Today, I’m honored to share the 250th episode of my podcast "Next Steps Forward," a milestone made even more meaningful by the opportunity to sit down with two extraordinary public servants, Hon. Andrew Card, former Chief of Staff for President George W. Bush, and Hon. Leon Panetta, former CIA Director and Secretary of Defense under President Barack Obama.

In our conversation, we focused less on titles and more on what forms a leader: family, values, service, and the willingness to make difficult decisions with imperfect information. Card and Panetta reflected on their different paths into public service, the presidents they served across party lines, and what they tell young Americans who feel called to serve in today’s polarized climate.

We also devoted significant time to September 11, 2001, not as history in the abstract, but as lived experience. Card walked through the moments behind the scenes that day, including the decisions no one ever prepares to make. Panetta shared how 9/11 reshaped the way he later approached national security, intelligence, and preparedness.

As Organizing Committee members of The 9/11 Legacy Foundation, they explain why remembrance must remain nonpartisan, why education matters more than ever, and what lessons are most at risk of being lost as we approach the 25th commemoration this year.

This conversation is ultimately about responsibility: what leadership requires, what memory demands, and what each generation owes the next.

Listen now on VoiceAmerica Media via the link below or wherever podcasts are available!

https://www.voiceamericamedia.com/show/next-steps-forward-with-dr-chris-meek/the-responsibility-to-remember-w-andrew-h-card-jr-and-leon-panetta/