ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Retired Gen. Colin Powell, former U.S. secretary of state and former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, is scheduled to serve as keynote speaker for the 2012 NACDS Foundation Dinner.

The dinner will be held on November 27 in New York.

“Gen. Powell’s insights as a public servant — as a member of the U.S. Army, a diplomat and a philanthropist — will inspire benefactors and guests at the NACDS Foundation Dinner,” says NACDS Foundation president Kathleen Jaeger. “We look forward to his reflections on his five decades of global and local leadership, including a second-to-none commitment to education and to our youth.”

During his 35-year military career, Powell served in high-ranking military and diplomatic capacities across four presidential administrations. He was National Security Advisor under President Ronald Reagan, and he also had the distinction of becoming the youngest officer, first ROTC graduate and first African-American to hold the post of chairman of the joint chiefs of staff for both President George H.W. Bush and President Bill Clinton.

Powell served as the 65th secretary of state under President George W. Bush.

Powell founded the Colin L. Powell Center for Leadership and Service at his alma mater, the City College of New York. He also is the founder and chairman emeritus of America’s Promise Alliance, a group dedicated to ensuring that children receive the fundamental resources they need to succeed.