Tandy Executive Speaker Series

Christopher J. Cassidy was born in Salem, Massachusetts on January 4, 1970 and considers nearby York, Maine, where he grew up, to be his hometown. A graduate of York High School, Chris completed Naval Academy Prep School in Newport, Rhode Island in 1989 and received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1993. He later received a Master of Science in Ocean Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and has Honorary PhD's from Husson University and the University of Maine at Augusta.

Captain Cassidy is a retired U.S. Navy SEAL. During his service, he was awarded the Bronze Star with combat 'V' and received a second Bronze Star for combat leadership service in Afghanistan. In 2004, the platoon he commanded was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for a nine-day operation at the Zharwar Kili Cave on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.

Cassidy was selected as an astronaut in 2004. He is a veteran of three space flights and ten space walks. Chris has flown to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor and the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. He has accumulated 377 days in space to include his most recent six-month spaceflight in 2020. In 2015, he became NASA's 14th Chief Astronaut and served in this capacity for two years.

James (Jim) W. Keyes is a global business leader, best selling author, philanthropist, artist, musician, commercial pilot, and modern renaissance man. He is the former CEO of two globally recognized Fortune 500 companies, 7-Eleven, Inc. and Blockbuster, Inc. His other business interests cover a broad range of industries from retail, consumer products, technology, healthcare, cyber security, new space, energy, and advanced nuclear. He sits on several public company boards and serves as a board adviser to a venture capital firm and a number of start-up companies.

Jim Keyes has experience in successfully leading multinational corporations with a deep understanding of global and local franchise operations. His creativity, innovation, and adoption of leading-edge technology contributed to the successful transformation of both public and private organizations. He is a seasoned executive, known internationally for leading transformational change.

Keyes’ philanthropic initiatives have an equally broad focus, including serving a three-term seat on the Board of Governors for the American Red Cross, acting as the former Chairman of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, and serving on the board of directors for institutions such as UT Southwestern Medical School, Cooper Institute, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Dallas Performing Arts Center, SMU Cox School of Business, Columbia Business School, and his alma mater, College of the Holy Cross. He has had a lifelong commitment to education, serving as a founding director of the Dallas Education Foundation and is the founder of the Education Is Freedom Foundation. He is the author of Education is Freedom: The Future Is in Your Hands which provides the “what,” “why,” and “how” of learning. It outlines the importance of education for all mankind, the power of education to change our world, and the wisdom to unlock our personal freedom while reserving our democracy.

Keyes is a personification of the American Dream, as he comes from humble beginnings. He was inducted in 2005 as a Member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans. In 2024, he received the Robert S. Folsom Leadership Award presented by Methodist Health System Foundation to recognize demonstrated community leadership.