Hazelden Betty Ford
75th Anniversary
Still Breaking Through Gala

Susan Ford Bales is the Ship's Sponsor for the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). In 2016, she was named an Honorary Naval Aviator by the United States Navy. She is only the 31st American to receive this distinction and the first woman in history to be so honored.

Susan has served as a Trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation since 1981 and currently serves as Co-Chair of the Foundation's Programs Committee. She is the author of two novels set in the White House. Susan serves as Co-Trustee of the President Gerald R. Ford Historical Legacy Trust, Trustee of the Elizabeth B. Ford Charitable Trust and the Honorary Advisory Committee of the Children's National Medical Center.

She attended Mount Vernon College, where she studied photojournalism. She is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service degree, an Honorary Doctorate of Letters degree, and an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree.

Dr. Joseph Lee serves as the president and chief executive officer of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and is one of the most sought-after thought leaders on addiction treatment and mental health care in the world. With extensive expertise and experience providing quality, comprehensive care to youth and families from across the country and abroad, Dr. Lee has developed an unparalleled perspective on emerging drug trends, co-occurring mental health conditions, innovation and the ever-changing culture of addiction. He is known widely for his love-inspired, science-powered approach to care and impassioned advocacy for all people who are affected by substance use and mental health conditions. 

A triple-board certified physician, Dr. Lee completed his fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry from John Hopkins Hospital, his adult psychiatry residency at Duke University Hospital and his medical degree at the University of Oklahoma. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine and a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers. He also serves on the board of the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers and is vice chair of the board at the St. Paul & Minnesota Foundation.

Given his unique degree of specialization and powerful messaging, Dr. Lee is frequently interviewed by national media and has spoken on Capitol Hill, at the White House and at academic conferences and events across the United States. He is the author of Recovering My Kid: Parenting Young Adults in Treatment and Beyond, a practical guide for parental leadership in times of crisis.

Rob Lowe's iconic career spans four decades in film, television, and theater. He is also an acclaimed author. Rob has been nominated for two Emmys, six Golden Globes and four Screen Actors Guild Awards in which he won two. He has starred in the ‘80s classics St. Elmo's Fire, About Last Night, and The Outsiders, as well as television classics such as The West Wing and Parks and Recreation. Rob's incredibly diverse career also includes scene stealing work in Behind the Candelabra, Austin Powers, and Tommy Boy. His two memoirs, Stories I Only Tell My Friends, and Love Life, are both New York Times Bestsellers. He has taken his first memoir and made it into a touring show called Stories I Only Tell My Friends: Live! which has received rave reviews throughout the country and sold out in London.

Most recently, Rob directed and starred in a reimagining of the Oscar nominated classic, The Bad Seed. He executive produced and starred in Holiday In the Wild, which was one of the most downloaded movies of the year for Netflix. He also hosts the mental challenge competition series Mental Samurai on FOX. In 2019, Rob joined with Ryan Murphy to executive produce and star in the hit drama, 911 Lonestar, which begins its third season in January 2022 and is consistently one of the top-rated shows in all of television.

In 2020 Rob launched his podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe, now on the second season. The irreverent yet thoughtful podcasts are conversations with the leaders in the world of entertainment like Oprah, Chris Pratt, Gwyneth Paltrow, Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Aniston and others. Rob launched another new podcast, Parks and Recollection, in 2021. Co-hosted with show runner Alan Yang, the podcast is a behind the scenes look at each episode of the celebrated comedy classic Parks and Recreation.

Lowe has been married to jewelry designer, Sheryl Lowe, since 1991. They have two sons, Matthew and John Owen.

Brandi Carlile is a 11x GRAMMY Award-winning singer, songwriter, performer, #1 New York Times Bestselling author and activist, who is known as one of music's most respected voices. Throughout her acclaimed career, Carlile has released seven studio albums including her most recent, the 3x GRAMMY-winning In These Silent Days. Additionally, Carlile continues her work as a renowned producer with recent GRAMMY Award-winning projects from Joni Mitchell and Brandy Clark as well as the upcoming debut EP from Tish Melton. She also produced and recorded a rendition of Indigo Girls' "Closer To Fine" with her wife, Catherine, which was included on Barbie The Album (Best Weekend Ever Edition) as well as a version of "Home," which was featured in the final season of Ted Lasso.

Beloved by her peers, Carlile has collaborated with artists such as Elton John, The Highwomen, Soundgarden, Alicia Keys and Dolly Parton, was named OUT Magazine's 2023 "Icon of the Year," awarded Billboard's Women In Music "Trailblazer Award," CMT's Next Women of Country "Impact Award" and NMPA's 2023 Songwriter Icon Award and received multiple recognitions from the Americana Music Association. On top of being a musician and writer, Carlile is a founder of the Looking Out Foundation, which has raised over $4 million for grassroots causes to date. Carlile lives in rural Washington state with her wife and two daughters, Evangeline and Elijah.