| Friday, April 16, 2010 |
| |
| 9:00 AM |
|
Campaign School: Running for Local Office (East
Park Room)
Panel
Details ...
- Workshop Leader:
- Ryan Shafik, Rockwood Strategies
- Panelist:
- Ned Ryun, American Majority
|
| 12:00 Noon |
|
Break |
| 1:00 PM |
|
Welcoming Remarks
- Frederick W. Anton, III,
Chairman, PA Leadership Council
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| Frederick W. Anton, III |
Frederick W. Anton III is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association (PMA), a statewide business organization representing the interests of manufacturers in Pennsylvania's public policy process since 1909.
Since joining PMA in 1962, Mr. Anton has continued the association’s long tradition of political action, which was begun by its founder, U.S. Senator Joseph Grundy. Beginning in 1981, Mr. Anton has been the host for a bipartisan seminar and luncheon at the Metropolitan Club in New York City on the Saturday of The Pennsylvania Society’s annual dinner. Pennsylvania governors, U.S. senators, and other leading political figures from both major parties attend the event each year.
In recent years, U.S. Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum appointed Mr. Anton as Chairman of the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission of Pennsylvania.
A native of Philadelphia, Mr. Anton has lived in southeastern Pennsylvania all his life. He is a graduate of Haverford High School, Villanova University, and the Villanova School of Law, and is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps.
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| 1:15 PM |
|
Opening Speaker
- Introduction:
- Colin Hanna, Let Freedom Ring, USA
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| Colin Hanna |
Colin A. Hanna - President, Let Freedom Ring, Inc., a non-profit public policy organization committed to promoting Constitutional government, free enterprise and traditional values.
Let Freedom Ring's current projects include:
- www.WethePeopleCanRead.org, a new initiative urging Members of Congress to sign House Resolution 554 to require that all non-emergency legislation be posted on the Internet for 72 hours before it can be considered on the House floor.
- www.PledgeToRead.com, a pledge sent to every Member of the U.S. House and Senate stating that the signer pledges not to vote for a health care reform bill that the legislator hasn't read - and that hasn't been made available to the public to read also;
- www.NotSoSure.org presenting thought-provoking ideas about healthcare reform.
- Also www.WeNeedAFence.com advocating the construction of a state-of-the-art physical barrier along our southern border as part of an overall border security strategy;
- www.TheirOwnWords.com, a Jihadist awareness website; and the Pennsylvania Pastors Network, an association of Biblically-faithful pastors in the Keystone State who want to engage their congregations on matters of public policy and culture that are legitimately connected to the Christian faith, but without politicizing their pulpits or endangering their churches' tax status.
Colin is a former County Commissioner in Chester County, PA (1995-2003). Prior to his election he was a CBS sales executive in New York and Philadelphia; after CBS he started and sold several small businesses, including an advertising agency, a computerized barter exchange, a marketing and management consulting firm, an executive search firm and a computer service firm.
Veteran, U.S. Navy; guest: America's Newsroom with Megyn Kelly, Hannity and Colmes, The Situation with Tucker Carlson, Dayside, Fox & Friends, Your World with Neil Cavuto, The Big Story with John Gibson; Special Report with Brit Hume and The Lou Dobbs Report.
Graduate, University of Pennsylvania.
Personal- Father of two; married to Pricie; they live in West Chester, Pennsylvania.
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- Speaker:
- Phyllis Schlafly, Eagle Forum
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| Phyllis Schlafly |
Phyllis Schlafly has been a national leader of the
conservative movement since the publication of her best-selling 1964
book, A Choice Not An Echo.
She has been a leader of the pro-family movement since
1972, when she started her national volunteer organization now called
Eagle Forum, a national organization of citizens who participate as
volunteers in the public policymaking process. It maintains offices
on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. and in Alton, Illinois.
She is also the founder and president of Eagle Forum
Education & Legal Defense Fund, a think-tank which has its national
headquarters at the Eagle Forum Education Center in St. Louis. In a
ten-year battle, Mrs. Schlafly led the pro-family movement to victory
over the principal legislative goal of the radical feminists, called
the Equal Rights Amendment. An articulate and successful opponent of
the radical feminist movement, she appears in debate on college campuses
more frequently than any other conservative.
She was named one of the 100 most important women
of the 20th century by the Ladies' Home Journal. Mrs. Schlafly's monthly
newsletter called The Phyllis Schlafly Report is now in its 42nd year.
Her syndicated column appears in 100 newspapers, her radio commentaries
are heard daily on 500 stations, and her radio talk show on education
called "Eagle Forum Live" is heard weekly on 75 stations.
Mrs. Schlafly is a lawyer and served as a member of
the Commission on the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, 1985-1991,
appointed by President Reagan. She has testified before more than 50
Congressional and State Legislative committees on constitutional, national
defense, and family issues.
Mrs. Schlafly is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Washington
University, received her J.D. from Washington University Law School,
and received her Master's in Political Science from Harvard University.
In 2008 Washington University - St. Louis awarded Phyllis an honorary
Doctor of Humane Letters.
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bio)
|
| 2:00 PM |
|
Polishing the Apple: Improving Public Education
Panel
Details ...
- Moderator:
- Simon Campbell, Stop Teacher Strikes, Inc.
- Panelists:
- Todd Rock, State Representative
- Rick Dreyfuss, Commonwealth Foundation
- Jeff Piccola, State Senator
- Jenny Bradmon, PA Families for Public Cyber Schools
|
| 3:00 PM |
|
State Spending: Going for Broke
Panel
Details ...
- Moderator:
- Gene Barr, PA Chamber of Business & Industry
- Panelists:
- Ralph Pontillo, Manufacturer & Business Assoc.
- Keith Charles, PA Right to Work
- Kathryn Zuberbuhler Klaber, Marcellus Shale Coalition
- Charlie Gerow, Quantum Communications
|
| 4:00 PM |
|
Break |
| 5:00 PM |
|
Dick Morris Reception (East Park Room)
(Ticketed separately) |
| 6:30 PM |
|
Liberty Dinner
- MC:
- R.J. Harris, WHP Radio
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| R.J. Harris |
Started in radio at age 14 in Reading, PA
Currently Morning Host on WHP… and Operations Manager
for Clear Channel's WHP, WTKT, and WAEB in Allentown.
Has worked in radio management and on-air in markets
like: Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York City... for Companies like:
NBC, Doubleday, and Hearst.
Married 37 years to Bonnie.
3 Children. 2 Grandchildren
Has received numerous awards for community service...
including a citation from Governor Casey for aiding flood victims, a
national award from Hugh Downs for UNICEF, and recently was twice named
Personality of the Year for the State of PA by Special Olympics. Has
received the Marine Corp League’s distinguished service award and was
inducted into the Chapel of the Four Chaplains for his support of military
personnel and veterans. RJ also received the 2008 Sertoman of the Year
award from the Capital Area SERTOMA Club and Humanitarian of the Year
award for the State of Pa from the National Association of Insurance
and Financial Advisors. 2009 was commissioned as an Honorary Supply
Corp Officer in the U.S. Navy by Rear Admiral Michael Lydon.
Has had speeches showcased on PCN and CSPAN.
Picked by Politic Magazine as one of Pennsylvania’s
Top-100 Influencers.
Chosen to Emcee the Bob Dole and George W. Bush Presidential
campaign rallies in Harrisburg during their presidential campaigns.
Acted as Emcee of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge’s inaugural parade
and festivities.
Former Jaycee, Kiwanian, Rotarian and is currently
a member of the Capital Area SERTOMA Club. Hobby is geology and ham
radio. RJ is a former 3-term president of the Central Pennsylvania Rock
and Mineral Club.
WHP 580 is not only the highest rated station in Central
Pennsylvania, it is generally one of the top-5 rated news/talk stations
in America.
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bio)
- Pledge/Invocation:
- TBA
- Speaker:
- Pat Toomey, candidate for US Senate
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| Pat Toomey |
Pat Toomey, 46, was the President and CEO of the Club
for Growth, America's leading limited-government, free-enterprise advocacy
group.
Before joining the Club for Growth, Mr. Toomey served
as a member of the United States House of Representatives, from Pennsylvania's
15th congressional district, for three terms, from January 1999 through
January 2005. Mr. Toomey distinguished himself as one of Congress's
leading advocates for limited government and personal freedom. He served
on the Budget Committee, the Financial Services Committee and the Small
Business Committee.
In 2005, Mr. Toomey co-founded Team Capital Bank,
now operating in New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. He co-chairs the
Board of Directors.
Mr. Toomey also serves on the Board of Directors of
the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The
Bradley Foundation is devoted to strengthening American democratic capitalism
and the institutions, principles, and values that sustain and nurture
it. Mr. Toomey also serves on the Board of Directors of the Commonwealth
Foundation.
Prior to his service in Congress, Mr. Toomey co-founded,
owned and operated four very successful, original-concept restaurants
and bars in Allentown and Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
His first career was in investment banking from 1984
through 1991. He helped develop and manage a $21 billion derivatives
trading operation for Morgan Grenfell Finance, Inc. in New York, supervising
sales and trading operations in New York, London and Tokyo.
Mr. Toomey attended La Salle Academy in Providence,
RI and graduated from Harvard University, cum laude, with a degree in
government.
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bio)
- Featured Speaker:
- Dick Morris, political consultant
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| Dick Morris |
Probably the most prominent American political consultant,
Dick Morris is almost universally credited with piloting Bill Clinton
to a stunning comeback re-election victory in 1996 after the president
lost Congress to the Republican two years before. Called "the most influential
private citizen in America" by Time Magazine Morris helped steer Clinton
to the center and away from the liberal policies he had pursued in his
first two years in office. Morris is also credited with advising Clinton
to sign the welfare reform bill of 1996 and getting him to back a balanced
budget, both key centrist positions.
Morris began his relationship with Clinton in 1977
when he handled the Arkansas Attorney General's successful campaign
to become the youngest Governor in the nation. Morris did not work on
Clinton's defeat for re-election in 1980 but did oversee his comeback
victory in 1982 as well as his Arkansas re-election victories in 1984,
86, and 1990.
In addition to Clinton, Morris has handled the winning
campaigns for more than 30 Senators or Governors.
In recent years, Morris has turned to foreign campaigns
and served as chief strategist for Mexico's reformer Vicente Fox in
his upset victory in July, 2000 over the PRI after the party had ruled
the nation for 71 years. He also was the strategist behind Felipe Calderon’s
victory in Mexico in 2006. He was the chief strategist for the winning
campaigns for the Presidents or Prime Ministers in Argentina, Uruguay,
Colombia, Taiwan, Japan, Romania, and Ukraine.
In the United States, Morris has become a familiar
figure as a commentator for the Fox News Channel. He is well known for
hard hitting, nonpartisan, objective commentary about the U.S. political
scene. He writes a weekly column for the New York Post and another for
the Hill Magazine in Washington DC.
He has written twelve books including eight New York
Times bestsellers. His most recent best seller, written with his wife,
Eileen McGann, Catastrophe, debuted on the New York Times best seller
list as number one. The other best sellers are: Behind the Oval Office
(his memoir about the Clinton years), Off With Their Heads (about the
war on terror), Rewriting History (a biography of Hillary Clinton he
wrote with his wife, Eileen McGann), Because He Could (about Bill Clinton
also with Eileen), and Condi vs. Hillary (promoting Condoleezza Rice
for president written with Eileen) and Outrage (essays about rip-offs
in America with Eileen), and Fleeced (which warned of the disaster Obama
would bring). His other books are: Power Plays, Vote.com, The New Prince,
and Bum Rap on American Cities which he wrote in the 70s.
He lives with his wife of 33 years, Eileen McGann
in Florida.
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bio)
|
| 8:30 PM |
|
Dick Morris Book Signing |
| 9:00 PM |
|
Student Reception (East Park Room)
Hosted by Young Conservatives of PA and Commonwealth
Foundation
(meet other students who care about liberty, get information
on internships, and learn what YCoP and the Commonwealth Foundation are
doing to advance liberty in Pennsylvania) |
| 9:00 PM |
|
Student Activism: How you can change Public Policy in
Pennsylvania
Panel
Details ...
- Moderator:
- Matthew Brouillette, Commonwealth Foundation
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| Matthew Brouillette |
Matthew J. Brouillette (pronounced "Bree-Yet")
is president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy,
an independent, non-profit public policy research and educational organization
located in Harrisburg. The Commonwealth Foundation is dedicated to advancing
state-level public policies based on our nation’s founding principles
of limited government, economic freedom, and personal responsibility.
Through regular print, television, and talk radio
appearances across the commonwealth, Matt is a prominent voice in statewide
public policy debates bringing the free-market, pro-liberty perspective
to today’s political and policy discussions.
Matt is a board member of the REACH Alliance, a Pennsylvania
school choice advocacy organization, and the Joshua Group, a Harrisburg
nonprofit ministry serving at-risk youth. He serves on an advisory council
of the E. G. West Centre for Market Solutions in Education at the University
of Newcastle Upon Tyne in England, and is on an advisory committee for
the New York City-based Atlantic Legal Foundation. Matt is also an advisory
board member for the American Academy for Liberal Education in Washington,
D.C., a national organization dedicated to strengthening and promoting
liberal education through accreditation and research.
Matt received his undergraduate degree in U.S. History
and Education from Cornell College and earned post-graduate degrees
from Azusa Pacific University and the University of San Diego. Matt
is currently working on his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration.
He is married to DanaRae and has four children, Miles,
Liberty, Lindy Joy, and Samantha. The Brouillettes are members of Trinity
Presbyterian Church of America in Harrisburg, and they live in Hershey.
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- Panelists:
- Tom Shakely, Penn State
- Samuel Settle, Young Americans for Freedom
- Pericles Niarchos, Drexel University
|
| |
| Saturday, April 17, 2010 |
| |
| 7:00 AM |
|
Freedom Breakfast
- MC:
- Matthew Brouillette, Commonwealth Foundation
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| Matthew Brouillette |
Matthew J. Brouillette (pronounced "Bree-Yet")
is president and CEO of the Commonwealth Foundation for Public Policy,
an independent, non-profit public policy research and educational organization
located in Harrisburg. The Commonwealth Foundation is dedicated to advancing
state-level public policies based on our nation’s founding principles
of limited government, economic freedom, and personal responsibility.
Through regular print, television, and talk radio
appearances across the commonwealth, Matt is a prominent voice in statewide
public policy debates bringing the free-market, pro-liberty perspective
to today’s political and policy discussions.
Matt is a board member of the REACH Alliance, a Pennsylvania
school choice advocacy organization, and the Joshua Group, a Harrisburg
nonprofit ministry serving at-risk youth. He serves on an advisory council
of the E. G. West Centre for Market Solutions in Education at the University
of Newcastle Upon Tyne in England, and is on an advisory committee for
the New York City-based Atlantic Legal Foundation. Matt is also an advisory
board member for the American Academy for Liberal Education in Washington,
D.C., a national organization dedicated to strengthening and promoting
liberal education through accreditation and research.
Matt received his undergraduate degree in U.S. History
and Education from Cornell College and earned post-graduate degrees
from Azusa Pacific University and the University of San Diego. Matt
is currently working on his Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration.
He is married to DanaRae and has four children, Miles,
Liberty, Lindy Joy, and Samantha. The Brouillettes are members of Trinity
Presbyterian Church of America in Harrisburg, and they live in Hershey.
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bio)
- Speakers:
- John Gizzi, Human Events
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| John Gizzi |
With his daily access to the White House
as a correspondent, Mr. Gizzi offers readers the inside scoop in his
weekly politics column and Gizz-ette blog. The man who knows everyone
in Washington got his start at Human Events in 1979 after graduating
from Fairfield University in Connecticut and then working for the Travis
County (Tex.) Tax Assessor.
Mr. Gizzi has appeared on hundreds of
radio and TV programs, including those on C-SPAN, America's Voice, and
Talk America, and is also a frequent contributor to the BBC. He is a
past president of the Georgetown Kiwanis Club, past member of the St.
Matthew's Cathedral's Parish Council, and secretary of the West End
Friends of the Library. He is a recipient of the William A. Rusher Award
for Journalistic Excellence and was named Journalist of the Year by
the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2002.
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bio)
- Tim Phillips, Americans for Prosperity
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| Tim Phillips |
Tim Phillips is president of Americans for Prosperity and Americans for Prosperity Foundation. Americans for Prosperity (AFP) has enjoyed rapid growth, going from nine state chapters in January of 2006 to 25 state chapters today, with 980,000 grassroots activists who are fighting for free-market principles at the state, national and local levels. During 2009 AFP held over 300 "hands off my health care" bus rallies and town hall meetings as part of their effort to defeat the health care takeover. AFP's "Cost of hot air" tours have executed 82 events as part of a national effort to defeat cap-and-trade legislation.
Tim is a veteran political strategist and one of the nation’s premier grassroots organizers with 24 years of experience, including presidential, gubernatorial and congressional races, as well as state legislative, local and issue-advocacy campaigns. In 1992, Tim managed U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte’s (R-VA) first congressional campaign and later served as Rep. Goodlatte’s chief of staff on Capitol Hill for four years. In 1997, Tim helped found Century Strategies, one of the nation’s leading public affairs, political consulting and public relations firms. He was named a "Rising Star in Politics" in 1998 by Campaigns and Elections magazine. Tim and his wife, Julia, have been married for 25 years, and are the proud parents of four children.
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|
| 8:00 AM |
|
Keynote Panel – Building a Coalition that Wins
Panel
Details ...
- Moderator:
- Gary Sutton, WSBA Radio
- Panelists:
- Greg Wrightstone, PA Coalition for Responsible Government
- Tom Shakely, Penn State Student Activist
- Kevin Kelly, The Loyal Opposition
- Patrick Gleason, Americans for Tax Reform
- Diana Reimer, Tea Party Patriots
|
| 9:00 AM |
|
Keynote Speech
- Introduction:
- Lowman Henry, The Lincoln Institute
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| Lowman Henry |
Lowman S. Henry, is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, Inc., a non-profit educational foundation based in Harrisburg, PA. He serves as host of the Lincoln Radio Journal, a weekly public affairs radio program syndicated on 79 Pennsylvania radio stations; and is host of American Radio Journal heard on 117 radio stations nationwide.
He began his career as a broadcast and print journalist, served as Political Director of the Republican State Committee of Pennsylvania, President of the Pennsylvania Leadership Council, Chief of Staff to State Senator Earl Baker, and as Executive Assistant to the Attorney General of Pennsylvania. He has served in elective office as a Dauphin County Commissioner and a Lower Paxton Township Supervisor. He was the Republican Party’s nominee for Pennsylvania State Treasurer in 1992.
He serves on the board of directors of the Pennsylvania Manufacturers’ Association (PMA); Pennsylvanians for Right to Work; the Pennsylvania Association of Non-Profit Organizations (PANO); the Citizens Alliance of Pennsylvania, and on the advisory board of the Allegheny Institute for Public Policy in Pittsburgh. Mr. Henry is a member of the Charlton United Methodist Church and of the Colonial Park Rotary Club. He is a graduate of Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania. He is married to Carol Lynn Henry, and they have three sons.
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bio)
- Speaker:
- Kellyanne Conway, the polling company™, inc.
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| Kellyanne Conway |
Kellyanne Elizabeth Conway is CEO and President of
the polling company™, inc. a privately-held, woman-owned corporation
founded in 1995. The firm is headquartered in Washington, DC and maintains
an office in New York City. Mrs. Conway is one of the most quoted and
noted pollsters on the national scene.
Among her accomplishments, she was recognized as the
most accurate predictor of the 2004 elections and received The Washington
Post's "Crystal Ball" award and co-author of WHAT WOMEN REALLY WANT:
How American Women Are Quietly Erasing Political, Racial, Class, and
Religious Lines to Change the Way We Live (Free Press, 2005). The book
has met with critical acclaim for its ability to distill complex data
into memorable message points, acronyms, and phrases.
Throughout her 20-year qualitative and quantitative
research career, Kellyanne has provided primary research and advice
for clients in 46 of the 50 states and has directed hundreds of demographic
and attitudinal survey projects for statewide and congressional political
races, trade associations, and Fortune 100 companies. A professionally
trained moderator, Kellyanne has personally directed more than 300 focus
groups and other qualitative discussions. Clients have included Lifetime
Television, The Heritage Foundation, Major League Baseball, The Federalist
Society, Coalition of Community Pharmacists Association, the U.S. Office
of Personnel Management, Mass Connections, American Express, ABC News,
and the U.S. Department of Labor.
A "fully-recovered" attorney, Kellyanne
is admitted to practice law in four jurisdictions (Maryland, New Jersey,
Pennsylvania, and the District of Columbia). She has practiced law,
clerked for a judge in Washington, DC and for four years, was an adjunct
professor at George Washington University Law Center. Kellyanne is a
magna cum laude graduate of Trinity College, Washington, D.C., where
she earned a B.A. in Political Science, studied at Oxford University,
and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. She holds a law degree, with honors,
from George Washington University Law Center.
Kellyanne has provided commentary on over 1,200 television
shows on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, HBO, Comedy Central,
MTV and the Fox News Channel, and countless radio shows and print stories.
Kellyanne has been profiled in over a dozen magazines, newspapers, and
television programs. Her polling data and op-eds have been published
by The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The New York Times,
The New York Post, The Washington Times, USA Today, National Review,
Human Events, Investors' Business Daily, and Campaigns and Elections.
She is the Editor and Publisher of WomanTrends Online,
a web-based publication that provides the latest news on a multitude
of current and prospective lifestyle, financial, health, ethnic, work,
entertainment, green, technological, and generational trends, which
are influencing and influenced by consumer attitudes and behaviors.
WomanTrend, a division of the polling company, inc., analyzes over 50
national and international publications and compiles the findings into
WomanTrends Online.
She is a board member of the Clare Boothe Luce Policy
Institute, the National Journalism Center, the National Women's History
Museum, and Men Against Breast Cancer and past member of the University
of San Francisco School of Business Advisory Council. Mrs. Conway retains
memberships in the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR)
and the Qualitative Research Consultants Association (QRCA).
Kellyanne (formerly "Fitzpatrick") is a
native of South Jersey. She is married to George T. Conway III and they
have four children.
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bio)
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| 9:30 AM |
|
Beyond Corruption: Transparency, Accountability and Reform
Panel
Details ...
- Moderator:
- Chris Freind, Columnist
- Panelists:
- Joe Sterns, Citizens Alliance of PA
- Curt Schroder, State Representative
- Doug Reichley, State Representative
- Lyndsay O’Herrick, Citizen Activist
|
| 10:30 AM |
|
Marriage and More
Panel
Details ...
- Moderator:
- Michael Geer, PA Family Institute
- Panelists:
- John Eichelberger, State Senator
- Patrick Fagan, Family Research Council
- Randy Wenger, Independence Law Center
|
| 11:30 AM |
|
Break |
| 12:00 Noon |
|
Leadership Luncheon
- MC:
- David Taylor, PA Manufacturers' Association
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| David Taylor |
David N. Taylor is Executive Director the Pennsylvania
Manufacturers' Association (PMA), a statewide trade organization representing
the interests of manufacturers in the state's public policy process
since 1909.
In addition to overseeing the association's daily
operations, he is editor of the PMA Legislative Bulletin, Webmaster
of www.pamanufacturers.org, association spokesman, legislative lobbyist,
and liaison to PMA members and allied organizations. He is also a columnist
for the Pocono Business Journal and host of "Capitol Watch" on Lincoln
Radio Journal.
A 1990 graduate of Dickinson College, Taylor previously
worked for the Research Department of the Republican National Committee
in Washington DC, state Sen. John J. Shumaker (R-Dauphin), and the Pennsylvania
Leadership Council.
Immediately prior to joining PMA, he worked in the
Washington DC office of U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Allegheny), where
he served as the staff writer for issues before the U.S. Senate Armed
Services, Foreign Relations, Intelligence, and Veterans' Affairs committees.
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bio)
- Pledge:
- TBA
- Invocation:
- TBA
- Speakers:
- Dick Thornburgh, Former Governor or Pennsylvania
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| Dick Thornburgh |
Identified by Washingtonian magazine recently as one of "ten legendary Washington lawyers who will forever leave their mark on the District's legal landscape," Dick Thornburgh is currently counsel to the international law firm of K&L Gates LLP, resident in its Washington, D.C. office. He previously served as Governor of Pennsylvania, Attorney General of the United States under Presidents Reagan and George H. W. Bush and Under-Secretary General of the United Nations, during a public career which spanned over 25 years.
Elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 1978 and re-elected in 1982, Thornburgh was the first Republican ever to serve two successive terms in that office. He served as Chair of the Republican Governors Association and was named by his fellow governors as one of the nation's most effective big-state governors in a 1986 Newsweek poll.
During his service as Governor, Thornburgh balanced state budgets for eight consecutive years, reduced both personal and business tax rates, cut the state's record-high indebtedness and left a surplus of $350 million. Under his leadership, 15,000 unnecessary positions were eliminated from the swollen state bureaucracy that he inherited and widely recognized economic development, education and welfare reform programs were implemented. Pennsylvania's unemployment rate, among the ten highest in the nation when he was elected, was among the ten lowest when he left office as 50,000 new businesses and 500,000 new jobs were created during his tenure.
Following the unprecedented Three Mile Island nuclear accident in 1979, Governor Thornburgh was described by observers as "one of the few authentic heroes of that episode as a calm voice against panic."
After his unanimous confirmation by the United States Senate, Thornburgh served three years as Attorney General of the United States (1988-1991) in the cabinets of Presidents Reagan and Bush. He mounted a vigorous attack on white-collar crime as the Department of Justice obtained a record number of convictions of savings and loan and securities officials, defense contractors and corrupt public officials. Thornburgh established strong ties with law enforcement agencies around the world to help combat drug trafficking, money laundering, terrorism and international white-collar crime. During his tenure as Attorney General, he twice argued and won cases before the United States Supreme Court.
All told, Thornburgh served in the Justice Department under five Presidents, beginning as United States Attorney in Pittsburgh (1969-1975) and Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Criminal Division (1975-1977), emphasizing efforts against major drug traffickers, organized crime and corrupt public officials. In August 2002, he was appointed Examiner in the WorldCom bankruptcy proceedings, then the largest ever filed, to report on wrongdoing and malfeasance that led to the company's downfall. He was also chosen in 2004 by CBS to co-chair an independent investigation into the "60 Minutes Wednesday" segment on President Bush's service in the Texas Air National Guard and has conducted numerous other internal investigations for leading enterprises.
During his service as Under-Secretary-General at the United Nations (1992-1993), Thornburgh was in charge of personnel, budget and finance matters. His report to the Secretary-General on reform, restructuring and streamlining efforts designed to make the United Nations peacekeeping, humanitarian and development programs more efficient and cost-effective was widely praised. He also has served as a consultant to the United Nations, the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank on efforts to battle fraud and corruption.
Throughout his career, he has traveled widely, visiting over 40 countries and meeting with leaders from Canada, Mexico, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, India, Cambodia, Australia, New Zealand and Central and South America. He served as an observer to the Russian Federation's first legislative (1993) and presidential (1996) elections.
A native of Pittsburgh, Thornburgh was educated at Yale University, where he obtained an engineering degree, and at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law where he served as an editor of the Law Review. He has been awarded honorary degrees by 32 other colleges and universities. Thornburgh served as Director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government (1987-1988) and has lectured on over 125 other campuses, (including Moscow State University), debated at the Oxford Union and has frequently appeared as a guest commentator on network news and talk shows.
Thornburgh was an elected Delegate to Pennsylvania's historic Constitutional Convention (1967-1968) where he spearheaded efforts at judicial and local government reform. He was an unsuccessful candidate for the United States House of Representatives (1966) and the United States Senate (1991).
Thornburgh, born July 16, 1932, is married to Ginny Judson Thornburgh, a former schoolteacher from New York, who holds degrees from Wheaton College in Norton, Massachusetts and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She presently serves as Director of the Interfaith Initiative of the American Association of People with Disabilities, based in Washington, D.C., and has co-authored and edited That All May Worship, an award-winning handbook for religious congregations working to include people with all types of disabilities. She received the Hubert H. Humphrey Civil Rights Award from the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights in April, 2005.
The Thornburghs have four sons and six grandchildren. As parents of a son with physical and intellectual disability, they have taken a special interest in the needs of persons with disabilities and, with their son, Peter, were named "Family of the Year" in 1985 by the Pennsylvania Association of Retarded Citizens. Both Ginny and Dick Thornburgh were featured speakers at the Vatican Conference on Disabilities held in Rome in November, 1992 and were co-recipients in 2003 of the Henry B. Betts Award, the proceeds from which were used to establish the Thornburgh Family Lecture Series on Disability Law and Policy at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dick Thornburgh's autobiography, "Where the Evidence Leads" was published by the University of Pittsburgh Press in September 2003. Further details on his career are available online at www.library.pitt.edu/thornburgh.
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- Mike Turzai, State Representative
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| Mike Turzai |
Mike Turzai hit the ground running strong
as soon as he was elected State Representative for the 28th district,
representing communities in the North Hills of Allegheny County, in
2001. He quickly emerged as a commonsense, principled leader promoting
fiscal responsibility, economic competitiveness and professional integrity.
Mike was elected by the House Republican Caucus to serve as the Republican
Whip for the 2009-2010 session.
Rep. Turzai has pushed hard to control
government spending so we can reduce taxes on families. He has been
out front in calling for a reduction in the personal income tax, a cut
in the consumer electric tax and has fought for tax incentives for college
savings.
Rep. Turzai has pushed for job retention
and creation by advocating measures to lower overhead costs for employers,
thereby incenting them to stay and expand here or start up and relocate
here. He has lead efforts to provide real business tax relief. Mike
has advocated for lawsuit abuse reform and a fair and balanced workers'
compensation and unemployment compensation system.
Mike and his wife, Lidia and their three
sons, Andrew, Stephen and Matthew, live in Bradford Woods and are involved
in many community activities.
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Sam Rohrer, candidate for PA Governor
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| Sam Rohrer |
Since his remarkable election to the Pennsylvania
House of Representatives in 1992, Sam Rohrer has been one of the leading
voices for state government reform and family-affirming public policies.
His outspoken support for constitutional principles has been the hallmark
of his public service. More than opposing negative public policies,
Sam has been a champion for consensus-building public policy alternatives
and solutions.
The son of a union steelworker, Sam strongly advocates
issues that impact working families. By promoting the role of parents
in their children's education, opposing tax increases on employees and
workers, and crafting landmark legislation to eliminate school property
taxes, Sam continues to build broad bipartisan coalitions on a range
of important issues.
During his tenure on the House Education Committee,
Sam authored the historic Education Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) scholarship.
To date, some 33,000 Pennsylvania students have been empowered to attend
private or enhanced public school programs because of the initiative.
Sam and his family's love of the outdoors fuels a
passion to improve the stewardship of Pennsylvania's natural resources.
As the Republican chairman of the Game and Fisheries Committee, he was
an outspoken proponent of commonsense conservation policies that respect
private property and protects the rights of tens of thousands of hunters
and anglers. Because of his uncompromising support for Second Amendment
freedoms he has earned the consistent backing of sportsmen and gun owners.
In 2007, Sam was appointed to the Speaker's Commission
on Government Reform, which brought new levels of transparency and accountability
to the state legislature. In his current role as Republican chairman
of the House Finance Committee, he continues to argue for strong, structural
limits on state government taxes and spending.
In recent months, Sam has been leading opposition
to the explosive growth of federal spending, regulations and unconstitutional
mandates in Pennsylvania. This year, he led an effort to pass the "10th
Amendment Resolution," challenging the expanded reach of the federal
government in areas ranging from healthcare to education.
Sam and his wife Ruth Ann are the parents of six children
and three grandchildren. The Rohrer family considers their commitment
to faith and family as their highest priorities.
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Tom Corbett, candidate for PA Governor
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| Tom Corbett |
In 2004, Tom Corbett was elected to serve as Pennsylvania's
chief law enforcement officer, the Attorney General. In November 2008
he won reelection in a decisive fashion, drawing strong bipartisan support
for the office's ongoing mission to make this Commonwealth a safer better
place for families to live, work and raise a family.
When first running for the office, Corbett identified
four pressing problems threatening Pennsylvania's communities. Once
elected, General Corbett quickly addressed these issues by developing
and creating the following programs: 1.) a Child Predator Unit to capture
Internet predators before they have a chance to prey on our children,
with 244 convicted to date; 2.) an Elder Abuse Unit to protect our senior
citizens from fraud and abuse; 3.) a Public Corruption Unit to protect
citizens from abuse of power and government corruption; and 4.) a dedicated
commitment to fight the war on illegal drugs and gangs in our neighborhoods
and to halt drug trafficking in our communities.
Tom Corbett's experience as a criminal prosecutor
began in Allegheny County as Assistant.
District Attorney. President Ronald Reagan appointed
Corbett to be Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of PA
and named him one of the first members of President Reagan's National
Drug Task Force. Following several years of private law practice, President
George H. W. Bush appointed Corbett to become the U.S. Attorney for
the Western District of Pennsylvania. In 1995, Governor Tom Ridge selected
Tom Corbett to fill the vacancy in the Attorney General's office for
the duration of the term. It was not until 2004 that Corbett ran statewide
for Attorney General and won both highly contested primary and general
election races.
Recognized as a national leader on his balanced approach
to business, General Corbett has been featured on the cover of CFO magazine.
Corbett was a leader of the northeast Attorneys General through his
association with the National Association of Attorneys General. He served
as Chairman of the Republican Association of Attorneys General and sits
on the Attorney General of the United States' Executive Working Group,
an elite group of law enforcement officials from throughout the nation.
General Corbett served his country as a member of
the Pennsylvania Army National Guard 28th Infantry Division, rising
in rank from private to captain. Corbett received his undergraduate
degree from Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania; and earned
his law degree at St. Mary's University Law School in San Antonio, Texas.
A life-long Pennsylvania resident, Tom married his
college sweetheart, Susan. They are the proud parents of two children:
Tom, a video game producer and Katherine, a prosecutor in the Philadelphia
District Attorney's office.
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