2024 Fellowship Class

Kase Abusharkh

Dallas, TX

Kase Abusharkh is a Partner at Bear Equities and Founding Principal of The Kase Group. Mr. Abusharkh started his real estate career in 2001, and has since built extensive experience in the acquisition, finance, and development of commercial real estate.

Most recently, Mr. Abusharkh served as the Chief Investment Officer for a publicly registered non-traded REIT, American Realty Capital – Retail Centers of America, Inc. in New York City. During his 3-year tenure as Chief Investment Officer, he helped successfully complete a $1 billion equity raise and oversaw the acquisition of over $1 billion worth of multi-tenant retail shopping center space, concluding his time there by successfully seeing through a large merger to create a $4 billion diversified REIT.

Bear Equities was formed as a single family office investing in real estate, technology and food & beverage businesses. As a principal investor, Bear Equities has acquired and disposed of over 30 commercial real estate assets with an aggregate value exceeding $125,000,000 since 2020.

Mr. Abusharkh founded the Kase, Jacob and Jeannine Abusharkh Endowment, which provides a 4-year scholarship to a deserving student whose life has been touched by illness at Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory. He also supports kidney transplant research through the Kase, Jeannine and Jacob Abusharkh Endowment in association with Stanford University Hospital’s Department of Surgery in the School of Medicine.

Mr. Abusharkh currently serves as a member of the Board of Regents of Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory in San Francisco and is a recipient of The Heart’s of Gold Humanitarian of the Year Award. Hearts of Gold reimagines the future of homeless mothers and their children, together, by helping them to become confident and self-sufficient as they prepare to transition out of the New York City shelter system to permanent homes.

Mr. Abusharkh is a recipient of the Real Estate Forum’s 50 under 40 and is currently pursuing a master’s degree at Brown University in Providence, RI.

Yemi Arunsi

Utah

Yemi Arunsi is the current chairman of the Davis County Republican Party and serves as a healthcare executive in Utah. Prior to becoming Chairman of the county party, Yemi was a Special Assistant to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, a President Trump Appointee.

Although Yemi was born in New York, he spent most of his childhood in Nigeria. His love and appreciation for America were born out of his upbringing during a time of civil unrest. His father was a politician in Nigeria, but eventually saw his career upended after a military coup. These experiences influenced Yemi’s gratitude for the Constitution of the United States and the example it sets for the rest of the world.

Yemi holds a B.S. in Healthcare Management and an M.S. in Health Informatics from Northeastern University. Additionally, he completed his B.S. in Nursing at the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Health Care Delivery Science (MHCDS) at Dartmouth College.

After completing his education, he worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs in several management and advisory roles. After coming across a case concerning a Prisoner of War who declined thousands of dollars in monthly benefits, he was struck by the selfless nature of the veterans he served. This prompted him to contact a recruiter in order to earn a commission in the United States Air Force Reserve. Since joining, he has successfully completed three different activations, including a humanitarian mission to provide medical, dental, and mental health services to low-income families.

In addition to service, Yemi values faith and family as his top priorities. He and his wife, Kristin met in Holladay, Utah. They have one child.

Shawnna Bolick

Phoenix, AZ

The Honorable Shawnna LM Bolick is no stranger to the inner workings of local, state, and federal government. While attending graduate school, she worked on Capitol Hill for former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum and as a policy researcher at The Heritage Foundation.

After she completed graduate school, she moved to Austin, Texas, to work for then-Lieutenant Governor Rick Perry on a high tech committee. In 2015, Bolick was appointed by Governor Doug Ducey and confirmed by the State Senate to serve on Arizona’s Early Childhood Education and Health Board. With her strong interest in our state’s academic standards, she is also a past member of the Arizona State Board of Education’s Academic Standards Development Committee as a public high school parent.

Bolick was elected to her first term in the Arizona House of Representatives representing Legislative District 20 in November 2018 and re-elected in 2020. In 2021, Governor Ducey appointed Bolick to the Arizona Juvenile Justice Commission as a member from the legislature. Bolick had a successful legislative portfolio and service to the state in her four years as a representative.

In July 2023, Shawnna was appointed to fill a Senate vacancy in Legislative District 2.

Shawnna and her family reside in Phoenix, Arizona, with their three greyhounds.

Rick Brattin

Harrisonville, MO

Rick Brattin serves as the State Senator for Missouri’s 31st District. Prior to his election to the Missouri Senate, he served as Auditor for Cass County and served four terms in the Missouri House of Representatives where he built a strong reputation as a proven conservative willing to stand up and fight for Missouri values. He has prioritized defending the Constitution and our God-given rights, including religious liberty.

He was a co-founder of the House Conservative Caucus and is a founding member and current chairman of the Missouri Freedom Caucus. He has consistently worked hard on behalf of common-sense reforms to lower the tax burden, eliminate waste in the budget, and get government out of the way of Missouri’s families and small businesses.

He was endorsed by Missouri Right to Life for every one of his state elections, and he was endorsed by the Missouri Club for Growth for his Missouri Senate race. Rick believes strongly in the value of public service and served in the United States Marine Corps as a non-commissioned officer for six years.

He lives in Harrisonville with his wife and five children, and he operates a small construction company and his family farm. Faith is at the core of the Brattin family, and they are faithful, active members of Abundant Life.

Christopher Brown

Mississippi

Chris Brown serves as a Public Service Commissioner for the Northern District of Mississippi. Brown is an eighth-generation Mississippian who has served in the State Legislature representing Itawamba, Lee, and Monroe counties since 2012.

While in the State House, Brown worked on legislation that focused on limited government, free enterprise, individual liberties, and strengthening families. He has consistently been recognized for his conservative record and is a founding member of the Mississippi House Freedom Caucus.

Brown, who has five children and three grandchildren, is a member of Ripley Primitive Baptist Church where he has been active in overseas missions in both Africa and Asia.

He is a proven job creator and has founded several businesses. In his limited spare time, he likes to hunt, camp, and enjoy the outdoors with his family.

Rebecca Burkes

Arkansas

Rebecca Burkes is a business owner and attorney and is serving her first term in the Arkansas House of Representatives.

Rebecca earned her BA from the University of Texas, MSOM from the University of Arkansas, and JD from Baylor University. She began her career on the Wal-Mart Legal Team in Bentonville, Arkansas, and has spent more than 25 years in law, operations, and real estate development in the private sector in Northwest Arkansas. She also worked as a faculty member at the University of Wisconsin Law School and as Deputy Director and General Counsel for the Arkansas Department of Heritage.

She currently lives in Springdale and is married to Aaron Burkes, a former Arkansas State Representative and current CEO of the Northwest Arkansas National Airport. They have two adult sons and enjoy spending time outdoors and hiking on Arkansas’s spectacular trail system.

Spencer Chretien

Arlington, VA

Spencer Chretien has spent his entire career in the conservative movement and served in the Trump administration as Special Assistant to the President and Associate Director of Presidential Personnel. He also worked in the Office of Secretary Ben Carson at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Currently, he serves as Associate Director of the 2025 Presidential Transition Project, which is organized by The Heritage Foundation and helps prepare for the conservative administration that will take office in 2025.

Spencer has broad experience at conservative organizations in the nation’s capital and has traveled extensively across America to meet with state-based partners, legislators, and grassroots activists.

Christian Collins

Texas

Christian Collins is the president and founder of the Texas Youth Summit, a non-profit that hosts some of the most influential political and religious leaders in the country dedicated to educating high school and college-age youth with Judeo-Christian and Conservative values.

‍Christian is an activist, passionate about organizing faith leaders around causes such as ending abortion, supporting religious liberty, and voting. He is also a regular speaker on college campuses and churches to encourage youth and Evangelicals to join the fight to save America.

Christian holds a B.A. in Government from The University of Texas and two M.A. degrees in Organizational Communication and Christian Ministry from Liberty University. Christian has also made several appearances on Newsmax, One America News, Real America’s Voice, Victory Channel, and The Blaze.

‍Christian got his start in politics serving as a part of Governor Greg Abbott’s and Senator Ted Cruz’s political teams and as campaign manager for Congressman Kevin Brady. In 2022, he was a candidate for U.S. Congress to replace outgoing Congressman Brady in Texas’ 8th District.

Christian is an adjunct instructor of Speech Communication at Lone Star College and member of Church Project in Montgomery County, Texas, where he also lives.

Peter Cuderman

Florida

Peter Cuderman moved to Southwest Florida as a child and his dedication to service and leadership began at Florida Gulf Coast University. In four years, he completed an undergraduate degree in legal studies and a master’s in business administration, concurrently serving as the student body president. Following FGCU, he embraced a multifaceted journey: joining the U.S. Marine Corps, attending Mitchell Hamline School of Law part-time, and working political races.

Peter’s time with the Marine Corps was transformative. Initially enlisted as a reservist and later commissioned as an officer, he balanced military duties with rigorous law studies and served as the statewide coalitions director for Ron DeSantis’ initial gubernatorial campaign. He forwent joining state government at that time and transitioned to active duty with the Marines, becoming an amphibious assault officer, and deploying to Japan.

Returning to Florida after active duty, Peter dove back into politics, steering the Governor’s reelection campaign as the political director. Recognizing that he had a good background on the political side of elections, he was soon eager to learn the side of state government as the Deputy Legislative Affairs Director and was later appointed to Director of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs.

Susan DuBose

Alabama

Rep. Susan DuBose is a first term legislator in Alabama’s House of Representatives. She presents District 45 which includes Hoover and North Shelby County as well as the southeastern part of Jefferson County.

Rep. DuBose is a graduate of the University of South Alabama with a Finance degree and Spring Hill College with an MBA.

Susan is a former banker, business development officer, and real estate officer. After a career in banking she decided to become a stay at home, community volunteer and to pursue her passion for conservative public policy. As President of the Republican Women of North Shelby County she was able to work with a team of dedicated women to influence elections and shape legislation. After several years in a political support role, she won her first campaign for office in November of 2023.

Susan is a member of the Education Policy Committee, the Health Committee and the Fiscal Responsibility Committee in the House. In 2023, her first year as a legislator, she was able to pass the Women’s Sports protection Bill which requires college athletes to compete in sports according to their biological sex. She also passed the teacher professional certification bill which will help with the teacher shortage in the state of Alabama.

Micah Dunn

Midland, TX

Micah graduated from Texas Tech University with a masters in exercise physiology and bachelor’s degree and dietetic internship in nutritional science. She spends a majority of her time teaching and discipling her kids in a hybrid homeschool-classical school model at Midland Classical Academy. She also helps on the women’s ministry team at Midland Bible Church where she also serves as a home group leader.

Her passion for liberty, freedom, and self governance has taken shape over the last decade. She helped pilot the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s young professional group, Liberty Leadership Council, and currently serves as the chair of the Midland chapter.

She serves on the board of various political groups including the Midland County Republican Women, Mary Hays Institute, and Jefferson Rising. She has served and volunteered for statewide and local campaigns as well.

With the knowledge that politics is downstream from culture, alongside the leading vision of her husband, Wally, they founded a film production company.

With passion for wellness, nutrition, and fitness, she teaches bootcamp.

Micah lives in Midland, TX with her husband Wally, their four children, Cooper, Jon Walter, Lillie Kate, and Taylor and golden retriever Wreckem.

Tiffany Esposito

Florida

Tiffany Esposito was born and raised in Lee County and attended Lee County public schools prior to earning a bachelor’s degree in communications and a Master of Business Administration from FGCU. Tiffany is currently the President and CEO of Southwest Florida Incorporated where she leads the way in promoting and protecting local businesses and working on solutions to confront the workforce shortage plaguing our economy.

Tiffany was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2022. She recognizes our freedoms are under constant attack and is devoted to protecting our individual liberties from the overreaching arm of government.

As a conservative, Tiffany is fighting to protect the free market, lower taxes, to pass a fiscally responsible budget, and to protect and preserve our Constitutional rights.

Brice Futch

Georgia

Brice Futch currently serves as a Firefighter – Paramedic with a Metro Atlanta fire department. He resides in North Georgia with his wife Brooke and their two children. The Futches attend a local Anglican Church.

Brice has an undergraduate degree in government and communications, a graduate certificate in Nuclear Deterrence, and is pursuing a masters in a national security related field.

In 2021, he recorded the first season of his podcast, The Way Forward with Brice Futch. His first season focused on China and why America’s relationship with China matters to North Georgia. The second season which tackles the requirements for a flourishing society is currently in production. Brice believes in small government and big ideas, and he enjoys deep study with practical application.

Vance Ginn

Round Rock, TX

Vance Ginn, Ph.D., is a free-market economist who extensively evaluates policies to let people prosper while equipping lawmakers and leaders nationwide with frameworks for practical solutions to modern problems.

He is the founder and president of Ginn Economic Consulting and host of his “Let People Prosper Show” podcast. Ginn is chief economist or senior fellow of multiple think tanks across the country, where he provides high-quality research and trusted insights for improving human flourishing with policy considerations at the federal, state, and local levels. He previously served as chief economist of the White House’s Office of Management and Budget, and was the chief economist of the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Ginn often appears on leading national and state news and radio shows and in popular publications. He earned his doctorate in economics at Texas Tech University and resides in Round Rock, Texas, with his wife and three kids.

Barbara Gleim

Pennsylvania

Rep. Barb Gleim has spent most of her adult life living, working, and serving in the community of Carlisle. Prior to her election to the House of Representatives in 2018, she served as the director of operations and then director of business development at John W. Gleim Jr. Inc. Excavating.

Barb’s private sector work experience also included serving as project manager for Ahold Delhaize (the parent company of Giant Foods) and Daymon Worldwide, where she led several marketing and sales initiatives.

Not only has she helped private businesses thrive with her marketing and messaging skills, but she also remains a small-business owner and entrepreneur as the co-owner and operator of Hayman Farms, the family farm that she and her husband continue to work growing hay and raising Hereford beef.

Barb has been an extremely active leader in her community with a focus on education. She served for eight years on the Cumberland Valley School Board. Now as a member of the House of Representatives, she currently serves on the following: House Aging & Older Adult Services, House Education Committee (chairman of Subcommittee on Basic Education), House Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, House Labor and Industry Committee, Pro-life Caucus, and the Pennsylvania State Freedom Caucus.

Kelsey Gorman

Dallas, TX

Kelsey Gorman is a strategic business and political operations professional residing in Dallas, Texas. Originally from Wyoming, Kelsey began her career in Washington, D.C. working for her home state in the office of U.S. Senator John Barrasso, followed by serving in the Office of U.S. Representative Darin LaHood.

In 2017, Kelsey entered the private sector to help establish and grow Miller Strategies, LLC, a top ranked Washington, D.C., based government relations firm. Over the years, her responsibilities focused heavily on operations, client relations, federal lobbying, and political fundraising activities. In 2020, she took a leave of absence from Miller Strategies, LLC to serve as the Director of Signature Events for the 2020 Republican National Convention. Following the conclusion of the 2020 RNC, Kelsey returned to Miller Strategies, LLC as Chief Operating Officer, a role she maintained until her relocation to the Dallas, Texas, area in late 2021.

She currently helps lead 90 Degree North Holdings LLC, a strategic consulting firm she started with Tommy Hicks, Jr., in March 2023. Their work is focused primarily on assisting ‘America First’ companies with the development and execution of legislative and business operations strategies.

Robb Greene

Shelby County, IN

Robb Greene is a former political professional, tech executive, and entrepreneur. His professional career has been defined by integration–often in highly volatile environments and for organizations with complex structures. It is that passion for integration that has enabled him to excel across a curiously diverse career path.

Whether taking a farmer to the halls of Congress, a business from idea to implementation, or a startup from concept to over 1,000,000 orders delivered, he has a track record of creating value through tireless execution.

Today, as a member of the Indiana State House, he has a passion for policy solutions that focus on Indiana’s special needs community, tech or corporate overreach, and preserving rural Indiana communities.

Robb and his wife, Erin, live on a small hobby farm in Shelby County, Indiana, with their three children.

Taylor Hall

Greenville, SC

Taylor Hall is the CEO of South Carolina’s Conservative Future and the founder of Locked On Strategies, a strategic communications firm in Greenville, South Carolina.

After graduating from Furman University, Taylor served on Governor Nikki Haley’s senior staff in a variety of roles, including personnel director, cabinet liaison, and political director.

In the 2016 election cycle, he served as South Carolina state director for Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign. Following that election, Taylor led the advocacy work for the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) in Nashville, Tennessee – an education policy organization founded by former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, M.D.

In 2018, he led John Warren’s campaign for governor in South Carolina directing all aspects of the campaign. Warren advanced to the Republican primary runoff, the first candidate in state history to force an incumbent into a runoff election. Following the 2018 campaign, Taylor returned to SCORE in an expanded role and led public affairs, policy development, and communications for the organization.

Taylor also serves in the military as an officer in the Air National Guard. He has served since November 2012 in multiple roles, including as an intelligence analyst and a public affairs officer.

Rob Harris

South Carolina

Rob Harris is a Christian and has been a husband to his wife Janice for 37 years. He is a father to ten and grandfather to nine and has homeschooled his family for 30 years. He is willing to do the unpopular and is action-oriented.

After the 2020 election, Rob’s concern for the direction of our country spurred him into action. After attending his first Constitution class, he got involved with ReOrg in 2021. He and his family took control of their precinct and got to work. Rob was part of a slate which failed to take control of the ‘status-quo’ county GOP leadership.

Shortly thereafter, he started a grassroots activism organization. He and his family knocked doors for a school board candidate and knocked doors while canvassing the 2020 election results.

Having gained campaign experience and knowing his family’s capability, he decided that they had the ‘boots on the ground’ infrastructure to execute a local election for state house. They filed the second to last day, knocked on 3,500 doors in nine weeks and evicted a 23-year incumbent, chairwoman of the Education committee.

Alexander Hoffarth

Washington, DC

Alexander Hoffarth works as a senior associate in the Washington, D.C., office of the law firm Hogan Lovells, where he practices corporate law matters including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and public and private securities offerings. Before joining Hogan Lovells, Alexander served as a law clerk for the Honorable Diane S. Sykes of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Alexander graduated from the University of Virginia in 2018 with a J.D. and M.B.A. At the University of Virginia School of Law, Alexander was on the editorial board of the Virginia Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. At the Darden School of Business, Alexander received the William M. Shermet Award for academic excellence and responsible competitive spirit and the Faculty Award for Academic Excellence.

Prior to law school, Alexander worked as an equity research assistant at Manning & Napier, an asset management firm in Rochester, New York. Alexander graduated summa cum laude from Boston College in 2013 with a B.A. in Political Science. He was named a member of Phi Beta Kappa and received the Mary A. & Katherine G. Finneran Commencement Award, the highest commencement honor in the College of Arts & Sciences.

He is a native of Rochester, New York.

Elizabeth Holbert Jonson

Mississippi

Elizabeth Holbert Jonson is the Assistant Secretary of State for Communications and Publications for the Mississippi Secretary of State. In this dual role, she serves as a communications director to Secretary of State Michael Watson and oversees all statutory responsibilities of the Publications Division.

Prior to her service in state government, she assumed numerous roles in higher education, including administration and athletic academics at institutions across the Southeast including Auburn University, Ohio University, the University of Louisiana of Monroe, and Louisiana State University of Alexandria. While in her role as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Communications, she was named Practitioner of the Year by the Public Relations Association of Louisiana, Central Chapter.

Having returned home to Mississippi to continue her career of over 10 years in public service, the former University of Mississippi softball student athlete is proud to have established roots with her husband and three children in her native state.

Lalani Hunsaker

Arizona

Lalani Hunsaker has worked in and around politics her entire adult life. She spent almost five years out of college working for the U.S. Senate on land, water, and natural resource issues. Next, she was involved in issue-based work; specifically on state marriage amendments. She was the spokesperson for Prop 102 in Arizona.

For the next several years, she ran grassroots campaigns for local candidates that she aligned with and wanted to help. That turned into serious political consulting work that she did for conservative candidates until 2020.

Lalani has served on the board for a large charter school EMO, been the COO of an Orthodontic Company, and ran a successful travel Instagram account. In 2021, she left the education board to go in-house for the EMO as their Director of Government Relations. In that role, she has also served as interim school Director for 11 months in North Carolina prior to returning to Arizona to resume her duties as Director of Government Relations full-time.

She and her husband Nate have been married for almost 23 years, and have 4 children ages 20, 17, 13 and 11. They have lived in the same district in Arizona for the last 18 years.

Chris Ingstad

Iowa

Chris Ingstad is an eighth-generation Iowan who leads the Iowans for Tax Reform Foundation, Iowa’s pro-growth, free-market think tank. He joined the Foundation as President and CEO in June 2022 after ten years working for Iowans for Tax Relief, serving as its president from 2016 to 2022.

Under his leadership, Iowans for Tax Relief, a 501(c)(4) organization, played a key role in many conservative victories inside the Iowa Capitol, including three rounds of income tax cuts, occupational licensing reform, donor privacy protections, property tax transparency, and the elimination of Iowa’s inheritance tax.

Prior to working in public policy, Ingstad served as Vice President of an investment management firm, and he held various corporate finance roles for a publicly traded manufacturing company.

Chris and his wife, Sarah, have four children. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Finance, as well as a Master of Business Administration degree, from Saint Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa.

Christi Jacobsen

Montana

Christi Jacobsen is not a politician and never will be. The one and only time she ran for office, she beat known insider politicians in a six-way primary and went on to win the general election by the largest margin of any other candidate on the ballot in Montana.

Christi was born and raised in Helena, graduating from Capital High, Carroll College, and earned her master’s degree from University of Montana. Christi and her husband raised their children in Montana where their family roots run deep.

A fourth generation Montanan, Christi represents Montana values: faith, freedom, family, free enterprise, and fair elections. Known nationally for her track-record of delivering better elections in Montana, she has delivered historic results to businesses and voters while providing exceptional customer service. She cut government by reducing the number of employees by half and the government footprint by 75%. All while creating the most highly-engaged workforce in state government, ever.

At the same time, Christi cut start-up fees in half for new businesses, fostering record numbers of new business growth. She expanded election audits to increase voter confidence and took on the liberal machine in court to uphold common-sense election integrity laws. She fought to ban loopholes and doubled the frequency of cleaning the voter rolls while also implementing robust modern cyber security measures.

Christi will never be a politician. She is a true Montanan, leader, and proven winner that will fight to deliver with a servant’s heart.

Ben Judge

Hillsdale, MI

Ben is the president of The America Fund, a foundation that evaluates and supports individuals and organizations preserving the American way of life. He is the creator and executive producer of the documentary RIGHT MAKES MIGHT: THE LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES, the editor of United and Independent: John Quincy Adams on American Foreign Policy and Samuel Flagg Bemis’s Diplomacy of the American Revolution, and author of a forthcoming biography on California Governor Pete Wilson. Ben holds a PhD from Claremont Graduate University, a BA from Claremont McKenna College, and served in the United States Navy Reserve, during which he deployed as a targeting officer with multiple air wings, joint special operations task forces, and combatant commands.

Trevor Lee

Utah

Rep. Trevor Lee serves District 16 in the Utah House of Representatives after beating a 12 year incumbent who had voted to raise taxes on gas and groceries and even voted against property tax relief.

A business owner and wealth advisor, his background uniquely qualifies him to understand the burdens many small businesses and Utah families face. Trevor understands the essential budget is the family budget and will always put families ahead of special interests. Trevor is committed to lowering taxes for working families and supporting law enforcement to ensure safe communities.

Trevor lives in Layton with his wife, Kaitlin, and their growing family. He graduated from Davis High School and has a Liberal Arts degree from Weber State University.

Duane Lester

Missouri

Duane Lester has championed individual liberty, limited government, and free society principles for nearly 15 years. Starting in 2007 with his website, All American Blogger, Duane utilized his journalistic skills from his time in the U.S. Navy to contribute to prominent center-right websites. His work earned him the inaugural Breitbart Blogger Award in 2012 from the Franklin Center and The Heritage Foundation, leading to the launch of The Missouri Torch, a key platform in Missouri politics.

Since joining the Grassroots Leadership Academy (GLA) in 2015 as a Grassroots Trainer, Duane has developed and presented widely acclaimed sessions such as “Making the Moral Case for Capitalism” and “How to Sell Freedom Without Starting a Fight.” Recently certified in Talent Development by the Association for Talent Development, he resides in Missouri with his wife and nine children, often found engrossed in a book.

Danny McKinney

Alabama

Danny grew up in an entrepreneurial family and is a firm believer in family values, free markets, and limited government. He worked nights and weekends in the family business through middle and high school. Upon college graduation, he joined Satellites Unlimited in 2003 and has extensive field operations experience including roles as the COO of Satellites Unlimited and the CEO of McKinney Communications.

In 2010, Danny cofounded McKinney Capital with the vision to acquire and grow field service companies in the southeast. This led to the acquisition of Landscape Workshop which has grown into one of the largest commercial landscaping companies in the nation.

Danny serves on the board of the Alabama Policy Institute, and in 2021, he was appointed to the Jefferson County Economic and Industrial Development Authority. He also makes time to serve on the boards of Birmingham Promise, Jones Valley Teaching Farm, The Alabama Symphony Orchestra, and The Historic Bethel Baptist Church.

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Danny graduated with honors from The University of Alabama in 2003 where he majored in International Finance. He is also an alumnus of Harvard Business School.

Danny and his wife Amy have been married for 14 years, and in 2017, they adopted their son who was 9 months old at the time.

Allen Mendenhall

Alabama

Allen Mendenhall is Associate Dean and Grady Rosier Professor in the Sorrell College of Business at Troy University, where he also directs the Manuel H. Johnson Center for Political Economy.

His books include Literature and Liberty (2014), Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., Pragmatism, and the Jurisprudence of Agon (2017), Of Bees and Boys: Lines from a Southern Lawyer (2017), The Southern Philosopher: Collected Essays of John William Corrington (2017), Writers on Writing: Conversations with Allen Mendenhall (2019), The Three Ps of Liberty (2020), Shouting Softly (2021), and A Glooming Peace This Morning (2023) (a novel).

He holds a B.A. in English from Furman University, M.A. in English from West Virginia University, J.D. from West Virginia University College of Law, LL.M. in transnational law from Temple University Beasley School of Law, and Ph.D. in English from Auburn University.

Before joining Troy University, Allen was Associate Dean and Founding Executive Director of the Blackstone & Burke Center for Law & Liberty at Faulkner University Thomas Goode Jones School of Law in Montgomery, Alabama.

In 2023, he was an inaugural recipient of the Freedom and Opportunity Academic Prize from the Heritage Foundation.

Jason Miyares

Virginia

In November 2021, Jason Miyares (pronounced me-YAR-ez) was elected the 48th Attorney General of Virginia. Prior to this position, Miyares served in the Virginia House of Delegates for three terms, and before that, worked as an Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney in Virginia Beach. A product of Virginia public schools, Jason graduated with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from James Madison University and a Juris Doctorate from the College of William and Mary School of Law.

As Attorney General, Miyares has been focused on improving public safety, strengthening economic growth, combatting the deadly impact of opioids and fentanyl, and protecting Virginians from corporate misconduct. Last year, Miyares launched Operation Ceasefire, a comprehensive approach to fighting violent crime by focusing on intervention and aggressive prosecution of gun crimes.

He kept his promise to Virginians by investigating the 2020 Parole Board, discovering that they broke the law and jeopardized public safety by releasing violent, repeat offenders early with life sentences. Following his investigation into Loudoun County Public Schools, Attorney General Miyares successfully prosecuted the former Loudoun Superintendent for retaliatory firing of a school teacher. Miyares has stood up against the Joe Biden administration time and time again. For example, sued the Biden administration over COVID-era face masks for students, the CDC mask mandate on public travel, as well as the OSHA vaccine mandate. He also sued the Biden administration for their unlawful border policies and illegal immigration.

Armin Mizani

Keller, TX

Mayor Armin Mizani has a passion for serving his community. In 2014, Mayor Mizani was first elected to serve on the Keller City Council, and in December of 2020, was elected Mayor of Keller, Texas.

Mayor Mizani has been recognized as “Best Local Government Official” by Keller voters and readers of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and his work in the community led to a statewide appointment by Texas Governor, Greg Abbott, to serve on the Automobile Burglary and Theft Prevention Authority. In that capacity, Mayor Mizani worked with law enforcement agencies throughout the State of Texas to combat the multi-billion dollar enterprise that is auto theft and crime.

While on the Keller City Council, Mayor Mizani has been recognized as a “Taxpayer Champion” where under his leadership, the city introduced the first- increase to the Keller Homestead Exemption in over 30 years, passed consecutive budgets providing historic tax relief measures, authored revisions to the city’s ethics policy, and led the charge for reform at the Tarrant Appraisal District. In addition, Mayor Mizani has been a strong supporter of Keller’s police and fire and has championed historic levels of allocation towards the city’s core infrastructure such as streets and sidewalks.

Maria Nate

Idaho

Maria Nate, the Idaho State Director for the State Freedom Caucus Network, brings decades of knowledge and experience from corporate, educational, and political sectors, making her well-versed in grassroots politics. She managed all five of her husband, former Representative Ron Nate’s, legislative campaigns and volunteered on numerous local and state-wide campaigns.

Maria was born and raised in Idaho. After her husband graduated with his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Connecticut, they moved their family back to Idaho, where they both quickly became involved in the community.

Maria served as PTO President, managed three successful school bond elections, and served on the Madison School Board. She was selected as a Trump delegate to the 2020 National Convention and was an alternate to the 2016 and 2008 Republican National Conventions. She currently serves as the Secretary to the Idaho State Republican Party and the Madison County Republican Women’s Club.

She and her husband, Ron, have four children and are now empty-nesters, as their last child joined her siblings at BYU last fall. But the house isn’t completely empty, as they still have one dog and two cats to manage.

Nathan Ofe

Dallas, TX

Nathan Ofe is the Chief Executive Officer of Texas Scorecard, a media company focused on helping citizens dominate the governmental and cultural conversations in the Lone Star State.

A native Texan, he grew up in the Dallas area and graduated from Texas A&M University. He previously ran multiple successful consulting companies which serviced dozens of aligned organizations and companies across the country.

Nathan, his wife Caroline, and their two daughters live in Dallas.

Holly Merrill Raschein

Florida

Holly Merrill Raschein is Mayor of Monroe County.

Appointed as County Commissioner by Governor Ron DeSantis in 2021, Holly was elected in 2022, and became Mayor in 2023. She sits on the Board of the Florida Association of Counties.

Holly served from 2012-2020 in the Florida House of Representatives, sitting on the Speaker’s leadership team and chairing the Agriculture & Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee. She was the Florida Director for the National Foundation for Women Legislators and was a gubernatorial appointee on the Florida Defense Support Task Force.

In the private sector, Holly is Government Relations Director for AshBritt, a national disaster recovery contractor. Originally from Alaska, Holly graduated with a degree in political science from Florida State University and an MPA from Florida International University.

She is active in Young Philanthropists of Baptist Health, Leadership Monroe County, the Monroe County Education Foundation, the Florida Council on Arts & Culture, Florida Keys Healthy Start Coalition, Florida National Parks Association Board, Miami/Florida Keys Chapter of the Red Cross, and the Rotary Club of Key Largo. Holly resides in the Upper Keys with her son, Drake.

Tim Rosenberger

Ohio

Tim Rosenberger is a legal fellow at the Manhattan Institute. Tim holds a JD/MBA at Stanford University, where he was President of the Federalist Society and on Law Review, and an LL.M. from the University of Vienna.

He was named to the Forbes 30under30 for his work as founder of the Atlas Education fund which provides bridge loans to students in difficult situations. Tim’s policy interests are at the intersection of law, faith, education and business—with a particular focus on leveraging policy to help America’s overlooked populations create lives of dignity.

Tim Salazar

Wyoming

Senator Tim Salazar was first elected to the Wyoming House of Representatives in 2016 and served on the House Judiciary Committee. As a member of the House, he authored and passed into Wyoming state law ‘Stand Your Ground’ self-defense 2nd Amendment legislation.

In 2020, Tim was elected to the Wyoming State Senate and currently serves as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee & the State Emergency Response Commission (SERC) under Wyoming’s Homeland Security. In 2023, he passed the first state legislation in the country that prohibits Chemical Abortion. The legislation is currently being challenged in the courts.

Tim is an outspoken supporter of the State of Israel. Before entering elected office, he served 26 years as a U.S. Army Infantry Officer.

Tim, his wife Shannon, and son Joshua are Christians.

Kate Sanchez

California

Kate Sanchez was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2022 and now serves the 71st California Assembly District. Kate is a proud mom and businesswoman, has been a proven advocate for parental rights and public safety, and continues to fight against California tax increases.

Kate has worked for numerous lawmakers and began her career working for the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee with former Congressman Ed Royce and Congressman Darrell Issa. Kate was a member of the California Policy Center, which explored nonpartisan, common-sense education reform and solutions to California’s public school issues.

Kate was the former Executive Director of the California Women’s Leadership Association (CWLA) and a proud Marian Bergeson Excellence in Public Services Series graduate. She earned a B.A. with a concentration in Political Science/Law from Salve Regina University.

Kate serves in a leadership role as Deputy Floor Leader for the Republican Caucus. She serves on the following committees: Appropriations, Budget, Higher Education, Housing and Community Development, Human Services (Vice Chair), Transportation, and Judiciary.

Alek Skarlatos

Oregon

Alek Skarlatos has a long history of fighting for the conservative movement and southern Oregon, including historic runs for congress in Oregon’s 4th Congressional District, as an advocate for Oregon’s timber industry, and as National Development Director for the Conservative Nonprofit the Freedom Foundation.

Prior to entering the public policy arena, Alek was an Oregon National Guardsman. He attended both Air Assault School and Sniper School, achieving the rank of Specialist. He completed a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan with the US Army National Guard’s 186th Infantry Regiment, 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team.

In August of 2015, Alek, along with four others, stopped an armed terrorist on a Paris-bound train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris. His heroism earned him several awards and medals around the world, including the United States’ Soldier’s Medal. In addition, he received the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and the medal of the City of Arras, France. He also starred in the 2018 Clint Eastwood film 15:17 to Paris, about the terrorist attack he helped to stop.

Jamal Sowell

Florida

Jamal Allen Sowell is the former Florida Secretary of Commerce appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis. In this role, he led the state’s economic development agency, managed Florida’s international presence through a dozen foreign offices, led the state’s export program, and oversaw small and rural business growth. He is the President of Business Solutions at Indelible, a national management consulting firm. He was the Chief of Staff for Port Tampa Bay, which generates over $17.2 billion of total economic value. In 2023, Florida Trend named him as one of the 500 most influential business leaders in the state and he serves as a gubernatorial appointee to the Florida Defense Support Task Force.

Sowell is a Pat Tillman Scholar and United States Marine Corps Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom Afghanistan. He serves in the United States Navy Reserve and is a member of the Florida Council of 100. He attended law school in Indiana and was appointed by Governor Mike Pence to the State Board of Health Facility Administrators and was chosen by the Federalist Society to be an editor for the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy Symposium. While in school, he worked for Congressman Todd Young and lived in Israel to work for Shurat HaDin, a non-governmental organization dedicated to fighting terrorist organizations through legal action. He is married to his wife Karen and they have one child.

Treg Taylor

Anchorage, Alaska

Attorney General Treg Taylor started with the Alaska Department of Law in 2018, serving as Deputy Attorney General in charge of the Civil Division.

Prior to being appointed Deputy Attorney General, Treg was Senior Counsel for ASRC Energy Services, LLC, a subsidiary of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, the largest locally-owned and operated business in Alaska. He also served as counsel for McKinley Capital Management, an investment manager serving a global client base from its headquarters in Anchorage, Alaska. Treg began his legal career in Anchorage working in a commercial litigation firm for four years.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a law degree from Brigham Young University.

He and his wife Jodi have six children and live in Anchorage, Alaska.

Eric Teetsel

Virginia

Eric Teetsel is Vice President of Government Relations at The Heritage Foundation.

Teetsel has a long track record of experience in government at the federal, state, and local levels. Most recently, he was Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri, where he also held the roles of Legislative Director and Special Assistant.

Teetsel previously served as President of the Family Policy Alliance of Kansas, Director of Faith Outreach for the Marco Rubio presidential campaign, Executive Director of the Manhattan Declaration for life, marriage, and religious freedom, and founder of the Values & Capitalism program at the American Enterprise Institute.

Teetsel graduated from Wheaton College (IL) and holds a master’s in Education from Azusa Pacific University.

Originally from Kansas, he and his wife live in Virginia with their four children.

Sean Themea

Austin, TX

Sean Themea serves as Chief Operating Officer for Young Americans for Liberty (YAL), where he oversees daily operations for over 40 employees committed to building a youth army, electing pro-liberty candidates and passing transformative liberty legislation.

A former progressive, Sean’s pro-liberty opinions and commentary have been featured in outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The Daily Wire, and he has appeared on Fox Business, Newsmax, The Young Turks, and Vice News.

Sean is an alumnus of Young Voices, where he was a finalist for Contributor of the Year in 2022. On behalf of college students across the country, Sean testified before the House Freedom Caucus in opposition to campus vaccine mandates in 2021.

Outside of the grassroots sphere, Sean is active in the Austin, Texas, theater community, producing, directing and performing in regional shows, and has sung the national anthem at both New York Knicks and New York Rangers games.

Alex Titcomb

Maine

Alex Titcomb is Co-Founder and Executive Director of The Dinner Table, a member-based PAC and the largest, most active conservative grassroots organization in Maine.

His track record of transforming ideas into results began in Maine politics during the 2012 Ron Paul presidential campaign and continued while consulting for multiple House and Senate campaigns. Campaign manager for State Rep. Laurel Libby, he directed grassroots resources such that Rep. Libby broke fundraising records in the Maine House and won against a 2-term Democrat incumbent in 2020.

In 2021, Alex acted on his long-term vision to create a member-based PAC, in partnership with Representative Libby, inspiring hundreds of grassroots citizens, statewide, to commit time and treasure to the mission. During that election cycle, The Dinner Table raised over $480K and successfully flipped four seats from Democrat to Republican, while Republicans otherwise saw huge losses statewide.

Alex’s personal ethos of faith, family, and freedom is contagious, and is his not-so-secret foundation of success, along with an affinity for continuous improvement.

From his childhood in Russia, to his adoption by a Maine couple at the age of six, to now being a leader of those who desire liberty, Alex looks forward to the next challenge.

Matthew Tyrmand

Florida

Matthew Tyrmand is a journalist (both investigative and editorial), political strategist, activist, consultant, and investment banker. He is a dual Polish and American citizen deeply engaged in the battle of political ideas in both the USA and Europe. He is an outspoken critic of the European Union and American-Ivory Tower–engineered globalist multilateralism at the expense of nation state sovereignty and individual freedom.

In the U.S., he works closely with organizations focused on bringing robust fiscal transparency, prudence, and accountability to the public sector as well as rooting out corruption in both the public and private sectors including with American Transparency where he is Deputy-Director-at-Large of its OpenTheBooks project.

He has contributed to numerous English language platforms in the U.S. and Europe including, but not limited to: Breitbart, Forbes, The American Mind, The American Thinker, The American Conservative, The Jerusalem Post, The European Conservative, Human Events, and numerous outlets in Poland where he also appears twice weekly on Polish television weighing in on issues of the day. He is the author of two books in Poland.

He continues his work in investment banking as well focusing on corporate finance work for healthcare & technology companies.

Nathan Uldricks

Indiana

Nate Uldricks is a candidate for Porter County Council at-large. He currently serves his community as the Chair of the Pine Township Board, a local elected office, a volunteer firefighter, and as a member of the Porter County Parks Foundation Board. He was recognized by the Times of Northwest Indiana as a 20 Under 40.

He previously served the public as the Chief of Staff to the Chief Management Officer of the US Department of Defense, Chief of Staff to the Deputy Director of Management at the Office of Management & Budget, and Chief of Staff to the CFO of the US Department of Labor, where led or was involved with major transformational efforts to cut waste and drive efficiencies that saved taxpayers billions of dollars.

Currently, Nate is the Head of Product Strategy for Fabius Labs, a technology startup that builds new digital products, launches digital initiatives, grows e-commerce businesses and upgrades tech capabilities for non-profit organizations and small businesses. He previously worked in other engineering and operations roles.

He and his wife, Kim, met on an airplane and have one son, Teddy.

Nate earned a BS in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University, MA in Government from Johns Hopkins University, and MBA from the University of Virginia.

Catherine Urbanek

Florida

After a decades-long career in entertainment and the fitness industry, Catherine Urbanek made the decision to attend law school in 2018. Discouraged with Hollywood’s extremely far-left politics, she chose to pursue a career that she hoped would bring her a deeper personal and intellectual fulfillment.

Catherine had always considered herself a conservative, but during her 1L year, she found a new appreciation for the Constitution and the values of America as founded. She became active in the Pepperdine Caruso Law Federalist Society, serving as Communications Director and President. The summer after her 2L year, Catherine proudly clerked within the Law Enforcement Defense Division in the Texas Office of the Attorney General.

After graduating law school, she moved to Jacksonville, Florida. She recently completed Alliance Defending Freedom’s Young Lawyers Academy, serves on the Jacksonville Federalist Society Executive Committee, and is a board member of the Florida Federalist Society Young Lawyers Chapter.

Catherine currently clerks for the Honorable Joshua Mize on the Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal, and her most recent obsession is her new puppy, Stuart.

Jessica Villarreal

Texas

Jessica served with the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade out of Fort Drum, New York, from 2004-2010 and provided support during combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

After the Army, Jessica wanted to continue serving her community. She received a bachelor’s degree in communications studies from the University of Texas-Pan American and a master’s in social work from Our Lady of the Lake University.

Through her social work career, Jessica worked with veterans, children, and families, conducting individual and group counseling focusing on trauma. This work led her to a job at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

At the VA, Jessica helped veterans get through difficult transitions back to civilian life, as many were experiencing a wide range of complicated medical, psychiatric, emotional, behavioral, and psychosocial problems. Her time at the VA gave Jessica insight into shortcomings and harmful policies affecting veterans and veterans’ families.

To further her impact, Jessica joined Concerned Veterans for America to effect policy change and is concurrently working toward a doctorate in behavioral health through Arizona State University.

Shad White

Mississippi

Shad White is the 42nd State Auditor of Mississippi.

White, a Certified Fraud Examiner, grew up in Sandersville, Mississippi, population 731, in a blue-collar family. His father and grandfather were oilfield pumpers, and his mother and grandmother were public school teachers. Shad went on to earn degrees from the University of Mississippi, the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and Harvard Law School.

White was appointed State Auditor in July 2018 and has twice won re-election to the office after establishing a tough, no-nonsense reputation. White’s team stopped the largest public fraud in state history in February 2020 and has recovered more money since 2018 than in any other five-year period in state history.

White also serves in the military as a captain in the Mississippi National Guard and is the author of the upcoming book “Mississippi Swindle: Brett Favre and the Welfare Scandal That Shocked America” (published by Steerforth Press and distributed by Penguin Random House in August 2024).

Today Shad, his wife Rina, and their three children live in Rankin County and are faithful members at St. Richard Church.

Jonathan Wilson

Parker, CO

Jonathan Wilson is the founder and CEO of INVI MindHealth, a mental health tech company whose mission is to save lives by making the invisible visible. Prior to launching INVI, Jonathan worked at Capital Group, and before that, he was an equity trader at Goldman Sachs in New York City.

Jonathan co-founded and led the SEAL Future Foundation (SFF), a 501(c)3, in 2012, which has helped thousands of Navy SEALs and given millions of dollars back. The SFF’s mission is to provide Navy SEALs with a foundation that supports their well-being, education, and career
to continue a life of service within their communities.

Jonathan started his professional career in the military, having served over a decade in the United States Navy SEALs, deploying to multiple combat theaters while serving on multiple SEAL Teams.

He holds an MBA from the University of Oxford and graduated from the Program for Leadership Development at Harvard Business School.

Jonathan is based in Parker, Colorado.

Jeff Witt

Niceville, FL

Jeff Witt is a management consultant and fighter pilot from Niceville, Florida. After completing an Economics degree at Harvard University, Jeff joined the Air National Guard and served for four years as an F-16 pilot. During a deployment to Afghanistan, Jeff applied to and was accepted at Harvard Business School, where he completed a full-time MBA program while continuing to serve as a reserve fighter pilot.

After business school, Jeff joined McKinsey & Company as a management consultant associate, where he advises senior executives on their toughest business strategy and operations problems.

Jeff took a leave of absence from McKinsey in 2020 to train in the Air Force’s most advanced fighter aircraft, the F-35, where he achieved the qualification of instructor and evaluator pilot. Resuming his career at McKinsey in the fall of 2023, Jeff serves both private and public sector clients while continuing to serve as a fighter pilot in the Air National Guard.

Jeff and wife Courtney reside in Niceville, Florida, where they stay busy raising three beautiful young children, with a fourth eagerly expected in the spring of 2024. They are active members of their church and community, where they are leading a grassroots group of families seeking to found a classical school.