Imagine walking into a room with some of the most influential business leaders in the country. It's certainly intimidating, but that goes away kind of quick when you find some immediate common ground - intercollegiate athletics and higher education.

I spent Friday night at Biga on the Banks, where members of the NCAA's Leadership Advisory Board came together for dinner prior to meeting Saturday morning in San Antonio. Throughout the night, I spent time with a number of LAB members, and to a person, they said the reason they volunteer their time to the advisory board is because they believe in the mission of the Association.

So that everyone fully appreciates the folks serving on this board, here are a few that I met on Friday night:

Robert Wood, chairman, president and CEO of Chemtura Corporation - After 27 years working with Dow Chemical, Wood became CEO of Chemtura in July 1, 2005. The Michigan grad also served a six-month term as senior deputy mayor of Indianapolis.

Charlotte Jones Anderson, Vice President/Director of Charities and Special Events for the Dallas Cowboys - One of the leading front office executives in the NFL, Anderson works with licensed apparel, uniform design, team memorabilia, stadium amenities and is also president of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders. She discusses her passion for intercollegiate athletics in a discussion we had yesterday.

Calvin Hill, consultant, Alexander & Associates - A former standout with the Dallas Cowboys, the Yale graduate has been a consultant to Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys since 1997.

Kenneth Chenault, vice chairman, American Express - As vice chairman of American Express, Chenault is responsible for formulating policy and business strategy company wide. He heads up American Express' consumer charge card, credit card and lending businesses around the world.

David Sokol, chairman and CEO, MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company - Sokol joined MidAmerican as CEO in 1991 and the company now has nearly $19 billion in assets. A former football student-athlete at Nebraska-Omaha, the LAB is a natural fit for Sokol, who discusses his experiences in yesterday's interview.