Jessi Alexander is an American county music singer-songwriter. She was born in a small town halfway between Memphis and Nashville. Her sultry voice expresses the pain, longing, and despair of the music and life of the region.

Alexander moved to Nashville after leaving Middle Tennessee State University, where she studied social work by day and played in bands by night. Instead of playing for tips in the bars along Broadway, Alexander sought out musicians from whom she could learn and who could help her develop from bar singer to full-fledged artist. That happened through songwriting, she says, and the results are evident in the 11 cuts of Honeysuckle Sweet, each of which she at least cowrote. Honeysuckle Sweet, Alexander's debut album released in March 2005 on Columbia, introduced an artist without boundaries, whose confidence in herself and her roots shone through in each cut.

Working with coproducer Gary Nicholson and writing with Nicholson, Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Gary Louris (The Jayhawks), and Darrell Scott, among others, Alexander found her musical self. What comes through is a new voice, strong and proud, unafraid to tap into the best of the past while forging its own sound.

Alexander spent time as a Warner-Chappell music writer, and Trisha Yearwood, Patty Loveless, and others on country's A-list have recorded her songs. She also cowrote Miley Cyrus's single "The Climb" for the film Hannah Montana: The Movie (2009).

Alexander is influenced by The Band, Bob Wills, Karla Bonoff, Bonnie Raitt, and Little Feat.

Alexander has been involved with NSAI's legislative efforts and has performed on NSAI benefit shows.

Bob Goodlatte represents the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia in the United States House of Representatives.

Chairman Goodlatte has long been a leader in Congress on a number of intellectual property and technology issues. In the 113th Congress, he was elected as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. In addition to serving in this role, he is the co-chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Internet Caucus and the Congressional International Anti-Piracy Caucus as well as chairman of the House Republican Technology Working Group. In the 112th Congress, he served as chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet. He also serves as vice chairman of the House Agriculture Committee.

Chairman Goodlatte is a graduate of the Washington and Lee University School of Law, and his undergraduate degree in government was earned at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine.

Chairman Goodlatte and his wife, Maryellen, reside in Roanoke and have two adult children.

Born in Oklahoma, Brett is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. James was the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers' (ASCAP) 2010 country songwriter of the year. His songwriting credits include Carrie Underwood's "Jesus, Take the Wheel," the 2007 Grammy-winning best country song that was also song of the year for NSAI and ASCAP.

James also wrote Kenny Chesney's "Reality"; Kelly Clarkson's "Mr. Know It All"; Scotty McCreery's "I Love You This Big"; the Uncle Kracker–Kid Rock duet "Good to Be Me"; Jason Aldean's "The Truth"; Rodney Atkins's "It's America"; Chris Young's "The Man I Want to Be"; Carrie Underwood's "Cowboy Casanova"; the Kenny Chesney–Uncle Kracker duet "When the Sun Goes Down"; Jessica Andrews's "Who I Am"; Martina McBride's "Blessed"; Sara Evans's "Cheatin'"; Pat Green's "Feels Just Like It Should"; Kenny Chesney's "Out Last Night," "Keg in the Closet," and "You Save Me"; Rascal Flatts's "Summer Nights" and "Love You Out Loud"; Tim McGraw's "Drugs or Jesus"; Josh Gracin's "I Want to Live"; Wynonna's "What the World Needs"; Lonestar's "With Me"; and Billy Ray Cyrus's "You Won't Be Lonely Now."

James is a current NSAI board member who serves on the legislative committee, playing a lead role in NSAI's legislative efforts.

Erin Kelly is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology, international studies, and Spanish. She lives in Chicago and is working as a program manager with CCI Greenheart, a nonprofit cultural exchange organization. Kelly facilitates cultural exchange programs for international high school students in the United States through processing student applications, communicating with international partners, and resolving issues that arise during the school year. Prior to working at CCI Greenheart, she worked at a marketing and communications consulting company for nonprofits.

Kelly has always had a passion for travel and learning about different cultures, a passion that she has followed throughout her academic, professional, and personal life. Her most ambitious travel adventure to date was a 99-day trip around the world with her mother, Gail Mooney, during which the two filmed a documentary featuring change-makers on six continents who are working to make a positive difference in the world on a grassroots level. Their documentary, Opening Our Eyes, seeks to create awareness about the power of the individual and to inspire others to make a difference.

A Kentucky native, Miller is an American county music songwriter and record producer. His song "In Color" sung by James Johnson was named 2009 Academy of County Music and Country Music Association song of the year. His song "You're Gonna Miss This" sung by Trace Adkins was named 2008 Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) song of the year and 2009 Academy of County Music single of the year. Miller has had number one singles with Brad Paisley's "The World," Terri Clark's "I Just Wanna Be Mad," and Joe Nichols's "The Impossible." The latter was the 2003 Grammy nominee for country song of the year.

Named Music Row Magazine's 2003 breakthrough songwriter of the year, Miller's songwriting credits include Brad Paisley's "I'm Still a Guy," Tim McGraw's "Nothing to Die For," Thomas Rhett's "Something to Do with My Hands," Amy Dalley's "Men Don't Change," and Blue Country's "That's Cool," as well as cuts by Sammy Kershaw, BlackHawk, Mark Wills, John Michael Montgomery, Andy Griggs, Joe Nichols, Terri Clark, Tracy Byrd, Tracy Lawrence, Randy Travis, Rhett Akins, Amy Dalley, Blue County, Billy Currington, Katrina Elam, George Canyon, and Linda Davis.

Miller is very active in NSAI's lobbying efforts in Washington, D.C., and has made a number of trips there for the organization. For more on Miller, visit his official website at http://www.leethomasmiller.com.

Zachary Maxwell is a child filmmaker from New York City. He started making short web videos in preschool and began screening his work at film festivals at the age of eight. Last year, Maxwell registered his first copyright on his latest film, Yuck, an award-winning documentary about the food service program at his elementary school.

Gail Mooney is copartner of Kelly/Mooney Productions, a visual communications company based in the New York metro area. Mooney has over 30 years of experience shooting for international magazines, major corporations, and institutions. Her clients have included National Geographic, Smithsonian, Travel & Leisure, AT&T, American Express, and KPMG.

A lifelong storyteller, Mooney began her visual storytelling as a photographer. In 1999 she started producing and shooting video projects. Since then, her company has become fully integrated with motion. She has produced three short documentaries: Freedom's Ride, a story about two groups of high school students retracing the civil rights movement of the 1960s; The Delta Blues Musicians; and Through the Hearts and Hands of Children about the New Jersey Youth Symphony.

Mooney's true passion is to use her craft, be it via still imagery or motion, to create awareness and effect change. Her first feature-length documentary, Opening Our Eyes, was a joint project with her daughter, Erin Kelly. They circled the globe seeking ordinary people who are making our world a better place—one person at a time.

As United States Register of Copyrights, Maria A. Pallante directs the legal, policy, and business activities of the United States Copyright Office. The Copyright Office administers important provisions of Title 17, including the nation’s copyright registration and recordation systems and certain statutory licenses. The Register and her staff lead public discussions in the field of copyright law, act as principle advisors to the Congress on matters of domestic and international copyright policy, and support a variety of intellectual property efforts across the U.S. government, including appellate litigation, trade negotiations, and treaty implementations. Ms. Pallante assumed her duties on June 1, 2011, after serving five months as Acting Register.

Prior to her appointment in 2011, Ms. Pallante held two senior positions in the U.S. Copyright Office, serving first as Deputy General Counsel (2007–2008) and then as Associate Register & Director of Policy and International Affairs (2008–2010). From 1999–2007, she was Intellectual Property Counsel and Director of Licensing for the worldwide Guggenheim Museums, headquartered in New York. She also worked for two authors' organizations in New York, serving first as Assistant Director of the Authors Guild, Inc. and then as Executive Director of the National Writers Union, in each case working on copyright policy, transactions, litigation, and freedom of expression issues. She practiced briefly with the Washington, D.C., law firm and literary agency Lichtman, Trister, Singer and Ross, and completed a clerkship in administrative law for the appellate division of the U.S. Department of Labor.

Ms. Pallante is a 1990 graduate of the George Washington University Law School. She earned her bachelor's degree in history from Misericordia University in Pennsylvania, where she was also awarded an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

James Pooley is the deputy director general for innovation and technology at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), one of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. Pooley oversees the operation of the international patent system, as well as programs directed at the development of patent laws and innovation ecosystems, particularly with regard to small and medium-sized enterprises and universities.

Before coming to WIPO, Pooley was in the private practice of law in Palo Alto, California, most recently at Morrison & Foerster, where he represented clients in patent, copyright, and trade secret litigation. He has also served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley; president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA); and president of the National Inventors Hall of Fame. He is a member of the National Academies of Science Committee on Intellectual Property Rights. Pooley is author or coauthor of several major works in the intellectual property field, including his treatise Trade Secrets (Law Journal Press) and the Patent Case Management Judicial Guide (Federal Judicial Center).

Pooley graduated from Columbia University Law School as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar in 1973. He holds a bachelor of arts degree, with honors, from Lafayette College.

As acting under secretary of commerce for intellectual property and acting director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Teresa Stanek Rea provides leadership and oversight to one of the largest intellectual property offices in the world. She has served as deputy under secretary and deputy director since March 2011, and she became acting under secretary and acting director in February 2013. She currently performs the duties of both positions. A recognized expert in intellectual property law with more than 25 years of experience, Rea serves as a principal advisor to the secretary of commerce on both domestic and international intellectual property matters. Rea provides leadership and oversight to the day-to-day management of the policy, budget, and operations of an agency with over 11,000 employees. She also promotes innovation domestically and drives international harmonization efforts in support of the administration's top economic priorities, which include increasing economic growth.

Rea is a past president of AIPLA, and a past president of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and she has served in leadership roles for a variety of technical and legal associations. Rea has spoken and published frequently on patent topics, including biotechnology, nanotechnology, licensing, technology transfer, patent practice, and export control. Before joining the USPTO, Rea was a partner in Crowell and Moring LLP's Washington, D.C., office, where she focused on intellectual property and dispute resolution related to pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and other life science issues. Rea worked for Ethyl Corporation from 1980 through 1984 and for patent boutique firm Burns, Doane, Swecker and Mathis in Alexandria, Virginia.

A native of Michigan, Rea earned a juris doctor degree from Wayne State University and a bachelor of science degree in pharmacy from the University of Michigan. She also maintains an active pharmacy license.