On Nov. 13th 2007 Cardinal Francis George of Chicago was elected as president of the U.S. bishops' conference for a three-year term beginning in 2008.

Cardinal George received 85% of the votes today at the bishops' fall general assembly, under way in Maryland. Bishop Gerald Kicanas of Tucson, Arizona, was elected vice president, with 55% of the votes.

Cardinal George succeeds Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Washington. Prior to his election, Card. George was vice president of the bishops' conference, a position he held since 2004.

He has also served on many committees of the U.S. bishops, chief among them Liturgy, Doctrine, Pro-Life Activities and the Subcommittee on Lay Ministry.

He was born in Chicago in 1937 and ordained a priest of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in 1963.He was elected vicar general of the oblates in 1974, and worked in Rome until 1986. In 1990, he was appointed bishop of Yakima, Washington, where he served until he was named archbishop of Portland in 1997. One year later he was named archbishop of Chicago, following the death of Cardinal Joseph Bernardin.
In 1998, he was elevated to the College of Cardinals.

Bishop Kicanas, 66, is a native of Chicago. He was ordained a priest for that diocese in 1967, and named auxiliary bishop of Chicago in 1995. He has named coadjutor bishop of Tucson in 2001, and succeeded as bishop in 2003.