MCLEAN, VA. — Joe Gibbs, former head football coach of the National Football League’s Washington Redskins and current NASCAR team owner, has been named the general session speaker for the 2009 American Retail Bakery Exposition (ARBE) set for Oct. 18-20 in Charlotte, N.C. He will speak on "perseverance, teamwork and excellence."

Mr. Gibbs was head coach of the Redskins from 1981 to 1992, leading the team to four Super Bowls and winning three titles. He left in 1993 to spend more time with his family and his NASCAR team, Joe Gibbs Racing, which was established in 1991. He later returned to the Redskins as head coach from 2004 to 2008. Currently, he is a special adviser to Redskins team owner Daniel Snyder.

In 1986, Mr. Gibbs founded Youth for Tomorrow, a faith-based residential facility in Bristow, Va. The facility provides care for at-risk teenagers between the ages of 11 and 18.

The 2009 ARBE will be held Oct. 18-20 at the Charlotte Convention Center in North Carolina. The theme of this year’s show is "Shift Into Higher Sales."