Colin Powell will speak during the Nov. 17-19 event at McCormick Place in Chicago.

Former U.S. secretary of state and retired Army Gen. Colin Powell will be keynote speaker at this month’s Greenbuild conference, organizers announced.

Powell will speak during the Nov. 17-19 event at McCormick Place in Chicago.

“General Powell has made another career of sharing his lessons of leadership.” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO and founding chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council, which organizes the expo. “His keen insights and global perspective are especially relevant to our movement in these times of great challenge and change. He exemplifies that leadership is about more than a title: It’s about taking charge during times of great crisis.”

Powell was National security adviser under President Ronald Reagan and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Republican President George H.W. Bush and Democratic President Bill Clinton. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Powell secretary of state, a position he held until 2005.