Lincolnwood, IL, USA-The International Sanitary Supply Association, Inc. (ISSA) is pleased to announce former U.S. President George Herbert Walker Bush as the keynote speaker for ISSA/INTERCLEAN®-New Orleans 2004.

This year's exhibition-the largest convention and educational conference for the cleaning and maintenance industry worldwide-will take place November 16-19 at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA. The show is sponsored by ISSA and its tradeshow partner, Amsterdam RAI.

"We are honored to have a U.S. president address the cleaning industry, especially so closely after the country's presidential election this November," says ISSA Executive Director John Garfinkel.

U.S. presidential elections are held November 2, 2004, and Bush's son, U.S. President George Walker Bush, is running for re-election as the Republican Party candidate.

Bush will address convention attendees Wednesday, November 17, at 8:30 a.m. The former president will discuss current events and the nation's political climate as well as touching on such issues as developing strong leadership in today's business environment. Attendees will be able to pose questions following his address.

Bush held office between 1988 and 1992, following eight years serving as vice president under Ronald Reagan. Bush's career in politics and public service began in 1963, when he was elected chairman of the Harris County (TX) Republican Party. After losing his first campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1964, he was elected in 1966 and served two terms in the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas' 7th District. Bush also has held a series of high-level positions in the U.S. federal government: ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, chief of the U. S. Liaison Office in the People's Republic of China, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Since leaving office, Bush has written two books-A World Transformed, co-authored with General Brent Scowcroft, which covers foreign policy during his administration, and All the Best, a collection of letters written throughout his life. He has visited 56 foreign countries and has helped to raise millions of dollars for a variety of charitable organizations. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Visitors of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, and as honorary chairman of the Points of Light Foundation.