Journalist Frank Sesno has been selected as the presidential guest speaker for the AAOS 2019 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas. Mr. Sesno’s distinguished journalism career spans more than three decades and has taken him around the world. Well known as an anchor, White House correspondent, and talk show host with CNN, he is also a nationally renowned moderator who has engaged some of the world’s leading personalities. Currently, Mr. Sesno is director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington (GW) University in Washington, D.C., where he leads close to two dozen staff members and teaches classes on journalism ethics, documentaries, sustainability reporting, and “the art of the interview.”

Mr. Sesno’s journey with CNN began in 1984, where he served as White House correspondent for seven years before becoming an anchor. He later served as the network’s Washington bureau chief and senior vice president from 1996 to 2001. In that capacity, he oversaw the bureau’s editorial direction and supervised the network’s largest newsgathering operation—including its coverage of the White House, Congress, and Pentagon, as well as its political reporting. For seven years, he hosted “Late Edition with Frank Sesno,” CNN’s flagship weekend interview program.

Mr. Sesno has interviewed five former U.S. presidents—George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, and Jimmy Carter—as well as various international leaders, including Benjamin Netanyahu, Margaret Thatcher, Yasser Arafat, and Hosni Mubarak. In his Conversation Series at GW, Mr. Sesno has discussed U.S. foreign policy with five former U.S. secretaries of state—Henry Kissinger, Colin Powell, Madeleine Albright, James Baker, and Warren Christopher. He explored America’s civil-military relationship with Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and he examined the issue of cyber warfare with former National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency Director General Michael Hayden. He has interviewed such personalities as Karl Rove, Bob Woodward, Al Gore, Tom Ridge, Jack Welch, Bill Gates, Nancy Pelosi, and Condoleezza Rice.

Mr. Sesno is a frequent analyst—on television and in print—of American politics and the media. He has hosted and produced documentaries for both the History Channel and PBS.

Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Sesno has earned several prestigious awards, including a national and regional Emmy; several CableAce, Clarion, and Cine Golden Eagle awards; a Lincoln Unity award; and an Overseas Press Club award.

Mr. Sesno graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in American history from Middlebury College. He has received honorary doctorates from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Middlebury College, and Eckerd College. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the Board of Trustees at Middlebury College. He is a past trustee of the Potomac School and serves on the Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Journalism Award committee.

Mr. Sesno is a close friend of AAOS President David A. Halsey, MD; the two met when Dr. Halsey was a freshman at Middlebury College. In addition to Mr. Sesno’s host of professional accomplishments, Dr. Halsey said his “positive approach to life and learning, dedication to honest and credible analysis of critical questions, and active listening” set him apart.

According to Dr. Halsey, attendees at Mr. Sesno’s speech can expect to gain invaluable knowledge not only pertaining to how generational differences shape our lives and educational experiences, but also about “the need to really listen to our patients, colleagues, and members of all our communities”—whether they be family members, local community members, or people in communities across the globe.

Mr. Sesno will speak during the Your Academy 2019 event on Thursday, March 14, at 10:30 a.m. in the Venetian/Sands Expo, Palazzo Ballroom E. For more AAOS 2019 Annual Meeting information, visit www.aaos.org/annualmeeting.

Kaitlyn D’Onofrio is the digital medical writer for AAOS Now. She can be reached at kdonofrio@aaos.org