2010 Pennsylvania
Leadership Conference

Keynote Panel – Congressional Panel

Moderator:

Gary Sutton, WSBA Radio

Panelists:

Tom Shakely, Penn State Student Activist

Kevin Kelly, The Loyal Opposition

Diana Reimer, Tea Party Patriots

Patrick Gleason, Americans for Tax Reform

Greg Wrightstone, PA Coalition for Responsible Government

Saturday, April 17, 2010

8:00 - 9:00 am

Moderator:


Gary Sutton

• Gary Sutton, WSBA Radio
  (click for bio)

Gary Sutton has been around York County for over 40 years, and during that time has become involved in the community in many diverse ways. Aside from being as interested in what is going on around him as you are, Gary is also "tuned in" to the national and world communities around him, and welcomes the opportunity to talk with you each weekday morning.

Holding a BS degree from Mansfield University and a Master's degree in Educational Administration from Western Maryland College as well as a secondary school principal certificate, Gary found a rewarding career in guiding the lives of others as a teacher for 25 years. With a broadcasting career that spans nearly two decades, he has hosted or co-hosted several talk shows on WSBA.

Gary keeps his pencil sharpened, writing newspaper columns and magazine articles, and has hosted his own TV show on Comcast Cable in York. He's covered the national Republican and Democratic conventions, as well as the White House. As a sports fan, Gary has also covered the PIAA State Sports Championships on PCN, the Pennsylvania Cable Network.

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Panelists:

Tom Shakely

• Tom Shakely, Penn State Student Activist
  (click for bio)

Thomas A. Shakely is a Penn Stater and has been actively involved in the student and town community as a State College resident. He has served as president and general manager of The LION 90.7fm (WKPS), has worked in student government, and area political campaigns.

In 2007, he founded Safeguard Old State, an advocacy group focused on preserving and advancing Penn State as a classically liberal, intellectually diverse university, dedicated to its land-grant heritage and its duty to educate the working people of the Commonwealth.

Tom is a contributing editor and recurring columnist for The Philadelphia Bulletin, a frequent panelist on Penn State Radio’s daily public affairs program, “Radio Free Penn State,” and a contributor on energy, economics and education to American Solutions, a tri-partisan citizen action network founded by former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

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Kevin Kelly

• Kevin Kelly, The Loyal Opposition
  (click for bio)

Kevin Kelly is a former Naval Aviator, current F-16C+ Fighter Pilot and entrepreneur; having successfully developed over 25 properties in Philadelphia in the last 5 years. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accountancy and Naval Science from Villanova University, he entered Navy flight training at Pensacola NAS and received his wings of gold as a Naval Aviator in 1992. He has flown on numerous deployments onboard multiple aircraft carriers and is a combat Veteran with over 400 carrier landings. During his time as a Naval Officer and A-6E Attack Pilot, Kevin was responsible for the training and development of over 250 enlisted sailors. He also served as squadron Legal Officer after graduating from the Navy Legal Justice School with honors. He was selected for an inter-service transfer to the United States Air Force where he earned his current designation as an F-16 Instructor pilot. He was immediately placed in charge of 10 squadron pilots and fellow officers as a Flight Commander and served with distinction, receiving numerous awards and combat decorations. Kevin has served multiple tours of duty in the Middle East, most recently returning from Iraq in April 2006.

In the spring of 2005, Kevin was elected as Chairman of the Philadelphia Federation of Young Republicans and revitalized the once defunct association into a thriving, fiscally solvent organization that provides a venue for young professionals to get locally active. After turning over leadership of the Young Republicans, Kevin founded and serves as Vice Chairman for The Loyal Opposition, a Republican policy group focused on providing alternative perspectives, opinions and solutions to issues affecting the citizens of Philadelphia. (www.phillyopposition.com)

He is a speaker and facilitator with Afterburner Seminars, a group of men and women fighter pilots that teach Fortune 500 and select outstanding companies the tools and techniques used by combat aviators when the stakes are high and failure is not an option. (www.afterburnerseminars.com/)

He is a graduate of the Prometheus Academy of Strategic Management and consultant, working with the Executive teams of many outstanding international corporations; helping them develop long term strategies for success. Kevin is currently working with the Philadelphia Fire Company, helping them develop a 5 year strategy for the organization in an era of shrinking budgets and cutbacks.

His latest project, Dakota Blu in Old City, will be the largest Salon, Medical Aesthetic, and Plastic Surgery facility in the region; a business which he designed and will ultimately operate as owner and Managing Partner. He holds his Pennsylvania real estate license and is a member of the Union League of Philadelphia. Kevin resides in the Northern Liberties section of the city with his wife Marisa. He serves as Vice Chairman of the Penn Treaty Special Services District which he helped create in conjunction with his neighborhood leaders and the Sugar House Casino. He is eligible for a full active duty retirement in the summer of 2010.

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Diana Reimer

• Diana Reimer, Tea Party Patriots
  (click for bio)

Diana Reimer is a native Philadelphian and now resides in Lansdale, PA with her husband Don of 37 years, also a Navy wife and mother of two children. Diana had a cleaning service for 20 years in order to have flexibility in her schedule for her family. Diana was very involved, as was Don, with the children's sports and extracurricular activities through their school years and beyond.

Diana is a board member of the National Coordinator Team of Tea Party Patriots, serves as its Pennsylvania State Coordinator and she is the co-founder of the Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots (PTPP).

Since March 2009, Diana has spearheaded, organized and/or promoted many successful grassroots events and activities both in the City of Philadelphia and surrounding counties: Philadelphia, Montgomery and Bucks as well as an event at the Capitol Building in Harrisburg, PA. Diana is volunteering her time and talent to push back on issues that detract from constitutionally limited government, fiscal responsibility and free market principles: the core values of the PTPP.

As a grassroots patriot, Diana is a natural born and untiring social networking individual and a self taught conservative community organizer; one who familiarizes herself with the issues, enlists the help of many volunteers, provides the motivation and inspiration by her personal example and just gets it done.

Attested by her patriotic involvement, Diana was instrumental in organizing and/or promoting many successful, peaceful and orderly grassroots happenings to include but not limited to the following: two separate tea party demonstrations held in the City of Philadelphia; one open training event for activists involved in the grassroots American movement; a grassroots group attendance for the Philadelphia Town Hall meeting; three separate Panelist Forums organized and held to imparting information on the ObamaCare legislature bill and to provide a follow-on Q&A; organized and personally escorted several Senate and Congressional lobbying grassroots group visits to Washington D. C.; a platform speaker at the 9-12 March on Washington DC; initiated and formed the Pennsylvania Tea Party Patriots Coalition made up of a mix of 70 separate grassroots and/or patriotic groups that supported the successful 11-14 Taxpayers March on Harrisburg, PA.

In the weeks following the Harrisburg march and its "Can You Hear Us Now" demonstration held on the steps of the Capitol, Diana continued to communicate with the coalition groups. Currently, Diana is the weekly facilitator of this new grassroots entity: Pennsylvania Tea Party Coalition; an autonomous gathering of patriotic grassroots coordinators who keep in communication weekly via a conference call. In addition, with the assistance of Don, the Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots is launching five new Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots groups, with the mission to organize, educate, inform, attract and mobilize our fellow citizens for the purpose of securing public policy consistent with our core values as expressed on the website of the Philadelphia Tea Party Patriots www.philateapartypatriots.com.

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Patrick Gleason

• Patrick Gleason, Americans for Tax Reform (ATR)
  (click for bio)

Patrick Gleason is Director of State Affairs for Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). ATR is a coalition of taxpayer groups, individuals and businesses opposed to higher taxes at the federal, state and local levels. ATR organizes the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which asks all candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to oppose all tax increases.

Gleason handles state tax, budget, and energy issues for ATR. Prior to joining ATR, Gleason was head of state government affairs for a major trade association based in Washington, DC. Gleason's writing and commentary have been published in the Boston Globe, Philadelphia Inquirer, Washington Times, Arizona Republic, Chicago Daily Herald, and the OC Register, among others.

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Gregory Wrightstone

• Gregory Wrightstone, Pennsylvania Coalition for Responsible Government
  (click for bio)

Gregory Wrightstone is the President of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Responsible Government, a group formed to promote and advance the principles of limited government. The organization was formed in February of 2009 in response to the radical policies and agendas of the Obama Administration and the left-wing ideologues in Congress. He most recently MC'd the Pittsburgh Tea Party in November of 2009. He is actively working with a small group of political activists (Gang of Six) that are supporting conservative candidates in U. S. House races in Pennsylvania.

He was a member of the Socialist Workers Party in his youth, but was converted to conservatism by getting a daily dose of Ronald Reagan on the radio in the late 1970's with the "Ronald Reagan Commentaries."

Mr. Wrightstone is Director of Geology for Texas Keystone, Inc., a Pittsburgh based natural gas exploration company. He has lectured extensively on the Marcellus Shale, which is projected to become the 2nd largest natural gas field in the world. The Marcellus may be the single greatest economic engine for Pennsylvania since the rise of the Steel industry, with projections of 120,000 new jobs in PA by the end of 2010. Pennsylvania produced natural gas may provide the answer to our nation's energy supply problems through utilization of the resource as a transportation fuel.

He and his wife Julia have four children and reside in Ingomar, PA (Allegheny County).

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