Join Robert Arnakis and Patricia Simpson to learn about Planning Your Get Out the Vote Effort. Ask the questions you'd like to know more about during the live Q&A.

Robert Arnakis is the Senior Director of Domestic and International Programs for the Leadership Institute, the nation’s premier conservative public policy training organization. Founded in 1979, The Leadership Institute has provided training to over 117,000 conservative activists over the last 34 years. Robert oversees a division which provides political education and training to thousands of elected officials, campaign staffers, and activists each year.

His 15 years of experience in grassroots organizing and developing campaign, fundraising, and communications strategies has established Robert as one the country's top political trainers. In the 2010 campaign cycle, 179 first time candidates who were trained through Robert’s programs were elected to office, including seven freshmen members of the United States Congress.

Robert has served as campaign staff on two presidential races, several congressional races and a multitude of municipal and legislative campaigns. His favorite campaign was working on U.S. Senator John Thune's 2004 campaign. Robert helped lead the GOTV efforts which resulted in the defeat of former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle.

Some on the nation’s foremost public policy organizations such as Tea Party Patriots, Americans for Prosperity, Focus on the Family, State Policy Network, National Right to Life Committee, and the American Legislative Exchange Council have benefited from Robert’s training. Robert has provided training for the Republican National Committee, Libertarian National Committee, and the Constitution Party.

Robert routinely provides political education for international delegations. He has previously worked with numerous government officials and party leaders from countries including Iraq, China, India, Cambodia, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Serbia, Nigeria, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Peru. Most recently Robert found himself training party leaders in the tiny Southeast Asian country of East Timor.

Robert was raised in Lake Tahoe, CA. He attended Biola University where he majored in sociology and political science. He enjoys traveling, the San Diego Padres and University of North Carolina basketball. Robert and his wife, Adrian, reside in Springfield, Virginia.

Patricia is the Director of Political and Online Training at the Leadership Institute. She oversees political, fundraising, and new media trainings as well as the online production and distribution of LI programs to strategic partners and to the general public. Prior to this position, she served as the Institute's Deputy Director of Grassroots where she was responsible for identifying, recruiting, and training conservative leaders and activists around the country.

Patricia has been involved in dozens of campaigns and many aspects of grassroots organizing around the country, including two presidential, one US Senate, a gubernatorial, and several congressional races.

Raised in Rome, New York, Patricia graduated from the State University of New York College at Brockport’s Delta Leadership Honors Program with a B.S. in Political Science and Communications. In her spare time, Patricia enjoys last-minute road trips, pontoon boats, and although being a native New Yorker, she is an official citizen of Red Sox Nation.