Jimmy Carter was the 39th US President. Significant foreign policy accomplishments of his administration included the Panama Canal treaties, the Camp David Accords, the treaty of peace between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union, and the establishment of US diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. He championed human rights throughout the world. On the domestic side, the administration's achievements included a comprehensive energy program conducted by a new Department of Energy and major environmental protection legislation, including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. In 1982, he founded The Carter Center. Carter Center fellows, associates, and staff join with President Carter in efforts to resolve conflict, promote democracy, protect human rights, and prevent disease and other afflictions. On December 10, 2002, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Carter "for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development."

Former First Lady Rosalynn Carter has worked for more than three decades to improve the quality of life for people around the world. She is an advocate for mental health, early childhood immunization, human rights, and conflict resolution through her work at The Carter Center in Atlanta. She also champions professional and family caregivers through her work at the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving at Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, near her home town of Plains, GA.

As president and chief executive officer, John Hardman provides leadership to achieve the Carter Center's commitment to prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improve health. He is an active participant in the Carter Center's program initiatives, including election monitoring in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, Ethiopian public health training, global development strategies, conflict resolution efforts, and agriculture programs aimed at improving food production in Africa and North Korea.