HUNTSVILLE — Eleven of the nation's best-known speakers will be at one event May 6 and Huntsville will have a window into the conversation.

The Chick-fil-A Leadercast series has been growing for the past 13 years, but for the first time, Huntsville residents will have a seat at the table. Starting at 7 a.m. on May 6, the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center will be filled with people waiting to hear from the likes of Dave Ramsey, a best-selling author and radio personality; Robin Roberts, anchor of ABC's Good Morning America; and Muhtar Kent, chairman of the board of the Coca-Cola company.

The event will be going on live in Georgia and broadcast all across the nation at participating Leadercast sites. Tickets are $45 through Friday. After that day, tickets will be $60 each.

The Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce is one of many local hosts of the event, along with Huntsville Memorial Hospital, Sam Houston State University, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, the city of Huntsville and University Heights Baptist Church.

Carol Smith, chamber president, said she's excited about the all-day event and what it means for the community.

“We think it's going to be a really positive, upbeat day of leadership training,” she said. “We're hoping it will become an annual event.”

Speakers will focus on five areas of leadership, including influence, hope, service, purpose and innovation.

“Our focus locally is to gather around 750 key leaders and any of their staff to come together for this one full day,” Smith said. “We're hoping there will be a lot of networking among these key leaders across Walker County.”

Smith said there will be a few breaks during the day, as well as a lunch hour. It's during these down times that she said she hopes the community comes together to talk about positive change.

“We just see it as a prime opportunity for Walker County leadership to come together in one venue to hear all this information,” she said. “We hope they go into as much dialogue as possible during these breaks.”

Doors open at 7 a.m. and the event is expected to last from 8 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. For those who register early, there will be a notebook of speaking points and information on each of the speakers. Speakers include Roberts, Ramsey and Kent, as well as Dan Cathy, president of Chick-fil-A; Suzy Welch, best-selling author and television commentator; Erin Gruwell, founder and president of the Freedom Writers Foundation, Frans Johansson, best-selling authro of The Medici Effect; Mack Brown, head coach of the Texas Longhorns; Seth Godin, marketing expert and best-selling author; John C. Maxwell, leadership expert and best-selling author and Sir Ken Robinson, best-selling author and human resources leader.

Smith said organizers have gone to great lengths to provide everything someone would need on the day of the event – from parking in the SHSU parking garage to door greeters.

“We're trying to make people be welcome for the day,” she said. “This is a communitywide event. The purpose is to enhance strong, positive leaders to impact change and encourage healing throughout this community.”

Chick-Fil-A's tag-line for the day is, “Your voice is a voice of change and change creates new possibilities.” Smith said this message is especially important for the younger generation and tickets are being given to many area high school and university students.

“It's a way to identify and develop their own leadership strengths,” she said.

Sponsors for the day include Aramark, Barnes and Noble, KSAM 101.7, First United Methodist Church and the Huntsville Independent School District. Sponsorships are still available.

Chick-fil-A Leadercast will be held May 6 from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center.

For more information, call (936) 294-2274 or log onto www.shsu.edu/leadercast/tickets.htm.