to Governor Hickel is Secretary Carlos Gutierrez who I will introduce in just a moment. So, ladies and gentlemen, please help me in welcoming this morning's head table. (Applause)

It's a pleasure to introduce Carlos Gutierrez, the 35th U.S. Secretary of Commerce and a core member of President Bush's economic team. Secretary Gutierrez joined the Bush Administration from a 30 year career with the Kellog Company where he rose to become chairman of the board and the youngest chief executive officer in the company's history. At Commerce he has the diverse agency of some 38,000 workers and a $6.5 billion budget focused on promoting economic growth and opportunity for American businesses and workers.

Secretary Gutierrez believes passionately in President Bush's vision of an expanding 21st Century opportunity and ownership society that provides everyone a chance to live the American dream.

Secretary Gutierrez came to the United States with his family from Cuba when he was a boy. He studied business administration at the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico and he and his wife, Edilia, have three children, Carols, Erica and Carina. Please join me in welcoming Secretary Gutierrez. (Applause)