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KEYNOTE SPEAKER: STEVE FORD Hollywood actor and son of former President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford talks about living a life of personal integrity and boundaries.

Steve Ford, son of former President Gerald Ford and Betty Ford, who as First Lady publicly talked about her recovery from alcoholism, will be the keynote speaker at this year’s Recovery Walk. Ford, who is in recovery, will talk about his experience as it pertains to his recovery and growing up in an alcoholic household.

A teenager when his father assumed the reins of the presidency from Richard Nixon, Ford left the White House at age eighteen to pursue his dream of being a cowboy on cattle ranches out west, followed closely by his ten secret service agents. He later went on to a successful acting career, appearing in over thirty movies including “Contact,” “Armageddon,” “Starship Troopers,” “Black Hawk Down,” and playing Meg Ryan's boyfriend in “When Harry Met Sally….” Ford also appeared for six years on the Emmy Award-winning daytime drama “The Young and the Restless,” was host of the NBC show “Secret Service,” and has had many guest leads on shows such as “JAG,” “Dr. Quinn,” and “Suddenly Susan.”

As a speaker, Ford shares a broad range of inspirational stories, including how the family dealt with Betty Ford's battles with alcoholism and breast cancer, his own successful fight to overcoming alcoholism, and the Nixon Pardon. He also offers humorous anecdotes regarding his ten Secret Service Agents, plus provides firsthand details about life on the set of some of Hollywood's biggest movies.

One of Ford's most rewarding roles has been that of student motivational speaker, a role his three nieces challenged him to accept. Taking time off from his Hollywood career, Ford began traveling across the country to deliver a strong message to students, urging them to develop a deeper vision of character and correct choices. He discusses openly how the Ford Family dealt with Betty Ford's struggle with alcoholism. He also walks students through the early habits he formed during his middle school, high school, and college years that led to his own addiction to alcohol. He speaks openly of the high price that's paid for bad choices about drugs and alcohol; he also shares tools and actionable tasks that lead to a life lived with personal integrity and boundaries.

Within each of Ford's stories, the focus is always on character, integrity, and the strong family bonds that led to his family's success. It's an insider's view of life in the public eye, featuring many historic and never-before-seen photos, slides, and videos. Described as a cross between The History Channel and The Book of Virtues, Ford continually focuses on the importance of character, integrity and right choices. His one-of-a-kind presentation inspires people to be open to change and transformation and addresses aspects of the person as a whole, including both career and family roles.

<<watch video with Steve Ford in action>>