David Mathews served as president of the Kettering Foundation from 1981 to 2022. He is now president emeritus. He was Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare in the Ford administration and taught history at the University of Alabama, where he was president from 1969 to 1980. Mathews has written extensively on Southern history, public policy, community problem solving, education, and international relations. His books include Politics for People: Finding a Responsible Public Voice; The Ecology of Democracy: Finding Ways to Have a Stronger Hand in Shaping Our Future; With the People: An Introduction to an Idea; Together: Building Better, Stronger Communities; and With: A Strategy for Renewing Our Democracy.