He lives in New York City, grew up on the West Coast, and went to college in California, but Oliver Darcy isn't your typical liberal journalist – he works for Glenn Beck. “Oliver Darcy is a viral – twitter, facebook, social media – genius,” said fellow journalist Josiah Ryan, who worked with Oliver at the Leadership Institute's CampusReform and now at Glenn Beck's TheBlaze. In just one month this year, Oliver drove 25 million page views to TheBlaze. “My interest in writing was reignited while at the Leadership Institute when I started writing for CampusReform.org,” Oliver said. After working for CampusReform.org for a year, he was offered a job as the Weekend Editor for TheBlaze, a news, information, and opinion website founded by television and radio host Glenn Beck. Oliver has since moved to New York City, and become the Late Night Editor. “I would tell conservatives hoping to find work in journalism to cover news from an objective angle. Stop giving your opinion and start offering information,” Oliver said. Conservative journalists provide value by simply exposing the truth, Oliver's co-worker pointed out. “On the conservative side of things, we do have the truth on our side,” Josiah said. “The facts are on our side, and if we present them in a professional compelling way, people will come over to our side. What we're trying to do at TheBlaze is what the guys at CampusReform are trying to do at the Leadership Institute, which is to tell true stories and let the readers decide,” Josiah said. Right now, Oliver is launching a breaking news account for TheBlaze, called @TheBlazeNOW. The account allows people to follow the news as it happens – live. “The Leadership Institute has been very helpful to me in my professional journey, allowing me to start my journalism career at CampusReform.org and continue from there,” Oliver said. He first heard about the Leadership Institute when a Regional Field Coordinator contacted him to speak about viral video at an LI training. “I enjoyed helping teach students how they can expose instances of waste, fraud, and corruption on their college campuses. Traveling with Leadership Institute staff was always a blast,” Oliver said. Oliver was born near Seattle, Washington and attended high school in Fresno, California. He got his early start in journalism in high school, where he wrote for the school newspaper for three years. After graduating from the University of California, Merced, Oliver moved to Washington, D.C. to work for the Leadership Institute's CampusReform.org. In his time at the Leadership Institute's CampusReform, Oliver was named Leadership Institute's Employee of the Quarter and Employee of the year by Morton Blackwell. Please congratulate Oliver Darcy on his work with TheBlaze, and please applaud him for receiving LI's Conservative Leader Award. 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 Carol Wehe, at Carol@LeadershipInstitute.org. The Leadership Institute offers over 40 types of training programs, working with more than 1,441 conservative campus groups, and helping employers connect with conservative jobseekers. Since the Institute's 1979 founding, more than 143,000 conservative activists, students, and leaders have been trained. Graduates include members of Congress, state legislators, local officials, media personalities, and conservative organization leaders. For more information, please visit: www.LeadershipInstitute.org.

Chelsi Henry doesn't view herself as a politico; she's an advocate. “I've always had an interest in being able to serve others and be an advocate for others. Since I was a young girl, I knew that I wanted to be an attorney and be able to use my skills to help people in the public sector,” said Chelsi. And she has definitely succeeded. Chelsi uses her voice to advocate for others through prayer, entrepreneurship, and political involvement. Chelsi stays busy promoting conservative values within and out of the political arena. She has started three businesses and organizations aimed at raising up and empowering others. Chelsi supports homeless and women's shelters with her business CP Couture. She fosters a supportive, praying online community for others through her website AlwaysPraying.com. On top of all that, or possibly because of her service, you'll find Chelsi on the 30 Under 30 list for 2014 and nominated as an RNC rising star. Back when she attended the University of North Florida, Chelsi led as part of her student government, and also had the opportunity to learn about farming communities while she studied in Belgium. “Campuses are mini-incubators of what goes on in politics,” she said, explaining her decision to run for Supervisor of the Duval County Soil and Water Conservation district. During her run for office, Chelsi came across the Leadership Institute. “The Leadership Institute is an amazing organization that provides valuable information to citizens that want to have a more active role in the political and public policy process. LI trains you to be an effective leader!” she said. Chelsi participated in LI's Communications and GOTV Workshop as well as the Grassroots Campaign Workshop. “Never give up an opportunity to learn from the experts at the Leadership Institute,” said Chelsi. “The workshops were very informative. Both provided an in-depth understanding of how grassroots and communications function in a political campaign. It was great for me because I had recently run my own citywide campaign and learned different strategies I could use in future campaigns,” she said. Duval County voters elected Chelsi in 2010 and made her Jacksonville's youngest elected woman. During her time in office, Chelsi focused on natural resources conservation education and awareness. “Let your passion lead you,” Chelsi said. And she does. Chelsi's professional success and personal achievements speak volumes for what a young person can achieve when she seeks out experience and training to further the conservative movement - to make a difference in the lives of others. Please congratulate Chelsi P. Henry for receiving LI's Conservative Leader Award. 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 Carol Wehe, at Carol@LeadershipInstitute.org. The Leadership Institute offers over 40 types of training programs, working with more than 1,441 conservative campus groups, and helping employers connect with conservative jobseekers. Since the Institute's 1979 founding, more than 143,000 conservative activists, students, and leaders have been trained. Graduates include members of Congress, state legislators, local officials, media personalities, and conservative organization leaders. For more information, please visit: www.LeadershipInstitute.org

Labor Day marks the end of summer and the return of many special American traditions...children return to school, the football season begins, leaves change color...and Sutton's Place returns from an extended summer hiatus.The political season is upon us as well. Rather than an occasional commentary every week or two, Sutton's Place will be very active during the next several weeks. So expect to see more frequent observations and opinions (at least through Election Day).Let's start with a discussion of the relatively obscure Democrat primary for Governor in Rhode Island. Who thought RI's Dem primary would hold a valuable lesson for conservatives?Check out this op-ed from the Washington Post. It details the candidacy (and victory) of Gina Raimondo who championed an aggressive restructuring of public sector employee union pensions in RI.You may recall the attempt to recall Governor Scott Walker in Wisconsin, an important campaign which drew our attention. But on the same day that recall attempt failed, there were two very important referendums in California that deserved our attention as well.On the ballot for voter approval in two different California cities were initiatives to trim public sector employee union pensions...one in San Diego and another in San Jose. The ballot initiatives passed easily in both cities. San Jose voted overwhelmingly (more than 2/3rds, I believe) for President Obama and has a Democrat mayor (also an Obama supporter). But San Jose voters voted 2/3rds FOR the limits on union pensions. The mayor strongly supported the initiative as well.There are two important reasons that voters support trimming public sector union pensions. One is that public services are being limited/curtailed/cut to pay for generous pensions. Parks are closing, libraries are reducing their hours, and even police and fire protection is being limited. This is why many Democrats/liberals (who believe strongly in greater government services) are voting to limit public sector employee union pensions.The other reason is that in order to continue paying the generous pensions, voters/taxpayers are being asked to raise taxes on people making $45,000 a year to pay for more generous benefits for people making $65,000 a year. In addition to better pension plans (i.e. lifetime defined benefit retirement pensions with COLAs), government union workers also get better health care plans, greater job protections, and higher salaries than non-government workers. That is simply not acceptable to middle America.This is a solid issue to blunt talk of "income inequality". This is income inequality created by government and liberal politicians who pick winners and losers and favor special interests. It puts conservatives (and rational liberals) on the common sense side of fighting for middle America, and reveals the most extreme big-gov't liberals for what they are. It's a great issue to champion. Just be prepared...the unions will hate you. But they already do, don't they?>

Campaign Manager Zachary Werrell orchestrated one of the greatest upsets in political history at the age of 23. Despite being outspent nearly 40 to 1, Zach's candidate Dave Brat defeated House Majority Leader Eric Cantor with 56% of the vote in the Republican primary. This was the first time a sitting House Majority Leader has been defeated since the position was created in 1899. His success is thanks to an overwhelming grassroots campaign and effective political activists. “It wasn't some establishment machine kind of political campaign, but it was the people doing it,” he said. Watch this video to see the full story. Zach credits most of the techniques he used to pull off this upset to his Leadership Institute training. “There is nothing like baptism through fire to fully appreciate the Leadership Institute training. I went through LI's Campaign Management School, and I took copious amounts of notes. The amount of knowledge and resources that were gifted to me by that school gave me the tools and the tool box to harness volunteers and activists to get the message across,” Zach said. Zachary, pictured below in the Leadership Institute's Campaign Management School, put his training to good use. He was not the only campaign staffer trained by the Leadership Institute. “We had an army of hundreds of volunteers, all of whom were trained by or under command of someone who has taken, in some form or fashion, the Leadership Institute training,” he said. The defeat of Representative Cantor was not Zach's first success story. In November 2013, he successfully ran a campaign to unseat incumbent Delegate Larry Yates of Virginia's 29th district. Zach has a bright future ahead of him, and there is no sign of stopping this political activist. In addition to LI's Campaign Management School, Zach is also a graduate of the Political Voter Mail Workshop and Communications Workshop. “At the end of the day what I learned is that money talks, people vote, and effective activists persuade,” said Zach. Join LI in applauding Zachery Werrell for receiving LI's Conservative Leader-in-Training Award. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member for the Conservative Leader Award or Conservative Leader-In-Training Award (winners will have an article written about them), please contact LI's Digital Media Manager Carol Wehe, at Carol@LeadershipInstitute.org. The Leadership Institute offers over 43 types of training programs, working with more than 1,386 conservative campus groups, and helping employers connect with conservative jobseekers. Since the Institute's 1979 founding, more than 150,000 conservative activists, students, and leaders have been trained. Graduates include members of Congress, state legislators, local officials, media personalities, and conservative organization leaders. For more information, please visit: www.LeadershipInstitute.org.

At only 23 years old, Jennifer Sullivan just won her election and became the youngest woman ever elected to the Florida legislature. Jennifer's fresh face will join the Florida House of Representatives in January. Jennifer won the Florida House District 31 seat, despite being criticized and outspent by the opposition. Opponents ran ads critiquing her for being “too young” and “lacking experience.” She also recalls being outspent by 2-1 or 3-1 depending on the candidate, but that wasn't enough to stop Jennifer Sullivan. “Part of that was really just putting myself out there, and doing the hard work of making those cold calls, being willing to sit down and call people to ask for money,” Jennifer said. Jennifer was motivated to run for office because she couldn't sit back and watch the country fall apart any longer. “I mean I was working, and I'm paying taxes. I'm affected by local, state, and national policies. I think that oftentimes people don't realize how much it really does affect them,” Jennifer said In November 2013, Jennifer attended the Leadership Institute's Youth Leadership School in Winter Park, FL. “LI was helpful in giving me a sense of where to go, and making opportunities readily available for training. You're going to walk away with information that you haven't gotten anywhere else,” she said. At LI's Youth Leadership School Jennifer learned that a large part of running a successful campaign requires building relationships. “If you are willing to serve people and work hard there should be no ceiling to what you can accomplish for your community and for your state,” said Jennifer. Jennifer also learned the importance of sticking to a “plan to victory.” Before she even filed, Jennifer wrote out her campaign plan. Some changes were needed here or there, but Jennifer and her team stayed faithful to their core victory plan. “We knew at the end of the day exactly what we needed to do,” said Jennifer, “and we had a plan to accomplish it. It would only be a matter of working hard.” Jennifer was born and raised in Central Florida. She began getting involved in politics at 14 years old, and she participated in extra-curricular programs like 4H and Girl's State. When asked if she had any tips for young activists looking to run for office, Jennifer simply replied, “There are enough people that are in it for the power. We need to get people that are principled and conservative that are going to be in it for the people; because that is the only way we are going to get our country back on track.” Jennifer has served at the national headquarters for TeenPact Leadership Schools, the organization responsible for introducing her to the Leadership Institute. She is also a member of the Lake County Republican Executive Committee. Please join LI in congratulating Jennifer Sullivan for receiving LI's Conservative Leader Award, and in wishing her the best of luck as she serves District 31 in the Florida House of Representatives. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member for the Conservative Leader Award or Conservative Leader-In-Training Award where they will have an article written about them, please contact LI's Digital Media Manager Carol Wehe, at Carol@LeadershipInstitute.org. The Leadership Institute offers over 43 types of training programs, working with more than 1,386 conservative campus groups, and helping employers connect with conservative jobseekers. Since the Institute's 1979 founding, more than 150,000 conservative activists, students, and leaders have been trained. Graduates include members of Congress, state legislators, local officials, media personalities, and conservative organization leaders. For more information, please visit: www.LeadershipInstitute.org

Just a few years ago, Elliot Echols was an economics student at Berry College in his home state of Georgia, and now he is the RNC National Youth Director. Elliot's advice to other hardworking young conservatives aspiring to make a difference is surprisingly simple. “The best way to get a job in politics is to show up,” he said. “Go to your local county meetings, join conservative groups and volunteer. People notice those who work hard and are selfless. I was able to get my job here at the RNC by showing up and letting my previous work speak for itself.” He also encourages friends and colleagues to attend a Leadership Institute workshop or training. “LI is the basic training for the conservative movement,” said Elliot. “We need more conservative warriors and the Leadership Institute is the place that creates them.” Elliot's own conservative career started as a college student at an LI training. “I really started to form an ideological identity in college, where as an economics major I began to understand how the free market is the best tool for creating wealth and lifting people out of poverty,” said Elliot. His strong belief in conservative principles is what led him to DC. “While I was in college,” said Elliot, “my economics professor encouraged me to get involved in politics through the Leadership Institute.” Acting on his professor's advice, Elliot ventured to DC to attend LI's “How to Land a Job on Capitol Hill” training. “Grassroots conservatives are fortunate to have LI training activists on how to have the greatest positive impact possible,” said Elliot. “The grassroots are the true heartbeat of conservative politics—without the grassroots fighting tirelessly for the values and principles we all treasure, America wouldn't be the greatest country in the world.” As his interest in politics grew from a hobby to a passion, Elliot started working in the conservative movement, first as State Chair of the Georgia College Republicans, then for Congressman Tom Graves, and later as a Regional Political Director for the College Republicans in the Southeast US. Now, at the RNC, he works every day to “engage Millennials and get them involved in the political process.” “Millennials are a high energy generation, who want to change the world. I am most looking forward to helping direct that energy to fighting for the conservative principles that will put our country back on the right track,” said Elliot. Elliot has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the conservative movement and his efforts have not gone unnoticed, but he attributes much of his success to his parents. “They instilled values like work ethic, determination, honesty and other traits that have made me who I am today,” said Elliot. Please congratulate Elliot Echols on his work as RNC National Youth Coordinator and please applaud him for receiving LI's Conservative Leader-In-Training Award. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member for the Conservative Leader Award or Conservative Leader-In-Training Award where they will have an article written about them, please contact LI's Digital Media Manager Carol Wehe, at Carol@LeadershipInstitute.org. The Leadership Institute offers over 43 types of training programs, working with more than 1,386 conservative campus groups, and helping employers connect with conservative jobseekers. Since the Institute's 1979 founding, more than 150,000 conservative activists, students, and leaders have been trained. Graduates include members of Congress, state legislators, local officials, media personalities, and conservative organization leaders. For more information, please visit: www.LeadershipInstitute.org

“My advice to emerging leaders is to stay true to your values. Make honesty and integrity a priority in everything you do," said Nate Morris of Rubicon Global.Nate, co-founder of Rubicon Global and trusted friend of Sen. Rand Paul (KY), has proven himself a strong leader in the private sector as well as the conservative movement.Nate was one of former President George W. Bush's youngest fundraisers.He has become a trusted advisor and friend of Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Since the two became friends, Nate has traveled to Israel with the Senator and helped with fundraising efforts.Nate grew up in Kentucky with a natural inclination towards politics. He began working on campaigns at a young age and was an active member of his College Republicans chapter. During his undergraduate studies at the George Washington University, Nate attended the Leadership Institute's Youth Leadership School.“At the Leadership Institute's Youth Leadership School I learned how to be a better manager and leader. I also learned that even at a young age I could be capable of making a difference through public service,” said Nate.As he began his professional journey, Nate continued to make an incredible impact in politics.After attending Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School, Nate brought his conservative ideals to the private sector and founded Rubicon Global, North America's leading provider of sustainable waste and recycling services.Rubicon Global helps businesses reduce costs, lower overhead, and keep waste out of landfills.“We believe technology combined with a market-based approach is the key to solving the problem of waste,” said Nate.While working hard to provide sustainable, market-based solutions to some of our nation's environmental concerns, Nate has not left his lifelong passion for politics behind. “Working on campaigns at a young age gave me the opportunity to meet some of our nation's smartest and most hardworking people,” said Nate.Nate has made great success for himself by pursuing free market solutions to environmental problems, and he persistently lends his efforts to candidates and elected officials who promote freedom and prosperity.“The Leadership Institute has helped me become a better leader and more effectively communicate why I believe in conservative ideals,” said Nate.Please congratulate Nate Morris on his work as an entrepreneur and as a conservative fundraiser, and please applaud him for receiving LI's Conservative Leader Award.To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member for the Conservative Leader Award or Conservative Leader-In-Training Award where they will have an article written about them, please contact Carol Wehe, at CWehe@LeadershipInstitute.org.>

“Make a start. It can be daunting, but everyone can make a difference,” Live Action Founder and President Lila Rose said. As a freshman in college at the University of California Los Angeles, Lila recognized the lack of knowledge of abortion, the “greatest human rights injustice of our time.” At 15, she decided to do something about it. So, she started the group Live Action. Live Action uses investigative journalism to shine a light on the atrocities of the abortion industry, exposing the threats against innocent children. One of her first projects was the creation of what is now the nation's most prominent pro-life student publication, The Advocate. Leadership Institute provided her with grants to start the Advocate while she was in school and LI's Campus Representatives assisted her with getting the publication off the ground. Lila has attended several Leadership Institute (LI) trainings including the Student Publications Workshop, the Effective TV Techniques Workshop and the Communications Workshop. “The Leadership Institute was really helpful in helping me start The Advocate. They are a wonderful resource to students to become equipped as leaders on campus and for their country,” said Lila. Live Action releases regular investigative pieces exposing the harsh realities of Planned Parenthood, including their facilitation of sex and race-based abortions, their cover-ups of child sex trafficking and their provision of late-term abortions. She works to uncover the true inhumanity of the abortion industry that much of the media prefers to ignore. Lila regularly appears on national TV segments including Sean Hannity's nightly segment on Fox News. She is a tremendous force in bringing the pro-life message to people in a way that is relevant and captivating. Live Action is unique in its use of undercover videos to hold the abortion industry accountable. It is hard to deny the war that abortion clinics such as Planned Parenthood have waged on children and their mothers with video footage. Lila's incredible success is commendable on its own, but it is even more incredible that she has accomplished so much at such a young age. Lila's path to success was by no means easy. She endured years of liberal bias and scrutiny at UCLA and continues to fight back against the bias in the media today. Lila's advice to young people looking to make a difference comes in two parts, “strengthen your conviction and educate others.” She acknowledges the importance of “diving deep into the philosophical underpinnings of your beliefs” and encourages young people to then start getting active on campus. “You've done your research. You've done your studying. You have to share what you have learned,” she said. Lila draws strength in her mission to advocate for life from the first words of the papacy of Pope John Paul II, “Be not afraid.” Please congratulate Lila Rose on her work with Live Action, and please applaud her for receiving LI's Conservative Leader Award. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member for the Conservative Leader Award or Conservative Leader-In-Training Award where they will have an article written about them, please contact LI's Director of External Affairs Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

The American Enterprises Institute's new Pursuit of Happiness project explores the meaning of happiness, how to pursue it as individuals, and how government policies can promote it. With speeches by AEI president Arthur Brooks, columnist Megan McArdle, and AEI scholar Robert Doar, the Pursuit of Happiness project lays out a conservative vision of social justice in which the government creates an environment where all individuals have the opportunity to seek happiness.One of the speeches by Arthur Brooks, “The Secret of Happiness,” explains that happiness comes from four major sources: faith, family, community, and work. “Those are your big four. That's your happiness portfolio. Don't waste your time on other stuff,” said Brooks.The other speech by Brooks, “A conservative vision of social justice,” lays out what Brooks calls “The Hope Agenda.” This is a public policy designed to sanctify work and entrepreneurship and help the poor escape poverty by teaching them the values of free enterprise, not just handing them money.Robert Doar, former commissioner of New York City's Human Resources Administration, gave a talk emphasizing the importance of requiring and rewarding work for welfare payments and promoting the family and a strong economy.“We didn't make any disparagements about dead-end jobs or low wage jobs,” said Doar. “Any job is a step up.”Megan McArdle, a columnist at the Bloomberg View, spoke about the importance of social capital in poor communities and how it often acts as a substitute for financial capital. “If we want to help the poor climb that ladder into the middle class… then we need to address this problem. This is at the core of what opportunity and stability and the American Dream is going to mean to all the poor people trying to climb that ladder,” said McArdle.In addition to the talks, the Pursuit of Happiness website has a section for readers to share their own stories of “creating value in your life or in the lives of other people” or reading those of others.Pursuit of Happiness also recommends related books, news articles, and social science research on happiness and conservative social justice.>

Tim Carney, senior political columnist at the Washington Examiner and visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), joined the Leadership Institute and 129 guests earlier this week for LI's monthly Wednesday Wake-Up Club Breakfast.He talked to the crowd about the threat that the big business lobby poses in America and what conservatives can do to combat it.Carney told story after story of times when big businesses pushed for regulations on their own industry, which would ultimately prevent competitors from entering the market.“Obamacare would have failed if the drug industry and the healthcare industry had not gotten on board,” said Carney.He reminded the crowd of several examples ranging from light bulb manufacturing to the current debate over the export import bank where the government is stepping in and helping big business keep the “little guys” out.“Regulation isn't the tool that government uses to protect the regular guys from big business; it's the tool that government uses to protect big business from the regular guy,” said Carney.Carney suggests that the misconceptions that some conservatives have come from the mainstream media insisting “that pro-business and free-market are the same thing.”“It poisons the debate,” said Carney, “Republicans talk in the morning about free enterprise and then vote in the afternoon for corporate welfare and then they wonder why people think they just care about the rich.”However Carney did bring good news on the topic, “the Republicans have started to wake up,” said Carney, and he believes there is something conservatives can do.“The battle today is over the heart and soul of the Republican party,” said CarneyHe urges conservatives and Republicans to re-adopt a true free enterprise system.“In free and open competition, if you're going to get ahead, you're going to have to build up the trust of your customer, you're going to have to develop the trust of your investors, you're going to have to work hard, and you're going to have to treat your employees well,” said Carney.“Free and open competition fosters virtues and helps society,” said Carney.When conservatives truly adopt these principles, “the average American can look at the free enterprise system and say ‘this is the system and the philosophy that best serves me.”If America wants to see true economic prosperity again, we have to break down the barriers and regulations that big businesses lobby for to keep the competition down.Come to the Leadership Institute to learn how to be more effective in public policy. Register for a training by clicking here.For Tim Carney's full remarks, click here.The Leadership Institute offers over 43 types of training programs, working with more than 1,386 conservative campus groups, and helping employers connect with conservative jobseekers. Since the Institute's 1979 founding, more than 148,000 conservative activists, students, and leaders have been trained. Graduates include members of Congress, state legislators, local officials, media personalities, and conservative organization leaders. For more information, please visit: www.LeadershipInstitute.org>

“I'm a believer that impacts are made outside the partisan process,” said Troy Lanigan, president of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation and vice chair of the World Taxpayers Association. Troy is an influential figure on both a national and international stage. Like many others in the conservative movement, he claims humble beginnings at the Leadership Institute. Troy has been naturally inclined toward politics since he was young. His interest in conservatism was sparked by the works of authors such as Friedrich Hayek, Milton Friedman, Thomas Jefferson and Ayn Rand. As the son of a union leader, these beliefs were constantly challenged and his convictions were consequently strengthened. After attending the Leadership Institute's Youth Leadership School in 1988, Troy entered the conservative movement full force. He was invited to run a youth campaign in New York. Later, he came to LI's Candidate Development School in July 1990 and the Direct Mail School in August 1991.Shortly after, he came to work for the Leadership Institute in 1991 as the director of education. LI became his launch pad to begin working for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, the same organization that he now heads. In his role at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, Troy has been able to make a significant impact on policy and public opinion. “The role of these [advocacy] groups may be less glamorous than achieving public office but their importance in moving broader public opinion is critical,” he said. One of Troy's proudest accomplishments has been the student internship program he created after becoming president in 2009. His time at LI highlighted the importance of getting young people involved and giving them opportunities to start their career paths in fields that influence public policy and opinion. “Fourteen young people will have gone through the internship program by the end of this calendar year. Many are now working full-time in public policy positions,” said Troy. A group of Troy's former interns created a campus-based organization called Generation Screwed, which aims to provide alternatives to the welfare state and is funded by the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. “Skills matter. Effectiveness matters. To my knowledge no one does this work as comprehensively or as well as the Leadership Institute. To my knowledge, no one in the movement has impacted as many lives as the Leadership Institute,” Troy said. Troy has been a consistent advocate for economic liberty and prosperity throughout his career and he has been an advocate for young people looking to fight for these principles. Please congratulate Troy Lanigan for the work the Canadian Taxpayers Federation does, and please applaud him for receiving LI's Conservative Leader Award. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member for the Conservative Leader Award or Conservative Leader-In-Training Award where they will have an article written about them, please contact LI's Director of External Affairs Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Two weeks ago we talked about why storytelling matters (because it's how you convince people). This week, we talked about how to tell stories.Beyond the simple tactics like listening to other stories, watching performers, and practicing your story out loud, we borrowed, from Made to Stick, this list. These seven story archetypes are a gut check: if your story fits an archetype, you've found a potential winner.1. Overcoming the MonsterThe fight against Common Core now has this narrative. Take a look at this trailer to see what we mean:2. Rags to RichesAll politicians have this, but because it's so common, it's become trite. Some candidates, like Wendy Davis in Texas, went to such lengths to construct a rags-to-riches narrative, that even the press have to call the bluff. If your story is rags-to-riches, ensure it's real.3. The QuestWe're not sure of the political applications for this story archetype, but in literature it's The Hobbit. Leave a comment if you have a political example.4. Voyage and ReturnGood post-war speeches use this story to explain what was won and what's going to change now. You can even glimpse this story archetype in the Gettysburg Address.5. ComedySome media personalities, like Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, and Glenn Beck, often use comedy to make their points effectively. Comedy is powerful, so deploy comedic stories only when you're sure they'll resonate in the right way.6. TragedyLila Rose in this video tells a few short stories of tragedy to make her point about abortion: [Clip 1 - Play from 2:11 - 3:41] 7. RebirthGeorge W. Bush's story, from something of a partyboy to, through hard work, a leader in business and Texas, set the stage for his presidency.Learn about how to tell a story by watching our latest webinar here.>

Clarity Media's Red Alert Politics annual “30 Under 30” list highlighting young, conservative movers-and-shakers featured three Leadership Institute (LI) staffers and nine people that are graduates of LI training. Caleb Bonham, editor-in-chief of LI's Campus Reform, launched his career in political media after a video of him interviewing Sandra Fluke supporters quickly went viral. Caleb is regular guest on several Fox News programs.Lauren Day, director of external affairs at the Leadership Institute, was also featured on the 30 Under 30 List in 2014. She oversees LI's brand reputation and public image externally through building strategic partnerships, while managing marketing and communication activities.Also appearing on Red Alert's list is Katherine Timpf, a reporter at LI's Campus Reform. Katherine's work exposing liberal abuse, waste, fraud and bias on college campuses has appeared regularly on Fox and Friends, Drudge Report and other national news outlets. Recently, Katherine has been a guest on Fox's Red Eye with Greg Gutfeld. A campus correspondent for LI's Campus Reform Jayson Veley, a junior at Eastern Connecticut State University, first started to expose liberal bias and abuse for Campus Reform when he sent an audio clip to the news website of his creative writing professor attacking conservatives in the classroom.His professor lectured the class that Republicans intended to close colleges in 2014 and “racist, misogynist, money-grubbing people” want to suppress the liberal vote. Thanks to his LI training, Jayson appeared on Fox News' The Kelly File and the professor was forced to publicly apologize.Founder and Director of Hood Conservatives, Cecilia Johnson is a graduate of the Leadership Institute's Youth Leadership School.RNC's Para Bellum Labs Creative Director Justin LoFranco has taken four Leadership Institute trainings including the Comprehensive Online Activist School, the International Leadership Training, the Political Voter Mail Workshop and the Advanced Public Relations School.Americans for Tax Reform's State Affairs Manager William Upton has taken the Leadership Institute's Advanced Student Publications Workshop.Montana State Representative Daniel Zolnikov has taken the Leadership Institute's Grassroots Activist School.Press Secretary for the Office of Congressman Tom Price Ellen Carmichael has taken the Leadership Institute's Grassroots Campaign School.The National Republican Congressional Committee's Digital Press Secretary Andrew Clark has taken the Leadership Institute's Grassroots Campaign School.Colorado RNC's Strategic Initiatives Director Paulo Sibaja was director of grassroots coalitions at LI prior to working for the RNC in Colorado. He has been a faculty speaker at several Leadership Institute trainings and is a graduate of the Youth Leadership School.Concerned Women for America's Communications Director Alison Howard has taken four Leadership Institute trainings including the Crisis Communication Workshop, the Intro to Techniques Television Workshop, the On-Camera Television Workshop and the Public Relations School.>

“I could not just sit back and watch tax-and-spend liberals destroy my home state of Maryland,” the newly Republican-endorsed candidate for Maryland's State Senate Michael Hough said. On June 24 he beat Senate Minority Leader David Brinkley (R-Frederick), the incumbent, by more than 2 to 1 in the Maryland state senate district 4 primary election. “I believe this race is important because Republicans in Maryland must have a clear contrast with the Democrats,” Michael said, “and we are hurt by politicians like Brinkley who claim to be conservative, but then vote for taxes and wasteful spending.” His devotion to public service didn't just begin; he's been long at it. He served in the United States Air Force as a Minuteman III Missile technician, and later graduated from Towson University with a bachelor's degree in political science. His first job in politics was as a legislative aide to Maryland State Senator Alex Mooney, also a Leadership Institute graduate and standing behind Michael in the picture to the right. “Alex Mooney had attended Leadership Institute classes and encouraged me to do the same,” Michael said. Michael has taken seven trainings including the Future Candidate School and the Campaign Management School. “The Leadership Institute (LI) is the best place to learn how to run a grassroots campaign and the best place for conservatives to learn how to effectively communicate,” he said. “I have constantly relied on my LI training. I used it to run a successful reelection effort for a state senator as a campaign manager in 2006 and I've used LI training as a candidate in 2010 and 2014,” Michael said. In 2010, Michael first ran for state delegate. He defeated the liberal Republican incumbent with 69 percent of the vote and has been serving in the General Assembly for the past three years. When not serving the people of Maryland, he's a husband and father to three children and also works at the American Legislative Exchange Council, the nation's largest nonpartisan organization of state legislators. He's their director of special projects. “The Leadership Institute gave me the knowledge I needed to win my campaigns. I recommend the training to all conservatives,” Michael said. Please congratulate Michael Hough on his successful grassroots campaign and commitment to conservative principles. Please applaud him for receiving LI's Conservative Leader Award. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member for the Conservative Leader Award or Conservative Leader-In-Training Award where they will have an article written about them, please contact LI's Director of External Affairs Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

"Our employee of the Quarter is Carol Wehe," Leadership Institute President Morton Blackwell said at today's all-staff meeting. "Carol manages our fundraising, digital media, and webinars," he continued."Carol does a tremendous job reviewing and modifying her trainings to provide our students with the best possible curriculum. She has overhauled our fundraising schools, and she is currently working on a streamlined agenda for our Campaign Management School.""Earlier this year Carol was asked to audit our webinars and to create compelling content that would acquire new contacts for LI, create a path from webinars to in-person trainings, and amass an archive of LI training samples of each of LI's trainings," Morton said today."The first quarter of this year, the webinars averaged less than 40 viewers. In the most recent quarter, the webinars have averages more than 140 viewers. Our most recent webinar had 181 attendees from 42 states, DC, and 5 other countries," Morton finished.Congratulations Carol on LI's Employee of the Quarter award.>

Stories win races. Change minds. Influence events.Stories are one of the most valuable tools that we have.Learn the ten characteristics of effective stories from my recent Leadership Institute webinar, Storytelling Part 1: Storytelling & why it matters. Watch the recorded webinar here. 1. Stories connect to experience or values.This Chrysler commercial, played during a Super Bowl, inspired intense debate on what it was saying, and why. Why the debate over a commercial? Why did the commercial become a cultural touchstone? It connected to Americans' values. 2. Stories have a subtle takeaway.The message of a story can work even if the message is not explicitly stated. In fact, stories often work better if the ultimate conclusion is left to be made in the mind of the listener. This video, Dove's Controversial “Real Beauty” Campaign, illustrates how building a subtle message through a story can be powerful.Unremembered details from the floor of congress linked above.3. Stories force the storyteller to be concrete.Members of Congress are legendary abusers of too many unremembered details. Compare that with the Obama Administration's Julia campaign. Instead of talking about a 20-something woman, they talked about Julia. Her life had enough details to be remembered. Julia let them talk about policy in terms of personal, tangible benefits. That concrete story moved the debate.4. Stories bring the teller's emotions to life for the audience.When confronted by a lesbian couple's daughter, who spoke about her church congregation's support and love and acceptance, Doug Wilson countered not with a refutation of her stance, but instead a story of the love, acceptance, and truth found in his conservative Christian congregation. This built an emotional connection between Wilson and the otherwise hostile audience. Making them sympathize with him and think was the best outcome he could have had in that setting, and he got it with a story.5. Stories force you to focus your words on a very few points. Concision is the MVP of your communicator's toolbox. It takes time to tell a good story, and that limits what you can say. This is good. Forced prioritization, like triage, makes you stronger. Fewer, stronger, more memorable things are what you want to say. Stories help you get there. 6. Stories provide structure to your data.Pecha Kucha is a discipline where presenters are forced to spend 20 seconds per slide on 20 slides. Full stop. It's a fun event. Watch pro speaker Steven Tomlinson deliver one here. Storytelling makes a Pecha Kucha work; and like Pecha Kucha, storytelling imposes a structure on what you want to say. Stories, according to Aristotle, follow the arc of order/disorder/reorder. Your high school English teacher probably told you more about fiction as a form. The point? Stories give your audience a plot, or framework, on which to hang your points.BONUS THREE POINTS NOT COVERED ON THE WEBINAR!!!7. Stories entertain.What do we tell our friends? Stories. People like hearing stories. Jokes are stories. Want to be entertaining? Tell a story. This is a two-edged sword, because if you're too entertaining, people may remember having fun but not what your point was. Sometimes, that's ok; sometimes it's not.8. Stories are convincing.How did Barack Obama rise to power? People believed in him. They understood his story and were convinced he was the leader America needed in 2008 and in 2012. People can reasonably attribute his electoral success to his grassroots army, new voters his campaign found, and the vault of money raised and spent on his campaign. All of those may be proximate causes of his victories, but what animated them all was his narrative. People were convinced.9. Stories are sticky.In Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath drop an amazing truth bomb: razor blades in homemade halloween candy never happened. It started, thrived, and lives on as a fact-free myth. Millions of parents have warned their kids against collecting any non-commercial halloween candy because of nothing. Stories are sticky.10. Stories seem real.Read the reason Subway's Jared Fogle campaign beat the ‘7 sandwiches with 6 grams of fat or less' campaign. Stories, real or not, connect with people at a deeper level, the soul, than any set of facts can. Gut beats brain.Join part two of this Strategic Storytelling webinar series to ask us your questions and learn how to tell effective stories.>

The following is a speech given by Ron Maxwell, independent filmmaker, at the 43 National Fourth of July Conservative Soiree: In 1776 Americans declared themselves independent of more than arbitrary rule by a distant monarch. They also severed the ties of aristocracy. This was in itself a revolutionary notion. It meant that political power, its attendant privilege and economic advantages would no longer be transferred by the blood. Earldoms, dukedoms, and kingdoms were banished from the territory and from the future of the American people. The citizen became the self-identifying unit of self-rule. The generation of English colonists who gathered together in the summer of 1776 to declare their independence from the English crown knew that they had exhausted all other remedies. They had petitioned, beseeched, and protested. Finally, they had resisted with force of arms at Lexington, Concord and Bunker Hill. Their declaration of independence was the last resort, the last redoubt, the final refuge. As we say today, they were putting it all on the line. They were breaking not just with monarchy, but with hereditary aristocracy as well. From that day forward, July 4th, 1776, the destiny of no American would be defined or limited by the circumstances of his birth. Dukes, earls, princes, knights - all were swept away. Political power would no longer be the dominion of a select few families, to be passed from one generation to the next. As with the other Founders, Adams and Jefferson shared an abhorrence for what they called the “tinsel aristocracy” of the Old World. They were glad that America had been spared the baneful influence of a corrupt, hereditary nobility. While recognizing that the abolition of the hereditary rights of primogeniture and the prohibition of titles of nobility precluded certain kinds of officially sanctioned aristocracy, Adams insisted that such measures could not in themselves preclude the re-emergence of aristocracy in some other, perhaps more insidious, form. He argued that aristocracy could renew itself as it had in the old world, by means of the accidental circumstances accruing from birth into a wealthy or renowned family. Adams wrote, “I can never too often repeat that aristocracy is the monster to be chained…Bind aristocracy then with a double cord, shut him up in a cage from which, however, he may be let out to do good but never to do mischief.” Adams insists that “every government is an aristocracy in fact” and that it is imperative to guard against the greed, ambition and tyranny of the aristocracy. He indicates the remedy: “The great secret to liberty is to limit [the aristocrats'] power and to control their passions. Rome and Britain have done it best.” In a republic an informed electorate watches over all the branches. The “balance of government,” and with it liberty, is therein preserved. Thus the separation of powers, checks and balances; clearly delineated, limited and circumscribed powers ceded to the Federal Government, regular and frequent free elections – as Adams would say, “plucks the flower of republican safety from the nettle of aristocratic danger.” Over time, indeed the passing of more than a century, the people of Britain, following their own path, without the total abolition of hereditary privilege, stripped this privilege of its political power. Today the Royal family continues to enjoy great wealth, the continued ownership of extensive property which includes palaces and estates and a certain influence rooted in tradition, but zero political power. The queen cannot start a war, raise taxes or for that matter, even take sides in a political debate. She is the living embodiment of a heritage, a national community, an emblem and a country. In recent years we in America have lived through a disturbing reversal of our concept of the citizen and our foundational rejection of the hereditary model. Despite the fact that we are more than three hundred million strong, when it comes to political power, we seem intent on reestablishing the old hereditary aristocracy rejected, dismissed and dissolved by our ancestors. Unlike the contemporary British model, with the Queen cozily ensconced in Buckingham Palace where she can do no harm, we Americans seem to be succumbing to the lure of a neo-aristocracy, one in which we endow our neo-aristocrats, our ‘royal families” with full and unfettered political power and all that that entails. When we elect a president we endow this person with immense power. For four to eight years this individual – this one solitary person - makes extensive political appointments across a wide range of powerful offices. These choices have lingering effects in the judiciary, law enforcement, national defense and in bureaucracies too numerous to list here. This constitutes a vast network of patronage, favoritism, privilege, cronyism and power. Moreover, this influence extends beyond the particular president's actual tenure in office – even beyond their lifetimes. The Founders understood that power corrupts.This thinking underlies and undergirds every decision they made in crafting the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Humans lust for power. It's in their very nature. The Constitution checks this power, diffusing it away from individual persons and individual groups or factions. This is why it is so important to protect this document – and why it has been defended by great statesmen and heroic soldiers. The generation which fought the Revolution, who endured the freezing winter at Valley Forge, the icy waters of the Delaware, the bloody fields of Saratoga, Trenton, Monmouth and Yorktown – knew very well what they were fighting against – tyranny – and knew very well what they were fighting for – liberty. In the 1940s a later generation sought to curb what they saw as an encroaching and ominous concentration of power in one person by limiting presidents to two terms. They realized, correctly, that no person, however talented, dedicated or competent; however high-minded, inspired or well connected; however popular or even beloved –no one person should be permitted to hold such massive and pervasive power for more than a limited time. They understood, as hopefully we still understand, that we are just human beings, each and every one of us – and subject to the frailties, imperfections, excesses and errors of all humans. Though some of us may sometimes forget it - we are not gods. When the triumphant generals paraded with their legions through the streets of Rome, glorious astride their flower strewn chariots, with the noise of the adoring throngs ringing in their ears, standing right behind them was a humble servant. Amid the din of cheers and the screams of praise this servant whispered into the general's ear, over and over and over again, lest he should be tempted even for a moment to be blinded by what he was seeing or deafened by what he was hearing with his own eyes and ears. “Respice post te. Hominen te esse memento! Memento mori, memento mori.” “Look behind you. Remember that you are a mortal. Remember that you too will die. That you too will die.” I mean no disrespect to my fellow citizens who belong to the Kennedy, Bush or Clinton families. I'm of the opinion that John Kennedy, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton are good men who endeavored to do their best for the country. In the cases of Kennedy and Bush, they are also war heroes. They deserve our admiration and respect. My concern is not with their legacy. Historians in future generations will sort that out. My concern and my growing worry is that we are returning, by means of a meek acquiescence, to the aristocratic rule from which we liberated ourselves in 1776. Is there a single day from which we are free of pundits, consultants, editorial writers, reporters, columnists, politicians, talking heads or cable-TV hosts - the entire universe of sycophants, lackeys, hangers-on and celebrants – gushing, giggling, gawking and panting over the political prospects of a Hillary Clinton or a Jeb Bush? And oh, the gnashing of teeth and the rending of garments that went on during the few short months without a Kennedy in the halls of Congress. To this we've come. The fusion of celebrity, name ID, retail branding and politics has returned us willy-nilly to the very political prison we fought to escape in the American war of independence — entrenched, hereditary, aristocratic political power. We understand that wealth can be transferred from generation to generation. Americans by and large don't have a problem with that. There's nothing inherently wrong with leaving the fruits of your hard earned labors to your children. But political power is something else again. Political power reaches into the privacy, the daily lives, the economic well-being, the health, safety and freedom of every American. Political power is not the exclusive domain of a select few families, to be handed down from generation to generation. Political power belongs to the people, to the citizens of the United States of America.If Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush were to become president of the United States it would mean the power and influence of the presidency remained in the hands of the Clinton family for possibly sixteen years, and that's not even counting the princess in waiting Chelsea; and in the case of the Bush family, possibly twenty years, and that's not counting the heir apparent George Prescott Bush. Have we devolved into a nation of bleating sheep, or screaming teenagers at an episode of American Idol? Can it be true that there are no other citizens in this great nation worthy of serving in the highest office of our land? Is Mrs. Clinton truly the only woman? Is Mr. Bush truly the only man? It is my hope that Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Bush would in a moment of quiet patriotic introspection discover in themselves a generous humility that would cause them to realize that enough is enough. They do have considerable talents and expertise, but so do millions of other Americans. They do work hard, but so do millions of other Americans. They are not “bad” people. But neither are millions of other Americans. “Respice post te. Hominen te esse memento! Memento mori, memento mori.” Alas, watching their careers, witnessing their scorching ambition, not as concealed as they may think, I doubt such self-restraint will be forthcoming from either Hillary or Jeb. Which leaves it to us, the American people, to reclaim our independence from hereditary aristocracy and to just say no. The aristocratic power that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson warned us about is poised to have a coronation for either Hillary Clinton or Jeb Bush. Their thousands of paid minions have been hard at work, preparing the ground and conditioning the people for their inevitable nominations. They want us to be already convinced that it's a fait accompli and that there's nothing we can do about it; that it's just too late, that resistance is futile. But really, let's stop to think for a moment. Are Hillary and Jeb really entitled to the presidency because of a lucky accident of birth or a lucky accident of marriage? Would we ever have heard of them if their names were not Clinton or Bush? Was Hillary Clinton a greater secretary of state than Kissinger or Baker or Albright? Was Jeb Bush a greater governor than Haley, Brown or Rendell? Are our presidents really to be anointed with scepter and crown and given the keys to the kingdom by media tycoons, beltway elites, K Street lobbyists and Silicon Valley billionaires? Are we serfs to be ruled by this self-perpetuating, self-aggrandizing neo-aristocracy? Recall John Adam's admonition to posterity. “The great secret to liberty is to limit the aristocrats' power and to control their passions.” If July 4th meant anything in 1776, it meant that Americans would no longer be ruled by Tudors, Stuarts or Hanoverians. And if July 4th means anything today, it means we will no longer be ruled by Clintons or Bushes. We are either a free people or we are serfs. We can't be both serf and free at the same time. If the Democratic Party nominates Hillary Clinton or the Republican Party nominates Jeb Bush, they will be making a mockery of this day, a mockery of the declaration of independence and a mockery of the generation that founded our country 238 years ago. It must never be forgotten that our liberty was born in tyranny. And that tyranny always fears liberty; fears the men and women who keep it alive in their hearts and minds. July 4th is not just a day of celebration, though it is that. It's not just a day of remembrance, though it is that too. It is moreover, a day of renewal; a day of re-dedication wherein liberty can be born again. (John Adams references courtesy of Philip J. Costopoulos) >

Last week 84 conservative DC summer interns gathered at the Leadership Institute to learn the secrets for a successful internship.Experts on everything from networking and résumé writing to dressing for success addressed interns and provided tricks of the trade and personal experiences.Steve Sutton, vice president of Development at the Leadership Institute, began the training by advising interns to develop the “Four P's of Excellence: philosophical, political, professional and personal.”Knowing what you believe in is good, but it isn't sufficient. “You owe it to your philosophy to know how to win,” said Steve, famously quoting Morton Blackwell, LI's president. The rest of the day was dedicated to learning how to win through professional and personal excellence.Vice President for Strategic Communication at Wise Public Affairs Laura Rigas posed the question, “What does success look like?” She gave practical advice on knowing your leadership style, developing personal mission statements and defining your personal brand. She emphasized self-awareness in combination with specific measurable goals.“I feel equipped and better prepared to excel in Washington this summer and in the future,” said Austin Pendergist, intern in the office of Congressman Mark Sanford (R – SC).Interns from across the city had the chance to not only listen, but also to ask questions of the speakers as well as a panel of recruiters who work for political organizations around town. “Opportunities fall into your lap sometimes and you have to be ready for them,” said Lauren Wills, scheduler and intern coordinator for Congressman Thomas Massie (R – KY).“LI's Conservative Intern Workshop was a practical how-to guide for every conservative intern in Washington,” said Elizabeth Green, who is interning at the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity.>

Senator Jim DeMint, now president of The Heritage Foundation, joined the Leadership Institute and 234 guests earlier this week for LI's monthly Wednesday Wake-Up Club Breakfast. He encouraged attendees to bring conservative principles back to America through reasonable alternatives.Throughout his presentation, Hon. DeMint referred to a group of people he calls “the Movable Middle,” who “share our [conservative] ideas and are looking for a political home,” he said. These people question the status quo and are in search of alternatives.“We can help Americans see these [conservative] ideas in the context of their life, in the context of a great country and a better future,” he said.He stressed the importance of sharing conservative success stories on state and local levels and explain how it has impacted the American people. “We are trying to stop an avalanche,” he said. “All we have to do is get a lot of people to think we are a reasonable alternative, because people want an alternative.”Americans across the country are in search of solutions to the obstacles before us. “The answer to a lot of things,” according to him, “is for us not to make one-size-fits-all solutions from Washington. The best solutions come from the governments that are closest to the people they affect.”Hon. DeMint's message inspired hope and highlighted the importance of the tenth amendment and the evidence that state and local governments are the best entities to exercise the powers reserved to them. He concluded by urging fellow conservatives to continue growing the movement toward freedom. “What you do at the Leadership Institute – at the grassroots level, at the student level – is really planting the seeds for our success in the future,” Hon. DeMint said.As for the upcoming election cycle, he shared with the crowd what he tells his staff at The Heritage Foundation: “In 2014, our job is to stop the bleeding. In 2016, our job is to turn our country around.”While the American people today express more disapproval in the government than ever before, conservatives must be prepared and equipped to show that conservatism has worked, is working, and is the most reasonable alternative to the progressive policies that destroy our nation.Come to the Leadership Institute to learn how to be more effective in public policy. Register for a training by clicking here.For Jim DeMint's full remarks, click here>

The 43-year-old life-long Alabama citizen Jody Trautwein, also a Leadership Institute graduate, is very active in his community. He's a father, pastor, former educator and candidate for local office. “Psalm 11:3 states, ‘If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?' Our religious liberty is under daily assault and we must fight to protect it,” Jody said. Jody is an associate pastor at House of Grace Church and an ordained minister by the Fresh Oil Fellowship of Churches International. He also serves as the director of operations for a statewide alliance of pastors, ministry leaders, and marketplace influencers called the Alabama Alliance for Reformation. “The preservation of faith, family, and financial conservatism directly determines how well we will be able to protect our increasingly eroding freedoms as American citizens,” he said. “With faith as the cornerstone, the family unit is built squarely on its shoulders,” he said. “At the core of family must be the fundamental right to life,” Jody said. “Our family values also contain the preservation of traditional marriage between one man and one woman especially in the face of a current legal attack against the Sanctity of Marriage Amendment Act here in Alabama.” He continued, “I was privileged to serve as the executive director of an Alabama coalition that worked to see this amendment pass in 2006 by a margin of 81 percent to 19 percent.” In April 2009, Jody took the Leadership Institute's Campaign Management School. He especially likes The Laws of the Public Policy Process. “I have the framed copy of the 45 Laws of the Public Policy Process by Morton Blackwell displayed on our mantel as daily reminders,” he said. He's used these laws while on previous campaigns too, be they gubernatorial, city council, state supreme court, state senate, and other state representative races. He and his wife Sunny and their three-year-old son Joshua live in Helena, Alabama. “When I think about the future for our three-year-old son and his generation, it evokes the deepest sense of duty I can fathom to battle for the soul of our nation,” he said. In addition to faith and family, Jody is also a proponent of financial stewardship. “As a current pastoral staff member and financial manager for two churches, I am responsible for the daily oversight of multi-million dollar budgets and thus, must model fiscal conservative principles every day,” he said. He continued, “As Americans, we must rein in spending, reduce debt, eliminate waste, create smaller, more efficient governmental systems, and ask three questions of every line item budget expense: Is it Constitutional? Do we need it? Can we afford it?" As a former teacher, coach, and Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) president at his alma mater, Huffman High School in Birmingham, Alabama, Jody believes parents hold the primary responsibility for training their own children. “I am in favor of heavy local control with a great deal of parental involvement in the educational process,” he said. He's taught at public and private schools at the elementary, middle, and high school levels as well as with college-age students, and even as a church youth pastor. “Parents and local authorities must no longer allow our God-given responsibility to educate and train our children to be usurped by increasingly bigger government with a desire to indoctrinate with an ideology that is hostile to our founding principles and based upon revisionist history,” he said. Jody recently lost his primary for state representative in Alabama, but he's received several accolades for his community involvement. He was honored with a Hidden Hero Award by the Birmingham Mayor's Office for his work improving the lives of youth and was also voted as one of Birmingham's 100 Most Influential Men by Woodlawn High School. “The Leadership Institute has given me the practical knowledge, the tools, and the subsequent confidence that comes from being well-equipped to lead,” Jody said. “Strong problem-solving, leadership, and marketing skills taught at LI have helped me in the operations, outreach, and advocacy sides of ministry.” When it comes to successful youth, Jody says strong family is pivotal. “The most pressing issues for young students today all find their common root in one general area: the lack of fully functioning, consistent, loving fathers,” Jody said. “The breakdown of marriages and the resulting insecurity of family life and structure are tough for kids. The questions swirl in their minds, ‘Will somebody love me? Will somebody lead me? Will somebody believe in me? Will somebody fight for me?' The National Fatherhood Initiative sites fatherless statistics dating back over 50 years. The numbers do not lie. As fatherlessness increases, so does poverty, promiscuity, poor education, incarceration, and emotional disorders just to name a few.” In 1995 when Jody was 23 years old and just graduating from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a bachelor's degree in business management, his father died from a massive heart attack. “I quickly discovered that God truly was my heavenly Father,” he said, “and then I developed a deep desire to show and tell a generation of young people at my high school alma mater that even though their earthly fathers may not be functioning in their full fathering roles, their heavenly Father loves them, would lead them, believes in them, and fights for them.” After many years in education, Jody left it to enter full-time ministry. “I did eventually leave education as a profession because I was able to be an influence only in the lives at that campus. As a full-time pastor, I have the ability and flexibility to reach out to many students at multiple campuses thereby potentially affecting greater societal change,” he said. Jody has worked through the church, the schools, out on the field, and through public policy to strengthen society. “I would recommend the Leadership Institute for those currently in office, seeking office, considering candidacy, those working with current elected officials, potential candidates, or those interested in the public policy process,” he said. Register now for a LI training. Please congratulate Jody Trautwein for receiving LI's Conservative Leader-In-Training Award. 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.