How do you make the “campaign hall of fame”? Well, let's take a look at Leadership Institute graduate Matt Hutson who was named one of the top 500 election influencers today by the publication Campaigns & Elections. “This award shows me that if someone consistently works hard and does it with guiding principles and moral clarity that an impact and a win can be achieved. At the end of the election, this is what matters,” Matt shared. So, placing into this distinguished category takes hard work and guiding principles for starters. It also takes some wins. And Matt has great victories deserving of the campaign hall of fame. His latest project was as campaign director for Protect Marriage Maine, for which in just three months he organized 40 satellite offices and, through polling, took a campaign trailing by 16 percent to closing that margin to 2 percent with a budget just one-twelfth the size of the opponents who had been campaigning for three years. Last year, Matt helped elect Roger Williams, from Austin, Texas, to U.S. Congress as his Get-Out-The-Vote Consultant in the final month of the campaign runoff. In those 30 days, Matt opened a new office, secured five new interns and multiple volunteers, and together they made more than 60,000 calls that pushed Roger Williams to victory on Election Day. Roger won by 58 percent and now serves in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2011, Matt helped Lenar Whitney secure a spot in the Louisiana State House. “I took over all daily and GOTV operations in the final three weeks of the runoff campaign,” Matt shared. “With no staff to manage, I developed a volunteer base and directed an aggressive, targeted canvassing program resulting in a 59 percent victory!” Also in 2011, Matt helped Jeff Thompson win a state representative seat in Louisiana. “I took over all day-to-day and GOTV operations in the final 20 days of the campaign and directed an inexperienced staff of four to an election night victory of 57 percent, defeating an opponent who spent $200,000 of his own money.” He also successfully worked in 2011 as the Statewide Director of Operations for Gov. Bobby Jindal's reelection campaign, for which he oversaw all grassroots operations in the state. Matt managed more than 100 interns, the volunteer database, the yard sign identification and voter ID programs, and the GOTV strategy for 4.5 million residents. Matt worked in February 2011 to bring Jonathan Perry, a candidate running for Louisiana State Senate, from 10 percent behind his opponent to winning by 2 percent in just a mere 12 days. Boom! And in 2010, Matt worked as the GOTV Strategist to secure Tim Echols as Georgia's Public Service Commissioner. Matt implemented an aggressive grassroots operation that took Echol's campaign from “an expected second place finish to an election night victory in the four-way race by more than 7 percent,” Matt recalls. Not only are hard work, guiding principles, and winning elections ingredients for getting added to the campaign hall of fame, but so is a good team environment. Being a team player is the fourth attribute of highly successful campaigners. Matt says his wife also had a large role to play in this achievement. “In reality, the award [from Campaigns & Elections] should honor my wife as well,” Matt said. “We work together on most races and she is a constant source of strength and encouragement, coupled with incredible abilities in graphic design and photography.” Not to mention the many staff, interns, and volunteers Matt worked with over the years that played a critical role in bringing home so many victories. Winning takes a team of folks that work well together. Finally, highly effective campaigners are trained and continue to learn. Matt first learned of the Leadership Institute through a friend in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he lived. She encouraged him to sign up for a Youth Leadership School coming to Oklahoma. Since then, Matt has taken 18 LI trainings from campaign management, public relations, campus elections, public speaking, direct mail, future candidate, international leadership training, and television training. He was also a field representative and an intern for the Leadership Institute. “I learned one can never stop learning. The moment you rest on your current knowledge, using the resources and strengths you have garnered to-date, is the moment someone else is getting better than you. Leadership Institute classes and resources allow you to continue expanding your knowledge and ability to be successful. I specifically would like to thank the LI grassroots division and Robert Arnakis, for allowing me to learn so much during my tenure at LI.” “Having learned so much during my tenure at LI, I understood the importance of maintaining relationships with fellow Leadership Institute graduates and staff,” Matt said. “Those relationships have proven helpful when needing advice or anything from fundraising to contacts. More importantly, these relationships have allowed me to give back to the people that invested in my growth.” When asked to share some advice, Matt said: “Simple: Go to the Leadership Institute and get involved. The longer you wait to apply yourself to learning, the quicker your opponent will beat you.” Register now for LI training. Don't let your opponent beat you. Please welcome Matt Hutson as a campaign all-star and as LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Fundraising is not just about asking for money, but about developing relationships with people who share your vision and want to be your partners in bringing change to society. Your donors are not just a source of money -- like a bank machine -- but partners, so keep them informed about the progress you are making and let them know how their contributions are helping. These were a few of the main concepts in Morton Blackwell's opening speech at the sixth annual International School of Fundraising held at the beautiful Wellington College in Berkshire, England.Over four days, 108 people from 30 countries and four continents, met at Wellington College from March 26 to 30. Seventeen renowned experts in fundraising, from the US, Europe, and Latin America, delivered 35 lectures teaching vital skills necessary to succeed financially as a political leader or as an organizational entrepreneur. Social entrepreneurs learned how to:Build strong donor relationsDevelop fundraising strategiesPlan effective fundraising eventsUnderstand online fundraisingAdapt fundraising methods to their home countriesSpeakers included major players in the field such as Morton Blackwell, Bruce Eberle, Stephen Clouse, Rick Hendrix, Kevin Gentry, Justin Murff, Brian Davis, Katherine Eberle, Ron Nehring, and Alejandro Chafuen, and Silvio Dalla Valle from Italy, Mathias von Gersdorff from Germany, Tim Evans and Matthew Elliot from England, and Jose Antonio Ureta from France.While the day was packed with a lot of learning, after dinner, students congregated at the on-campus pub for networking and sharing stories. Students from Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guatemala, United States, Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom, Romania, France, Spain, Italy, Croatia, Slovakia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Austria, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Korea and Mongolia met at the pub.As we spoke to one another they learned how similar the social problems are around the world and how we all face the same obstacles in solving those problems. Students found it motivating to learn that they were not alone. Networks for knowledge-sharing and support developed.On the night of Friday, March 29, the International School of Fundraising concluded with a gala dinner lit by candlelight. At the dinner, Morton Blackwell and Miguel Moreno of the Leadership Institute and Benjamin Harris-Quinney of the Bow group presented the Global Leadership Award, which recognizes exceptional work done by individuals around the world. This award is granted jointly by the Leadership Institute, the Bow Group, the World Congress of Families/ Howard Center for Family, Religion, and Society, and The Institut de Formation Politique. The Global Leadership Award embodies a non-partisan network of leaders who aim to bring ideas to power and to give power to ideas by stimulating dialogue and discussion about critical international conservative issues.During his speech, Morton Blackwell said, “We recognize and honor the unfaltering dedication of some remarkable individuals, who through their consistent faith, solid professionalism, and unwavering commitment to the conservative cause are making an international impact” and that “this joint award seeks to encourage the best forms of international engagement to meet the global challenges of the 21st century.“Recipients of the Global Leadership Award are: Nic Conner, Donna Edmunds, Samuel Kasumu, Karolina Vidovic Kristo, Pauline Fynn, Jack Chubb, Mark Eastham, Adryana Boyne, Marie-Noël Julienne, Eric Martin, Simon Cossiez, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, Sylva Ashimole, Juan Carlos Lazarte, Alexander Mooney, Lorenzo Montanari, Zeljko Zidaric, Amanda Sanchez, Luz Elena Delgado Flores, Ron Nehring, Oliver Cooper, Onyebuchi Monica Madiebo, Marco Respinti, Vanesa Anez, and Marcel Lazar.LI appreciates their contributions of time and talent to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists and leaders worldwide. It takes a special kind of person to be an activist. While most people might get angry and complain – these people decided to act. Not only did they see the problem, they found a solution. They acted.They are activists.Saturday, for those that left on later flights, was a day of sightseeing in London. From Big Ben to the London Eye, from Parliament to Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey, thousands of pictures were taken with new friends. The overall goal of the training was not to feed delegates with a fish, but to teach them how to become extraordinary fishermen. The training that was provided is just the start. Betterment of the world comes from the work that activists do with the training. The world now has 108 newly empowered social entrepreneurs returning to their home countries, empowered, energized, and ready to make a difference! We wish each and every one of those activists the best of luck.>

Ronald Reagan was fond of quoting Senator Everett Dirkson, who often said, “You have to hold politician's feet to the fire because that is the only way they feel the heat and see the light.”Lobbying is not just a way of changing your public official's mind; lobbying is a way to remind them that this is your democracy and you are watching. Like any great disinfectant, when elected officials operate transparently and on-the-record, it keeps politics clean.Here are some basic tips for you to remember:1. Lobbying on its most basic level consists of a simple meeting with a legislator or other official. This should be approached like any other meeting with a busy professional. Set the appointment ahead of time and be prepared to deal with inflexibility. If possible, consider meeting in the legislator's home district. 2. If appropriate, record any meetings that you have with your official. When you request a commitment from your public official during your meeting, you want to have a record of their response. This way, you have what you need if the official strays away from the truth and you can repeat your request if it is not addressed while holding them accountable. 3. Watch your representatives closely and ensure they are held accountable. Gather information and constant feedback as it becomes available, and make sure that they are aware of the fact that you want to be kept in the loop of new developments.Remember that lobbying is a year-long gig and staying active in the process all 12 months yields the best results. Check with your activists; make sure they are communicating with their neighbors and their public officials and that the right messages are flowing in the proper directions.Learn more about grassroots lobbying during the Holding Elected Officials Accountable Workshop on April 10 and 11 or during the Grassroots Lobbying Webinar on April 10th. >

The Leadership Institute, in partnership with The Heritage Foundation and Faith & Freedom Coalition, launched today Issues that Unite: Latinos and Conservatism (ITU). Experts in education, and economic public policy as well as Hispanic media will teach at seven workshops to engage Latinos and activate conservatives.The series of workshops will be held in six states with large Hispanic communities. You can see them on LI's 2013 training calendar.“America's emerging face requires a shift in outreach efforts,” said Paulo Sibaja, Director of Coalitions at the Leadership Institute. “Conservatives failed to communicate our proven philosophy to Latinos effectively. That is why we have launched the first phase of a long term project to reach Hispanics. Through our efforts that merge policy and practical training, conservatives and Hispanics will lead the nation hand in hand.”“Opportunity is precisely what Hispanics are looking for when we consider what's desperately needed to return America to what so many of us came here looking for,” said Israel Ortega, Editor of Heritage Libertad at The Heritage Foundation. The Heritage Foundation is the nation's most broadly supported public policy research institute, with hundreds of thousands of individual, foundation and corporate donors. “Hispanics consider family and family cohesiveness a valuable pillar of their community. Our shared faiths are as diverse as the community and the desire for freedom is evident in how we live our lives,” said Gary Marx, Executive Director of the Faith & Freedom Coalition. The Faith & Freedom Coalition is a non-profit organization with an avowed commitment to educating, equipping, and mobilizing people of faith and like-minded individuals to be effective citizens.>

Remembering Judge Robert Bork: Conservative Legend and Leadership Institute DonorBy Morton BlackwellThe staff of the Leadership Institute honors generous donors who make the work of the Leadership Institute possible. We are saddened at the death of one of our long-time donors, conservative hero Robert Bork. The Leadership Institute received Judge Bork's final donation just one day before he died. My staff and I honor Judge Bork, a stalwart for judicial conservatism.Conservatives will remember Robert Bork as President Ronald Reagan's nominee to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1987. I attended his recent funeral.Along with other conservatives, I was thrilled when the president nominated Judge Bork. He graduated from the University of Chicago and was a professor at Yale Law School for over 15 years. This brilliant man, who served in the Marine Corps before and after obtaining his law degree, would be a boon to conservative principles and values on the Supreme Court.But it was not to be.Defender of the Constitution meets liberal onslaughtIt soon became clear that the liberals in office were going to stop his nomination. Joe Biden, then Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led the charge against Judge Bork.Bork was criticized for stating that the Constitution should be interpreted as the framers originally intended. Rumors began to circulate that the Reagan administration might quietly ask Bork to request that his name be withdrawn.But Bork—and conservatives—wanted a vote, because conservatives had every intention of holding senators who voted against him accountable.During the nomination proceedings, I wrote a personal letter to Ronald Reagan, asking him to make sure the Senate voted on Bork's nomination. I thought it would be a terrible mistake for the Bork nomination to be withdrawn—there had to be a recorded vote for many good reasons.About a week later, I received a letter back from President Reagan. He assured me that he intended to keep the nomination active and force the Senate to vote on it.A liberal-controlled Senate rejected Judge Bork's nomination in a hotly-contested 58-42 vote.Bork: Friend of Reagan, Friend of MortonI was happy to receive that letter of assurance from the President, but I was by no means confident that he had actually seen the letter—it might have just been drafted in the Presidential Correspondence office.Some years later, a friend was researching at the Reagan library. There, he found my original letter to the President, the President's hand-written draft of a response to me, and a copy of the final letter which was typed word-for-word as Reagan had drafted it. It moved me to learn that President Reagan had personally penned his response to me.LI and Bork: mutual support of conservative principlesMy acquaintance with Robert Bork goes back to the 1970s, long before the Supreme Court nomination. While Robert Bork was a professor of law at Yale University and I was on the U.S. Senate staff, I brought his son Charles Bork to intern for me.After Bork's rejection by the Senate, Leadership Institute graduates led a 200-strong protest against liberal Republican Arlen Specter, who along with Senator Biden and Senator Ted Kennedy, opposed Bork's nomination.In 1995, a Leadership Institute graduate at the University of Oklahoma battled and outwitted liberal Professor Anita Hill (the one who lobbed allegations against Justice Clarence Thomas) to bring Bork to standing room-only lectures at that university.And since that year, Judge Bork has been a faithful donor to the Leadership Institute. But not only a donor, Bork also gave talks to gatherings of Leadership Institute donors.Robert Bork believed in the Leadership Institute's work of training conservative activists and students on college campuses throughout the nation.My staff and I thank him for his 17 years of sustained and loyal support. Our condolences go to the family and friends of the Honorable Robert Bork.>

“Leadership Institute graduates played key roles in my 2008 and 2012 campaigns,” former Rep. Ron Paul said last month. “The training these liberty activists received from the Leadership Institute is a major reason why the liberty movement has made such tremendous progress over the last five years. It is encouraging to see so many young people interested in advancing the cause of individual liberty and limited government taking advantage of the opportunities provided by the Leadership Institute.” Ron Paul's liberty movement has attracted unique people from varying backgrounds with a common bond not well known: many key staffers and activists are Leadership Institute graduates. In June 1998, a little- known congressman from Texas—Ron Paul—spoke at the Leadership Institute's monthly Wednesday Wake-Up Club Breakfast. LI's President Morton Blackwell invited the congressman to speak nearly a decade before he and his 2007 rEVOLution gained national attention. Ron Paul's presidential runs in 2008 and 2012 ignited the grassroots movement now dubbed the “liberty movement,” which was largely built by LI graduates. John Tate, formerly LI's vice president of Membership is now president of Campaign for Liberty (C4L), a grassroots organization founded by Ron Paul after his 2008 presidential run. Under John's leadership, C4L led the successful effort to pass Ron Paul's Audit the Fed bill in the House of Representatives. In 2011, John took a leave of absence from C4L to serve as campaign manager for Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign. John was instrumental in developing and executing the "delegate strategy” under which liberty activists joined the grassroots members and state leaders of the Republican Party. “I have been privileged to be associated with the Leadership Institute throughout my career in politics and grassroots activism,” John Tate said. “Anyone looking to learn how to effectively advance the cause of liberty should attend a Leadership Institute school." Many LI graduates have gone on to form their own organizations and hold influential political positions. Leadership Institute graduates lead Campaign for Liberty, Young Americans for Liberty, and the Coalition to Reduce Spending, just to name a few. These groups have thousands of supporters, activists, and staff who impact the course of public policy today. Chris Younce—an LI graduate, former intern, and former staff member – went on to make ballot access history in the 2012 election season. Chris successfully got Ron Paul on the ballot in all 50 states before any other campaign in 2012. “My political education at the Leadership Institute gave me more practical political knowledge than all of my college courses combined. LI schools gave me the tools I needed to perform at a high level for Dr. Paul in his campaign for president," Chris said. The Leadership Institute offers more than the nuts and bolts of how to become an effective activist. LI training through Morton Blackwell's principled leadership helps students understand the real nature of politics. Another former LI staffer Steve Bierfeldt said, "The Leadership Institute taught me the political tactics to win, and showed me a clear distinction between the moral people in politics and the amoral people in politics. As executive director on Ron Paul's campaign, I looked for staffers with high moral character as well as leadership traits and characteristics that were becoming of Ron Paul and also professionally representative of the liberty message. I am reminded of one of my favorite Laws of the Public Policy Process Morton Blackwell champions: Personnel is policy.” As for me, the current director of events at the Leadership Institute, I took a Youth Leadership School as a student activist and College Republican, but it wasn't until after getting fully involved with the Ron Paul campaign that I began to understand the size and scope of the Leadership Institute's effect on the conservative and liberty movements. While on the campaign trail, I talked to a lot of people – to put it mildly. Everywhere I went, from national headquarters, to Iowa and then New Hampshire, I met field staff, volunteers and high-level staffers who all had a Leadership Institute story to share. I have found that within the grassroots liberty movement, deep connections to LI are abundant and easy to spot. As a former Ron Paul staffer and liberty activist since 2007, I clearly see LI's long-standing impact on the public policy process. The Leadership Institute and Morton Blackwell continue to educate, train, and support graduates who have been instrumental to the modern-day grassroots liberty movement. All conservatives and lovers of liberty should take advantage of the training opportunities offered here at LI. Go here to register for a 2013 training. Please welcome John Tate, Chris Younce, and Steve Bierfeldt as LI's Graduates of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org. The next spotlight will be the week of April 15.

On a snowy Wednesday morning, the Leadership Institute welcomed Dr. George Nash, author of The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America Since 1945, for LI's monthly Wednesday Wake-Up Club Breakfast.Dr. Nash is an independent scholar, historian, and lecturer. He specializes in twentieth century American political and intellectual history, which includes the life of Herbert Hoover and the legacy of Ronald Reagan. Dr. Nash is also a senior fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal.While sharing President Reagan's original vision for America, Dr. Nash reminisced, "Reagan could make his point sharply without offending people. His humor had an ecumenical quality.”He went on to explain how President Reagan feared that America's memory was slipping away. Dr. Nash described the challenges to Reagan's vision of American exceptionalism.President Reagan once said, “I am not a great man. I am a man of great ideals.” Dr. Nash implied that many who intend on running for office or are in office today should embrace a similar mindset.Jean Morrow, an intern in the development department atLI, said: “It was a sobering experience listening to Dr. Nash talk about President Reagan and how he cultivated the idea that America is exceptional.”Dr. George Nash closed with the notion that Reagan had a national narrative that still resonates today: “If he can rally the city on the Hill, why can't we?” Please join LI at April's Wake-Up Club Breakfast on April 3 to hear Gun Owners of America's Executive Director Larry Pratt. Sign up here. >

Twenty-nine year old Dale Kerns was recently appointed to the borough council in Eddystone, Pennsylvania, where he now gets the pleasure of serving his hometown neighbors and friends. “A typical workday as councilman involves going to meetings, dealing with town emergencies, helping in the office with clerical work, meeting with state legislators, and numerous other jobs,” Dale shared. “Most of all it involves, for me, sticking to your principles and campaign promises, all while fulfilling the needs of your constituents.” Once Councilwoman Suzane Blissick resigned, Dale's was appointed by Magisterial District Judge Phil Turner to fill the vacancy. Dale has volunteered to give his council stipend back to the borough with half going to the Recreation Department and the other half going to the volunteer Fire Department. “I started after high school in the International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers Local 654, and completed a five year apprenticeship as a journeyman electrician. Then immediately I went to Widener University, where I expect to graduate with a bachelor's in professional studies and a minor in sociology in 2014.” Dale is vice chairman of Pennsylvania's Republican Liberty Caucus and active in local politics. With a heart for the less fortunate, Dale and his brothers—Kevin Kerns and Daniel Schmidt—started The Little Angels Foundation. “At the Little Angels Foundation (LAF) our mission is to help children in need—children with life-threatening illnesses,” Dale said. “I believe in giving back to the community through voluntary charity. I do not believe the government should be used to take people's money for charity. Starting a foundation such as LAF and donating my time helps those who are less fortunate and also helps others understand what true charity is and where it's designed to come from—the heart, not forced government.” Dale first learned of the Leadership Institute through Young Americans for Liberty's Executive Director Jeff Frazee, he shared. And in July 2011, he came to LI's week-long Campaign Management School. “Since my time at the Leadership Institute, I have had jobs working for candidates for U.S. Congress, U.S. Senate, and I have run successful campaigns for both delegates to the Republican National Convention and to local town councils,” Dale said. “LI taught me at the Campaign Management School how to correctly manage a campaign through the nuts and bolts! We were taught everything in one week that it takes most people a lifetime to learn. The most effective tools that you need in fundraising, petitioning, and all other aspects of campaign management are learned on the job, but without the Leadership Institute I would not have known where to correctly start.” “LI has given me the tools to be successful, and will give you the winning advantage that is not offered to many that have been in the game for a lifetime,” Dale said. Register now for one of LI's upcoming trainings. “I always tell people they need to see LI for themselves,” Dale said. “LI is like Santa's workshop; somehow all the ‘toys' are made in a short period of time. Those who think they know campaigning don't really know until they have been to the Leadership Institute.” “I loved my time at the Leadership Institute and look forward to coming back in the future. There is always more to learn!” Please welcome Dale Kerns as the LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Kate Miller—a cheery-about-life, red-headed recent college graduate from Washington state—was an intern at the Leadership Institute a little more than two months ago. And, today marks her first day as a fulltime employee doing what she loves most: design! She is the associate designer at VOX Global, a public affairs and strategic communications DC firm with extensive government, political, private sector and nonprofit experience. “I could not be where I am now had I not been at the Leadership Institute,” Kate said. “LI was pivotal to my DC experience being so successful and joyful.” She first learned of her employer—VOX Global—while interning at LI this past fall. “I draw a direct correlation between my time at LI and my current position. At LI's Comprehensive Fundraising School, I went up to my current boss David Payne, an LI faculty member, and expressed how much I genuinely enjoyed his presentation,” Kate shared. “He and I stayed in contact, so when I found out VOX Global had a design internship, I jumped at the opportunity!” After just 1.5 months as an intern, VOX hired Kate on fulltime. “I never would have known about VOX had I not attended LI's fundraising training.” Get registered at next week's Comprehensive Fundraising Training, the same training Kate took a few months ago. As associate designer, Kate will be designing HTML emails, print documents, and web assets. “Basically, I make pretty things--and I love it! But in all seriousness, I am part of a team that strengthens the visual communication efforts of VOX Global's clients,” Kate said. “VOX Global is a unique place. I'm working with some of the best-of-the-best, learning how to communicate messages more effectively. One of my new projects involves some grassroots efforts with former Leadership Institute staff member John Dunagan.” This fall Kate worked in LI's Recruitment department where she assisted with marketing, communications, design, coalition building, and social media. “Being an LI intern was a great opportunity to build skills. Under the deft guidance of Lauren Day and Abby Alger, I planned and implemented the fall Capitol Hill Walk and live tweeted a lot of our trainings,” Kate said. “Those were two of my biggest ongoing projects, and I really enjoyed both.” She also was very helpful to LI's Development department in branding the Building Leadership newsletter, which goes out quarterly to LI donors, through a redesign of the publication. Kate has taken 18 trainings at the Leadership Institute from Public Relations School, Direct Mail School, TV workshops, Youth Leadership School, New Media Workshops, Civil Service Opportunity School, Conservative Career Workshop, and many others. “My favorite aspect of LI was definitely working with its wonderful staff. I had the privilege of working with many different people, and have been thrilled to stay in close contact as I've attended Leadership Institute events in the new year,” Kate shared. While a summer 2012 intern at The Heritage Foundation, Kate learned of the Leadership Institute. “Heritage only had great things to say about LI,” Kate said. “I applied for LI's intern program, took the Youth Leadership School, and turned down a job offer back home because I knew the Leadership Institute could help me pursue a career surrounding politics. Needless to say, I have not regretted the decision for a minute.” Prior to her internships at VOX Global, the Leadership Institute, and The Heritage Foundation – all in DC – Kate was a college student at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington where she majored in graphic design and public relations. During college, Kate was active on campus developing her design skills through campus jobs: graphic and web designer for Pacific Lutheran University's (PLU) School of Arts and Communication; production director of PLU's Impact Creative Solutions; and graphic design intern for PLU's University Communications. “LI is a place you'll get connected with, if you're smart,” Kate said. “The Leadership Institute has everything an aspiring (or thriving) conservative needs to be successful; LI gives you the tools to turn conservative thought into political action. LI schools teach skills, are great networking opportunities with peers, and might even land you a job with a faculty member!” We congratulate Kate Miller for her recent fulltime employment at VOX Global, and welcome her as LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

The Leadership Institute hosted the first Civil Service Opportunity School in more than two years this past Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. The 24 students that attended learned a variety of things about the civil service including its history, how it works today, and what it takes to get a job in the government.The first lecture titled, “Why the Federal Government?” was taught by Mark Johnson, a supervisory IT specialist with the Department of Commerce. Mark discussed the hiring process, the roles of networking and tips to navigate your way through federal job searches.“The federal government has tremendous flexibility that allows you to move from one job to the next,” he said.The U.S. government is the largest employer in the nation which includes many career options and locations for potential employees to choose from.LI's 2006 Civil Service Opportunity School helped Mark get his current position. He said, “The Leadership Institute helped me move from Denver to DC, and then from the private sector to the civil service in 2008.” One of the Leadership Institute's interns this spring, Leah Courtney remarked on Mark's experience: “I really appreciated hearing his experience in the civil service and all the tricks of the trade he provided.”Terry Campo, who served as special assistant and chief of staff for the General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Energy during the Reagan Administration discussed the origins and purpose of the civil service.Terry explained the structures of executive agencies and the relationship between political appointees versus career employees. Terry commented on how political appointees and the employees under them are chosen.“It's supposed to be politically fair, but in reality it's not,” Terry said. One of the best resources is job directories where jobseekers can find the best person to contact regarding employment. Laura Turner, a current intern for Judicial Watch, thought his resources were helpful to her job search.“He was very helpful explaining how to tailor resumes. I will definitely be using his tips for future job searches,” Laura said.George Nesterchzuk, who served as a senior official in the Reagan Administration, talked about the political management and environment of the civil service. His best advice came on Wednesday night.“The civil service is protected by a very thick book of rules and regulations. My best advice is to get your application in to every opening there is in the federal government,” George advised.Eldon Girdner, who has more than a decade of service in the federal government, discussed the application process and navigating through it. He also talked about where and how to find jobs in the civil service.Eldon talked about how best to tailor resumes for federal jobs, and their differences from resumes for the private sector.“When searching for federal jobs, the more information you have on your resume the better because computers search through resumes and match up key words before they actually reach a person,” he explained.The students attending left the civil Service school with knowledge from faculty with years of service in the public sector. These students now know how to maneuver their way into a federal job and start tearing down the wall of bureaucracy.The Leadership Institute offers several career related workshops throughout the year. Go here to register for one. >

As a “newcomer” to politics, Leadership Institute graduate Bill Wright won a board member seat in his life-long hometown of Vermilion County, Illinois by 55 votes! “The race was a 'vote for three' type arrangement and there were four of us running for the three open positions. I was running against three incumbents, all from the opposite party, who ran as a team,” Bill shared with me. “It should have been an easy win for the three incumbents. Needless to say, it was an uphill battle.” “When all the votes were tallied, I had won one of the three seats and was the second highest vote-getter, just 58 votes shy of the nine-year veteran. I had more votes than the other two opponents by 195 and 210. Those numbers may sound small, but this is a county district where a mere 3000 votes were cast,” Bill continued. “Some say I am the first of my party to win a seat in this district in 50-plus years,” Bill said. Now, he's one of 27 board members from the nine districts in Vermilion County. He sits on two committees and is vice chairman of one. “I am working on one of my campaign promises to build up the economy of my district by getting a Chamber of Commerce office started here,” Bill shared. “It is very important to deliver on what you promised while campaigning and start the process as soon as you can.” “My time is spent learning all I can about how a county operates. There is a lot of self-study,” Bill said. “While this year's budget was already passed before the election, I am looking at ways to cut spending, not raise taxes, and help give the taxpayer the most effective use of their tax dollars.” Bill first learned about the Leadership Institute through a conference—Right Nation—in Chicago in 2010, where LI was an exhibitor. He picked up some LI marketing materials there and then went to LI's website to learn more. In May 2012, Bill came to Arlington, VA to attend LI's week-long Future Candidate School. “LI's Future Candidate School confirmed for me that running for office was something I should do and could do. Since college, I felt that I was meant to run for office and LI's candidate school reinforced this belief,” Bill said. “Learning how and from who I should ask for donations was a crucial part of my education. There were lively discussion at the Leadership Institute on yard signs, campaign literature, fundraisers, how to dress for television, and how to speak to any gathering, be it constituents, fellow elected officials, or the press,” Bill continued. “The cost of the Future Candidate School is very affordable,” Bill said. “Supporters who underwrite most of the LI cost make this possible. It was at LI's candidate school where I first believed I could really run for office and possibly win. This school gave me the confidence I needed for many different parts of a campaign and put them all into perspective.” Sign up for LI's next Future Candidate School here. “The volunteer faculty who speak at the Future Candidate School are an impressive group of people,” Bill said. “I asked a lot of questions while there, and I remember after one presentation, I followed the presenter out into the hallway to chat. After I explained the type of race I was in, he gave me some great advice that I used when my campaign started. I firmly believe his advice played a key role in helping me win.” Are you thinking about running for office? Bill has a little bit of his own learned advice he would like to impart: “First, make sure this—running for office—is something you really want. You should have, as they say, the 'fire in the belly'. “Consult with your family next and make sure they are on-board with your decision because you need everyone to understand this is going to be a lot of work. “Next, go out and get donations. You cannot be afraid to ask people for either financial or in-kind contributions. If you do not have the stomach for this, you probably should not run. The monetary donations determine what you can spend on yard signs, T-shirts, campaign literature, and the like. “Try to learn all you can from the experts in the area about the district, town, or county in which you are running. Know where you need to focus your campaign. Voter lists are crucial. “Keep your campaign platform simple and short. Three to four items are plenty in a local campaign. This might even be said for state representative or state senate office. “The best advice I received was just to have fun with it. You are at your best when you are relaxed while talking to people going door-to-door. Carrying the weight of the election during every move you make will take its toll. “Finally, I suggest that you map out a strategy for each precinct and then personally visit as many homes as you can. When you think you are done, go visit five more houses. When you want to take a break, work 30 minutes more. I campaigned up to, and including, Election Day. It is best not to be over confident or to have a defeatist attitude. You just never give up. Do not listen to people who tell you that you cannot win.” Check out LI's 2013 training schedule here. “The Leadership Institute is an organization that brings together some of the most knowledgeable people to help candidates and those associated with campaigns to learn all about the science of running a campaign, being a candidate, fund raising and the like,” Bill said. “LI does all this at a reasonable cost to the student. The Leadership Institute makes a life-long impression on those who attend because the quality of instruction is second-to-none.” Please welcome Bill Wright as the LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Last week 80 conservative activists gathered at the Leadership Institute headquarters for an intense four day Campaign Management School (CMS).Tea party leader from Charleston, South Carolina Dean Allen said, “I have been involved in politics since I was the Galveston County youth chairman for Barry Goldwater in the 1964 presidential race. I ran Ronald Reagan's GOTV operation in Galveston County. I consider myself an expert in politics who is well trained and knows the ropes very well. I was very pleasantly surprised at the quality of instruction, the broad scope of activities covered, and all the things I either did not know as in depth as I had thought; or, at the technology and newer methods that are more efficient. I learned a huge amount every day! I strongly recommend the educational programs of the Leadership Institute to any conservative activist who cares about the future of our republic and plans to be involved in the process of saving America.”Twenty-two of the nation's top political operatives served as volunteer faculty to these 80 aspiring campaigners. On day one Mike Rothfeld, president of SABER Communications, taught LI students the “Real Nature of Politics” and how to organize a campaign.Leah Holloway, a grassroots activist from Norfolk, Virginia said, “What a breath of fresh air! Rothfeld's delivery was awesome. His lecture was informative and truthful. I just can't get enough of this man! His insights make me question what I thought I already knew.” “ABCs of Polling,” lecture was taught by Tyler Harber, a partner with Harcom Strategies, where he described the purpose of polling and emphasized the importance of polling strategy.With 22 seasoned faculty, the lineup included: Mark Kelly, deputy chief of staff for Congressman Tim Huelskamp, who lectured about the importance of precinct organization; John Tate, president for Campaign for Liberty, who taught students the ins and outs about fundraising via direct mail; Terry Campo of The Campo Group who taught about opposition research; Edward King, director of programs & operations at Young Americans for Liberty, who spoke on different strategies for getting out the vote; Jordan Lieberman, president of CampaignGrid, who gave a great lecture on the newest campaign technology; Steve Sutton, former chief of staff to three freshmen Members of Congress and presently, LI's vice president of development, who spoke on message development; and many others.Elisabeth Jessop, currently a campaign manager, said, “I loved the lecture on developing your message by Steve Sutton. The four boxes was a great illustration of how to approach political opponents and how to create a positive message to your supporter!”The training saved the very best for last when Leadership Institute President Morton Blackwell lectured on the handling of negative information. Amazingly, students were still eager to learn more after four days of intensive training.Personhood Florida state coordinator Brenda Macmenamin said, “My favorite was Morton Blackwell just talking to us. To realize how much impact this one man has had was very encouraging!”To see photos of the week-long training, check out the pictures on Facebook here.LI's next Campaign Management School is the week of June 3. Go here to learn more and sign up. To see what other trainings LI offers, go here to see the upcoming schedule. >

Yesterday the Leadership Institute welcomed Art Carden, assistant professor of economics at Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and 129 others for LI's monthly Wednesday Wake-Up Club Breakfast.Watch his full speech here.Dr. Carden is a strong advocate for free markets and economic liberty. In addition to his professor duties, he is a senior research fellow with the Institute for Faith, Work and Economics, a research fellow with the Independent Institute, and a regular contributor to Forbes.com."Redistribution doesn't solve poverty; it's economic freedom that solves poverty in the world,” he shared yesterday. "When we redistribute land from private owners to government, we are lowering economic growth in the long run."Americans have a right to the income they earn, Dr. Carden said. And when people are over-taxed, it reduces their incentive to work and in essence the government is making the world poorer, he argued.Dr. Carden has written papers on economic development, southern economic history, and Walmart.He argued that immigrating to the United States should be easier. Immigrants help grow the economy because they bring skills to America; they do not take jobs away from Americans."We need open and competitive markets. The Institute for Justice argues that one in three people need a government license to engage in their chosen profession -- this is absurd."Dr. Carden made arguments against the minimum wage, saying that it creates unintended consequences such as unemployment in the long run and enables the “rent-seeking society” – those that are directly pick-pocketing other people's pockets.He closed by stating that we need to think hard about where we have come from, where we currently are, and where we're going. Should we be focused on questions of redistribution or economic growth, and how do we recapture property rights and a competitive market?Please join LI at March's Wake-Up Club Breakfast on March 6. Sign up here. >

The Second Amendment – “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” – has been under great scrutiny the past few weeks. Since her May 2012 graduation from Northern Michigan University, Sarah Morrison has been busy. She's been a summer camp head lifeguard, a fall 2012 field representative for the Leadership Institute, and since January, she's been the special assistant to the National Rifle Association (NRA) President David Keene. “The NRA is playing a large role in the public policy debate over the 23 new executive orders, along with Sen. Feinstein's new gun ban,” Sarah said. Sarah helps the NRA president with his many scheduling requests and briefs him on particular issues. Additionally, her responsibilities include processing mail, fielding emails, and filing expense reports. Sarah first learned of the Leadership Institute from her former employer—Mrs. Donna Wiesner Keene—for whom she interned at BrainTrain in the summer of 2011. She quickly enrolled in LI's Conservative Intern Workshop with 122 other conservative DC summer interns from more than 58 congressional offices, government agencies, and organizations. Interns at LI's workshop learned how to network effectively, survive DC housing and meal costs, format their resumes, and strategically plan their careers. Sarah was president of the College Republicans chapter at Northern Michigan University her junior and senior years, where she organized Presidential Candidate Rick Santorum's Marquette, MI event, among other things. Her senior year, Sarah came back to the DC area for the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, where she and 524 others participated in the CPAC Job & Internship Fair, hosted by the Leadership Institute's ConservativeJobs.com. There Sarah learned of the job opportunities LI offered like becoming a field representative. After graduation, Sarah took LI's Youth Leadership School, Field Representative Training, and On-Camera TV Workshop in August before jetting to Wisconsin and upper Michigan as an LI Field Rep to recruit and train conservative college students to create groups on their campuses. “In my LI training, I learned that nothing is impossible. I also learned many organizing, grassroots, and planning strategies,” Sarah shared. “LI provided me with my first legitimate job in my field after graduation from college,” Sarah said. “The Leadership Institute is a useful resource for young, developing conservatives and libertarians.” Check out LI's 2013 training schedule here. Interested in being a 2013 LI Field Representative? Contact Mike Armstrong. Please welcome Sarah Morrison as the LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

“Money really is the mother's milk of politics,” Leadership Institute graduate Fred Cooper said. “Regardless if it's a candidate or an organization, outside of some well-crafted ploys for earned media, you absolutely must have the resources necessary to market and get your message out to your target audience in order to sway opinion. You can't do that without money.”Fred is the political accounts manager for The RainMakers Organization, a conservative fundraising firm located in Springfield, Virginia. His division raised $5 million in 2012 for political organizations and candidates.The RainMakers reach out to major donors, fundraise for DC and congressional leadership PACs, organize and host major donor events, and also conduct online fundraising appeals. “Unlike many traditional Republican fundraising firms, we are very selective in our clientele and only work for the most principled conservative candidates and organizations,” Fred shared.Congresswoman Michele Bachmann was one of their clients this past cycle. Fred supervised The RainMakers' political accounts division staff that were responsible for her national fundraising campaign. Their work “helped her to set a new record for fundraising in a cycle by a candidate for the House of Representatives,” Fred said.The RainMakers were hired in October 2011 as the national fundraising firm for Richard Mourdock's U.S. Senate campaign to help build his appeal nationwide with major donors outside of the state of Indiana. Fred was the campaign's national finance director.“We were instrumental in helping turn Senator Dick Lugar into ‘Barack Obama's favorite Republican' and in making that race the premier conservative versus establishment Senate battle to large-scale conservative donors across the country,” Fred said.“In a campaign where no one in the mainstream political world thought was possible to win just a few months prior, we played a vital role in Richard's primary defeat of Dick Lugar, which proved to be the largest primary defeat of an incumbent Senator in United States history, 61 percent to 39 percent,” he explained. “All told, we raised $1.5 million for his primary and general campaign from out-of-state conservative and establishment donors, increasing the percentage of money raised for his campaign from out of state donors from 11 percent to nearly 45 percent.” Fred supervises account managers at The RainMakers as they write direct mail solicitation packages for Members of Congress and conservative public policy and activist organizations. Additionally, he manages logistics for fundraising events and maintains relationships with high-dollar donors.“Whatever area of interest a young conservative might have to be ‘salt and light' in the political world, the Leadership Institute offers it,” Fred said. “There are a lot of organizations that might talk a big game, but LI without question is the most effective, and has been for a very long time. Lovers of liberty and our founding principles across the nation owe a great deal of gratitude for the work the Leadership Institute has done over the years, and continues to do.”“The movement would not be the same without LI's influence on countless thousands of activists not only in our country, but across the globe. I have and will continue to highly recommend LI to any conservative interested in acquiring the knowledge and information necessary to have a positive impact on their political system.”Fred was raised in Mansfield, Ohio in a Christian and conservative family. He said, “My faith has always been the central influence which guides me in all things, including my political views… Just like Indiana Governor Mike Pence, I am a Christian, and thus a conservative, and (if I have to pick a political party) a Republican, in that order.” At age 15, Fred stayed up all night “nervously awaiting” the results of the 2000 presidential election. He went onto major in political science at the University of Toledo, where he joined College Republicans freshman year, and “had the benefit of cutting my political teeth in the swing state of the 2004 presidential election.”In college, Fred interned for Congressman Mike Oxley (OH-4) and Senator Mike DeWine (R-OH), and in 2006, he became president of the University of Toledo College Republicans, where he increased “the club's presence as the only conservative voice on campus by increasing the its membership five-fold.”The Leadership Institute's field representative in Ohio met Fred on campus, and helped him set up LI's Student Publications Workshop.“This workshop helped give us the tools necessary to launch a conservative alternative to our school's liberal newspaper,” Fred said.During his final semester of college, Fred worked 60 hours a week as the campaign manager for the winning race of Judge Michael Goulding, a Republican, in the city of Toledo.The district “has a 3.5 to 1 Democrat to Republican advantage,” Fred said, so “because of the success of that that race which was highly targeted in an off-election year, I was subsequently hired on as John McCain's Northwest Ohio Victory Coordinator for his 2008 Presidential campaign (while serving as coordinator, my office led the nation in voter contacts on numerous occasions), a position I served in until August of 2008.”Fred's next stop was working for the Leadership Institute as a field representative in the fall of 2008.As an LI field rep, Fred worked with college students in Indiana to help start Second Amendment, pro-life, and liberty-minded groups on their campuses and provide them with the resources necessary to make an effective and meaningful impact on their campus.“As conservatives, we must be resilient and use every tool necessary to take on the left's negative impact on our country and supplant it with the conservative principles we know which are tried and true. LI teaches you, as my Pastor says, to not ‘hate the player, but learn to play the game,'” Fred said.Fred has taken seven Leadership Institute trainings to help him “learn the game.”“One specific example that I learned at LI's Online Fundraising Workshop (which has benefitted me in my current position and is true in any area of sales or marketing) is that you have to give the donor you are targeting a clear and concise reason why they should give to your organization or candidate, and why it is essential that they give now. Our opponents aren't slacking or taking any time off, so we literally can't afford to either.”“The Lord has used the Leadership Institute to open up so many doors for me in personal and professional life,” Fred shared. “Because of the contacts and relationships I built with other LI field reps, I was able to move to D.C. and land my current job with The RainMakers.”“I am still in touch with, and am working together with many of my fellow field staffers from LI to help advance the cause of liberty,” Fred continued. “I will always be extremely grateful to LI for the opportunity they gave me to work for them and for the intricate role they served in helping to advance me both in my personal and professional life.”Check out LI's 2013 training schedule here.LI is hosting the Comprehensive Fundraising Training March 4 -7, which will include three of LI's famous fundraising schools—High-Dollar Fundraising School, Online Fundraising Workshop, and the Direct Mail School—in a full week of training.“The Leadership Institute is without a doubt, the most effective and comprehensive educational and training tool in the country for activists of any political persuasion,” Fred said. “I have often said that I cannot think of an organization in greater DC or around the country which has benefitted the conservative movement in more long-term and meaningful ways than the Leadership Institute. Nearly every conservative activist and those with influence on our side of the fight whom I have met has taken classes at or has been impacted in some way by LI.” Please welcome Fred Cooper as the LI's Graduate of the Week.“I have learned that as long as you can help a cause which motivates you by raising them money, you'll likely always have a job, and also find fulfillment in doing it.” To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org. >

Watch this video to learn about The Leadership Institute's Career Services. LI's Career Services offers:-ConservativeJobs.com, an interactive online job bank-Six specialized career trainings-Job fairs-Resume reviews-Candidate referrals The right jobs - The right staff – The right training –All right hereFollow us on Facebook, Twitter, and sign up on ConservativeJobs.com today! >

Sunday America swore in her 44th president for a second term. Twenty-eight years ago—in 1985—America bestowed a second term to the 40th President Ronald Reagan. His personal assistant Peggy Grande, a Leadership Institute graduate and volunteer faculty member, worked a decade for the former president who was loved dearly by many conservatives. "From the time I was young my dad always said, ‘Someone has to have that job you want – and it might as well be you!' How right he was,” Peggy shared with me. “I never could have predicted that a small town girl like me who dreamed of going to DC but stayed in southern California and studied communications and business, not politics or government, would wind up sitting at the feet of greatness! Likewise, only in America can a young boy named Ronald Reagan, from a poor family with an alcoholic father, raised in the Midwest grow up to be president and not only lead our nation, but become the leader of the free world.” Peggy worked for President Ronald Reagan from 1989 to 1999 during his post-presidency years in Los Angeles, and was his personal assistant for six of those ten years. She was the liaison between him and his staff, the public, local dignitaries, and world leaders. She drafted correspondence for his original signature, reviewed invitations, scheduled visitors, made appointments, answered phone calls, and attended to a wide range of office and personal needs. “Ronald Reagan was known as ‘The Great Communicator' and most of the world remembers him for his written words, his famous speeches, and his public statements. However, I was blessed to know him ‘behind the scenes' and was constantly amazed at how his actions spoke even louder than his words,” Peggy shared. “The gentlemanly ways in which he treated me as his personal assistant – like holding my elbow as we would walk up and down stairs, always waiting for me to walk in front of him into a room or event, and always offering to assist if there was a need,” Peggy continued. “There was no difference between his public persona and his personal persona. He didn't behave differently when he knew people were watching than he did in private. He was kind and humble, polite and genuine – always. He had an awareness of others and trusted his staff which inspired their loyalty. He generously gave respect rather than demanding it and didn't take himself too seriously. Though not a day went by without my realizing the unique and overwhelming honor of serving such a great man, he always communicated gratitude for my work, which gave me the confidence I needed to serve him with excellence.” Peggy was born and raised in southern California and grew up in a family of educators. Her mom was a college professor and her father was a superintendent of schools. She met her husband, now of 22 years, in school at Pepperdine University. Together they have four children who range in age from 11 to 19. After school and before going to work for President Reagan, Peggy worked as a salesperson at Nordstrom where she learned about customer service and how to diplomatically deal with others. Still today, Peggy works to preserve her boss' legacy. For the past 20-plus years, she has worked with the Reagan Foundation in variety of capacities, including assisting with the President's funeral, helping Harper Collins publish a book on Reagan, and working for the Reagan Centennial Office. “I facilitated many of the complex logistics involved in the centennial birthday weekend and was involved in implementing both celebratory and substantive events all year long here domestically and around the world,” Peggy told me. “It was like a ‘victory lap' of Ronald Reagan's life, which was an honor to be part of, especially since I had known him personally and worked so closely with him for so many years.” Peggy recently founded The Quiggle Group, which promotes and expands excellence in leadership through retreats, corporate training, and keynote speaking. The premiere program, called The Reagan Experience, is unique training held at The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California for CEOs, top executives, and management teams. Peggy met Dan Quiggle, her current business partner, while working for President Reagan. He's a volunteer faculty member at the Leadership Institute and for years has encouraged Peggy to come teach at LI's Youth Leadership Schools. “Once I did, I was hooked,” Peggy said. “LI's ‘bootcamp of politics' teaches young people why they should be involved in the political process – and equips them to be successful and effective in their area of interest or passion.” Peggy is now a regular volunteer faculty member at LI's Youth Leadership Schools, and has even taken LI's One-on-One Television Workshop. Since 2009, she's traveled with the Leadership Institute to eight states to train hundreds of conservative college students. “After President Reagan passed away I felt an incredible burden of responsibility as a first-person observer to the greatness of Ronald Reagan – to share all that I had learned and observed,” Peggy said. “I am proud to serve on faculty for the Leadership Institute and travel the country sharing my ‘front row seat of history' with others. LI provides me with an incredible opportunity to take the leadership lessons I learned directly from President Reagan and invest them in the next generation of great leaders through LI's programs. I am confident that I am right where Ronald Reagan would want me to be – on the front line – connecting directly with those who will eventually lead our great nation.” Peggy is thrilled to mentor young conservative women. As a wife and mother of four, Peggy helps young women determine their roles in the public policy process while encouraging them to pursue their professional and personal dreams. "Ronald Reagan kept a plaque on his desk which said, ‘It CAN be done.' I believe it, and I enjoy sharing his optimism with others,” Peggy said. Come pursue your political aspirations. Register now for one of LI's already scheduled Youth Leadership School trainings, or contact Matt Kneece or Daryl Ann Dunnigan to schedule one on your university campus. Just maybe Peggy will be teaching, and you'll get the opportunity to hear firsthand some of her stories about America's 40th president. Check out LI's 2013 training schedule here. LI's President Morton Blackwell also worked with President Reagan. In 1980, Morton organized and oversaw the national youth effort for Ronald Reagan, and then served as special assistant on President Reagan's White House staff from 1981-1984. “Every person plays a unique and vital role in the democratic process,” Peggy said. “I like to say that politics happens -- and it happens to matter. We all have an obligation to be informed, involved, and learn how to be influential. If we are not part of the process then we are part of the problem and have no one to blame but ourselves when we are victims of our own government.” Please welcome Peggy Grande as the LI's Graduate and Faculty of the Week. “I appreciate the LI model as a 'do-tank,' not a think-tank. We aren't looking to recruit people to join the Leadership Institute, but instead we aim to empower others to be more effective in promoting or advancing the conservative cause or candidate to which they are already committed,” Peggy said. “LI brings together individuals from a wide range of political ideology on the right, and unites them in a common commitment to excellence in strategy, media, messaging, events – and winning!” To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

A common misconception is to keep recruiting until you have enough volunteers. The problem is if you are running an effective campaign you never have enough volunteers. Let's face it --life happens. People will cancel and bail on you at the last minute. Unforeseen tasks come up and in the campaign world you need to learn to expect the unexpected; what can go wrong, often does.In order to save you the often avoidable stress and wasted time of having to scramble at the last minute to find enough people to accomplish your goal, make sure you never run out of volunteers with these quick tips.* Have something for them to do. If you aren't prepared with projects for your volunteers, you will appear unorganized and it will reflect poorly on your campaign or organization. Without work, volunteers will get bored and go home and may never come back.*Treat them well. Remember, your volunteers are giving up their time – and we all know time is money. Make sure you feed them and thank them for sacrificing their time. Treating volunteers with respect may seem like a given, but you'd be surprised to know how many instances I've seen where this isn't always the case.*Never stop recruiting. Recruitment is a fulltime job – it never ends. You should always be searching for new volunteers and encouraging folks to sign up to volunteer for your candidate or cause. You need to be bold and ask people to volunteer; they aren't going to be knocking at your door, so you need to find them. If you have 30 phones to fill, don't recruit 30 volunteers and think you've succeeded. Keep recruiting and constantly look for ways to bring new people on board.Give ‘em a title and get ‘em involved. There is always something to be done. If you don't have work for volunteers to do, then you need to reevaluate your campaign! Recruitment doesn't have to be a tedious task. In fact, it can be an effective tool to mobilize supporters to your campaign or cause. Volunteers are your biggest asset -- now go recruit!This article is a part of a regular “Expert Insights” series which delves into the mechanics of political technology. LI staff, faculty, graduates, and conservative friends are welcome to submit an article by contacting Lauren Day at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.orgHeather Homan is the Leadership Institute's political training coordinator and manages LI's week-long Campaign Management Schools and Future Candidate Schools. Before coming to LI she worked five years for U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-OH) in his state office and later on Capitol Hill. She currently is the national committeewoman for the Young Republican Federation of Virginia, where she also serves as chair of the YRFV's outreach committee. Locally, Heather serves as the membership chair for the Arlington Falls Church Young Republicans. Heather is a 2005 graduate of The University of Toledo, where she received a B.S. in Criminal Justice and also holds a Master's in Organization Development from Bowling Green State University's College of Business. >

If you've met Leadership Institute graduate Lynda Fairman you have been graced with a gentle powerhouse of knowledge and dedication. The blonde-headed, bouncy-curled, and smile-beaming woman works with a tenacity second to none. It's no wonder she was selected as the Republican Party of Virginia's ‘Volunteer of the Year.' “This award is quite an honor, especially since so many volunteers throughout Virginia dedicated hundreds of hours to our candidates in the critical 2012 election,” Lynda told me. “This award is less of a reflection of what I did, and more on what all of the volunteers in York County did through our 2012 Campaign Plan and Campaign Victory Headquarters.” Lynda is serving a two-year term as chairman of the York County Republican Committee in Virginia, where her focus has been on developing the headquarters building and operations manual as well as putting together the campaign plan. “When I ran for county chairman in March 2012, my focus was three-fold: learn to win (through education/training); plan to win (set plans with goals); and work to win (provide areas for citizens to put boots on the ground for our candidates),” Lynda said. “When we were able to secure a headquarters for the 2012 election, I was able to use many of the lessons learned from my Leadership Institute training,” Lynda said. “I still remember LI President Morton Blackwell's session on making sure your volunteers were comfortable in clean surroundings and made to feel welcome. As every candidate and state official visited our headquarters, the common comment was, ‘This is the nicest headquarters in the entire state!' My focus is on doing the needed jobs the best we can, on a budget, and with style. The number of general citizens who stopped by just to get yard signs and then stayed to volunteer and help phone bank, man the headquarters, and door knock was proof that we're on the right track. ” On the right track so much so that the Republican Party of Virginia's Newport News Victory Headquarters Director Mike Young said the “York County satellite headquarters was ‘the most productive satellite HQ in the region,'” Lynda shared. “We did more than 23,000 total phone banking calls by November. Just in October, we called 8,000 homes and knocked on 1,000 doors. Mike also said that our York County HQ operation with its Campaign Victory Plan ‘is heads above what others are doing.' The reason for this was two-fold: former Delegate Melanie Rapp Beale was instrumental in sharing her campaign expertise in planning the needed jobs, and the Leadership Institute courses I had taken taught me what was important and should be done. In addition, the two Air Force ROTC instructors I had at the University of Florida, Col. Mayer Littman & Major C. Wharton Cole, taught me well: ‘If something's worth doing, it's worth doing well and with class!'” And doing her job well and with class is exactly how Lynda led her county's GOP activists. She created a volunteer thank you wall, which highlighted each volunteer's name and specific job area on a yellow star sticker. By Election Day, they had filled the wall in the lobby with star stickers, the walls next to the front office doors, and even the walls down the hallway. Her leadership in recruitment and retention of volunteers allowed for 600 new York County contacts to be identified. “Since we didn't take the White House and Senate, the races for Virginia's Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, and Delegates are even more critical to protect Virginians and follow our Constitution,” Lynda said. “Our local elected officials and some area businessmen have been so impressed with our York County Headquarters that they've pledged to donate funds for our monthly rent through next November's election. This will allow us to maintain a foothold and visible presence in York County the entire year which will help us reach out to more voters for our candidates. The next goal is to encourage more members to get campaign training so they can help with campaigns or run for office themselves – hopefully they will consider the Leadership Institute's outstanding training.” Lynda first learned of the Leadership Institute through Virginia Delegate Brenda Pogge, she said. When she discovered that LI was coming to Radford, Virginia for a Saturday half-day training, Lynda made the several hour drive and booked an overnight hotel stay. “That short session left me wanting more, so I registered for the Campaign Manager's week-long course in Arlington, staying in LI's basement dorm – a fantastic experience that allowed me to connect with wonderful people on LI's staff and my classmates,” Lynda said. “The conversations in the dorm lobby each evening were great!” Lynda has taken eight LI trainings from Campaign School in September of 2010, a Campaign Management School in February 2011, Advanced New Media Workshop in March 2011, Future Candidate School in August 2011, two Online Fundraising Workshops in August and September 2011, High-Dollar Fundraising School in September 2011, and the Comprehensive Online Activist School in September 2011. “LI classes truly are like drinking from a fire hose! I haven't taken notes like that since college! The Leadership Institute's Campaign Management School helped me know what needed to be done to win my chairman position during the elections at the March Mass Meeting. It was a close race: 113 to 103. Knowing the importance of personal contact with York County voters was crucial to turn out people to vote for me,” Lynda said. “From the moment I announced my candidacy, I had a plan with stated goals, passed out flyers with my goals and background information, and hit the ground running – calling people every night for a month and tracking my supporter numbers. LI classes gave me the confidence to know what to do for a winning campaign.” “I remember LI Vice President of Development Steve Sutton's lecture which focused on reaching the youth; it set root and helped us reach out to gather local high school volunteers for phone banking, door knocking, and sign waves,” Lynda shared. “Now, several students want to start a TeenAge Republicans (TARS) club in their high school so I'm working with them to try to be their faculty sponsor. High school outreach was one of my goals when I ran for chairman because we need to make sure our youth are involved in the conservative movement and understand the importance of our conservative constitutional values before they go to liberal colleges.” When not working on campaigns, Lynda is a York County School District tutor for homebound students and also Virginia's first congressional district coordinator for the We the People, a nationwide program that encourages public, private, and home schools to teach the U.S. Constitution using non-partisan curriculum materials from The Center for Civic Education through Montpelier's Center for the Constitution. Lynda graduated from the University of Florida in 1982 majoring in English and speech with a minor in drama. Her senior year, Lynda was selected by the Air Force Association to be their national protocol officer, where she traveled the country giving briefing to cadets and active duty Air Force members. She's also been on many executive boards for Air Force Officers' Wives Clubs as her husband's career took her on many global adventures; in fact, she received the Langley Air Force Base Spouse of the Year award in 1993. For years, Lynda has been a teacher in middle schools helping them win national distinctions, and was even nominated as Teacher of the Year several times. She was selected in 2003 as a Fulbright Memorial Fund Scholar by the Japanese government and was the first ever Virginia Air & Space Center Camp-In coordinator for aerospace education programs. And, as a lover of learning she went through the Republican Party of Virginia's Jennifer Byler Institute in 2009 to advance her political leadership in the Commonwealth. Additionally, Lynda won a U.S. Novice Ladies' Figures gold medal as champion of the 2000 U.S. Roller Figure Skating National Championships. “LI has given me the knowledge to work with campaigns to turn out as many people as possible,” Lynda said. “There's always room for improvement, so I called a York County Republican Committee Executive Board meeting with our campaign coordinators so that I could gather their input for analysis on what worked, what didn't, what needs improvement, etc. for next year's 2013 state campaigns. These analysis reports will be kept in a Campaign Plan Standard Operating Procedure Manual so we're not starting from scratch and ‘reinventing the wheel' each election cycle, but rather having better continuity and focusing on how to improve for more success.” Come get trained. Check out LI's 2013 training schedule here. “The Leadership Institute is both the landing field and take-off zone for anyone involved in campaigns – whether as a candidate, manager, or general volunteer. LI's staff is knowledgeable and willing to share their expertise to help you succeed. I highly recommend all of their classes. There's so much to know when you work on campaigns, and LI gives you the winning information, the confidence to use it, and the desire to know even more,” Lynda said. “Running for office isn't a simple, easy process, but the Leadership Institute breaks down the necessary steps so that even a novice will recognize what's needed and know how to tackle the job to achieve success. With each class you take, you'll grow in knowledge and confidence, and have the power to win.” Please welcome Lynda Fairman as the LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Leadership Institute graduate and former intern Chris Perkins was recently named the top Texas pollster by Capitol Inside's bi-partisan “Political Consultants Power Rankings.” Maybe you've heard of some his clients: Texas Rep. Doc Anderson, Texas Rep. Greg Bonnen, Texas Senator Donna Campbell, Texas Rep. Stefani Carter, Texas Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, Texas Rep. Tony Dale, Texas Senator Kelly Hancock, Texas Rep. Charles Perry, Texas Senator Larry Taylor, Texas Rep. James White as well as Texans for Lawsuit Reform, Texas Republican Representatives Campaign Committee, and Conservative Republicans of Texas, just to name a few. Helping Ted Cruz win and head into the U.S. Senate this month was one of Chris' professional highlights. “Ted Cruz's win was huge—for many reasons,” Chris told me. “It was great to be involved with such a great man—Mr. Cruz—knowing his heart is in the right place and knowing he'll do great things for conservatives in the U.S. Senate.” “The first poll I did for Cruz was in July 2011 and had him at 2 percent (with only a quarter of likely Texas voters that had ever heard him) - and the margin of error was 3 percent. So it was a tall order and a full team effort taking him from 2 percent in the polls into the United States Senate,” Chris said. “For me personally, it validates our firm's polling accuracy – which is the best in the country – and validates the methodological tools we provide to campaigns that show how voters move behind certain messages, how they gravitate toward candidates based on what type of information that they are receiving, and what issues we are attacked on that we leave alone.” Chris' firm WPA took the 1.4 million Republicans who cast Republican primary ballots and used four key demographic variables—age, gender, region, and voter history—to generate a probability score for how likely each person would be to support Ted Cruz in the runoff. These numbers enabled the Cruz campaign to target individual voters with selected pieces of information such as direct mail and phone calls and get the voters to turnout in favor of Cruz on Election Day. “This individual level targeting was essential to cutting Dewhurst's lead in the primary, and eventually overtaking him in the weeks leading up to the runoff,” Chris said. “We are very proud of the work that we have done in the past year and very proud to have worked for Ted Cruz.” Chris smiled, “Some media folks have called me the ‘young buck' in the polling business because of my age in comparison to other pollsters, and this victory solidifies my standing in the industry in providing solid, accurate survey research and strategic advice.” When asked about how Chris learned of the Leadership Institute, he said: “When I was 19-years-old back in 1996 I was working for my first boss in politics – Congressman Steve Stockman. He encouraged me to attend the LI schools on the weekends during the summer months of his campaign. I'm glad to see that Mr. Stockman has returned to Congress this session.” Chris took LI's Candidate Development School in July 1998, the Youth Leadership School in July 1998, Public Relations School in June 1998, Capitol Hill Writing School in June 1998, Youth Leadership School in March 1998, Public Relations School in March 1998, and the Broadcast Journalism School in August 1996. “All of the LI schools taught me valuable tools in how to engage voters using skillful campaign techniques. They have been invaluable to me,” Chris said. So invaluable that he volunteers his time to share his expertise as a LI faculty member at campaign, fundraising, lobbying, future candidate, and youth leadership trainings. “It's important to continue training young conservatives for the future of the conservative movement,” Chris shared with me. “Voters are receiving information in substantially different ways today than they were just 8 to 10 years ago. It's important that the conservative youth are learning the proper communication techniques so our public policy goals can be advanced.” Chris is a partner at WPA Opinion Research, which helps elect senators, Members of Congress, and other leaders; helps not-for-profit organizations grow donor support; and helps companies weather crises, enter new markets, and thrive in current ones. In the 2010 election cycle, Chris polled for 16 winning Republican candidates in the state legislature, U.S. House of Representatives, and in statewide office in Arizona, California, Georgia, Illinois, Texas, and Virginia. Chris teaches ‘Polling and Targeting' for the Annette Straus Institute's New Politics Forum at the University of Texas at Austin, which provides college students a bi-partisan look at how modern political campaigns are managed. From 2006 to 2008 Chris worked as the independent expenditure unit manager at the Republican National Committee. And, from 2001 to 2006 he was the executive director of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's Americans for a Republican Majority PAC. Chris graduated in 1999 from my alma mater—Abilene Christian University in West Texas—with a political science degree. While in college, he came to the Leadership Institute and interned. “Leadership Institute training is necessary for any conservative who wants to learn campaign and communications techniques to advance our public policy goals,” Chris said. Come get trained. Check out our 2013 training schedule here. Lots of LI graduates and faculty were on Ted Cruz's campaign. Click the links to read about Cruz's Deputy State Field Director Nick Dyer and Cruz's Digital Strategist Vincent Harris. Please welcome Chris Perkins as the LI's Graduate of the Week. To nominate a Leadership Institute graduate or faculty member to be featured as LI's spotlight of the week, please contact LI's External Affairs Officer Lauren Day, formerly Lauren Hart, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.