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AUGUST 22-24, 2019 STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, COLORADO Letter from the Chairman JENNIFER SCHUBERT-AKIN

As the Steamboat Institute enters Welcome to its 2nd decade of “inspiring Americans to greatness,” we are looking to the future – specifically, to the future leadership that will preserve and protect our cherished freedoms. Look around you this weekend and you will see our 29 emerging leaders from across the U.S., who are attending this weekend on scholarships, thanks to our many generous supporters. And, look through this program to see the young, rising star journalists – our 7 Fellows – who are speaking and moderating panels. We will also feature a debate on the future of our country: “Socialism vs Capitalism: Is America destined to become a socialist nation?” With this debate shaping up to be the central issue of the 2020 Presidential campaign, we are taking this debate on the road with our Campus Liberty Tour in September, visiting the University of Maryland, University of Texas – Austin, and University of Colorado – Denver. What about the future of free speech on college campuses? Our Courage in Education award will recognize a brave professor who dared to challenge his administration for the lack of ideological balance in the school’s extracurricular programming. For this simple act, he was subjected to a firestorm of criticism, including calls for his tenure to be reviewed, threats against his family, and destruction of his personal property on campus. And, closely following the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, we are excited to celebrate the future of the space program with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. But, as we look to the future, we must find creative new ways to persuade people from across the political and social spectrum of the value of individual liberty, freedom from excessive government regulation, and personal responsibility. With our growing film Featuring Keynote festival, now in its third year, we are aiming to do just that. We hope you will take time to visit with our next generation of Dinner Speaker leaders, take in a good movie, sip a Coyote Gold Margarita, and enjoy the freedom we have to gather in this beautiful Rocky Mountain setting. ALAN DERSHOWITZ We are honored to have you with us as we begin our 2nd decade Professor Emeritus, Harvard Law School of “inspiring Americans to greatness.”

Jennifer Schubert-Akin The Steamboat Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, non- partisan organization. Contributions are tax-deductible to the Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder, The Steamboat Institute extent allowed by law.

2 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness CONFERENCE DAY SESSIONS take place in the Korbel Ballroom at Steamboat Grand

Please help us to ensure a respectful and enjoyable experience for all by following the below guidelines: • Kindly silence cell phones • Audio/videotaping is expressly prohibited • Index cards are provided for your use in submitting questions to our speakers. Volunteers will gather the cards. •  @Steamboat_Inst, @thesteamboatinstitute, and #FreedomConference19

Wifi access in Korbel Ballroom at The Steamboat Grand: User name: GrandConference Password: HappyTrails

Miracle in East Texas The Creepy Line Not in Vein Thursday, Aug. 22 Thursday, Aug. 22 Friday, Aug. 23 Meet the film producers 3:00 pm 7:30 pm 3:30 pm and stars

All FILM FESTIVAL screenings will be shown at Wildhorse 6 Stadium Cinemas, 655 Marketplace Plaza, a 5-7 minute walk from the Steamboat Grand (free shuttle will Also be provided) Gosnell The Pursuit A Dog’s Journey Saturday, Aug. 24 Saturday, Aug. 24 Saturday, Aug. 24 3:00 pm 3:15 pm 7:30 pm

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 3 THURSDAY, Day 1 AUGUST 22, 2019

3:00 – 5:00 pm FILM FESTIVAL Featuring remarks by co-producers SAM & KEVIN SORBO “Miracle in East Texas” Inspired by one of the most improbably true ever, this is the entertaining tale of two aging con men at the dawn of the Great Depression, and the biggest oil strike in the history of the world. The mostly true story will make you laugh, shed a tear, and give you pride in the God-Blessed American way.

5:00 – 7:00 pm Sponsor-Speaker Welcome Reception (location provided to invited guests)

7:30 – 9:30 pm FILM FESTIVAL Followed by panel with co-producers MICHELLE AND MATTHEW “The Creepy Line” TAYLOR (Wandering Foot Productions) An eye-opening documentary, The Creepy Line reveals the stunning degree to which society is manipulated by Google and and blows the lid off the remarkably subtle – hence powerful – manner in which they do it. The Creepy Line is a title culled from the words of former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, when during a 2010 interview he explained Google’s code of conduct: “The Google policy on a lot of things is to get right up to the creepy line and not cross it.”

4 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 Day 2

***C-SPAN WILL BE RECORDING ALL FRIDAY SESSIONS***

8:00 – 9:00 am Registration opens and breakfast buffet is served

9:00 – 9:15 am Welcome and Opening Remarks JENNIFER SCHUBERT-AKIN, Chairman, CEO and Co-founder, Steamboat Institute Presentation of the Colors by local AMERICAN LEGION/VFW HONOR GUARD Pledge of Allegiance, led by SCOUT ENNIS, Member of Steamboat Institute’s Emerging Leaders Advisory Council Our National Anthem, performed by DR. KERI RUSTHOI, Soprano; Founder and former Artistic Director, Opera Steamboat; International Soloist for summer music festivals in Europe Invocation by AMELIA HETFIELD, Member of Steamboat Institute’s Emerging Leaders Advisory Council

9:15 – 10:00 am Opening Address DAVID BERNHARDT, Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior Following his remarks, Secretary Bernhardt will be interviewed by JILLIAN KAY MELCHIOR, Editorial Page Writer,

10:00 – 10:15 am Break

10:15 – 11:15 am Debate: TRENT ENGLAND, Executive Vice President, Oklahoma Council of “How Should We Elect Our President? Public Affairs A Debate on National Popular Vote vs. TED TRIMPA, Founder and CEO, Trimpa Group Electoral College” Moderator: HADLEY HEATH MANNING, Policy Director, Independent Women’s Forum; Tony Blankley Senior Fellow, Steamboat Institute

11:15 am – 12:00 pm “The Rise of the Administrative ILYA SHAPIRO, Director of the Center for Constitutional Studies, State: Will the U.S. be a democracy Cato Institute in the future or a nation ruled PETER WALLISON, Arthur F. Burns Fellow in Financial Policy Studies, by the unelected officials of the American Enterprise Institute administrative state?” Moderator: SAAGAR ENJETI, Chief Washington Correspondent, The Hill and Hill.TV; 2019-20 Tony Blankley Fellow, Steamboat Institute Following this panel, Mr. Wallison will sign copies of his book, Judicial Fortitude: The Last Chance to Rein in the Administrative State

12:00 – 12:15 pm Break

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 5 Day 2 FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 (continued)

***C-SPAN WILL BE RECORDING ALL FRIDAY SESSIONS***

12:15 – 1:00 pm Luncheon Speaker JIM DEMINT, Chairman of Conservative Partnership Institute; U.S. “Conservative: Knowing What to Senator from South Carolina (2005-13) Keep: Why the Principles that made Moderator: HADLEY HEATH MANNING, Policy Director, Independent America the freest, most prosperous Women’s Forum; Tony Blankley Senior Fellow, Steamboat Institute nation in world history must be reclaimed to prevent our demise”

1:00 – 1:15 pm Break

1:15 – 2:00 pm “Keeping America Safe: SARA CARTER, Investigative Reporter; Contributor A Deep Dive into the intersecting (participating via Skype) threats of anti-Semitism, Muslim ASRA NOMANI, Co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement; former supremacy, border security, and reporter for The Wall Street Journal acts of terrorism” Moderator: AMBER ATHEY, White House Correspondent, ; 2019-20 Tony Blankley Fellow, Steamboat Institute

2:00 – 3:00 pm Debate: STEVE MOORE, Distinguished Visiting Fellow for the Project for “Socialism vs Capitalism: Economic Growth at Is America destined to become BHASKAR SUNKARA, Founding Editor and Publisher of Jacobin; a socialist nation?” author of The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality Moderator: JILLIAN KAY MELCHIOR, Editorial Page Writer, The Wall Street Journal, Tony Blankley Fellow, Steamboat Institute (2015-17) Following this panel, Steve Moore will sign copies of his latest book, Trumponomics: Inside the America First Plan to Revive Our Economy And Bhaskar Sunkara will sign copies of his new book, The Socialist Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality

3:30 – 5:00 pm FILM FESTIVAL Featuring remarks by: “Not in Vein” ASHLEY EVANS, whose story is featured in the documentary; Ms. Evans was a special guest of First Lady Melania Trump at the 2019 State of the Union Address KIM KLEINHANS, Director of Family Advocacy, Brigid’s , a treatment facility for babies born opioid-dependent and provider of support to families Moderator: ERICKA ANDERSEN SYLVESTER, Digital Media Consultant for Steamboat Institute; author of Leaving Cloud 9: The True Story of a Life Resurrected from the Ashes of Poverty, Trauma, and Mental Illness An important documentary that every parent and community leader should see. This film showcases the opioid epidemic’s effect across our nation, offering a greater understanding of the crisis, with more in-depth reporting than any traditional media campaign could ever achieve.

6 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness Day 2 FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 2019 (continued)

***C-SPAN WILL BE RECORDING PROFESSOR DERSHOWITZ’S KEYNOTE REMARKS***

Complimentary shuttle from Steamboat Grand to Catamount Ranch & Golf Club for the evening reception and keynote dinner

6:00 – 7:00 pm VIP/sponsor reception/photo opp with ALAN DERSHOWITZ – location provided to invited guests

7:00 – 9:00 pm Dinner featuring keynote address by Invocation by REV. STEPHON FERGUSON ALAN DERSHOWITZ “” performed by DR. KERI RUSTHOI, Soprano; “A Conversation with Founder and former Artistic Director, Opera Steamboat; International Alan Dershowitz” Soloist for summer music festivals in Europe Presentation of 6th Annual Tony Blankley Fellowship for Public Policy & American Exceptionalism – DR. LYNDA DAVIS and Tony Blankley Fellows Musical Entertainment during reception and dinner: BILL MARTIN, acoustic guitarist Moderator: HADLEY HEATH MANNING, Policy Director, Independent Women’s Forum; Tony Blankley Senior Fellow, Steamboat Institute Following his remarks, Professor Dershowitz will sign copies of his latest books, “The Case Against the Democratic House Impeaching Trump” and “Defending Israel”

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 7 SATURDAY, Day 3 AUGUST 24, 2019

8:15 – 9:00 am Breakfast buffet is served

9:00 – 10:00 am “The Ones Who Got Away: A HELEN RALEIGH, Author; Columnist; U.S. citizen who immigrated Reflection on Those Who Remain from China Trapped in Authoritarian China” FERKAT JAWDAT, Software Engineer; Chinese Uighur Activist Moderator: JILLIAN KAY MELCHIOR, Editorial Page Writer, The Wall Street Journal Following this panel, Helen Raleigh will sign copies of her book, Confucius Never Said

10:00 – 10:15 am Break

10:15 – 10:30 am “Gen Z vs. Socialism: Why Gen Z may BRAEDEN SORBO, influencer; co-host of “Mindset be the most conservative generation With Braeden and Vitt,” a podcast offering political insights to a since the Founding Fathers” predominantly Gen Z audience; member of Steamboat Institute’s Emerging Leaders Advisory Council

10:30 – 10:45 am Video debut LAUREN GOLEM, Video Producer; Vice President of “How the Gradual Chipping Away of at CU Boulder Law School; Member of Steamboat Institute’s Emerging Our Second Amendment Rights is Leaders Advisory Council Putting Women at Risk” KELSEY HARKNESS BOLAR, Senior News Producer, The Daily Signal

10:45 – 11:30 am “Making Tony Blankley Proud: , Commentary Desk, (appearing via Celebrating Five Years of the Tony video message) Blankley Fellowship for Public Policy JILLIAN KAY MELCHIOR, Editorial Page Writer, The Wall Street Journal & American Exceptionalism” HADLEY HEATH MANNING, Policy Director, Independent Women’s Featuring Steamboat Institute’s Tony Forum Blankley Fellows, 2014-19 KELSEY HARKNESS BOLAR, Senior News Producer, The Daily Signal PHILIP WEGMANN, White House Correspondent, Real Clear Politics AMBER ATHEY, White House Correspondent, The Daily Caller SAAGAR ENJETI, Chief Washington Correspondent, The Hill and Hill.TV

11:30 am – 12:15 pm “The Dream Lives: The Powerful REV. STEPHON FERGUSON, historical re-enactment of Dr. King’s “I Words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.” Have a Dream” speech; following his speech, Rev. Ferguson will be interviewed by KELSEY HARKNESS BOLAR, Senior News Producer, The Daily Signal; Tony Blankley Senior Fellow, Steamboat Institute

12:15 – 12:30 pm Break

8 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness Day 3 SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2019 (continued)

12:30 – 12:45 pm Presentation of Courage in Education Award

12:45 – 1:45 pm “The Future of Space: A Conversation JIM BRIDENSTINE, Administrator, National Aeronautics & Space with the NASA Administrator” Administration Moderator: PHILIP WEGMANN, White House Correspondent for Real Clear Politics; Tony Blankley Fellow, Steamboat Institute

1:45 – 2:00 pm Closing Remarks and JENNIFER SCHUBERT-AKIN, Chairman, CEO and Co-founder – The Challenge to Audience Steamboat Institute

3:00 – 5:00 pm FILM FESTIVAL Featuring remarks by ANN MCELHINNEY and “Gosnell: The Trial of PHELIM MCALEER, co-producers America’s Biggest The story of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, whose dangerous and unethical Serial Killer” practices in his abortion clinic led to his conviction on murder and manslaughter charges, resulting in a life sentence in prison.

***NOTE: “Gosnell” and “The Pursuit” will run concurrently***

3:15 – 5:00 pm FILM FESTIVAL Featuring remarks by MARSHALL WALKER LEE, Creative Director “The Pursuit Professional musician turned intrepid economist Arthur Brooks travels around the globe in search of an answer to the question: How can we lift up the world together, starting with those at the margins of society? His journey takes him through the chaotic streets of , a town in Kentucky left behind by the global economy, a homeless shelter in New York, a street protest in Barcelona, and a Himalayan Buddhist monastery. Along the way, he discovers the secrets not only to material progress for the least fortunate, but also true and lasting happiness for all.

5:00 – 7:00 pm Coyote Gold Margarita Party Featuring live concert performed by JON GIBBS, Singer/Guitarist and Concert Steamboat Ski Area base

7:30 – 9:30 pm FILM FESTIVAL Featuring remarks by KIRA MURATOVA, film producer, Walden Media “A Dog’s Journey” Some friendships transcend lifetimes. In A Dog’s Journey, the sequel to the heartwarming global hit A Dog’s Purpose, beloved dog Bailey finds his new destiny and forms an unbreakable bond that will lead him, and the people he loves, to places they never imagined.

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 9 Thank You TO OUR SPONSORS

Diamond SPONSOR James & Lorraine Mann

Platinum SPONSORS Kristine & William Bensler • Irene Johnson • Virginia & Richard Srednicki

Gold SPONSORS SPONSORS El Pomar Foundation Silver Plus Bill & Susan Friesell Bruce & Leslie Allbright Ron & Chenza Lazof Rodger & Terry Glaspey Ed & June MacArthur Bill & Toni Thomson

Silver SPONSORS Cheri Carsten Carrie & John Hayden Donna & Tom Cox Lee & Karen Korins Debbie & David Dacus Patsy Levang Toni & Andy George Cole & Margo McCombs David & Kelly Wilson Charles & Judy McNeil Wood Ag Management

Bronze Plus SPONSORS Bronze SPONSORS Ron Barry Gary & Sandy Neale Roger & PC Burton Penny & Punch Martyn Bruce Carlock Ann C. Fitzgerald Gary & Nancy Scholten Gary Jones Bruce W. Peterson

10 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness Scholarship SPONSORS

GOLD LEVEL SILVER LEVEL BRONZE LEVEL John Childs James & Glenna Tom Birmingham Lee & Karen Korins Curt Thompson Floyd Tim & Janet Anne & Rich Lowe Bill & Toni Borden Thomson Charles & Judy Scott & Gwen McNeil Chris & Meg Sanwick Kate & Randy Cummings Thornton Roger & Sandy Dorf Reed & Judy Gary Hofmeister Slingerland

The Steamboat Institute gratefully acknowledges the support of these foundations in carrying out our mission: Adolph Coors Foundation El Pomar Foundation The Anschutz Foundation The Snider Foundation The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation Woodford Foundation for Limited Government

Special thanks:

Connie Sansom-Mott, Accent Travel – Austin Our University Partners: University of Colorado University of Maryland University of Texas – Austin Pepperdine University Colorado Mesa University Local American Legion/VFW Honor Guard University of Northern Colorado Steamboat Springs Police Department Routt County Sheriff’s Office

Keri Rusthoi Bill Martin Jon Gibbs And all of our amazing volunteers! steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 11 Speakers2019

12 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness 2019 Speakers

Amber Athey Kelsey Harkness Bolar White House Correspondent, The Daily Caller Senior News Producer, The Daily Signal; Tony Blankley Senior Fellow, Steamboat Institute Amber Athey is the Daily Caller’s White House Correspondent and the host of the “Unfit to Kelsey Bolar is senior news producer at The Print” podcast. She was just named 2019-20 Daily Signal, the multimedia news organization Tony Blankley Fellow by Steamboat Institute. at The Heritage Foundation. She is the 2017- Prior to joining the Daily Caller team, Amber 2018 Tony Blankley Fellow with the Steamboat covered bias and abuse in the university system for Campus Reform. Institute. In addition to writing news stories and in-depth investigative She graduated from in 2016 with a B.A. in features, she produces short documentary videos that focus on putting Government and Economics. Amber is an Orioles fan, country music a human face to conservative policy issues. lover, and proud cat mom to Bentley. In addition to her work at The Daily Signal, Bolar is a contributor to The  Follow Amber @amber_athey Federalist and the Wednesday editor of BRIGHT, a morning newsletter for women, by women. She graduated from Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., with a self- David Bernhardt designed double major in international affairs and film and media in Secretary, U.S. Department of the Interior politics. Prior to joining The Daily Signal, she was an editor and video producer for Fox News in New York City. David L. Bernhardt serves as the 53rd Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. He was Bolar, who grew up in Wilton, Conn., currently resides in Washington, confirmed by the U.S. Senate on April 11, 2019 D.C. with her husband, Luke. She balances her passion for politics with and took office on the same day. an affinity for yoga, and recently became a certified yoga instructor. As Secretary of the Interior, Bernhardt leads  Follow Kelsey @kelseyjharkness an agency with more than 70,000 employees who are stewards for 20 percent of the nation’s lands, including national parks, monuments, wildlife refuges and other public lands. The department Jim Bridenstine oversees the responsible development of conventional and renewable NASA Administrator energy supplies on public lands and waters, is the largest supplier and manager of water in the 17 Western states, and upholds trust James Frederick “Jim” Bridenstine was responsibilities to the 573 federally recognized American Indian tribes nominated by President , and Alaska Natives. confirmed by the U.S. Senate, and sworn in as Bernhardt is an avid hunter and angler and recently served on NASA’s 13th administrator on April 23, 2018. the Board of Game and Inland Fisheries for the Commonwealth of Bridenstine was elected in 2012 to represent Virginia. He also led the International Boundary Commission between Oklahoma’s First Congressional District in the U.S. House of the and Canada and was responsible, along with his Representatives, where he served on the Armed Services Committee Canadian counterpart, for maintaining the 5,525 mile international and the Science, Space and Technology Committee. boundary between these two nations. He has in-depth experience in legal matters concerning active regulations and rule-makings, with Bridenstine’s career in federal service began in the U.S. Navy, flying years of legal experience in both the government and the private the E-2C Hawkeye off the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier. It sector. His expertise ranges from the Endangered Species Act to was there that he flew combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and Outer-Continental leases, from mining royalties to Indian Affairs. accrued most of his 1,900 flight hours and 333 carrier-arrested landings. He later moved to the F-18 Hornet and flew at the Naval From 2001 to 2009, he held several positions within the Department Strike and Warfare Center, the parent command to TOPGUN. of the Interior, including serving as Solicitor. Prior to that, he served then-Secretary Norton as a deputy solicitor, deputy chief of staff and After transitioning from active duty to the U.S. Navy Reserve, counselor to the Secretary, and as director of Congressional and Bridenstine returned to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to be the Executive Director Legislative affairs and counselor to the Secretary. of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum & Planetarium. A native of Rifle, Colorado, Bernhardt earned a B.A. in political science Bridenstine was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Commander in with a minor in business administration from the University of Northern 2012 while flying missions in Central and South America in support of Colorado in Greeley in 1990. He graduated with honors from the America’s war on drugs. Most recently, he transitioned to the 137th George Washington University National Law Center in 1994 and is Special Operations Wing of the Oklahoma Air National Guard. admitted to various state and federal court bars. He is married to Gena Bridenstine completed a triple major at Rice University, and earned his Bernhardt. They have two children and reside in Arlington, Virginia. MBA at Cornell University. He has three children with his wife, Michelle.  Follow Secretary Bernhardt @SecBernhardt  Follow Jim @JimBridenstine

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 13 Sara Carter for Leadership” used as the basis for the President’s first budget Investigative Reporter and Fox News and numerous other administration reforms. During DeMint’s tenure, Contributor (via Skype) Heritage partnered with the Federalist Society to create a list of possible Supreme Court judicial nominations that culminated in the Sara A. Carter is a Fox News contributor confirmation of Justice . and the executive director and founder of He is the author of the books Now or Never: Saving America from the Dark Wire Investigation Foundation. She Economic Collapse (Center Street, 2012); The Great American writes award-winning stories for her website Awakening: Two Years that Changed America, Washington and SaraACarter.com. She offers expertise as a national and international Me (B&H, 2011); and Saving Freedom: We Can Stop America’s award-winning investigative reporter whose stories have ranged from Slide into Socialism (Fidelis, 2009). His first book, with co-author national security, terrorism, immigration and front-line coverage of J. David Woodard, is Why We : Restoring Our Right to Say the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. She was formerly with Circa News, It’s Wrong (Rowman & Littlefield, 2007). His latest book, Falling in Los Angeles News Group, , The Washington Love with America Again (Center Street, 2014) debuted at #1 on The Examiner and wrote numerous exclusives for U.S.A. Today, U.S. News Washington Post bestseller list. DeMint and his wife, Debbie, have World Report, and Arutz Sheva in Isreal. four children who now are grown and married. They’ve taken a shine Her work along the U.S. Mexico border paved a new path in national to being grandparents. security-related stories in the region. Her investigations uncovered  Follow Senator DeMint @JimDeMint secret tunnel systems, narcotics-trafficking routes and the involvement of Mexican federal officials in the drug trade. She has also spent nearly a decade covering the war in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan since 2008. Alan Dershowitz Sara has garnered two National Headliner Awards and in 2008, Professor Emeritus, Harvard Law School she was awarded the Society of Professional Journalists nationally recognized Sigma Delta Chi award for her multiple-part series in Professor Alan M. Dershowitz is a Nuevo Laredo, Mexico that uncovered the brutality of the Gulf and native who has been called “the nation’s most Sinaloa Cartel wars along the border. peripatetic civil liberties lawyer” and one of its “most distinguished defenders of individual Ms. Carter, who speaks Spanish fluently, is the daughter of a Cuban rights,” “the best-known criminal lawyer in the immigrant mother; her father was a Marine and veteran of two wars. world,” “the top lawyer of last resort.” He has been named America’s She has six beautiful children and is married to a war-hero and most “public Jewish Defender,” – “the Jewish state’s lead attorney in incredible husband, who was blinded while on a mission fighting the court of public opinion.” He is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of terrorists in Afghanistan for the Defense Department. Law, Emeritus, at Harvard Law School. Prof. Dershowitz, a graduate of  Follow Sara @saracarterdc Brooklyn College and Yale Law School, joined the Harvard Law School faculty at age 25 – the youngest in the school’s history – and became an Emeritus professor after 50 years of teaching and 10,000 students. Jim DeMint Prof. Dershowitz has been called the “winningest” criminal lawyer in Chairman of the Conservative modern history and has argued hundreds of appeals in courts throughout Partnership Institute the nation. He has won the vast majority of his homicide cases and has never lost a client to the death penalty. He continues to consult actively DeMint represented South Carolina in the U.S. on both transnational and domestic criminal and civil liberty cases. He House (1999-2005) and U.S. Senate (2005- continues to devote half of his practice to pro bono cases and causes. 2013). Known for policy entrepreneurship, he authored leading conservative reforms to Prof. Dershowitz has also published more than 1,000 articles in health care, education, taxes, and entitlements. DeMint garnered magazines, newspapers, journals and blogs. These include the New national acclaim from conservatives for leading efforts to ban York Times, for which he has written numerous op-eds, book reviews congressional earmarks, which had been the source of billions of and articles for the News of the Week in Review, as well as for the dollars of wasteful spending for decades and led to corruption and Magazine and entertainment sections. He has also written for The Wall widespread abuse. He also successfully led the fight to stop the Street Journal, , The Boston Globe, The Harvard McCain-Kennedy amnesty bill in 2007. Law Review, the Yale Law Journal, the Huffington Post, Gatestone, Newsmax, Jerusalem Post, Ha’aretz, and Algemeiner. Professor He is the Founder of the Senate Conservatives Fund, which played a Dershowitz is the author of 37 fiction and non-fiction works, including major role in the election of many of the Senate’s leading conservatives his most recent, The Case Against the Democratic House Impeaching like Mike Lee, , , Marco Rubio, Ron Johnson, Pat Trump and Defending Israel. Toomey, Ben Sasse, and Tom Cotton. He also served as the President of The Heritage Foundation for four years, taking the organization to In addition to his numerous law review articles and books about criminal new heights of influence. Under DeMint’s direction, Heritage played and constitutional law, he has written, taught and lectured about a major role in the Trump transition, with the policy series “Mandate history, philosophy, psychology, literature, mathematics, theology, music, sports – and even delicatessens (he was commissioned by The

14 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness 2019 Speakers

New York Times to write an op-ed comparing all of New York’s delis Trent holds a law degree from The George Mason University School of and selecting the best pastrami; he picked Katz’s). Law and a bachelor of arts in government from Claremont McKenna His writing has been praised by Truman Capote, Saul Bellow, William College. He lives in Oklahoma City with his wife and their three children. Styron, David Mamet, Aharon Appelfeld, A.B. Yehoshua, Elie Wiesel,  Follow Trent @trentengland Richard North Patterson, Steven Pinker and Henry Louis Gates, Jr. More than a million of his books—translated in many languages – have been sold worldwide. Saagar Enjeti He has also been the recipient of numerous honorary doctor degrees Chief Washington Correspondent, The Hill and and academic awards including a Guggenheim Fellowship for his work Hill.TV on human rights, a fellowship at The Center for the Advanced Study of Behavioral Sciences and several Dean’s Awards for his books. Saagar Enjeti is a Washington Correspondent In 1983, the Anti-Defamation League of the B’nai B’rith presented and Host of ‘Rising’ at The Hill TV. He was him with the William O. Douglas First Amendment Award for his just named 2019-20 Tony Blankley Fellow by “compassionate eloquent leadership and persistent advocacy in the Steamboat Institute. Saagar is also a Media struggle for civil and human rights.” In presenting the award, Nobel Fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC where he co-hosts Laureate Elie Wiesel said: “If there had been a few people like Alan The Realignment podcast. Saagar previously served as White House Dershowitz during the 1930s and 1940s, the history of European Correspondent for The Daily Caller and Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jewry might have been different.” for The DC News Foundation. Saagar received his Masters degree in US National Security Policy from Georgetown University and his He has been the subject of two New Yorker cartoons, a New York bachelors in Economics from The George Washington University. Times crossword puzzle, and a Trivial Pursuit question. A Sandwich at Saagar has studied extensively across the globe spanning 3 continents Fenway Park has been named after him – pastrami, of course. and has visited over 40 countries. He is married to Carolyn Cohen, a Ph.D. psychologist. He has  Follow Saagar @esaagar three children, one a film producer, one a lawyer for the Women’s Basketball Association and one a professional actor. He also has two grandchildren in medical school.  Follow Alan @AlanDersh Ashley Evans Her story is featured in the documentary Not in Vein; Ms. Evans was a special guest of First Lady Melania Trump at the 2019 State of the Trent England Union Address Executive Vice President, Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs

Trent England serves as Executive Vice President at the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, where he also is the David and Ann Stephon Ferguson Brown Distinguished Fellow and directs the The Dream Lives: The Powerful Words of Dr. Save Our States project. He is an adjunct fellow of New Mexico’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Rio Grande Foundation. He hosts The Trent England Show podcast, and formerly hosted morning Stephon Ferguson was born in Albany, New drive-time radio in Oklahoma City. He has filled in for various radio hosts York and later moved with his family to including . Fayetteville, North Carolina where he lived most of his life before moving to Atlanta, Trent previously served as Executive Vice President of the Olympia, Georgia to more closely study the works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Washington-based Freedom Foundation and also directed the Jr. Ferguson is a Veteran Sergeant of the US Army and a former Foundation’s constitutional studies programs and Citizen Action broadcast journalist. He serves as an associate minister at the Historic Network. He was also a candidate for the Washington State House of Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia and works with Representatives and a legal policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation. the National Park Service at Ebenezer Baptist Church where he gives Trent is a contributor to two books—The Heritage Guide to the history presentations and MLK reenactments. Constitution and One Nation Under Arrest: How Crazy Laws, Rogue Ferguson is famously known for his impeccable and evocative Prosecutors, and Activist Judges Threaten Your Liberty. His writing has renditions of Dr. King’s speeches and sermons. From the pulpit also appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Christian Science Monitor, of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta to the Teatro Lope de Vega Washington Times, and other newspapers.

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 15 in Madrid, Spain, Ferguson has invoked consciousness, tears, and News’ Your World with Neil Cavuto. Her work has been featured in joy from the hearts of the crowds he draws, as he speaks to the publications including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, POLITICO, Roll conscience of people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds. His Call, Real Clear Policy, Online and Huffington Post. In mission has been to continue the legacy of Dr. King. He does so by 2016, Manning was named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 list in Law and not only performing King’s words but also by educating his community Policy. In 2015, the Republican National Committee honored her as a about King’s philosophy of love, nonviolence, peace, and unity to bring Rising Star, and in 2014, she was named to the Red Alert Politics 30 about positive change and create the beloved community. Under 30 list. She has also completed the National Review Institute’s  Follow Stephon @StephonFerguson Washington Fellowship, class of 2012-2013. Manning graduated with distinction from the University of North Carolina in 2010 as a Morehead-Cain Scholar with a double major in economics and journalism. She lives in Denver with her husband and two children. Ferkat Jawdat  Follow Hadley @HadleyHeath Software Engineer; Chinese Uighur Activist

 Follow Ferkat @ferkat_jawdat

Phelim McAleer Co-producer, Gosnell

Phelim McAleer is a veteran investigative journalist, a New York Times best-selling author, filmmaker, playwright and one of the Kim Kleinhans world’s leading Crowdfunders. Director of Family Advocacy, Brigid’s Path, Along with his wife, journalist Ann McElhinney, he a treatment facility for babies born opioid- has written Best Seller, Gosnell – The Untold Story of dependent and provider of support to families America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer, published by Regnery and available on , Barnes & Noble and Books A Million. The book debuted as #3 Best Seller on Amazon and sold out three days after publication. McAleer caused a storm when his play Ferguson, about the police shooting of Michael Brown, was staged in Los Angeles. Although the play was based entirely on verbatim transcripts of eyewitness testimony to the Grand Jury, actors objected to the script and nine Marshall Walker Lee of the 13 cast walked out before opening night. They were upset that Creative Director, The Pursuit the eyewitness testimony did not match their idea of how the shooting actually happened. Alternative newspaper LA Weekly said Ferguson Marshall Walker Lee is the creative director was “divisive, but riveting” and “an incendiary night of theatre.” of Emergent Order, a production company and content studio based in Austin, Texas. He For his online series Clinton Emails On Film – writer Mark Steyn said it co-produced The Pursuit with director John was an example of McAleer doing “the work you can guarantee most Papola and Teryn Fogel. Marshall’s next film, of the American media have no stomach for.” The Kids Are Not Alright, is currently in development. He has produced documentaries for the BBC, CBC (Canada) and RTE  Follow Marshall @mwalkerlee (Ireland) and two independent feature length documentaries. Before becoming a filmmaker, McAleer was a foreign correspondent for the Financial Times in Eastern Europe. He also covered Romania and Bulgaria for the Economist. Before that he covered Ireland for the UK Hadley Heath Manning Sunday Times. McAleer began his career in journalism covering the Northern Ireland troubles first as a reporter in Crossmaglen (known as Policy Director, Independent Women’s Forum Bandit Country) and then for the Irish News in Belfast. Hadley Heath Manning is director of policy at He has worked as a filmmaker and journalist in many countries the Independent Women’s Forum. Selected in including Romania, Uganda, Madagascar, Bulgaria, Chile, Indonesia, 2016, she was named as Tony Blankley Fellow Canada and China. McAleer has appeared on or is a regular contributor with the Steamboat Institute. She frequently to an array of international media organizations including Fox News, comments on health care, entitlements and CNN and the BBC. He has been interviewed on over 100 U.S. and economic policy, and manages IWF’s health policy projects and international radio programs. publications. Manning appears frequently in radio and TV outlets  Follow Phelim @PhelimMcAleer across the country, including Fox Business’ Stossel Show and Fox

16 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness 2019 Speakers

Ann McElhinney Jillian Kay Melchior Co-producer, Gosnell Editorial Page Writer, The Wall Street Journal

Ann McElhinney is a NYT best-selling author, Jillian Kay Melchior is an editorial page journalist, film producer and director and one writer for The Wall Street Journal. She is the of the most successful crowdfunders in the former political editor at Heat Street and was world. previously a fellow with both The Steamboat She and her husband, journalist Phelim Institute and Independent Women’s Forum. She has does investigative reporting on domestic issues, including McAleer, have written the NYT Best Seller Gosnell – The Untold Story of government waste, fraud and abuse, energy and environment issues, America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer, published by Regnery and available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Books A Million. The book debuted and organized labor. She has lived in China, reporting on Christianity at #3 Amazon Best Seller and sold out in three days after publication. and persecution, and has also done foreign correspondence in Iraq, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Eastern Europe and elsewhere. She produced the Gosnell movie, with Phelim McAleer and Magdalena Segieda. They financed the movie by running a massive crowdfunding She has worked as an investigative reporter for National Review and campaign on Indiegogo. It was the most successful Indiegogo the Franklin Center, an editorial writer for The Daily, an online editor campaign ever. Over 26,500 people funded the film contributing for Commentary, a fellow, and a Bartley Fellow at the $2.25m in 45 days. Up to date the project raised over $2.34m from Wall Street Journal Asia. Her writings have been published in National over 29,000 people. The film was released on over 600 theaters in Review, The Wall Street Journal, Cosmopolitan, The , October 2018 and was a #1 DVD in America on Amazon. The Weekly Standard, Commentary, TechCrunch, The News and other publications. Gosnell is a ripped from the headlines story about a respected doctor who ran a medical clinic in an impoverished Philadelphia neighborhood. She is a graduate of Hillsdale College and a native of Cheyenne, Wyoming. But behind the doors of his clinic the smiling, avuncular Kermit Gosnell  Follow Jillian @JillianKayM was also America’s most prolific serial killer. The project has attracted an enormous amount of media coverage on Stephen Moore television, radio and with hundreds of articles written about the book, Distinguished Visiting Fellow – The Heritage film and the historic crowdfunding. Foundation McElhinney is the director and producer of FrackNation - A Journalist’s Search for the Fracking Truth, a documentary on Stephen Moore, who formerly wrote on the (fracking) and the natural gas boom in the US and abroad. economy and public policy for The Wall Street Journal, is the Distinguished Visiting Fellow, In 2009, she produced and directed Not Evil Just Wrong, a film which Project for Economic Growth, at The Heritage examines the devastating consequences of global warming hysteria. Foundation. Moore, who also was a member of The Journal’s editorial Previously, McElhinney produced and directed Mine Your Own board, returned to Heritage in January 2014 – about 25 years after Business - the first documentary that asks difficult questions of the his tenure as the leading conservative think tank’s Grover M. Hermann environmental movement. Canada’s The National Post said “Mine Fellow in Budgetary Affairs from 1984 to 1987. Your Own Business is devastating because it combats prejudices and As Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Heritage, Moore focuses on fantasies with pictures that refute thousands of weasel words.” advancing public policies that increase the rate of economic growth McElhinney has also written for or is a regular contributor to an array to help the United States retain its position as the global economic of international media organizations including CNN, FOX News, ABC superpower. He also works on budget, fiscal and monetary policy and (US), BBC, CBC (Canada), ABC (Australia), RTE (Ireland), The Sunday showcases states that get fiscal houses in order. Times and The Irish Times. She is a regular on a number of US talk “One of the projects I’m going to be working on is how President radio shows including The Hugh Hewitt Show, The Dennis Miller Show Obama has discredited liberal ideas more than anyone,” Moore said in and The Show. an interview with The Foundry upon his return to Heritage. “Everything McElhinney has worked as a journalist and filmmaker in the US, he’s done has been such a massive failure – from the [economic] Canada, Romania, Bulgaria, Chile, Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, stimulus to health-care reform to bailouts to green energy. China, Ghana and Uganda. Moore’s early career was shaped by three people who had a profound McElhinney produces and directs with her husband Phelim McAleer. influence on him: Julian Simon, the late Cato Institute scholar; Edwin  Follow Ann @annmcelhinney J. Feulner, a co-founder of Heritage; and Art Laffer, the economist best known for the Laffer curve. “What makes them so great is they were willing to take on the conventional wisdom. They were subject to a lot of criticism for doing that,” Moore told The Foundry. “Those are the real change-makers.”

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 17 Moore calls his creation of the the defining moment to find Pearl, and her character was featured in the movie,Mighty of his career. Heart, starring Angelina Jolie as Mr. Pearl’s wife, Mariane. Ms. Nomani returned to her home in Morgantown, where she wrote Moore next founded the Free Enterprise Fund before joining The Wall Standing Alone: , a manifesto for Street Journal. As senior economics writer for the newspaper’s editorial An American Woman’s Struggle for the Soul of board, he covered Washington policy debates and state issues. reform and women’s rights, chronicling her journey to Mecca with her son, then three months old. She has written on issues related to Islam “Because I’ve been a consumer of think tank material and policy for the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time magazine, American research, I think I have a pretty good sense of what reporters want Prospect, Slate and Sojourners magazine on Islam. Her work has and how to get it to them in the way they want it,” Moore said. “Being appeared in such magazines as Cosmopolitan, Sports Illustrated for timely — and not just offering opinion but giving them the facts and Women, Runner’s World and People. data is really critical.” In Morgantown, Ms. Nomani became a writer-activist dedicated to Moore, who grew up in New Trier Township, Ill., received a bachelor of reclaiming women’s rights and principles of tolerance in the Muslim arts degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He holds world. In 2003, Ms. Nomani challenged rules at her mosque in a master’s of arts in economics from George Mason University. Morgantown that required women enter through a back door and  Follow Stephen @StephenMoore pray in a secluded balcony. She was put on trial at her mosque to be banished, her son beside her as names were cast for the jury. The New York Times lauded her “Rosa Parks-style civil disobedience.” On March 1, 2005, Ms. Nomani posted on the doors of her mosque in Kira Muratova Morgantown “99 Precepts for Opening Hearts, and Doors in the .” She was the lead organizer of the woman-led Muslim Film producer, Walden Media prayer in New York City on March 18, 2005. In 2005, Ms. Nomani was After completing UCLA’s graduate Producers a visiting scholar at the Center for Investigative Journalism at Brandeis Program, Kira Muratova got her start in University and a Poynter Fellow at . She has provided entertainment working at the Motion Picture commentary on CNN, NPR, BBC, Nightline and Al-Jazeera, among Literary department at CAA. Five years ago, others. In October 2006, she received a reporting fellowship from she transitioned over to Walden Media, where the South Asian Journalists Association to report on a Muslim woman activist building a women’s mosque in India. she has been instrumental on such projects as Wonder, A Dog’s Purpose, its sequel A Dog’s Journey and, most recently, Dora And Starting in 2007, at Georgetown University, she led a faculty-student The Lost City Of Gold. Upcoming projects include Playing With Fire, project, the Pearl Project, which investigated Pearl’s murder and Rumble, A Babysitter’s Guide To Monster Hunting and Walden’s first released a report in 2011, The Truth Left Behind: Inside the Kidnapping TV series, The Baby-Sitter’s Club. and Murder of , with findings carried around the world.  Follow The next year, still searching of answers, Ms. Nomani journey to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, for the trial of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, who confessed to killing Pearl. There, she had an awakening moment that led to the publication of a critically-acclaimed essay, “This is Danny Pearl’s Final Story,” on trauma and grieving in Washingtonian Asra Nomani magazine. Most recently, Ms. Nomani wrote for the Washington Post Co-founder of the Muslim Reform Movement about an honor brigade of scholars, community leaders, bloggers and others, who, in part supported by the Organization of Islamic Born in Bombay, India, in 1965 to a conservative Cooperation, shut down debate in Islam, using techniques of shaming. Muslim family, Asra Q. Nomani grew up in She is working on a book about the stealth network that radicalizes Morgantown, , becoming a Islam in the West. reporter for The Wall Street Journal. In 2000, Ms. Nomani returned to India to do reporting for Still hopeful, Ms. Nomani is editing a project, codifying a new school a book, Tantrika: Traveling the Road of Divine Love, journeying through of law that will reject the majority schools named for men and espouse Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries in India before embarking on feminist, progressive, peaceful values that include free speech. She is the “peace bus” from Delhi to Lahore with her paternal grandmother. a contributing columnist at the Daily Beast, writing for human rights After the September 11, 2001, attacks, while on leave from The and women’s rights in Muslim communities. In November 2015, Ms. Wall Street Journall, Ms. Nomani became a correspondent for Salon Nomani reached millions of viewers of the HBO show, “Real Time,” magazine, reporting in Pakistan. Ms. Nomani was inspired by tragedy hosted by popular comedian Bill Maher, with her message of Islamic and hope following the kidnapping and murder of her friend Daniel Pearl reform and feminism. Ms. Nomani earned her bachelor’s degree on Jan. 23, 2002 in Karachi, Pakistan, where Pearl was staying at Ms. from . She received a master’s degree in Nomani’s home when he was kidnapped. In the fourth week of searching international communications from . She lives for Mr. Pearl, Ms. Nomani learned she was pregnant; her boyfriend in the Washington, D.C., area, with her son, Shibli, hiking trails with and she had planned to marry until Pakistani intelligence visited him. his Boy Scout troop and playing a popular card game, Magic the A week later, the U.S. FBI discovered the video that documented Mr. Gathering, on the path to healing and joy. Pearl’s murder. Ms. Nomani was actively involved in the investigation  Follow Asra @AsraNomani

18 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness 2019 Speakers

Helen Raleigh Shapiro is the co-author of Religious Liberties for Corporations? Hobby Author; Columnist; U.S. citizen who immigrated Lobby, the , and the Constitution (2014), and from China editor of 11 volumes of the Cato Supreme Court Review (2008-18). He has contributed to a variety of academic, popular, and professional Helen Raleigh, CFA, an immigrant from China publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Journal of Law and an American by choice. She is the founder & Public Policy, Washington Post, , USA Today, of Red Meadow Advisors, LLC, a Colorado National Review, and New York Times Online. He also regularly provides based firm that helps individuals achieve commentary for various media outlets, including CNN, Fox News, financial freedom. Helen is an author of several books, including the ABC, CBS, NBC, Univision and Telemundo, the Colbert Report, PBS award winning autobiography, “Confucius Never Said.” She’s also a NewsHour, and NPR. Senior Contributor to the Federalist.com and has published numerous Shapiro has testified before Congress and state legislatures and has articles in various national media, including The Wall Street Journal filed more than 300 amicus curiae “friend of the court” briefs in the and National Review. In addition, she serves as an immigration Supreme Court, including one that The Green Bag selected for its Policy Fellow at the Centennial Institute, a member of Colorado State “Exemplary Legal Writing” collection. He lectures regularly on behalf Advisory Committee to U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and a member of the Federalist Society, was an inaugural Washington Fellow at the to Colorado Municipal Bond Supervision Advisory Board. Her websites National Review Institute and a Lincoln Fellow at the Claremont Institute, are RedMeadowAdvisors.com and helenraleighspeaks.com. and has been an adjunct professor at the George Washington University  Follow Helen @HRaleighspeaks Law School. He is also the chairman of the board of advisors of the Mississippi Justice Institute, and a member of the Virginia Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. In 2015, National Law Journal named him to its 40 under 40 list of “rising stars.” Tom Rogan Before entering private practice, Shapiro clerked for Judge E. Grady Jolly of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. He holds an Commentary Desk, Washington Examiner AB from Princeton University, an MSc from the School of Tom Rogan is host of The McLaughlin Group Economics, and a JD from the University of Chicago Law School and is a member of the Commentary Desk of (where he became a Tony Patiño Fellow). the Washington Examiner.  Follow Ilya @ishapiro He has written for The Weekly Standard, , The Atlantic, , USA Today, The Week, The Washington Times, The Daily Caller, The Commentator, and The Christian Science Monitor. He is a frequent contributor on CNN, Fox News, and Real Time with Bill Maher, and Braeden Sorbo was a regular panelist on The McLaughlin Group. Social media influencer; co-host of “Mindset Rogan is a graduate of King’s College London, The School of Oriental With Braeden and Vitt,” a podcast offering and African Studies, London, and The College of Law, London. Tom political insights to a predominantly Gen Z is the inaugural Fellow for the “Tony Blankley Fellowship for Public audience; member of Steamboat Institute’s Policy and American Exceptionalism” awarded annually by the Emerging Leaders Advisory Council Steamboat Institute. Braeden Sorbo is a homeschooled high school  Follow Tom @TomRtweets senior, the son of Sam and Kevin Sorbo. A budding actor, he received great acclaim for his honest portrayal of Gus Harkins in the movie, “Let There Be Light.” He also hosts a podcast called “Mindset” with his friend Vittoria D’Addesi. He enjoys public speaking, politics, and Ilya Shapiro his dog, Hunter. Director of Constitutional Studies – The Cato  Follow Braeden @sorbo_biwa Institute

Ilya Shapiro is the director of the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute. Before joining Cato, he was a special assistant/adviser to the Multi- National Force in Iraq on rule-of-law issues and practiced at Patton Boggs and Cleary Gottlieb.

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 19 Kevin Sorbo Bhaskar Sunkara Film Producer/Director/Actor Author – “The Socialist Manifesto”

Best known for his roles as Hercules in Bhaskar Sunkara is the founding editor Hercules, the Legendary Journey’s and of Jacobin magazine and a Guardian US Captain Dylan Hunt in Gene Roddenberry’s, columnist. He is the author of The Socialist Andromeda, Kevin has been a driving force in Manifesto: The Case for Radical Politics in an Hollywood for over three decades. With a long Era of Extreme Inequality. list of credits to his name, including acting, modeling, producing and  Follow Bhaskar @sunraysunray directing, Kevin has built a career that resounds throughout more than 176 countries. In 1997, during his tenure as the strongest man in the world, Sorbo suffered three strokes resulting from an aneurism in his left shoulder. He tells the compelling story of his grueling recovery in his Ericka Andersen Sylvester book, True Strength: My Journey from Hercules to Mere Mortal and How Author; Digital Marketing Director, Steamboat Nearly Dying Saved My Life. Proving his tenacity, Sorbo was honored Institute by the Movie Guide Awards for “Most Inspirational Performance of the Year” for What If… He starred in the acclaimed God’s Not Dead, Ericka Andersen Sylvester is a freelance writer which was dollar-for-dollar one of the most successful Hollywood films and a consultant for Steamboat Institute. She ever. More recently, Sorbo completed directing and starring in the was previously Digital Director for Independent feature film,Let There Be Light, which he co-produced with his wife, Women’s Forum, National Review, and Heritage Sam, and Dan Gordon. served as Executive Producer. Foundation. She also worked in communications for then-Congressman The faith-based story hit theaters in October 2017, was the fourth- Mike Pence at the GOP Conference. She is the author of Leaving Cloud highest-grossing faith film of the year. Kevin also directed and starred 9: The True Story of a Life Resurrected from the Ashes of Poverty, in their most recent film,Miracle in East Texas, which hits theaters Trauma, and Mental Illness. She attended Indiana University. She lives in 2020. The Sorbo’s home educate their three teenagers in Florida. in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband and two children.  Follow Kevin @ksorbs  Follow Ericka @ErickaAndersen

Sam Sorbo Film Producer/Director/Actor Matthew Taylor Film Producer, Wandering Foot Productions An accomplished actress, author, radio host, and international model, Sam’s acting career M.A. Taylor, a native of Washington D.C., grew spans films such as Bonfire of the Vanities up in the world of fashion and political activism. and Twenty Bucks, as well as television, with Always creative, Taylor was drawn to sculpture, recurring roles in Chicago Hope, Hercules: technology, and cinema, which would further The Legendary Journeys and Gene Rodenberry’s Andromeda. In develop during his time at Washington 2015 Sam won “Best Supporting Actress” from the Utah Film Awards University, where he graduated with a B.F.A. in sculpture with an for her performance in the feature Just Let Go. Sam wrote They’re emphasis on art history and art theory. Taylor’s work is deeply inspired YOUR Kids: An Inspirational Journey from Self-Doubter to Home by the early 20th century art movements that emphasized theoretical School Advocate to inspire parents to home educate and Teach from pursuits in concept art. Eventually, Taylor would merge his love of Love: A School Year Devotional for Families to encourage Christ- cinema with sculpture and fashion to help develop a unique perspective like characteristics in youth. The Sorbos home school their three on messaging to broad audiences. children. Sam co-wrote, produced, and co-starred in the feature, In 2004, Taylor entered the political arena when he joined the Bush- (Executive producer, Sean Hannity; director, Let There Be Light Cheney ‘04 re-election campaign. Taylor’s notable commercials Kevin Sorbo.) She and husband Kevin published its accompanying during this cycle include the “I voted for $87 billion before I voted devotional, , and they are currently in post-production Share the Light against it” ad and the “Windsurfing” ad. After the winning 2004 on , due out in 2020. Miracle in East Texas election, Taylor worked on a series of Senatorial, Congressional and  Follow Sam @thesamsorboshow Gubernatorial campaigns. In 2005, Taylor joined Citizens United to produce several award-winning feature documentaries including Hillary The Movie, which triggered the Citizens United vs. FEC Supreme Court case in 2010. Taylor has filmed all over the world including Poland, France, Czech Republic, Italy, Argentina, Germany, Guatemala and Albania. He has conducted hundreds of interviews with world leaders and experts including President George W. Bush, Lech Walesa, Vaclav Havel, Sam Donaldson,

20 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness 2019 Speakers

Walter Isaacson, , Buzz Aldrin, Douglas Brinkley, Ron Abandonados, a film about the assassination of Argentinian prosecutor Maxwell, and Jeff Koons. Taylor has worked on 27 documentaries. In Alberto Nisman. Most recently, Taylor produced the feature-length addition to feature films, he has produced and directed over 100 short documentary, Duchamp: Art of the Possible, which is being released films ranging from avant-garde to music videos. internationally in 2019. She is also overseeing pre-production on In 2011-2012, Taylor worked on the Romney for President campaign as several new projects and films. a messaging and advertising expert. In addition to consulting with federal Taylor resides in New York City and has an Executive Certificate in and local campaigns, Taylor has worked with a series of associations, Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and a nonprofits and corporations including Financial Services Roundtable, bachelor’s degree in information technology. DDC Advocacy, Targeted Victory, Young Americas Foundation, and the DCI Group. In 2015, Taylor wrote and directed Los Abandonados, a Spanish- language feature documentary about the assassination of Alberto Ted Trimpa Nisman in Argentina. The film aided in the derailment of Kristina Founder and CEO, Trimpa Group Kirchner’s crony government. Ted Trimpa is the Principal and CEO of Trimpa At the same time, Taylor started working as a media consultant Group, a national political consulting and with Keep the Promise I, a SuperPAC supporting Senator Ted Cruz’s government relations firm that specializes presidential campaign. During this time, Taylor directed Clinton Cash, in progressive public policy advocacy and a hugely impactful film on the corruption of the Clinton Global Initiative. political strategy. Trimpa Group develops The film was viewed online by over 7 million people and premiered at the cutting-edge public policy strategies at the state and federal levels. Cannes Film Festival in France. Trimpa also serves as a board member for numerous organizations, Clinton Cash became the foundation for the general election messaging including the Democracy Alliance, ProgressNow, Third Way, and that would lead to the eventual downfall of Hillary Clinton’s presidential Tectonic Theater Project. campaign and collapse of the Clinton Global Initiative. In 2016, Taylor Trimpa is one of the country’s most sought-after advocates resulting worked for Make America Number One as a media strategist in support from his deep understanding of the national and multi-state public of Donald Trump for President. Both the Clinton Cash documentary and policy, political, and nonprofit landscape. Called “Colorado’s answer the SuperPAC strategy aided in the historic upset loss of Hillary Clinton to Karl Rove” by The Atlantic, Trimpa is a nationally recognized and the decisive victory of long shot candidate, Donald Trump. Democratic strategist and operative. He is considered a key architect In 2018, Taylor wrote and directed The Creepy Line, an internationally of the political infrastructure that facilitated the Democratic Party’s released feature documentary on how Google and Facebook can resurgence in Colorado after decades of Republican dominance—a undermine democracy. Taylor has made the dangers of big tech turnaround so dramatic National Review dubbed it the “Colorado a centerpiece of conversation and has frequently appeared on miracle.” Campaigns & Elections recently named him one of the top television and radio to discuss issues in technology and censorship five Democratic political players in the state. of conservatives. Trimpa brings more than a decade of government relations and political consulting experience with a proven record of results. Known as a shrewd negotiator who finds common ground, Trimpa successfully Michelle Taylor brokered a détente between business and labor in 2008, under which Film Producer, Wandering Foot Productions both sides agreed to withdraw proposed ballot initiatives that would have had negative effects on Colorado workers and the business Michelle Taylor is the co-founder of Electrolift community. In 2010, he brought together environmentalists and Creative, a creative boutique that produces natural gas companies to pass landmark legislation that established documentaries, short films and other creative health-based emission standards for power plants—making Colorado content. the first state in the country to do so. Taylor got her start in the film industry in In addition to his work in Colorado, Trimpa is a nationally recognized Washington, D.C. when she joined a growing nonprofit and managed thought leader and a leading advisor to progressive donors and the marketing and distribution of three feature-length films. In 2008, foundations. He is also a visionary within the gay rights movement Taylor joined a national consulting firm as the Executive Vice President and considered an early pioneer in advocating for political strategies where she worked with dozens of clients to help them attain revenue focused at the state level. He has been recognized in national goals, implement strategic plans, increase visibility, build coalitions publications, including The Weekly Standard, The Atlantic, National and improve messaging. Taylor has spoken at numerous conferences Review, and The Advocate, for his central role in designing cutting- around the country and published several articles on these topics. edge public policy strategies. Taylor has produced several short films, commercials and music Trimpa was raised on a small family farm in southwestern Kansas and videos. In 2015, she produced the award-winning documentary, Los got his start in politics by working for U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum.

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 21 Prior to forming Trimpa Group, Ted was a shareholder at both Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and Hogan Lovells where he was responsible for matters before the Colorado General Assembly and had a multi-state public policy practice.  Follow Ted @TedTrimpa

Peter Wallison Senior Fellow – American Enterprise Institute

Peter J. Wallison, a codirector of AEI’s program on financial policy studies, researches banking, insurance, and securities regulation. As general counsel of the U.S. Treasury Department, he had a significant role in the development of the Reagan administration’s proposals for the deregulation of the financial services industry. He also served as White House counsel to President and is the author of Judicial Fortitude: The Last Chance to Rein in the Administrative State, Hidden in Plain Sight (2015), and Ronald Reagan: The Power of Conviction and the Success of His Presidency (Westview Press, 2002). His other books include Competitive Equity: A Better Way to Organize Mutual Funds (2007); Privatizing Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Home Loan Banks (2004); The GAAP Gap: Corporate Disclosure in the Internet Age (2000); and Optional Federal Chartering and Regulation of Insurance Companies (2000). He also writes for AEI’s Financial Services Outlook series. Peter and his wife Frieda live in Snowmass, Colorado.  Follow Peter @peterjwallison

Philip Wegmann White House Correspondent for Real Clear Politics; Tony Blankley Fellow, Steamboat Institute

Philip Wegmann is White House Correspondent for Real Clear Politics. He previously wrote The Steamboat Institute is a 501(c)(3) for The Washington Examiner and has done non-profit, non-partisan organization. investigative reporting on congressional corruption and institutional Contributions are tax-deductible to malfeasance. Philip was awarded the 2018-19 Tony Blankley Fellowship for Public Policy and American Exceptionalism by Steamboat Institute. the extent allowed by law. In addition, Wegmann has worked as a radio producer and congressional correspondent. He can be seen regularly on CNN, Fox, and Fox Business and his voice has been heard on the BBC, NPR, and numerous other radio outlets. Wegmann was a fellow of the America’s Future Foundation writing program, a Publius fellow of the Claremont Institute, and an Eagle Scout. Before journalism, Wegmann grew up in little Woodburn, Indiana then graduated from even smaller Hillsdale College with degrees in History and Politics. When the weather is nice, and sometimes even when it isn’t, he can be found weaving in-and-out of traffic on his beloved Honda, a beautiful 1981 CB750 motorcycle.  Follow Philip @PhilipWegmann

22 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness In recognition of his courage and leadership in promoting intellectual diversity and free speech on the Sarah Lawrence College campus, we are proud to present this award for Courage in Education TO

SAMUEL J. ABRAMS Professor, Sarah Lawrence College

Samuel J. Abrams is a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, where he focuses on questions of As someone who has been fighting for viewpoint diversity, the related civic and political culture and American ideologies. promotion of free speech and open-discourse, having the support of the He is concurrently a professor of politics and social science “ wonderful community of thinkers and change-makers that are part at at Sarah Lawrence College, and a faculty fellow with New the Steamboat Institute is invaluable. My research and advocacy around York University’s Center for Advanced Social Science free speech has made me unpopular in many circles and fairly isolated in Research. particular communities. Dr. Abrams has been widely published in The New York Being given the 2019 “Courage in Education” award in recognition Times, The Washington Post, The American Interest, and for leadership and courage in promoting intellectual diversity and free The Chronicle of Higher Education, among others. He is the speech on campus and in advancing conservative thought and policy is author of several books on a variety of topics including public extraordinarily meaningful. It sends a message to me and my community of opinion, Congress, religion and society, and polarization. supporters that our work is truly important for the future of higher education His scholarly articles have been featured in peer-reviewed and conservative thought and emboldens me to continue this work. It is journals such as the British Journal of Political Science, crucial that professors and educational practitioners promote reason and The Jewish Journal, and PS: Political Science & Politics. debate and make sure that all voices are heard around the table - not just He is presently working on two book projects exploring the dominant, extremely loud liberal and progressive views. partisanship, polarization, and society. I cannot thank the Steamboat Institute enough for this award; with the new Dr. Abrams has an M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University school year around the corner, I – along with many others – will continue and is an alumnus of Harvard University’s Kennedy School to work to make sure that both conservative thought and viewpoint diversity of Government Program on Inequality and Social Policy. remains alive and vibrant in higher education.” He received his A.B. in political science and sociology from Stanford University.

ABOUT THE COURAGE IN EDUCATION AWARD Previous recipients of the Courage in Education Award are: • Bruce Benson (President of the • Brandon Van Dyck (Assistant • Wallace Loh (President of University University of Colorado) Professor of Government and Law, of Maryland) Lafayette College) This award recognizes courage and leadership in promoting intellectual diversity on campus and in advancing conservative thought and policy.

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 23 STEAMBOAT INSTITUTE ANNOUNCES Recipients of 2019-20 TONY BLANKLEY FELLOWSHIP FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM

Awarded annually to outstanding young journalists and emerging conservative thought leaders

Amber Athey Saagar Enjeti White House Correspondent - Daily Caller Chief Washington Correspondent - The Hill Host - “Unfit to Print” podcast Host - The Hill TV Live

The Steamboat Institute is proud to award its 2019-20 Tony Blankley Fellowship for Public Policy & American Exceptionalism to AMBER ATHEY, White House Correspondent for The Daily Caller, and SAAGAR ENJETI, Chief Washington Correspondent for The Hill. The fellowship award presentation will take place during the keynote dinner at Steamboat Institute’s 11th Annual Freedom Conference & Film Festival, August 22-24, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The fellowship award includes a $10,000 stipend, travel expenses, speaking engagements, robust social media support, and extensive networking opportunities. “I am honored to have been selected for the 2019 Tony Blankley Fellowship alongside my friend and former colleague, Saagar Enjeti,” said Amber Athey. “Mr. Blankley was an exceptional conservative leader with a roaring personality, and I will do my best to carry on his legacy with the support of the Steamboat Institute.” “I’m touched and honored to be a Tony Blankley Fellow alongside my former colleague Amber Athey and friends Philip Wegmann, Tom Rogan, and Kelsey Bolar,” said Saagar Enjeti. “I hope to use this fellowship to inspire younger conservatives to enter the journalism field and know there is a place for you if you’re willing to put in the work.”

24 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness Previous recipients of The Steamboat Institute’s TONY BLANKLEY FELLOWSHIP FOR PUBLIC POLICY AND AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM

Tom Rogan Jillian Melchior Hadley Heath Manning awarded 2014 awarded 2015 awarded 2016

Kelsey Harkness Bolar Philip Wegmann awarded 2017 awarded 2018

About the Tony Blankley Fellowship for Public Policy and American Exceptionalism

The Tony Blankley Fellowship for Public Selection Committee members for the Tony Blankley Chair are: Policy and American Exceptionalism was • Lynda Davis, Ph.D. – widow of Tony Blankley established by the Steamboat Institute to provide high-profile recognition and financial • Steve Hofman – Consultant; former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor support to emerging conservative thought • Lauren Maddox – Senior Advisor, Holland & Knight, LLP; former leaders who share the principles and ideals Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Education espoused by the late Tony Blankley and the • Thomas P. McDevitt – Chairman, Board of Directors, The Washington Steamboat Institute. Those principles are lower taxes, limited Times government, free market capitalism, individual rights and responsibilities, and strong national defense. • Ed Meese – 75th Attorney General of the United States Tony Blankley (1948-2012) was editorial page editor of The • John O’ Sullivan – British commentator and former speechwriter for Washington Times. He served as press secretary for Newt Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; Senior Fellow with National Review Gingrich during his tenure as Speaker of the U.S. House of • John Roberts – Author, former Reagan White House and Reagan-Bush Representatives in the 1990s. He was also a regular panelist ‘80 and ‘84 campaign senior staff; international political consultant on The McLaughlin Group and later served as Executive Vice President with Edelman public relations in Washington, • Tom Rogan – Tony Blankley Senior Fellow and columnist D.C. Mr. Blankley served as Conference Moderator for the for Washington Examiner; Host of The McLaughlin Group Steamboat Institute’s first three Freedom Conferences (2009, • Matthew J. Spalding – Associate Vice President and Dean of 2010 and 2011). Educational Programs, Hillsdale College steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 25 Boardof Directors JENNIFER L. SCHUBERT-AKIN – Rick is the founder of The Akin Law Firm, LLC, with offices in Austin, CHAIRMAN Denver and Steamboat Springs. The firm represents clients from around the world in connection with their operations in the United States. The Jennifer Schubert-Akin is Chairman and CEO of Akin Law Firm specializes in business transactions across the U.S. in a The Steamboat Institute, an organization she co- variety of industries, including financings, acquisitions, and real estate founded in 2008. Jennifer is a graduate of the development, with transaction often in the hundreds of millions to billions University of Oklahoma and received her M.B.A. of dollars. Rick began his career at Austin’s largest law firm, Clark Thomas from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. & Winters, where he was a shareholder and member of the management Jennifer was the CFO of a large health and human services firm in committee before moving to Steamboat Springs in 1995. Austin and later founded a small business consulting firm in Steamboat Springs, working with a variety of non-profit organizations and small Rick is currently the President of Madison Rising Shows for Heroes, businesses. Beginning in 2014, Jennifer assumed a full-time role as an organization formed to provide entertainment and special events Chairman and CEO of Steamboat Institute. for active military, veterans, and first responders. Rick has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of Marathon Kids, a non-profit Jennifer is a graduate of the Leadership Program of the Rockies and corporation dedicated to exercise and healthy habits for school age served on that organization’s Advisory Board for several years. In 2013, children. He is a former member of Steamboat Pilot & Today Editorial she and her husband, Rick Akin, received the “Leaders in Action” award Board and the Routt County Airport Board and is a graduate of the from the Leadership Program of the Rockies in recognition of their work Leadership Program of the Rockies. In 2013, Jennifer and Rick received in founding and establishing The Steamboat Institute as a nationally the “Leader in Action” award from the Leadership Program of the recognized leader in advancing conservative thought and policy. Rockies. Rick enjoys fishing, canoeing, hiking, and climbing 14ers. Jennifer is a member of the Advisory Boards for the University of Colorado Center for Western Civilization, Thought & Policy, the Ed Snider Center for Enterprise & Markets at the University of Maryland, and Docs 4 Patient Care Foundation. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Rebekah’s Angels and on the 10-member Selection Committee for the KRISTINE L. BENSLER Visiting Scholar in Conservative Thought & Policy at CU-Boulder. Kris Bensler and her husband, Bill, have been loyal Jennifer previously served as a Community Representative on the supporters and active participants in Steamboat Steamboat Pilot & Today editorial board, Steamboat Marathon Institute events since its inception in 2009. They Committee, and Tax Policy Advisory Board appointed by Steamboat have made a tradition of hosting the popular Springs City Council. welcome reception for major sponsors and In her free time, Jennifer enjoys competing in triathlons and trail running speakers for the annual Freedom Conference in with her 4-legged children, Boomer and Cruiser. She has completed Steamboat Springs each August. 3 Leadville Trail 100-mile Races and the Western States 100-Mile The Benslers have called Steamboat Springs home since 2005, after Endurance Run. In 2019, she completed her 25th consecutive Boston spending many years vacationing in the Yampa Valley. Kris served on Marathon, earning membership in the Boston Marathon’s exclusive the Yampa Valley Health Care Foundation Board for 11 years, chairing Quarter Century Club. Making each mile count, Jennifer has raised events and helping to raise millions of dollars to benefit Yampa Valley $142,000 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society along the way. Medical Center. Prior to moving to Steamboat in 2005, Kris was involved in several philanthropic efforts in the Greeley (CO) community, including the RICK AKIN – VICE CHAIRMAN American Cancer Society, United Way, Boys and Girls Club, Greeley Jennifer’s husband, Rick, is the Vice Chairman Philharmonic and other non-profit organizations. She served for 13 and a co-founder of The Steamboat Institute. He years on the Board of the Northern Colorado Medical Center foundation, earned a Bachelor of Arts in Letters Degree with working on various campaigns and chairing events. Highest Honors from the University of Oklahoma Kris is a Colorado native, having grown up in Fort Morgan. She received and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Texas her Associate Arts Degree at a private college in Arlington, Texas, then at Austin, where he was a member of Order of the returned to Colorado where she was a district manager, overseeing 15 Coif and The Texas Law Review. stores, for Fashion Bar Corporation.

26 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness Board of Directors Kris and Bill (CEO of Flood and Peterson Insurance, Inc.) are the proud GARY HOFMEISTER parents of Delaney, who will be graduating from the University of Denver Most people know Gary Hofmeister from Daniels College of Business in 2018. When they are not working on Hofmeister Personal Jewelers which he founded behalf of various philanthropic and conservative causes, they enjoy nearly 40 years ago. Prior to entering the jewelry traveling, hiking, golfing, fly fishing, attending Strings in the Mountains industry, he was a professional singer/actor, concerts, Colorado Avalanche hockey games, Colorado Rockies baseball salesman and health administrator. Though he games, and DU games and events. says he never had one conservative professor all the way through his undergraduate studies nor his graduate work at Purdue, he has been an active conservative most of his life and WILLIAM H. FRIESELL was the Republican nominee for U.S. Congress in 1998 for the 10th congressional district. A retired executive, Bill was with Citibank/Citigroup for the last thirty years of his professional career. Gary’s political beliefs also led him to teach Applied Economics for Most recently, he was Chairman and CEO of Junior Achievement in several high schools for 10 years. Taking it to Diners Club International, Citi’s $35-billion global another level in 1992, he began going to the former Soviet Union to charge-card business. He was also responsible share Democratic Capitalism and his experiences as an entrepreneur for the global Citicorp Travelers Check business, after the Berlin Wall fell. He made 18 such trips developing his own ultimately sold to American Express. Bill previously ran a division of curricula and running seminars from one to three days in various Citi’s global Private Bank, subsequently becoming the Group’s CFO. cities. Most trips lasted about three weeks. He also spent 5 ½ years in London, first as CEO of Citibank Savings, Gary also hosted a political talk show in 1990-91 called TALK OF then as Region Head for Diners Club Europe, Middle East and Africa. THE CITY and another for WFYI from 2004-06 called BROADWAY This followed 5 ½ years in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, responsible for Citi’s MEMORIES: MUSIC AND THE STARS, drawing on his experiences as various consumer businesses, including upscale retail branches of a a Broadway singer. finance company, and Credicard, Brazil’s largest credit card business. Prior to moving abroad, Bill assisted in the formation and launching of He is married to JoAnne and together they share 20 grandchildren. Citi’s global Consumer Financial Services Group, as its CFO. Before joining Citi, Bill was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Keystone Aeronautics (an FAA Part 135 CHENZA LAZOF commercial aviation company) for three years – a great experience in Chenza is Vice President and a member of small business turnarounds. the board of Prism Advisors of Texas, Inc, and With a B.S. in Mathematics from Lafayette College and an M.S. in Industrial Secretary of Prism Advisors, Inc, management Administration from Carnegie Mellon’s Graduate School of Business, Bill advisory and consulting organizations focusing started his career at Ford Motor Company as a financial analyst. on emerging growth businesses ($10MM to Interspersed with his professional career were two periods of active $500MM in sales) and is an active investor. She duty with the U.S. Air Force and Michigan Air National Guard, where was previously Assistant Treasurer of a national printing company. he served 7 years as a single-seat fighter pilot. Chenza has served as a member of the Women’s Advisory Counsel of Bill’s community-service activities include having been President of the Women’s Initiative, and of the National Finance Committee of The the Board of Trustees at the Rye (NY) Presbyterian Church, where George W. Bush Presidential Center. She presently serves as a board he was also an Elder; Chairman of the National Association of member of the Lazof Family Foundation, and the Freedom Conference Endowed Presbyterian Churches; Director and Treasurer of the Rye Committee of the Steamboat Institute. Arts Center; Financial VP of the Rye Babe Ruth League; Director and A native Californian, Chenza attended California State Polytechnic Treasurer of the Indian River Tea Party (Vero Beach, FL); Chairman of University, Pomona, California State University, Fullerton, and the the Environmental Learning Center (Vero Beach); and member of the University of California, Irvine. Steamboat Institute’s National Advisory Board. He was also President Since retirement Chenza has focused on political activism, community of the Bent Pine Golf Club in Vero Beach. involvement, family and charitable works. She is passionate about Bill enjoys golf, fishing, hunting, bridge, photography, and skiing. conservative principles and strongly believes that ideological Bill married his lovely wife Susan in 1971. They now reside in Vero divisiveness is the result of ignorance which can be mitigated by Beach, Florida, and Steamboat Springs, Colorado. With the help of education and civil discourse. their two outstanding children, Liz and Quint, they now have three She enjoys cooking, photography, boating, kayaking, and anything wonderful granddaughters and (latest addition!) one happy grandson. nature. She is married to Ron, has two children, five grandchildren, and lives in Dallas, Texas and Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 27 CHARLES S. MCNEIL Jean enjoys big game hunting and flyfishing with his friends and family Charles S. McNeil has broad experience in the at the fabulous Ghost Ranch located near Steamboat Springs, Colorado. coal, oil and gas, mining and power industries. Today, Jean and his family have a vertically integrated almond farm in He received his Bachelors of Science degree in California that includes growing, hulling and shelling, marketing and Mining Engineering from the Colorado School of processing almonds for sale and delivery to consumers around the world. Mines in 1971 and was honored with the Mines The Sagouspe family also has successful ranching and real estate ventures Distinguished Achievement Medal in 1998. At in the Steamboat Springs-Yampa Valley area of Northwest Colorado. Mines, he is a member of the Foundation Board of Governors, the Jean has been and continues to be at the leading edge of developing President’s Council, the Guggenheim Society, and appointed by the economical water treatment facilities and hardware for the Governor to serve on the Board of Trustees. desalinization of brackish water for agricultural uses on farm. He is Since 1993 he has been Chief Executive Officer of NexGen Resources also a pioneer for on-farm solar generation to power all of the on-farm Corporation, a natural resources company he founded, which supplies all electricity needed to develop a self-contained, vertically integrated of the coal requirements for Xcel Energy’s Texas power plants, provides family farming operation. alternative fuel and clean coal technology commercialization, explores Jean is a leader in promoting equitable and universal application and develops oil and gas resources and provides mine development of environmental laws. Under his leadership, the Center for and operations. NexGen also manages a diverse portfolio of real Environmental Science, Accuracy & Reliability (CESAR) was formed. estate assets it has developed for its own account. Under Mr. McNeil’s CESAR is a conservation group for the 21st century, with a focus on leadership, NexGen has been involved in over 15 company start-ups. gathering the BEST SCIENCE to effectively protect the environment Prior to forming his company, Mr. McNeil held Board, CEO, and senior and the economy. CESAR works to ensure the fair, equitable and executive positions with Kaiser Steel, Kaiser Oil & Gas, Kaiser Coal, Kaiser universal application of environmental laws, with the belief that no Power, Perma Resources and Consol Energy. His experience includes one – not even the government – should be exempt from the rules and responsibility for planning and operations of major companies, overall regulations created by these laws. profitability of energy and industrial operations, start-up of new oil and gas, mining, and power companies, acquisitions and divestitures, investments DR. MATTHEW SPALDING in diversified industries and both corporate and project financing. Associate Vice President and Dean of Educational Mr. McNeil is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Colorado Programs — Hillsdale College and a member of the Society of Mining Engineers of AIME. He was Matthew Spalding is Associate Vice President nominated by the Secretary of Energy to the National Coal Council and is and Dean of Educational Programs for Hillsdale a former director of the National Coal Association and the Colorado Mining College in Washington, D.C. As such he oversees Association. He is also a member of the American Coal Council, Tau the operations of the Kirby Center and the various Beta Pi Engineering Society, American Energy Society, the National Coal academic and educational programs of Hillsdale in the nation’s capital. Transportation Association, the Rocky Mountain Coal Mining Institute, the Western Energy Alliance and the Colorado Oil and Gas Association. He is the best-selling author of We Still Hold These Truths: Rediscovering , which details America’s core He is also active in serving the Denver community as a member of Our Principles, Reclaiming Our Future principles, shows how they have come under assault by modern the Board of Trustees and President of the Denver Area Boy Scouts, progressive-liberalism and lays out a strategy to recover them. Spalding Mountain States Employers Council Board, Craig Hospital Foundation also is executive editor of , a line- Board, Common Sense Policy Roundtable Board, Cherry Hills Farm The Heritage Guide to the Constitution by-line analysis of each clause of the U.S. Constitution. His other books Board, Arapahoe House for Substance Abuse Board, (honored as include 2007 Pillars of the Community), Sewall Childhood Development Center, A Sacred Union of Citizens: Washington’s Farewell Address ; Kempe Foundation for Abused Children, Children’s Diabetes Foundation and the American Character Patriot Sage: George Washington and the ; and (honoree at 2011 Carousel Ball), the Denver Center for the Performing American Political Tradition The Founders’ Almanac: A Practical Arts, the 2010 Villager of the Year, and the Denver and National Eagle Guide to the Notable Events, Greatest Leaders & Most Eloquent Words of . Scout Association. the American Founding Prior to joining Hillsdale, Dr. Spalding was Vice President of American JEAN PIERRE SAGOUSPE Studies at The Heritage Foundation and founding director of its B. Kenneth Simon Center for Principles and Politics. He continues at Heritage as the Jean Pierre Sagouspe is the third generation of Henry Salvatori Visiting Fellow, and is also a Senior Fellow at the Claremont a French Basque immigrant family. Originally, the Institute for the Study of Statesmanship and Political Philosophy. He family was in the sheep business but gradually received his B.A. from Claremont McKenna College, and his M.A. and moved into farming, primarily growing almonds Ph.D. in government from the Claremont Graduate School. In addition and pistachios in the San Joaquin Valley of to teaching at Hillsdale, he has taught at George Mason University, the California. Jean is married with 2 children and Catholic University of America and Claremont McKenna College. four grandchildren. All family members are involved in today’s family He and his wife Elizabeth, a 1988 Hillsdale alumna, currently reside farming business. Jean started his own farming business after high with their two children in Arlington, Virginia. school, got married and finished college with an AA degree in Ag business, all the while making a living in the farming business.

28 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness Board of Directors

GRACE-MARIE TURNER is a member of the Mont Pelerin Society and the . Grace-Marie Turner is president of the Galen Wagner, originally from Richardson, Texas, holds a bachelor’s degree Institute, a public policy research organization in economics from the University of Dallas. She and her husband, that she founded in 1995 to promote an informed Steve, live in Washington, D.C. debate over free-market ideas for health reform. She has been instrumental in developing and promoting ideas for reform to transfer power over health care decisions to doctors and patients. She speaks and writes extensively about incentives to promote a more competitive, patient-centered marketplace in the health sector. The Steamboat Institute She testifies regularly before Congress and advises senior government promotes America's first officials, governors, and state legislators on health policy. She was named by House Speaker John Boehner in 2013 to serve as a principles and inspires member of the Long Term Care Commission. Previously, Grace-Marie served for a three-year term on the National active involvement in the Advisory Board for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and she served as a member of the Medicaid Commission, making defense of liberty. recommendations to modernize and improve Medicaid. She has been published in hundreds of major newspapers, including The principles espoused by The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today, and has appeared on ABC’s 20/20 and on hundreds of radio and television The Steamboat Institute are: programs. She is a co-author of Why ObamaCare Is Wrong for America, published by HarperCollins in 2011, and editor of Empowering Health Care Consumers through Tax Reform. Grace-Marie speaks extensively Limited taxes and fiscal responsibility in the U.S. and abroad, including at the London School of Economics, Oxford University, and the Gregorian University at the Vatican. Grace-Marie is founder and facilitator of the Health Policy Consensus Limited government Group which serves as a forum for analysts from market-oriented think tanks around the country to analyze and develop policy recommendations. Free market capitalism She received the 2007 Outstanding Achievement Award for Promotion of Consumer Driven Health Care from Consumer Health World. In the mid-1990s, Grace-Marie served as executive director of the National Individual rights and responsibilities Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform. For 12 years, she was president of Arnett & Co., a health policy analysis and communications firm. Her early career was in politics and journalism where she received numerous awards for her writings on politics and economics. Strong national defense

BRIDGETT WAGNER Become a part of something special. Bridgett Wagner is a well-known leader in the www.steamboatinstitute.org conservative movement. She is the Vice President for Policy Promotion at The Heritage Foundation, a leading conservative think tank in Washington D.C. Her previous positions at Heritage include: director of development, director of business relations, and director of events. Ms. Wagner also serves as a trustee for the University of Dallas and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, as well as director of the State Policy Network and the Foundation for Government Accountability. She is a member of the advisory boards of Docs4Patient Care Foundation, Talent Market, and the National Civic Arts Society. She

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 29 THE STEAMBOAT INSTITUTE National Advisory Board

Kelsey Alexander Catherine Holtgrewe Murray Unapologetic Capitalist from Castle Rock, Colorado; Political and election law attorney; Former Deputy Counsel, Graduate of Leadership Program of the Rockies Career Development for Alliance Defending Freedom’s Blackstone Legal Fellowship Debra Burlingame Attorney and expert on the threats of terrorism Kate Obenshain Author of Divider-in-Chief: The Fraud of Hope and Change; Amy Oliver Cooke regular guest on Fox News, CNBC and radio shows; former Executive Vice President and Director of Energy Policy Center Vice President of Young America’s Foundation – Independence Institute Hal Scherz, M.D. Christopher Cummings Founder of Docs 4 Patient Care; Pediatric Urologist in Atlanta Chair of the Association of Directory Marketing; Chairman, Yellow Pages Association; former CEO, Marquette Group & Ginni Thomas US Motivation Special Correspondent for the Daily Caller; Founder of LibertyCentral.org Cherylyn Harley LeBon Co-Chairman of Project 21 National Advisory Board; Randy Thornton President and CEO of KLAR Strategies LLC ; former Senior Non-executive Chairman and board member of Core-Mark Counsel for U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee International and National Energy & Gas Transmission Steve Hofman William J. Thomson Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor; Former Guest Founder of Thomson Group LLC; Past President of Wyoming Scholar at Brookings Institution; Former member of Council Taxpayers Association; Member of Litigation Board of on Foreign Relations Mountain States Legal Foundation Irene Johnson Michael J. Williams Philanthropist and concerned citizen from Windsor, Colorado Founder and President of ALTIUS Financial, Inc.; Facilitator of “Defenders of Capitalism” program for Leadership Program Ed MacArthur of the Rockies President and Founder of Native Excavating Inc.

30 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness Emerging Leaders ADVISORY COUNCIL Read full bios at SteamboatInstitute.org

SPENCER BLANKLEY KAITLYN CAMERON MINDY DECKER SCOUT ENNIS LAUREN GOLEM Independent Investment President, College Republicans – Senior Engineer, City and County Executive Director, Boulder Vice President, Federalist Society Manager – VA UCCS Marketing Director, Southern of Denver – CO County Republicans CU Boulder Law School Colorado Young Republicans

JOSEPH GREENLEE ROBERT HASLER AMELIA HETFIELD CHARLES KATEBI COLTON LYONS Attorney/2nd Amendment Program Associate, Hillsdale Real Estate Development Healthcare Policy Analyst, Student, University of Texas Expert – CO College’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Professional – WI Wyoming Liberty Group School of Law – CO Constitutional Studies and Citizenship

SHANNON MCGOWAN LIZ MILLER GINNY MONTALBANO STEPHANIE MUTH EMILY NORCROSS Law student, University of Virginia Co-founder of Turning Point USA Digital media coordinator at The Director of Outreach, Leadership Emergency Management/ School of Law; Board member, Chapter, Univ of Oklahoma Heritage Foundation, Contributor to Program of the Rockies – CO Crisis Communications Federalist Society Chapter The Daily Signal Expert, Nusura Inc – CO

PRESTON PFLEEGOR GREG PULSCHER ZACHARY ROGERS JOE SANDERSON BRAEDEN SORBO High School Student Executive Director, H.R. Nicholls Fellow, John Jay Institute – Office Manager, U.S. Office of Social media influencer; Leader – FL Society – Sydney, Australia Philadelphia Public Policy at a multinational co-host of “Mindset With financial services firm Braeden and Vitt”

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 31 Our Te a m Jennifer Schubert-Akin design, and illustration. She holds a bachelor’s of fine arts in design CEO communication from Texas Tech University. Recognition for Amanda’s creative work includes Logo Lounge Vol. See full bio under Board of Directors 10; several Art Director’s Club of Denver awards; industry publication awards; a Gold Leaf Judge’s Choice award; and a Gold and Silver Addy. To stay active in Denver’s creative community and feed her other passions, Amanda has served as a Programming Chair for AIGA Colorado, focusing on the Women Lead Initiative, and voluteered with the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, Rocky Mountain Lab Rescue, Erica Arguello and Safe Harbor Lab Rescue. Special Events Coordinator Todd Gollnick Erica has been producing events for The Director of Special Projects Steamboat Institute since 2015. She has over 13 years of experience in creative event planning Todd has more than twenty years of experience and hospitality management. She began her in event management, working with a variety career working in hospitality and tourism while of groups and organizations on fundraising, living in San Diego and most recently worked for a Colorado-based sponsorships, event logistics, volunteer experiential marketing and event planning company, specializing in coordination and budgeting. He has worked incentive trips and special events. with Grammy Award-winning artists, as well as large national and She has worked with notable clients such as Mazda, Delta Airlines, international brands, including Club Med. Jaguar, Land Rover and Yamaha Marine managing international events Todd is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, where as well as many domestic programs. Erica delivers exceptional service he earned a teaching degree. He lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, with his to each client and demonstrates an unyielding passion for inspiring wife and three children. event planning. Angela S. Lieurance Jordan Bruneau Senior Development Consultant Communications Director Angela S. Lieurance is the founder of Jordan Bruneau is the communications director the consulting firm, Relentless Pursuits, at the Steamboat Institute. He has worked which she created in 2014 with the goal of at Berman and Company, an award-winning revolutionizing philanthropy and the way not- communications firm in Washington D.C., the for-profits do their work. Institute, and Standard Chartered Angela was vice president of development and marketing at bank. He graduated from the University of British Columbia and studied University of Colorado Hospital for six years before serving as chief graduate economics at George Mason University. Jordan lives with his of staff of University of Colorado Health System from its inception wife in Los Angeles. in 2012. Her leadership responsibilities for the UC Health system spanned branding, marketing, public relations, communications, Amanda Cordsen media relations, crisis management, physician relations, community outreach, event management, fundraising, and the management of Graphic Designer three, separate foundation boards. Amanda has a background in fine art and over Angela started her career at her alma mater, the University of 13 years of design and marketing experience Wisconsin, as an assistant director of development for the College ranging from agency work to directing in- of Letters and Science. In 1996 Angela joined the Indiana University house marketing and design departments. Her School of Law, where she served as director of the school’s first- specialties are logo and brand work, print, web ever Capital Campaign and then assistant dean for development and

32 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness Our Team alumni relations. After a decade at Indiana University, Angela left Kelly handles all aspects of a program from site inspections and contract the Midwest for New York to become the assistant vice president for negotiations to program management and budget reconciliation. Most advancement, public relations and communications for Stony Brook recently, Kelly managed the street team marketing for the Microsoft University Hospital and Health Sciences Center. New Store Openings across the US, assisted in the day-to-day operation A partial list of past and current clients includes Denver 2016, Adams of the Lacrosse World Championship and coordinated the opening and County Food Bank, the Joseph Family Foundation and Urban Nights, closing ceremonies. Excelsior, the Parkinson Association of the Rockies, the Steamboat Institute, Global Down Syndrome Foundation and the Western Stock Show Association, where she is currently directing a $100 million Ericka Andersen Sylvester capital campaign for the new National Western Center. Senior Digital Consultant

See full bio under Speaker Bios Kelly Seim Special Events Coordinator

Shortly after graduating from the University of Colorado in 2004, Kelly returned to her alma mater to begin her career in event planning. With a certificate of Applied Business along with her Psychology Degree, Kelly was a perfect fit for the role of senior program manager for the University of Colorado Foundation. In 2007, Kelly began her tenure as the Director of Special Events and External Groups for the Foundation. She then moved on to a Project Planner position with Encore Planning at MillerCoors.

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 33 “CAPITALISM VS. SOCIALISM” A DEBATE AND DISCUSSION FEATURING

YARON BROOK BHASKAR SUNKARA Chairman of the Board, Ayn Rand Founding editor and publisher of Institute; Author of “Free Market Jacobin; Guardian US columnist; Revolution: How Ayn Rand’s Author of “The Socialist Manifesto: Ideas Can End Big Government” The Case for Radical Politics in an Era of Extreme Inequality”

34 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness WATCH FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS COMING SOON

Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, September 17 September 18 September 19 University of Maryland – University of Texas – University of Colorado – College Park Austin Denver

Moderated by Moderated by Moderated by Jillian Kay Melchior Tom Rogan Hadley Heath Manning Editorial Page Writer, The Wall Street Commentary Desk, Washington Policy Director, Independent Journal; Tony Blankley Fellow (2015- Examiner; Tony Blankley Senior Women’s Forum; Tony Blankley 17), Steamboat Institute Fellow, Steamboat Institute Fellow, Steamboat Institute

This is not just another event – this is engaging and activating the next generation of leaders and making a difference in the future of our nation. It is our mission to provide students – and all who attend – with the opportunity to learn about critical issues through reasoned and respectful debate. We believe this is the most effective way to reach students with diverse ideologies and to help them learn how to think – not what to think.

steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 35 Notes

36 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL Inspiring Americans to Greatness steamboatinstitute.org 2019 FREEDOM CONFERENCE & FESTIVAL 37 Save the Date August 27 - 29, 2020 12th Annual Freedom Conference & Film Festival

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