Carter Center Appoints Philip J. Hickey Jr. as Vice Chair for Board of Councilors

Contact: Deanna Congileo, 404-420-5108

ATLANTA, GA....Philip J. Hickey, Jr., chairman of the board and chief executive officer of RARE Hospitality International, Inc., has been appointed vice chair of the Carter Center's Board of Councilors. The board is comprised of 202 members, who serve as a leadership advisory group that promotes understanding among opinion leaders and the broader community of The Carter Center and its activities.

"Since joining the Board of Councilors in 1998, Mr. Hickey has demonstrated a real commitment to our mission," Carter Center Executive Director John Hardman said. "We look forward to working even more closely with him in this new leadership role."

In 2007, Mr. Hickey is slated to chair the Board of Councilors. He will follow current chair Ingrid Saunders Jones, senior vice president of The Coca-Cola Company, and 2005 chair, Frank Belatti, chairman of AFC Enterprises.

Since January 2001, Mr. Hickey has served as chairman and CEO of RARE Hospitality International, Inc. (NASDAQ: RARE), an Atlanta-based restaurant company whose concepts include LongHorn Steakhouse, Bugaboo Creek Steak House and The Capital Grille. Mr. Hickey is a 30-year veteran of the restaurant industry.

Mr. Hickey earned a bachelor's degree in business from Michigan State University and has served as an adjunct instructor at the Massey Business School at Belmont University. He currently serves on the Board of Advisors for the Hospitality Business Schools at both Michigan State and Georgia State University. He is a founding board member of the YMCA Community Action Project, an active member of the World Presidents Organization, and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Restaurant Association, Hemisphere, Inc., the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau.

####

The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide. A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, the Center has helped to improve life for people in more than 65 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; improving mental health care; and teaching farmers to increase crop production. To learn more about The Carter Center, please visit: www.cartercenter.org