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.
Representative Francis Awerkamp
61st Kansas House of Representatives
Representative Francis Awerkamp will share how the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) can benefit your organization.
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Representative Francis Awerkamp has served the people of the 61st Kansas House of Representatives since 2017. He currently chairs the House Committee on Welfare Reform and has many years’ experience in local government. As a champion for life, he has a perfect voting record with Kansans for Life.
Mackenzie Ayers
Deputy Communications Director, Kansans for Life
Mackenzie Ayers will be part of a panel discussing impactful social media content.
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Mackenzie Ayers serves as deputy communications director at Kansans for Life, where she supports the communications team with media relations and digital strategy, and works alongside the government relations team to create public-facing content that keeps supporters informed on key legislative efforts in Kansas. She manages the organization’s social media platforms and helps craft messaging that engages supporters and compassionately communicates the value of every human life.
While pursuing her degree in communications, Mackenzie served as digital director for the Dr. Jeff Colyer for Governor campaign and later moved to Nebraska to become communications director for a gubernatorial race during her senior year. After graduating, she went on to serve as deputy communications director and spokeswoman for the Value Them Both amendment campaign, representing the effort in interviews with national and international outlets, including NBC, BuzzFeed, BBC, PBS, and others.
Rich Bott
CEO and Chairman, Bott Radio Network (BRN)
Rich Bott will be one of the speakers at the Champions Luncheon.
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Rich Bott is a third-generation Christian broadcaster, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Rev. Dr. S.H. Patterson, and his father, Dick Bott, who founded KCCV Kansas City’s Christian Voice in 1962.
Rich graduated with honors from Bob Jones University and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. His full-time life’s work has been serving the Lord at what would become Bott Radio Network (BRN), which focuses on a carefully developed format of quality Bible teaching and Christian news and Information. Harnessing the power of satellite and digital technology, he has helped expand the reach of the network from three stations in 1981 to over 130 stations today.
Under Rich’s leadership, BRN continues to innovate, reaching worldwide audiences with mobile apps and streaming platforms like iHeart Radio, Roku, Apple TV and more. He has served three terms as chairman of the National Christian Broadcasters and was inducted into its 2025 Hall of Fame.
Anne Carmichael
Senior Fundraising Strategist, Cogency Strategic, a division of Choose Life Marketing
Anne Carmichael will be part of a panel discussion about fundraising.
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Anne Carmichael is the senior fundraising strategist at Cogency Strategic, a division of Choose Life Marketing. She has over 35 years’ experience as a non-profit executive, specializing in major gift development, and has personally raised more than $10 million.
Over the past five years, Anne has helped 13 pro-life organizations raise $19 million. As a lobbyist/community organizer for the Missouri Catholic Conference, she played a lead role in the passage of the partial-birth abortion ban legislation, which included the successful override of the governor’s veto. She was also the first executive director for Missouri Right to Life, where she began her major gift fundraising journey. She has been honored by several organizations, including Zonta International, International Biographical Centre, and Marquis Who’s Who.
Dr. Jack Cashill
Emmy Award-winning producer, writer and media consultant
Dr. Jack Cashill will lead a breakout session titled “Adapting Media Strategies in a Wide Open Media Environment.”
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Jack Cashill has written 17 books and appeared on C-SPAN’s Book-TV more than a dozen times. An Emmy Award winner, he has also produced a score of feature-length documentaries, including “Thine Eyes,” which covered the 2009 March for Life. Jack has a Ph.D. from Purdue University in American studies and writes a daily column at Substack.com.
Kaitlyn Donihue
Trainer, Justice For All (JFA)
Kaitlyn Donihue will lead the “Abortion: From Debate to Convincing Dialogue” breakout session.
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Kaitlyn Donihue is a trainer with Justice For All (JFA), a pro-life organization that works to change hearts and minds through friendly conversations. Kaitlyn has discussed abortion on college campuses throughout the U.S. with hundreds of abortion-choice advocates. She delights in helping Christians overcome their fears and learn to dialogue with people who have different worldviews. She is also passionate about equipping Christians to reach out in love to those who are hurting after abortion. As part of her JFA work, she serves with Deeper Still, a retreat ministry that seeks to help post-abortive women and men find healing and hope in Christ.
Dena Espenscheid
Director of Coalitions and Director of Pro-Life Programs, Leadership Institute
Dena Espenscheid will be part of a panel discussion about fundraising.
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Dena Espenscheid has over 20 years’ professional political and policy experience and has held a variety of positions in public policy organizations and political campaigns. During her first paid campaign, Dena was the Eastern field director for Vote Yes For Life, the nation’s first statewide pro-life ballot initiative in 2006. In her last paid campaign, she was field director for Donald J. Trump for President in Virginia, West Virginia, District of Columbia and Maryland (2015-2016). She has also been a paid state and federal lobbyist and has volunteered on campaigns as small and important as school board.
Dena joined Leadership Institute in 2016 as a grassroots director. She has trained activists across the country to win. Notably, in 2022, she initiated the Coalitions Division, which works with special interest groups to bring specialized Leadership Institute training to their activists. As director of Pro-Life Programs, she works with pro-life organizations and their allies to build coalitions, train their volunteers, and win elections where life is an issue.
Dr. Maria Feeney
Scientific consultant
Dr. Maria Feeney will be part of a panel with the Science Alliance for Life.
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Dr. Maria Feeney, Ph.D., currently serves as a scientific consultant based near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She has trained and worked in the areas of chemistry, biochemistry, bioanalytical chemistry, pharmaceutics and biotechnology. Her interests include proteomics, post-translational modifications of proteins, oxidative stress, diabetes, mass spectrometry and chromatography.
With a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from The University of Kansas, Dr. Feeney has conducted laboratory research at various academic institutions and in the biotechnology industry.As a Madison and Lila Self Graduate Fellow at The University of Kansas, she completed specialized training in leadership, communication, public policy and business alongside colleagues from a variety of disciplines in science, engineering and the humanities. She has, for the good of patients, organized student groups, written commentaries, testified in state legislatures, and worked to create a network of scientists in support of ethical, life-affirming approaches to the challenges of biomedical research today.
Scott Fischbach
Executive Director, National Right to Life Committee
Scott Fischbach will be one of the panelists for both the “Fight against euthanasia” general session and “Overview of the 119th Congress” breakout session.
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Scott Fischbach has led National Right to Life as executive director since January 1, 2023, bringing a results-driven legacy of strategic growth and bold leadership from his 22 years at the helm of Minnesota Citizens Concerned for Life (MCCL).
Since stepping into the national role, Scott has focused on expanding grassroots engagement, modernizing outreach strategies, and elevating National Right to Life’s domestic and international presence. He has worked closely with NRLC’s 50 state affiliates to strengthen state-level coordination and champion effective policy initiatives. Under his leadership, National Right to Life has amplified its response to growing threats like assisted suicide, launched new efforts to equip young pro-life leaders, and reinforced its role as a global resource for life-affirming education.
Jessica Flanagain
Expert campaign strategist
Jessica Flanagain will be part of a panel discussion about defeating extreme abortion ballot initiatives.
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Jessica Flanagain has nearly 30 years of campaign and brand experience. She has advised presidential, statewide, congressional, legislative mayoral and initiative campaigns throughout the country, running more than 100 political races. She also served as executive director of the Nebraska Republican Party.
Jessica has led several successful initiatives, managing all aspects of the campaign from the petition gathering process through the general election. She most recently ran Nebraska’s successful Pro-Life Constitutional Amendment initiative. The victory made Nebraska one of the first states in the country to defeat efforts by the pro-abortion lobby and the first state in the country to enshrine Pro-Life protections for women and children into their state constitution. Jessica has a penchant for electing long-shot candidates. Her experience includes 20 years advising Senator Pete Ricketts through his political comeback, helping lead what Washington Post dubbed “one of the biggest reversals in modern political history.” She advised Ricketts through his two terms as governor and helped him earn the most votes in state history during his 2024 campaign for the US Senate.
Jessica has advised the campaigns of Senator Deb Fischer, Congressman Mike Flood, Governor Jim Pillen, and Attorney General Mike Hilgers. She has also advised on Super PAC efforts all over the country, from Virginia to Kansas.
Hannah Guilliam
Acadiana Youth Programs Director, Louisiana Right to Life
Hannah Guilliam is a panelist in the “Speaking in the square” breakout session.
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Hannah Guilliam is a committed leader in Louisiana’s pro-life movement with over five years’ experience advocating for the dignity of every human life. She began her journey at Acadiana Pregnancy Center & Clinic, where she served as fundraising campaign director and social media coordinator, expanding the center’s influence and connecting youth to compassionate, life-affirming resources.
Hannah has become a leading voice in empowering and equipping the “now” generation of pro-life advocates. Through presentations reaching thousands of students statewide, she has ignited bold conversations, cultivated conviction, and inspired action among youth.
Rooted in servant leadership and unwavering conviction, Hannah works to build a culture that upholds life at every stage, reminding others—as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said—“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Her mission is clear: to confront the injustice of abortion with truth, compassion, and courage.
Representative Jon Hansen
Speaker of the South Dakota House of Representatives
Speaker Jon Hansen will be part of a panel discussion about defeating extreme abortion ballot initiatives.
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Born in Yankton and raised in Dell Rapids, South Dakota, Jon Hansen’s political career began in 2010 when he was elected to the South Dakota House of Representatives for District 25. He has since served as majority whip, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee and speaker pro tempore, and currently serves as speaker of the house. His leadership has been instrumental in passing legislation that upholds conservative principles and protects individual liberties.
Demonstrating his ability to mobilize support and resources, Jon co-founded the Life Defense Fund to oppose and defeat extreme abortion measures in 2024. Under his leadership, the organization raised over $1 million, with more than 90 percent of contributions coming from within South Dakota, showcasing his strong in-state support and fundraising capabilities.
Alan Holdren
International and domestic journalist / Educator
Alan Holdren will be one of the speakers at the Champions Luncheon.
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Alan Holdren is a former EWTN Vatican Bureau Chief in Rome and continues to file periodic reports from the American heartland for EWTN News programming.
He is currently an English teacher at St. John’s High School in Beloit, Kansas, where he lives with his wife and their four children.
Steven Johnson
Kansas State Treasurer
Treasurer Steven Johnson will greet conference attendees at the general session focused on the dangers ESG and foreign campaign funding pose to the pro-life movement.
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Treasurer Steven Johnson was born and raised on a cattle and grain farm near Assaria, Kansas. His financially focused education, which includes an MBA from the University of Chicago, was a valued tool in the financial services sector when he led the development of an asset allocation software program that calculated the highest return of investment for a particular need. His interest and expertise in financial issues during the economic downturn of 2008-09 was a catalyst in his decision to enter public service.
Steven ran for the state legislature and was elected in 2010. His financial and agricultural background led to committee appointments, including chairman of the tax committee, chairman of the insurance and pensions committee, and participation on the appropriations and agriculture and natural resources committee.
Steven was elected the state’s 42nd state treasurer in 2022. He assumed office on January 9, 2023, and is committed to serving Kansas as both a reliable banker for state funds and a responsible fiduciary of invested dollars. He continues to farm wheat, soybeans, corn and milo on the family farm.
Ron Kelsey
President, Kansas City Pregnancy Care Clinic board of directors
Ron Kelsey will take part in a panel discussing state pregnancy resource center grant funds.
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Ron Kelsey retired in 2016 after 11 years as pro-life consultant for Archbishop Joseph Naumann, Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. He has been involved in pro-life pregnancy ministry since 2004, including leadership roles in starting and managing five new pregnancy clinic locations. He is currently board president of Kansas City Pregnancy Clinic, a recipient of significant revenue earned from the Kansas A2A program currently known as the Pregnancy Compassion Act.
Myrna Maloney Flynn
President and CEO, Massachusetts Citizens for Life
Myrna Maloney Flynn is a panelist for the “Coast-to-coast attacks on crisis pregnancy centers” breakout session.
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Beginning her seventh year of executive leadership for Massachusetts Citizens for Life (MCFL), Myrna Maloney Flynn is also serving her third year on the board of directors of the National Right to Life Committee. A skilled communications practitioner with leadership experience in marketing, broadcasting, nonprofit development and education, Myrna worked at NBC and PBS affiliates before contributing to the administrations of Amherst and Smith Colleges as well as the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She was recruited to serve as chief marketing and communications officer at Montrose School, in Medfield, before stepping into a full-time role at MCFL following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Dobbs.
During her MCFL tenure, Myrna has integrated the Choose Life Massachusetts license plates as an MCFL program and helped to establish a statewide coalition of pregnancy resource centers. She directed staff collaboration on the launch of APRScience.org, a first-of-its-kind global resource to bolster Abortion Pill Reversal understanding. She has led her small but mighty team through a website redesign, fetal development booklet production and distribution initiative, a year-long 50th anniversary celebration, Young Adult Chapter launch and, most recently, her Action Team initiative, a grassroots undertaking aimed at mobilizing the state’s largest-ever corps of pro-life volunteers.
Chad McDonald
Senior Pastor, Lenexa Baptist Church
Pastor Chad McDonald will open the conference in prayer.
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Originally from Alabama, Chad McDonald is senior pastor at Lenexa Baptist Church in Lenexa, Kansas, where he initially served as campus pastor at The Fellowship at Greenwood.
Chad came to know Christ at 7 following a revival service at Clearview Baptist Church in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. In high school, he surrendered his life to vocational ministry. He received his bachelor’s degree from Southwest Baptist University and Master of Arts in Theology from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
One of the greatest passions of Chad’s heart is to study, preach, and proclaim the full council of God’s Word. One of his favorite verses is 2 Timothy 3:16, which says, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.”
John McNamara
Attorney/President of TruthWorks LLC
John McNamara will be part of a panel focused on state alternatives to abortion.
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John McNamara served as executive director of the nonprofit Texas Pregnancy Care Network (TPCN) from January 2012 to September 2023. During that time, TPCN provided over $250 million of taxpayer dollars directly to Texas pro-life organizations. Since 2023, John, a licensed Texas attorney, has been focused on expanding this program to other states through his company TruthWorks LLC; currently, it operates in five states.
Archbishop Joseph Naumann
Archbishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City, Kansas
In addition to celebrating the closing Catholic Mass, Archbishop Joseph Naumann will lead the opening prayer at the 2025 Proudly Pro-Life Gala.
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Archbishop Joseph Naumann has been called “a lion of the pro-life movement.” He has consistently challenged pro-abortion Catholic politicians and spearheaded pro-life efforts and ministries in Kansas and throughout the country. He serves as chairman of the U.S. bishops’ conference committee on pro-life activities. As a priest, Archbishop Naumann served from 1984 to 1995 as the archdiocesan pro-life coordinator in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Under his leadership, the Archdiocese of St. Louis established a Project Rachel ministry and the Lifeline Coalition.
Archbishop Naumann was appointed coadjutor archbishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas in 2004 and was appointed archbishop in 2005. The motto on his episcopal coat of arms is “Vitae Victoria Erit,” or “Life Will Be Victorious.”
Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon
Director of Education, National Right to Life
Dr. Randall K. O’Bannon will lead the breakout session titled “Fighting the war against chemical abortion and the ever-growing threat to women and babies.”
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Randall K. O’Bannon, Ph.D., joined National Right to Life in 1989 and has served as its director of education and research since 1994. Over the past 30-plus years, he has become NRLC’s go-to source on abortion statistics, Planned Parenthood, and the dangers of chemical abortion methods. Dr. O’Bannon also serves as the director of the National Right to Life Academy, which trains young pro-life activists to be informed and effective advocates for human life.
Dr. OJ Oleka
Chief Executive Officer, State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF)
Dr. OJ Oleka will discuss the threat of ESG to the pro-life cause.
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Dr. OJ Oleka is the second chief executive officer of the State Financial Officers Foundation and has been in the fight for conservative principles and within the conservative movement since college. As the child of Nigerian immigrants, his family story is a shining example of the American Dream and how faith, opportunity, and hard work can pull families out of poverty. Because of his family story Dr. Oleka has dedicated his life to public service, preserving America as a beacon of hope and promoting the American ideals of merit, hard work, and freedom over divisiveness and identity politics.
Prior to becoming CEO at SFOF, Dr. Oleka was a senior business development executive at a global business processes company. He is also a former candidate for State Treasurer in Kentucky, where he campaigned on a platform of cutting spending, reducing government, and supporting policies that protect economic freedom. He served as president of the Association of Independent Kentucky Colleges and Universities (AIKCU), a nonprofit focused on educational opportunity. While at AIKCU, he led during the COVID era and successfully pushed back against the government to keep his colleges and universities open. His leadership helped kids stay in school, saved thousands of jobs, and drove millions of dollars into the economy.
Prior to AIKCU, Dr. Oleka served as deputy treasurer for Kentucky State Treasurer and SFOF Member Allison Ball. He protected millions of tax dollars from fraud, defended private property, and helped the office win national recognition for increasing fiscal transparency in the state budget.
Dr. Oleka has a marketing degree from the University of Louisville and an MBA and PhD in Leadership in Higher Education from Bellarmine University.
John Pisciotta
CEO, Pro-Life in the Public Square
John Pisciotta will be part of a panel titled “Speaking in The Square: Persuasive Pro-life Arguments For Those Who Are ‘Not US.’”
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Before launching Pro-Life in the Public Square in 2024, John Pisciotta was the founding director of Pro-Life Waco (1995) and served on the economics faculty of Baylor University (1980-2012). While on the Baylor faculty, John became active in the life-defender arena in 1994. This was the year Planned Parenthood launched its baby-killing business in Waco. Pisciotta’s response to Planned Parenthood brought the formation of Pro-Life Waco. PLW’s priority from the start has been public square outreach: engaging the broad cross-section of neighbors in Central Texas.
Pro-Life Waco burst on the national scene in 2004 with a boycott of Girl Scout Cookie sales of the local Bluebonnet Council. This council publicly endorsed Planned Parenthood’s sex-ed events and honored Planned Parenthood Waco’s CEO with its “Woman of Distinction” award in 2003. The spiraling controversy led the Bluebonnet Council to renounce ties with Planned Parenthood. The boycott increased national awareness of the entanglement of these secular, progressive organizations.
Pisciotta has appeared on the Today Show, Hannity and Combs, the 700 Club, and more.
Dr. David Prentice
Internationally recognized expert on stem cell research
Dr. David Prentice will be part of a panel with the Science Alliance for Life.
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Dr. Prentice is an internationally recognized expert on stem cell research, cell biology and bioethics. He has received numerous awards, including the Walter C. Randall Award in Biomedical Ethics from the American Physiological Society, given for promoting the honor and integrity of biomedical science through example and mentoring in the classroom and laboratory, and he was honored with selection for the 31st A. Kurt Weiss Lectureship on Biomedical Ethics, Oklahoma University Health Science Center.
Dr. Prentice has provided scientific lectures, policy briefings and legislative testimonies in 40 states and 21 countries, including before the U.S. House and Senate and numerous state legislatures, the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. President’s Council on Bioethics, European Parliament, British Parliament, Canadian Parliament, Australian Parliament, German Bundestag, French Senate, Swedish Parliament, the United Nations, and the Vatican. In 2020, he was appointed by the Secretary of HHS to the federal Human Fetal Tissue Ethics Advisory Board.
Dr. Prentice has published numerous peer-reviewed scientific and bioethics articles, including a review of stem cell science and adult stem cell treatments. He has reviewed for various professional publications and been interviewed in virtually all major media outlets. He has also published many public commentaries and op-eds, and travels nationally and internationally to give invited lectures and advise professionals, policymakers and the public regarding stem cell research, fetal tissue research, gene editing, cloning, embryology, cell, molecular and developmental biology, cell culture and vaccines, biochemistry, biotechnology, bioethics, and science policy.
Dr. David C. Reardon
Director, Elliot Institute
Dr. David C. Reardon will be part of a panel discussion about abortion recovery.
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David C. Reardon, Ph.D., is the author of over 50 peer-reviewed medical studies showing elevated rates of suicide, prolonged grief, psychiatric hospitalization, substance abuse and other health problems associated with abortion. Dr. Reardon is also the author of five books, including “The Jericho Plan: Breaking Down the Walls Which Prevent Post-Abortion Healing,” a guide for churches and other ministries on how to create a more healing environment for women and men who are hurting because of a past abortion. He is widely recognized for his work in documenting the national crisis of unwanted abortions and is an advocate for expanding women’s rights of redress for negligent pre-abortion screening and counseling.
Esther Ripplinger
President and CEO, Human Life of Washington
Esther Ripplinger is a panelist for the “Coast-to-coast attacks on crisis pregnancy centers” breakout session.
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Esther Ripplinger, MBA, has served as president and CEO of Human Life of Washington—a National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) affiliate since 2016. She is a passionate advocate for the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death. Her pro-life journey began in 2002 while working at Oregon Right to Life, where she found healing from her own abortion experience. That personal transformation led her to launch a groundbreaking speaker’s bureau of post-abortive women who courageously testified before the Oregon Legislature. Her powerful story was later shared before Oregon’s Judiciary Committee and featured in two Amicus Briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Esther has also confronted the culture of death in end-of-life care, standing firm against medical pressure to pursue euthanasia for a family member—choosing instead to honor and protect human life with dignity and compassion. During her time as a Session Aide to a pro-life state senator (2015–2016), she helped craft a legislative resolution honoring individuals with Down syndrome and organized a day of recognition from the senate gallery, followed by a celebratory reception. Today, Esther continues to be a strong and compassionate voice in the pro-life movement—leading with conviction, courage, and hope for a culture that cherishes every human life.
Stephen Rowe
Program Director, Cato Institute
Join Stephen Rowe for the “Making artificial intelligence work for us” general session.
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Stephen Rowe is a recognized voice in political technology, from prime time to prime ministers’ offices, driving digital innovation and harnessing AI to spark transformative change.
With over 24,000 leaders trained and counting, his mission is to continue innovating and inspiring through powerful digital storytelling. His work has been featured on Fox News, Fox Business, and many other national outlets.
Stephen grew up in Montana, the “Treasure State.”
Maite Salazar
Managing Member, 3f Initiatives LLC
Maite Salazar is a panelist in the “Speaking in the square” breakout session
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Maite Salazar is a bilingual business development and community outreach professional with expertise in public-private partnerships, grassroots campaign and strategic communications. Since 2005, she has participated in strategic initiatives for the Las Vegas Latin Chamber of Commerce, its community foundation, and other business, non-profit and political advocacy organizations.
Maite is an experienced grant and proposal writer who has led the design and implementation of bilingual outreach campaigns, leadership development initiatives, and business training programs focused on underserved Hispanic communities. A passionate advocate for small business and youth, she has chaired the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board Youth Council, taught bilingual entrepreneurship courses, and was the first certified instructor to teach the Spanish-language NxLeveL program in Southern Nevada. She also founded Toastmasters en Español, Nevada’s first Spanish-language Toastmasters club, now known as Gente de Voz.
In 2020, Maite launched 3F Initiatives LLC, a family based venture rooted in her core values of faith, family and freedom. She is a member of the NRLC board of directors.
Dr. Tara Sander Lee
Scientist/Consultant/Author
Dr. Tara Sander Lee will be part of a panel with the Science Alliance for Life.
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A scientist with over 20 years’ experience in academic and clinical medicine with an emphasis on the cause of pediatric disease, Dr. Tara Sander Lee earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the Medical College of Wisconsin followed by postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s Hospital in molecular and cell biology. She was an appointed faculty member at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where she directed a research laboratory investigating congenital heart disease in children and served as scientific director of Molecular Diagnostics at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. She has also served as a scientific consultant and is currently a member of the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Advisory Committee on Infant and Maternal Mortality.
Dr. Sander Lee is dedicated to promoting ethical advancements in healthcare that protect the sanctity of every human life. She has been invited to give expert legislative testimony, given numerous national media interviews, and provided scientific advice for legislators, policymakers and organizations. Dr. Sander Lee is published in various medical journals and textbooks, including her most recent contribution to the book, Choose Life: Answering Key Claims of Abortion Defenders with Compassion. She is also lead editor of VoyageOfLife.com, a website that reveals the remarkable journey of every human being in the womb from conception to birth, and how we are each “fearfully and wonderfully” made.
Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
Alex Schadenberg will be part of a panel discussion about assisted suicide.
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Alex Schadenberg has served as the executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) since 1999 and became the executive director of EPC-USA in 2022. Alex co-produced the Euthanasia Deception documentary and has authored thousands of articles as well as published his book Exposing Vulnerable People to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide. He has spoken throughout North America and has also participated in speaking tours in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary, and Scotland.
Dr. Kathleen Schmainda
Researcher/international speaker/entrepreneur
Dr. Kathleen Schmainda will be part of a panel with the Science Alliance for Life.
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Dr. Kathleen Schmainda’s research involves the advancement of MRI technologies to improve the diagnosis, monitoring and development of new treatments for brain and other cancers. This research includes experience with software development, clinical trials, use of preclinical models, tissue banking, and frequent interaction with the IRB (Institutional Review Board).
Dr. Schmainda, Ph.D., M.A., MSEEE, BSE, is an internationally invited speaker on these research topics and has served on numerous National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant review panels as well as several national advisory boards for clinical trials. She is a faculty mentor for medical student pro-life groups and board member of the national organization, University Faculty for Life. Dr. Schmainda co-founded two high-tech startup companies, both of which have produced FDA-cleared medical imaging software products used worldwide.
Dr. James L. Sherley
President and CEO, Asymmetrex LLC
Dr. James L. Sherley will be part of a panel with the Science Alliance for Life.
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Dr. James L. Sherley graduated from Harvard College in 1980 with a B.A. degree in biology; and he completed joint M.D. and Ph.D. degrees at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1988. After post-doctoral studies in cancer cell molecular biology at Princeton University, he joined the Fox Chase Cancer Center as a principal investigator in 1991. In 1998, he joined the faculty of the future Department of Biological Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he undertook research and teaching in the areas of cancer cell molecular biology, tissue stem cell bioengineering, toxicology, and environmental health science until moving to Boston Biomedical Research Institute (BBRI) in 2007.
As a Senior Member of BBRI’s research programs in Regenerative Biology and Cancer Biology, Dr. Sherley established an academic center for developing adult stem cell-based technologies for advancing cellular medicine. After leaving BBRI, he founded, in October 2013, Asymmetrex, LLC, which advances technologies for stem cell medicine and which he now directs as president and CEO. The company recently developed the first method of determining the dosage of therapeutic adult stem cells. Dr. Sherley’s awards include 1993 Pew Biomedical Research Scholar, 2003 Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar in Aging Research, and 2006 NIH Director’s Pioneer Award. He is also “PGP-10” in the Personal Genome Project at Harvard Medical School.
John Sowinski
Founding partner of Consensus / expert campaign strategist
John Sowinski will be part of a panel discussion about defeating extreme abortion ballot initiatives.
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John Sowinski is a founding partner of Consensus. He is a veteran of numerous statewide political, issue and corporate campaigns and has more than 20 years’ experience in public policy, media relations, message development, and paid media management.
John has consulted for many successful statewide issues and corporate campaigns and served as general consultant to the successful Mel Martinez for Senate campaign in 2004.
John is regarded as the premier expert on statewide referendum campaigns in Florida, having accomplished an unmatched record in statewide ballot initiatives. He has led nine successful statewide campaigns in Florida, more than any other consultant. His notable victories include the 1992 “Eight is Enough” term limits campaign; the 1994 “Net Ban” campaign; the 1994 “No Casinos” campaign; the 1996 campaign against a proposed tax of Florida sugar; the 2000 campaign in support of high speed rail; the 2002 Smoke Free Workplace initiative; the 2006 Youth Tobacco Education initiative, and the 2010 “Vote No on 4” campaign, which defeated the so-called “Hometown Democracy” Amendment in an unlikely landslide.
John was student body president at the University of Central Florida, where he earned a B.S. in Public Administration.
Todd Starnes
Host of “Starnes Country” on Fox Nation and “The Todd Starnes Radio Show,” Fox News Channel/Syndicated columnist/Author/Speaker
Todd Starnes will address the conference at the opening session, focusing on the lawfare the pro-life movement has overcome with strength and grace.
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Todd Starnes has been an on-air talent at Fox News Channel for more than a decade. He is the host of “Starnes Country” on Fox Nation (a streaming service by Fox News Channel) and “The Todd Starnes Radio Show,” a three-hour daily radio program that is nationally syndicated to more than 100 radio stations and can be heard Monday through Friday. He also hosts a daily short-form radio commentary heard on more than 500 radio stations around the nation.
Todd writes a syndicated newspaper column that appears on several conservative websites, including FoxNews.com and TownHall.com. He is the author of five books: the most recent a handbook on how Christians can engage the culture, “The Deplorables’ Guide to Making America Great Again”; his newest, “Culture Jihad – How to Stop the Left from Killing a Nation,” is available for preorder and will release this fall.
Todd is the recipient of an Edward R. Murrow Award and an Associated Press Mark Twain Award for Storytelling. In 2014 he was awarded the National Religious Broadcaster’s Board of Directors Award. He is a frequent speaker at churches, Christian conferences and Christian universities. He has also spoken at the Reagan Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, and the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Marie Tasy
Executive Director, New Jersey Right to Life
Marie Tasy is a panelist for the “Coast-to-coast attacks on crisis pregnancy centers” breakout session.
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Marie Tasy serves as executive director of New Jersey Right to Life. She works with federal and state legislators and has helped craft and spearhead important legislative bills that have successfully passed both houses of the legislature. These include the NJ Safe Haven Infant Protection Act, the NJ Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act, the NJ Parental Notification Act, and the Parental Notification Constitutional Amendment. She has additionally worked cooperatively with very diverse state and national coalitions.
A frequent guest lecturer, Marie serves as a state delegate on the board of National Right to Life. She is an advisory board member for Life Choices Pregnancy Center in Philipsburg, New Jersey, and frequently works with medical professionals and members of the legal profession on pro-life matters. In addition to many task force appointments, Marie coordinated and spearheaded a pro-life legal and educational campaign in 2007 to help defeat a deceptive $450 million stem cell ballot referendum which would have used taxpayer money to fund the cloning and killing of human beings.
Marie served on the Bush-Cheney 04 NJ Transition Team and the 04 Bush-Cheney Catholic Outreach Team. She frequently testifies before legislative committees on pro-life matters. She has been recognized with many awards on behalf of her work for the most vulnerable in society.
Carol Tobias
President, National Right to Life Committee (NRLC)
As president of NRLC, Carol Tobias will greet and address attendees throughout the conference.
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A native of North Dakota, Carol Tobias has served on the NRLC 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’s political director, a position she held until 2005.
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 United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary in opposition to the so-called “Women’s Health Protection Act.”
Tobias has been seen on most major national news networks and several internationally. She is regularly quoted by various news outlets around the nation and across the world.
Danielle Underwood
Director of Communications, Kansans for Life
Danielle Underwood will be part of a panel discussing impactful social media content.
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Danielle Underwood is the director of communications for Kansans for Life, a role she has held since 2021 following more than a decade in media relations at a Missouri public university research institute. As the organization’s lead spokesperson, Danielle represents KFL across radio, television, and print media, and heads a dynamic team of professional women dedicated to advancing the pro-life message in the public square.
Danielle is the host and producer of On the Right Side of History with Kansans for Life, a podcast that brings to light the powerful, unfiltered stories behind the pro-life movement—past and present. Driven by the belief that every individual has a vital role in defending the most vulnerable among us, Danielle is passionate about amplifying voices for the preborn, those who are aging, people with disabilities, and others in need of strong, outspoken advocates.