Two days from now social conservatives across America will gather in Washington, DC for the annual Values Voter Summit, organized by the Family Research Council.
Throughout the two-and-a-half days, attendees will hear from notable speakers, attend breakout sessions, network with their fellow Americans, and receive information from conservative organizations.
“Social conservatives bring a lot to the conservative movement, as they stand strong for protecting the sanctity of human life and promoting traditional family values,” Family Research Council (FRC) Web Editor Krystle Gabele said. “A strong family is the key to a prosperous society and ensuring that future generations have an even better America to look forward to.”
Krystle started at FRC in December 2008 as its web editor.
She’s responsible for maintaining FRC’s online content and distributing alerts. She writes for the organization’s blog, manages its email campaigns, and contributes to FRC’s daily radio commentaries. You can find her work on the Washington Update and on the Social Conservative Review.
This weekend’s Values Voter Summit will be held from Thursday through Sunday -- October 11 through 13 -- at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in DC.
The Leadership Institute is partnering with FRC for the conference, and will have a booth in the exhibit hall and host Saturday’s career fair -- which is free for attendees. Click here to pre-register for the career fair.
Last year at the Values Voter Summit’s Faith, Family, and Freedom Gala, the Leadership Institute’s President Morton Blackwell was honored with the 2012 James C. Dobson Vision and Leadership Award.
Krystle said, “I am looking forward to hearing Sen. Rand Paul speak at the Values Voter Summit, and I am also excited to interact with the various bloggers who will be there covering the event as well. The straw poll is also a lot of fun, and it is amazing to see the energy from participants during the three days of the summit.”
Krystle, a small-town girl from Taneytown, Maryland, grew up in a loving family that “placed a high value on faith and trusting in God no matter what life may throw at us,” she shared when discussing what most shaped her.
One of her “major goals” was to be the first person in her family to graduate with a college degree.
In 2004 Krystle’s dreams came true: she graduated with honors from Western Maryland College (now known as McDaniel College) with a degree in social work.
In college, she interned for former Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) in his district office and for Carroll Lutheran Village, a continuing care retirement community between classes, homework, and exams.
“After graduating college, I went to work for a social services agency in Pennsylvania,” Krystle said. “I decided after observing the bureaucratic processes of the foster care system that my talents were better suited to fight for the conservative values I believed in, so I took an internship in the personal office of former Rep. Donald Manzullo (R-IL). It was great to see how my degree could be implemented in the public policy process.”
At the conclusion of her congressional internship, she took a position as the executive assistant to the Executive Director Alex Mooney at the National Journalism Center (NJC), a program of the Young America’s Foundation. In that role, she recruited and placed interns with news outlets in the DC metro area. Later, Krystle went to work at the National Right to Work Committee as its director of communications.
“I first learned of the Leadership Institute through Alex Mooney, my former boss at the NJC. Alex spoke highly of LI’s programs and recommended that I take a few courses through the Leadership Institute to help me develop skills that would be beneficial to my career and the conservative movement,” Krystle explained.
Krystle has taken eight LI trainings: the Public Speaking Workshop and advanced version, Broadcast Journalism School, and Public Relations School in 2006; Campaign Management Workshop in 2007; and the Blogging Workshop, Advanced Public Relations School, and the New Media Workshop all in 2008.
“In terms of LI’s Public Relations Schools, I learned how to write press releases and how to handle things during a crisis. This definitely proved beneficial during the events at FRC of last August,” Krystle said, referencing the tragic shooting at FRC’s office in August 2012.
“The Leadership Institute has been extremely helpful to me over the years. I found most of my jobs through LI’s ConservativeJobs.com, and the tips I received from LI’s Employment Placement Service have been especially beneficial in my professional growth,” Krystle said.
“One thing that I would credit LI and Morton Blackwell with is the encouragement to read conservative authors and to become well versed in public speaking. I never realized how my public speaking skills needed to be refined until I attended the Public Speaking Workshops and Broadcast Journalism School. Life is all about learning and growing. There is no doubt that I would not be where I am today career-wise without the assistance and support of the Leadership Institute,” she added.
In her spare time, Krystle has her own blog: Crystal Clear Conservative.
She started it on Christmas Day 2007 as an outlet for “my frequent venting about the state of affairs,” as she termed it, though she is now on sabbatical from political writing and focused on other passions: running and fitness.
If her blog returns to politics, it may be to focus on raising awareness of human trafficking, an issue she cares about deeply.
“The Leadership Institute helps shape conservatives by providing them with the essential training to be leaders,” Krystle said. “LI has taught me to become an effective communicator and become active in making my community a better place. LI can help you as well.”
We hope to see you at Values Voter Summit! Register here.
Please contact LI’s Career Services Coordinator Aynsley Harrison at 703-247-2000 for information about the employers recruiting at the career fair or for help pre-registering.
“The Leadership Institute helps shape conservatives by providing them with the essential training to be leaders,” Krystle said. “LI has taught me to become an effective communicator and become active in making my community a better place. LI can help you as well.”
Please congratulate Krystle Gabele for advocating for life, strong families and healthy societies. Congratulations Krystle on receiving LI’s Conservative Leader-In-Training Award!
“As Christians and conservatives, we should always remain strong and steadfast for these core values without bowing down to what society thinks. There will be attacks, but they build character and amazing backbone,” Krystle said. “Always persevere and work hard for advancing the issues we are passionate about. I firmly believe that we should also pray for those who persecute us. Ephesians 6:13 says it best, ‘Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.’”
To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member for the Conservative Leader Award or Conservative Leader-In-Training Award, please contact LI's Director of External Affairs Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.