Speakers
Giving You the Best View of the Pro-Life Landscape
Read about a few of the more than two dozen speakers you will hear from at the conference. Check back in the coming weeks for announcements about additional celebrated speakers.
Dave Andrusko
Read Bio
Dave Andrusko is the long-time editor of the daily blog National Right to Life News Today
(nrlc.org/nrlnewstoday) and the monthly digital edition of National Right to Life News. Along with his wife, Lisa, he came to work for NRLC in 1981. In that 45 year span, he has written hundreds of articles, editorials, and op-eds for newspapers, magazines, religious publications, and biomedical journals. Those include USA Today, the New York Times, Touchstone, The National Catholic Reporter, The Liguorian, The Jewish Journal, First Things, The Lincoln Review, Live Action News, Pregnancy Help News, Public Welfare, The National Catholic Register, Columbia Magazine, and The Hastings Center Report. His stories have been reposted by dozens of right to life organizations. Dave and Lisa are blessed with four adult children, a daughter-in-law, two sons-in-law law, and six grandchildren. They have led an adult Sunday school class for 28 years.
Harlee Barbier
Read Bio
Harlee Barbier has been involved with the pro-life movement for several years. She started her pro-life journey by attending her first PULSE camp with Louisiana Right to Life in 2015. Over the years, she has stayed involved in any way she can by staffing at PULSE camps, volunteering at events, and serving as the Summer intern in 2022 for Louisiana Right to Life. She also worked as the New Orleans Youth Programs Director/College Director before leaving to be a stay at home mom. She was very involved with her high school’s pro-life organization where she volunteered with many pregnancy centers. Harlee graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University in 2023 where she is the founder of their on campus pro-life organization, Lion’s for Life. Harlee served as their president during her time at the university. Her goal is to change hearts and minds, one student at a time. In her free time you can find Harlee volunteering in her community or focusing on her community organization she runs, Live to Love for Life. Harlee also enjoys traveling, hiking, shopping and creating pro-life social media content.
James Bopp, Jr
Read Bio
James Bopp, JR., J.D., general counsel for the National Right to Life Committee, is a member of The Bopp Law Firm in Terre Haute, Indiana, with practice emphasis on not-for profit corporate and tax law; campaign finance and election law; the biomedical issues of abortion, foregoing and withdrawing life-sustaining medical treatment, and assisted suicide; federal and state trial and appellate litigation; and United States Supreme Court practice. He has litigated extensively on these subjects, including arguing six cases before the United States Supreme Court. He has testified before numerous congressional committees and has published dozens of popular and law review articles on pro-life and First Amendment topics. Jim is a former vice chairman of the Republican National Committee and previously served on the National Commission for UNESCO, on the President’s Committee on Mental Retardation, on the Congressional Biomedical Ethics Advisory Committee, and on the National Institutes of Health’s Fetal Tissue Transplant Research Panel. He is also general counsel for American Federation for Children, general counsel for the James Madison Center for Free Speech, a commissioner on the Uniform Law Commission, and former special counsel for the Republican National Committee. The National Law Journal recently recognized him as one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America.” Jim resides in Zionsville, Indiana, with his wife, Christine. They have three grown daughters, three sons-in-law, and seven grandchildren.
Kay Lyn Carlson
Read Bio
Kay Lyn Carlson, LMSW, CAGS, is a researcher who educates on reproductive loss, trauma, and the emerging construct of moral injury. She is the Founder and CEO of the International Institute for Reproductive Loss (IIRL), where she leads interdisciplinary research initiatives designed to advance theoretical models and evidence‑based frameworks for understanding trauma within the context of reproductive loss. Her scholarship contributes to defining the multidimensional therapeutic needs associated with reproductive loss, including the development of MI‑A (Moral Injury–Abortion) as a novel conceptual lens within trauma studies.
Carlson’s research builds upon over three decades of professional experience, organizational leadership, and national and international educational outreach. Her work seeks to bridge gaps between moral injury research, clinical practice frameworks, and the lived experiences of individuals navigating reproductive loss.
Anne Carmichael
Read Bio
Anne Carmichael has over 40 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and development. Throughout her career, she has personally raised well over $10 million in major gifts through individual donor relationships – the majority were during her tenure at Vitae Foundation. She also pioneered the fundraising consulting division of Choose Life Marketing and Cogency Strategic, creating the systems and packages that helped clients grow through special events, and capital campaigns. The 15 organizations she worked with during that time had increased combined fundraising revenue from $2.5 million to more than $20 million. Earlier in her career, Anne secured a transformative grant that brought critical services to low-income families in central Missouri—an achievement recognized by the media, as well as city and state leaders. She also served as a lobbyist and led the Citizens Network for the Missouri Catholic Conference. During that time she played a lead role in passage of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban legislation, including the override of the governor’s veto – only the 7th in Missouri history and only the 2nd time a governor was overridden by his own party. The legislation withstood multiple legal challenges and ultimately was upheld by the Missouri Supreme Court. She was the first Executive Director for Missouri Right to Life in the mid 1980’s and has been married to her husband, Jim, for 42 years. She has received recognition from several organizations, including Outstanding Young Women of America, Zonta International, International Biographical Centre, and Marquis Who’s Who.
Aniela Chis
Read Bio
Aniela Chis is a bold pro-life advocate, speaker, and host of the podcast Spotlight on Life, where she highlights pro-life voices and inspires Christians to take meaningful action. She is helping awaken the Church to its role in one of the most urgent issues of our time. With raw honesty, she shares her personal journey through abortion, silence, and redemption—offering a powerful message of truth, healing, and hope.
Aniela challenges believers to move beyond comfort and into conviction—equipping the Church to stand for life while creating space for grace, restoration, and real transformation. Her passion is to see a unified Body of Believers rise up with courage and compassion to protect the vulnerable and walk alongside those carrying hidden pain.
Her voice is both a call to action and an invitation to healing—reminding audiences that no story is beyond redemption, and no life is without value.
Ingrid Ann Duran
Read Bio
Ingrid Ann Duran serves as the director of the State Legislation Department of the National Right to Life Committee. She has over twenty-five years’ experience in state legislative policy. She advises executive directors, state lobbyists, and state legislators in advancing their legislative priorities as well as defeating legislation that is against the organization’s mission. In addition to drafting and analyzing policy, she also researches policy issues, tracks legislation, and organizes legal data that summarizes the research into helpful factsheets which are used by media outlets and state and federal policymakers. Ingrid holds a bachelor’s degree in political science with a concentration in public policy from American University in Washington, D.C. She is the president of Maryland Right to Life.
Scott Fischbach
Read Bio
Scott Fischbach became the executive director of National Right to Life on January 1, 2023. Before coming to National Right to Life, he had served for 22 years as the executive director of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL). Under Scott’s leadership, MCCL embarked on numerous educational outreach programs, including the Compassion Media campaign, MNAAS (Minnesotans Against Assisted Suicide), Hispanos por la Vida Hispanic outreach, and the GO! (Global Outreach) program, which provides life-affirming human rights activists worldwide with research and educational materials. While promoting educational outreach, local grassroots development is still most important at MCCL. Scott is bringing the same leadership and determination that was his hallmark at MCCL to the national level and to National Right to Life’s 50 state affiliates. Scott is married to Michelle, and the couple has two adult children and seven grandchildren.
Samuel D. Green
Read Bio
As a young child, Samuel Green felt called to help end abortion in the United States. That passion to save unborn children eventually led Samuel to found Reason for Life, where he now serves as President & General Counsel.
Before founding Reason for Life, Samuel spent five years at Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), where he engaged in litigation to defend the sanctity of life, freedom of speech, and religious liberty. Samuel has also worked as a litigation associate at a large law firm, as a member of a presidential campaign’s legal team, and as a law clerk to the Honorable Raymond W. Gruender of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Samuel finished first in his class at Pepperdine University School of Law, where he earned a Juris Doctor degree in 2011. He also studied political science at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he graduated, summa cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2008.
Samuel has provided legislative testimony, preached sermons about the sanctity of life, and given presentations across the country to various groups or their chapters (including Turning Point USA, Students for Life of America, Live Action, 40 Days for Life, Summit Ministries, Teen Pact Leadership Schools, the Federalist Society, the St. Thomas More Society, and the Christian Legal Society). Samuel has also participated in media interviews and published articles with various outlets, including Newsweek, The Hill, The Seattle Times, WORLD, Washington Examiner, Arizona Capitol Times, The Federalist, and The Daily Signal. Additionally, Samuel authored a legal brief in the historic Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade.
Madison LaClare
Read Bio
Madison LaClare graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho with a bachelors of arts in public policy and administration. She began working at National Right to Life as the Director of Federal Government Affairs in June 2025. She has held pro-life beliefs her whole life but began her involvement in the movement after living in England for a year and working with women who had had abortions recover spiritually. Madison has been passionate about government and politics for much of her life and loves to have found a way to channel that with aiding the pro-life cause. In 2024 Madison interned at National Right to Life as well as attended the National Right to Life Academy. Madison works hard to bring pro-life policies to the nation.
Bradley Mattes
Read Bio
A veteran of the pro-life cause . . .
With over 50 years of significant contribution and recognition in the pro-life movement, Bradley Mattes (pronounced Mat-tis) is widely known in the United States and worldwide for his passion for the preborn.
He was a cofounder and President of Life Issues Institute where he hosted the daily Life Issues© radio program, heard on over 1,200 radio outlets. He was also the host of Straight Talk on Life Issues, a weekly half-hour radio program.
Brad is a former Assistant Director of the National Right to Life Political Action Committee, and former President of several state Right to Life organizations. He also served as chairman of the board of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network and is the President of the International Right to Life Federation. Mr. Mattes has a Master’s degree in Biblical Studies and Biblical Counseling.
A frequent international speaker and lecturer on life issues, he works with other countries to establish a pro-life education network and presence.
Bradley has done considerable research on abortion’s impact on men and speaks frequently to the effects of abortion on men. His writings on the subject have been released in US and international publications. Bradley also serves as a men’s post abortion counselor. He was executive producer and host of a weekly pro-life television program, called Facing Life Head-On, which was available to over 100 million households across America and throughout Canada. The program has garnered 3 Regional Emmy© awards.
Unquestionably a family man—Bradley and his wife, Ellen, have four sons and seven grandchildren. The couple resides in the Tampa, Florida area.
Steven W. Mosher
Read Bio
Steven W. Mosher is the President of the Population Research Institute and an internationally recognized authority on China and population issues. He has worked tirelessly since 1979 to fight coercive population control programs and has helped hundreds of thousands of women and families worldwide over the years.
In 1979, Steven was the first American social scientist to visit mainland China. He was invited there by the Chinese government, where he had access to government documents and actually witnessed women being forced to have abortions under the new “one-child policy.” Mr. Mosher was a pro-choice atheist at the time, but witnessing these traumatic abortions led him to reconsider his convictions and to eventually become a practicing, pro-life Roman Catholic.
Steven has appeared numerous times before Congress as an expert in world population, China, and human rights abuses. He has also made TV appearances on Fox News, EWTN, Newsmax and other networks, as well as being a regular guest on talk radio shows and podcasts across the nation.
He is the author of the best-selling The Devil and Communist China. His other books include A Mother’s Ordeal: One Woman’s Fight Against China’s One-Child Policy, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Pandemics, Bully of Asia: Why China’s Dream is the New Threat to World Order; Population Control: Real Costs and Illusory Benefits, Hegemon: China’s Plan to Dominate Asia and the World, China Attacks, China Misperceived: American Illusions and Chinese Reality, Journey to the Forbidden China, and Broken Earth: The Rural Chinese.
Articles by Steve have appeared in the New York Post, LifeSite News, The Epoch Times, The Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Reader’s Digest, The New Republic, The Washington Post, National Review, Reason, Human Life Review, First Things, and numerous other publications.
Steven Mosher lives in Ave Maria, Florida with his wife, Vera. He has nine children and 17 grandchildren (and counting, always counting.)
Peter T. Northcott
Read Bio
Described as a “veteran of the Kansas Statehouse,” Peter has served as Assistant State Treasurer, Chief of Staff to the Senate Majority Leader, and Legislative Liaison to former Governor Sam Brownback. He also served as Special Assistant for Life Issues to the Kansas Catholic Conference, helping shape advocacy and policy at the state level.
After the loss of a pro-life ballot referendum in August 2022, just 40 days after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, Peter led efforts to rebuild, stabilize, and reorient the pro-life movement in Kansas. Over the next four years, the movement enacted twenty pro-life provisions and laws, fifteen of them through veto overrides, reflecting a disciplined and strategic approach in a divided political environment.
His strategy drew national attention. Former White House Press Secretary and Fox News host Kayleigh McEnany remarked, “I speak to pro-life groups all across the country, and I think, Peter, you just gave the single best presentation I’ve seen as to how we move forward as the pro-life movement in the political space…I’m blown away.”
As Director for State Strategies at the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC), Peter oversaw successful efforts to defeat high-profile ballot initiatives in Florida, Nebraska, and South Dakota. He currently serves as Executive Director of Kansans for Life and resides in Topeka with his wife and children.
Melissa Ohden
Read Bio
Melissa Ohden is the Founder and CEO of The Abortion Survivors Network, the only advocacy organization for abortion survivors and their families worldwide. She is the Co-Founder of the pro-life storytelling advocacy initiative My Body, My Voice and the host of the Life Beyond Abortion Podcast.
She is a master’s-level prepared Social Worker and the author of the award-winning book featuring her life story, “You Carried Me: A Daughter’s Memoir,” and most recently, the co-author of “Abortion Survivors Break Their Silence.”
Melissa is a frequent contributor to pro-life and conservative news outlets and a regular guest on radio and television programs worldwide.
Although Melissa has a heart for providing help and hope to all impacted by abortion, she also strives to humanize the unborn and abortion survivors through activism. She is recognized worldwide as an expert on abortion experiences and has testified before Congressional committees numerous times.
Melissa and her family reside in Kansas City, Missouri.
Amber Roseboom
Read Bio
Amber Roseboom is the president of Right to Life of Michigan, serving in this role since January 2024. She has more than 25 years of experience leading high-stakes, high-profile initiatives in a variety of different sectors, including two Presidential Administrations, private industry, and non-profit advocacy organizations. Her interest in policy and activism is rooted in standing with women and supporting the right to life for the most vulnerable. She began her career in the mid-90s serving at Right to Life of Michigan before moving to the nation’s capital. She is a graduate of Michigan State University, and she and her husband Tim now reside in Grand Rapids.
Ingrid Skop
Read Bio
Ingrid Skop, M.D., F.A.C.O.G. has been a practicing board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist in San Antonio, Texas for over 30 years. She received her Bachelor of Science in physiology from Oklahoma State University, her medical doctorate from Washington University School of Medicine, and completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr. Skop is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a board member of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists. She currently practices with OB Hospitalist Group and is also Vice President and Director of Medical Affairs for the Charlotte Lozier Institute, and is an Adjunct Clinical Faculty at the University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine (UIWSOM). She serves as gynecologic medical director for AWC Centers in San Antonio, on the medical advisory board of Save the Storks, and as a member of the Texas Maternal Morbidity and Mortality Review Committee. She has published peer reviewed articles focusing on abortion safety, abortion drugs and maternal mortality, and has testified to state and federal legislatures and judicial courts. Dr. Skop is married to a physician and is the proud mother of two sons and a daughter.
Dr. Skop has always been passionate about caring for mothers and their children in holistic ways. She understands that many women are in crisis due to family breakdown, domestic violence, lack of emotional and material support, and poor psychological and physical health, which place their pregnancies and children’s lives at risk. She seeks to dig beneath the surface to understand these issues better, to focus resources and interventions upstream to prevent these crises. When crises do occur, she hopes to provide interventions that will truly enhance the lives and well-being of American women and their families.
Carrie Snyder
Read Bio
Carrie Snyder became Executive Director of Ohio Right to Life in June of 2025 after serving on the organization’s Board of Trustees since 2009. She lives in Wooster and is active in her community and her church, North Life Baptist. In December of 2025, Carrie and her husband adopted a sibling group of three after fostering them for over four years, bringing their family to nine children total.
Carrie and her family relocated to Ohio from Michigan in 2005 and love almost everything about Ohio. She’s been active in local pro-life groups since graduating from Calvin University with a B.A. in political science, and her first job out of college was working for Right to Life of Michigan as a field representative in the metro Detroit area.
Carrie has lived out her pro-life beliefs as they extend to protecting children of all ages and looks forward to helping create a culture that values life, in Ohio and beyond.
Carol Tobias
Read Bio
Carol Tobias is president of the National Right to Life Committee. A native of North Dakota, she has served on the National Right to Life board of directors since 1987. From 1983 to 1991, she was executive director of North Dakota Right to Life and in 1991 was hired as National Right to Life political director, a position she held until 2005. In that capacity, she organized and conducted seminars on pro-life issues and on becoming involved in the political process. During her tenure as political director, pro-life majorities were elected to both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate. In 2000 and 2004, she oversaw the efforts of National Right to Life’s Political Action Committee on behalf of George W. Bush. In 2014, she testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary in opposition to the so called “Women’s Health Protection Act.” She has appeared on numerous television and radio programs throughout the country. Carol and her husband, Damon, live in New Mexico.
Eric Wilson
Read Bio
Eric Wilson is a political technologist driving innovation and digital transformation. He’s a veteran of numerous campaigns, having led Marco Rubio’s digital team during his 2016 campaign for president.
Eric is Executive Director of the Center for Campaign Innovation and Editor of CampaignTrend.com.
Named Campaigns & Election’s “2021 Technology Leader of the Year” and a Harvard Ash Center Technology & Democracy Fellow (2019-2021), he’s frequently interviewed by the media about campaigns and technology and regularly speaks domestically and internationally about the digital transformation of politics.
He’s a proud graduate of the University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee and the Texas Academy of Mathematics and Science at the University of North Texas.
Eric and his family live in the Washington, D.C. area.
Shawn Zierke
Read Bio
Shawn Zierke is a nonprofit strategist and grant writing advisor who helps life-affirming and family-oriented organizations identify their true stakeholders, sharpen their value proposition, and craft initial messaging that moves the right audiences to action. She is the founder and principal of Zierke Consulting Group LLC, where she has guided non-profit startups and coalitions across the pro-life and pro-family space, facilitated EOS/Traction planning, and prepared teams for AAAHC accreditation. In AI, Shawn builds Custom GPT systems that “learn” an organization’s voice, evidence base, and compliance guardrails to assist with prospect research, case statements, budgets, outcomes frameworks, and full proposal drafts- accelerating quality while protecting message discipline. Her coaching and tools have supported more than $36M in awarded grants, and she equips leaders to replicate those wins in-house.
Shawn holds an MPH in Health Management & Policy and an MBA in Social Entrepreneurship, along with OSHA and HR training credentials. She’s a frequent speaker and trainer, a coalition-builder, and a mom of six, including Samuel, her adopted son with special needs, which fuels her commitment to compassionate, high-standard care.