Schedule
FRIDAY, JUNE 20, 2025
| 9:00 – 10:30 a.m. | GENERAL SESSION 1 |
| Great PlainsF & E | Lawfare: How pro-lifers have been targeted by the government and how they are fighting back with strength and grace Todd Starnes, author and radio and television host Rep. Tracey Mann (KS-1) Rep. Derek Schmidt (KS-2) Melanie Israel, research associate at the Heritage Foundation Invocation by Chad McDonald, Lenexa Baptist Church Emcee Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life |
| 11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. | BREAKOUT SESSION 1 |
| Four Winds I | Order in chaos: How adopting the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) can help your organization operate better, accomplish its goals and save more lives Rep. Francis Awerkamp (R-KS) Peter Northcott, director of State Strategies, National Right to Life |
| Four Winds II | Overview of the 119th Congress: Insights into the federal government’s ongoing impact on life issues Rebecca West, Congressional Pro-Life Caucus Scott Fischbach, executive director, National Right to Life Madison LaClare, director of Federal Government Affairs, National Right to Life |
| Four Winds III | Stopping the mailing of abortion pills to your state Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., director of Education, National Right to Life |
| Four Winds IV | Become fundraising masters: From major events to grassroots fundraising, learn from two of the best! Dena Espenscheid, Leadership Institute Anne Carmichael, Cogency Strategic, a division of Choose Life Marketing |
| 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. | CHAMPION LUNCHEON—$100 TICKET REQUIRED |
| Great PlainsF & E | Sen. Pete Ricketts (R-NE), keynote speaker Rich Bott, chairman & CEO, Bott Radio Network Alan Holdren, former EWTN Vatican Bureau chief Pledge of Allegiance led by Philomena Northcott |
| 2:00 – 3:15 p.m. | BREAKOUT SESSION 2 |
| Four Winds I | Impactful digital and social media: How to amplify the pro-life message through social and digital media platforms and podcast storytelling Danielle Underwood, director of Communications, Kansans for Life Mackenzie Ayers, deputy director of Communications, Kansans for Life |
| Four Winds II | Abortion: From debate to convincing dialogue. A time-tested approach to changing hearts through one-on-one conversations and ongoing communication Kaitlyn Donihue and members of Justice for All |
| Four Winds III | Holding abortion providers accountable: The legal and emotional fallout of unsafe and unwanted abortions David Reardon, Ph.D., author and scholar |
| Four Winds IV | Speaking in the square: Persuasive pro-life arguments for those who are “not US” Dave Andrusko, editor, National Right to Life News and NRL News Today John Pisciotta, CEO, Pro-Life in the Public Square Maite Salazar, community outreach professional Hannah Guilliam, director of Youth Programs, Louisiana Right to Life |
| 3:15 – 3:45 p.m. | COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA IN THE GREAT PLAINS FOYER |
| 3:45 – 5:00 p.m. | GENERAL SESSION 2 |
| Great PlainsF & E | Fight against euthanasia: Countering the politics and propaganda of the ever-increasing threat to life Alex Schadenberg, executive director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition Wayne Cockfield, vice president for Medical Ethics, National Right to Life Scott Fischbach, executive director, National Right to Life Emcee Lynda Bell, chairwoman, National Right to Life, and president, Florida Right to Life |
| 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. | DINNER ON YOUR OWN IN THE HOTEL RESTAURANTS OR NEARBY RESTAURANTS, INCLUDING NEAR COLLEGE AND METCALF AVENUES |
| 7:00 – 8:30 p.m. | GENERAL SESSION 3 |
| Great PlainsF & E | Making artificial intelligence work for us: Learn how AI impacts the world’s operations and how pro-lifers can responsibly leverage it to save lives Stephen Rowe, Cato Institute, known as the AI guru Emcee Rai Rojas, director of Outreach & Special Events, National Right to Life |
SATURDAY, JUNE 21, 2025
| 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. | GENERAL SESSION 4 |
| Great PlainsF & E | Winning at the ballot box: How these states overcame the odds, the abortion industry’s money and the media to defeat extreme abortion initiatives in Florida, Nebraska and South Dakota John Sowinski, founding partner, Consensus, Florida Rep. Jon Hansen, speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives Jessica Flanagain, managed Nebraska’s successful Pro-Life Constitutional Amendment Initiative Emcee Peter Northcott, executive director, Kansans for Life |
| 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. | BREAKOUT SESSION 3 |
| Four Winds III | Coast-to-coast attacks on crisis pregnancy centers: The insidious use of public dollars to attack hopeful alternatives to abortion Myrna Maloney Flynn, president and CEO, Massachusetts Citizens for Life Marie Tasy, executive director, New Jersey Right to Life Esther Ripplinger, Ph.D., president and CEO, Human Life of Washington |
| Great Plains J | Taking the pro-abortion media head-on: How to approach the legacy media and ways to get around their bias Jack Cashill, Ph.D., Emmy Award-winning producer, writer and media consultant |
| Great Plains I | State alternatives to abortion funding: Useful ways your state can prioritize helping women and saving babies John McNamara, president, TruthWorks LLC Ron Kelsey, president of the board of directors, Kansas City Pregnancy Care Clinic |
| Great Plains H | Changing hearts and minds: Effective messaging to win in 2025 and beyond Scott Baker, chief strategist, Cogency Strategic Karen Garnett, vice president of National Expansion, Cogency Strategic |
| Four Winds IV | Abortion recovery: The moral injury of abortion—an emerging construct to understanding abortion-related trauma Kay Lyn Carlson, LMSW, president, International Institute for Reproductive Loss |
| 12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | LUNCH ON YOUR OWN IN THE HOTEL RESTAURANTS OR NEARBY RESTAURANTS, INCLUDING NEAR COLLEGE AND METCALF AVENUES |
| 1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | GENERAL SESSION 5 |
| Great PlainsF & E | Environmental, social and government foreign campaign funding: Understand how the financial industry and foreign campaign investors impact public policy against life OJ Oleka, Ph.D., CEO, State Financial Officers Foundation Steven Johnson, Kansas State Treasurer |
| 3:15 – 3:45 p.m. | COFFEE BREAK IN THE EXHIBIT AREA IN THE GREAT PLAINS FOYER |
| 3:45 – 5:00 p.m. | GENERAL SESSION 6 |
| Great PlainsF & E | Science and life: The latest discoveries supporting the pro-life cause and new dangers to human life David Prentice, Ph.D., internationally recognized expert on stem cell research, cell biology and bioethics James L. Sherley, M.D., Ph.D., president and CEO, Asymmetrex, LLC, which recently developed the first method of determining the dosage of therapeutic adult stem cells Emcee Lynda Bell, chairwoman, National Right to Life, and president, Florida Right to Life |
| 5:45 – 7:00 p.m. | CHURCH SERVICES |
| Four Winds III–IV | Catholic mass celebrated by Archbishop Naumann |
| Four Winds I | Protestant service |
| 7:00 – 8:00 p.m. | COCKTAIL HOUR WITH A CASH BAR IN GREAT PLAINS HALLWAY |
| 8:00 – 10:00 p.m. | NRL 2025 CONFERENCE CLOSING PROUDLY PRO-LIFE GALA—$150 TICKET REQUIRED |
| Great PlainsF & E | This gala, a new take on an old tradition we’re proud to revive, will serve both as the closing celebration of our 54th annual National Right to Life conference and the return of our historic Proudly Pro-Life dinner. Proudly Pro-Life Award Honoree Joseph Naumann, Archbishop Emeritus, Archdiocese of Kansas City Oratory contest winner announced Guest Speaker Cynthia Garrett, author, TV host and podcaster Emcee Carol Tobias, president, National Right to Life |
National Right to Life is very grateful to all who contributed to the success of this conference, including our sponsors: Cogency Strategic, Bott Radio Network, Florida Right to Life, North Carolina Right to Life, South Carolina Citizens for Life, the Archdiocese of Kansas City, i360, Kansans for Life, The Leadership Institute, MDS, South Dakota Right to Life