Former White House chief of staff, Andrew H. Card (r), speaks with contractor Bobby Sumwalt. Photo by John Temple Ligon

Andrew H. Card Jr., chief of staff for President George W. Bush over the past six years, addressed the alumni of Leadership Columbia in the main ballroom of the Capital City Club last Friday, June 16. The lunchtime crowd filled the room to hear Card recall his White House memories and to share in his future plans.

Card's last day was April 14, making him the second-longest serving White House chief of staff. Sherman Adams in the Eisenhower years held the job a little longer.

Card served in the Reagan administration as special assistant to the president for intergovernmental affairs. He worked with President George H. W. Bush (#41) as the deputy chief of staff and as the secretary of transportation. In August 1992, Card coordinated the White House disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Andrew hit Florida.

Prior to being named chief of staff in 2000, Card was General Motors' vice president for government relations for about a year. For the previous five years, he was CEO of the American Automobile Manufacturers Association.

Sean McLaughlin, manager of the Capital City Club, and Andrew Card Card served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 1975 until 1983. He graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in engineering.

The night before last Friday's luncheon, Card was the featured guest at a dinner party with President and Mrs. Andrew Sorensen on the USC Horseshoe.

As Card came down the hall in the Capital City Club, he fielded a few questions and he allowed for a few photographs. His response to the question, "How's airline deregulation coming along?" was something about consumer choices and the inevitable shakeout. When told bus service in both Austin and Madison was seven times Columbia's on a per capita basis, former Transportation Secretary Card remembered the 1992 invitation to ride with President Bush (#41) from the Columbia Airport to downtown on a SCANA clunker. He had to refuse, but he did get his head of the Federal Transit Administration to offer assistance in the transition of the bus system out of SCANA's control. Columbia declined the offer.

Columbia attorney Bryan Sterling, Andrew Card, and Temple Ligon In the main ballroom, Colleen Bozard, president of the Leadership Columbia Alumni Association, made clear to the press Card's speech was not to be reported. Only his remarks in the hall could be part of the public record.

Card was introduced by Columbia lawyer Bryan Sterling, another Massachusetts native and another graduate of the University of South Carolina.

After Card's address and a short question-and- answer session, Sean McLaughlin, general manager of the Capital City Club, announced this year's Leadership Columbia Distinguished Alumni Award to Lee Bussell, CEO at Chernoff Newman, Columbia's largest advertising and PR firm.

Andrew Card and Jon Keith, MBKahn Construction Columbia attorney Bryan Sterling and LCAAPresident Colleen Bozard