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

“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.

“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.

“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.>

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.

New Orleans will host the annual Republican Leadership Conference May 29-31. The Republican Leadership Conference has “become one of the premier Republican events in the country – it attracts key activists, consultants, elected officials and donors from across America,” conference organizer Charlie Davis, also a Leadership Institute graduate and faculty member said. The conference will host many notable politicos including: Rick Perry, Reince Priebus, Phil Bryant, Ron Johnson, Marsha Blackburn, Bobby Jindal, Donald Trump, Haley Barbour, Ted Cruz, David Bossie, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum, Mike Lee, Allen West, Tony Perkins, Michele Bachmann and Elbert Guillory, their website states. The Leadership Institute will host four trainings for conference attendees. The topics include: Engaging the Youth - tactics to get your voice heard Increasing your Online Presence - tips and techniques Conservative Comeback: how video activism is making a difference Building Your Sphere of Influence – growing your organization But Charlie's relationship with the Leadership Institute didn't begin here. It goes way back. While in college at Louisiana State University, Charlie took the Leadership Institute's Youth Leadership School, the flagship training nicknamed “the bootcamp of politics” in 1995 or 1996, he says. At this training, Charlie learned how to organize a mass-based youth campaign for the candidates and causes of his choice. “I often tell others that the Leadership Institute is one of the most important organizations in the conservative/liberty movement today. There is no doubt that Morton Blackwell has had a profound impact on the majority of political organizations in our country and therefore the Leadership Institute and its graduates are shaping the future of America,” Charlie said. Shortly thereafter, he became state chairman for the Louisiana Federation of College Republicans. Later, Charlie ran for national chairman of the College Republican National Committee in 1997 and then moved to Washington, D.C. That's when Charlie took a job at the Leadership Institute as the director of the Campus Leadership Program. He developed a plan to establish conservative student-run organizations on college campuses across the country. Check out all the resources LI's Campus Leadership Program offers students now. Shortly after, he became the executive director and deputy chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana. And, he's been organizing the Republican Leadership Conference since 2010. More recently, Charlie served as the Louisiana state chairman for Ron Paul during the 2012 presidential election and led the effort to win more than 60% of the delegates elected to the state convention. “I hope the various factions in the party can get together,” Charlie said. “I think it not only makes the most sense philosophically but it is also probably the only way to win.” Currently, he's a partner at Gatorworks, an award-winning digital advertising agency in Louisiana, and since 2000, he's been president of Liquid Ventures, an association management and strategic consulting firm that specializes in mass-based organizing, major events, media relations, technology and fundraising. “I've worked for numerous conservative and liberty organizations over the years and I even met my wife while she was an intern at the Leadership Institute,” Charlie said. His wife Ellen is equally impressive. She's worked as the political director of GOPAC and the executive director of the Republican Party of Louisiana. But now, she spends most of her time homeschooling their four children: William 6, Sarah 5, Anna 3, and Charles Jr. 10 months. “I think that the Leadership Institute is one of the most important organizations in the conservative/liberty movement today,” Charlie said. “I rarely meet a senior person on a campaign who hasn't been through one of Morton's classes.” Register now for a LI training. Charlie has two pieces of advice for young activists looking to make a difference in politics: “First, go to every LI training you can. Second, choose the positions that offer the best opportunities to learn new things and meet new people,” he said. “The lessons that I learned on campaign technology have had a huge impact on my business ventures and political causes,” he said. Please congratulate Charlie Davis for his consistent efforts in activating conservatives into the political process 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 Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

The Leadership Institute broke the all-time webinar training record for live attendees during the April 25 webinar Growing Your Digital Reach featuring lecturer Ericka Andersen, The Heritage Foundation's digital media manager. One hundred eighty-one conservatives watched this live lecture online to learn how The Heritage Foundation connects with so many people, and how other conservative groups can grow their digital reach through email lists, multiple social media platforms, friends, allies, and giving back online.Click the picture to the left to hear The Heritage Foundation's Digital Media Manager Ericka Andersen speak about growing your digital reach.Twitter Abuzz About #LIwebinarSome attendees took to Twitter to live tweet Ericka's lecture. The Franklin Center of Government & Public Integrity's Outreach Manager Chris McCoy (@ChrisYMcCoy) tweeted one point she learned, “DON'T automate! Don't hook the same exact messaging to FB Twitter Instagram etc #LiWebinar Be Real.”America's Future Foundation (@AFF) told their followers to watch: “Happy Friday! Want to learn the secrets of growing your digital reach? Join @LeadershipInst today for a free webinar!"Karin Davenport also thanked LI saying, “Thx for the @LeadershipInst webinar today! As Comm Dir. of @USEnglishInc, it gave us lots of great new ideas!”Tweeted from behind the scenes in the control room at LI Studios, this picture to the right shows Ericka Andersen wrapping up her popular lecture on growing your digital reach, and Paulo Sibaja reading through the many attendee questions on twitter and email.Video LibrarySince 2011, the Leadership Institute has trained 3,450 attendees through free live webinars online, taking training to conservatives everywhere, from their living rooms to their offices, and with their local campaigns and tea party groups. After airing live, LI archives webinars and makes them available through the Leadership Institute's Online Video Library. Click below to see the archive of LI's recorded webinars.Watch the Leadership Institute's archive of recorded webinar trainings in any of these categories – Activism, Campaign, Campus, Career, Communications, Fundraising, and New Media. These webinars are free thanks to LI's generous donors and faculty, who give their money and time to make LI training possible. Generous Leadership Institute donors make webinars available at no cost to activists because they believe in training the next generation of conservative leaders. LI's speakers, experts in their respective fields, generously volunteer their time and expertise because they, like the Institute, want to increase the number and effectiveness of conservative activists in the public policy process. As LI President Morton Blackwell says, “Political technology determines political success.” >

This past weekend leaders from Young Republican clubs all across the country descended on the nation's capital for the biennial Young Republican Leadership Conference, organized by the Young Republican National Federation (YRNF). “Young Republicans (YRs) are the oldest political youth organization in the United States,” the YRNF website states. “Important to the growth of the Republican Party, the YRs reach out to registered Republicans, 18 to 40 years of age, and provide them with better political knowledge and understanding of the issues of the day.” The YRNF Chief of Staff Rich Counts, also a Leadership Institute graduate, helped plan the conference with other executive board members and volunteers. “The conference has become known as a must attend event for up-and-coming young conservatives and libertarians,” Rich said. “The goal of the conference is to bring in Young Republican leaders from across the country for three days of networking, political trainings, and meet and greets with Republican lawmakers and party leaders.” The three-day conference began Thursday with YR club officers visiting lawmakers from their state and others on Capitol Hill and an afternoon visit to The Heritage Foundation with a networking reception that evening. The Leadership Institute (LI) was invited to train their attendees Friday. LI hosted five workshops in morning and afternoon sessions: Campaign Communications Workshop, Campaign Management Workshop track one and two, Campaign Fundraising Workshop, and On-Camera Television Workshop for club chairmen. The evening offered attendees a visit to the Republic of China (Taiwan) embassy. Saturday was used for break outs of various committee and regional meetings, a lunch panel about minority engagement with Leadership Institute staffer Paulo Sibaja, and a formal gala to conclude the annual conference. Rich was appointed chief of staff in July 2013 to “represent the organization here in DC and to help facilitate partnerships with like-minded groups both in DC and around the country. The chief of staff also works as a liaison between the chairman of the YRNF and YRNF committee chairmen,” he explained. Rich grew up on the island of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. But, he spent many summers enjoying the slightly cooler temperatures of Michigan with his father's family. He went to college at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he majored in political economy and minored in engineering science. After his May 2007 graduation, Rich moved to DC because he says he “had become passionate about politics and wanted to get more involved,” and that's when he learned of the Leadership Institute. “When I first arrived in DC, Marcus Skelton, chairman of the DC Young Republicans at the time, mentioned that I should definitely attend training at the Leadership Institute. I took his advice and I certainly saw the benefits,” Rich said. “In addition to providing me with best practices and political knowledge, the Leadership Institute really prepared me to grow from an entry-level kid right out of college into a professional,” he said. “The training was invaluable, not just for me, but for several of my friends and colleagues.” So just a few months after moving to DC, Rich enrolled in LI's Grassroots Campaign School in August 2007. “LI was way ahead of the curve when it came to social media,” Rich said. “I still remember a class that Chris Malagisi taught in the Grassroots Campaign School that was instrumental in helping us develop what became an effective social media strategy for DC Young Republicans.” In March 2010, Rich was elected chairman of the DC Young Republicans club and served until March 2011. “Running DC Young Republicans was a great experience. It really gave me the opportunity to learn and grow as a leader at a young age,” he said. “We had an amazing team of activists. By the end of my term, we deployed more than 400 volunteers to 16 cities in nine states, increased membership by 300%, and most importantly, changed the culture of the organization to help members grow professionally and socially through our campaign deployment trips, networking events, and weekly e-letters.” Two months into his chairman position –in May 2010—Rich came back for more LI training. This time it was LI's Campaign Workshop. “LI's campaign schools really prepared me to develop "DCYRs on Tour," the DC Young Republicans volunteer deployment program,” he said. “It taught me how to plan efficient and effective GOTV deployments, but to also make sure that the activities were exciting and enjoyable for all participants. Getting out the vote is hard work, but it was always a goal of ours to make it fun work as well.” In January 2011, Rich became the co-director of the popular networking event, “It's First Friday,” a monthly networking hub for Capitol Hill conservatives that has spawned similar events in other states. “It's First Friday has had many special guests, including Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist, S.E. Cupp, and John Boehner, but the best thing about First Friday is that it is a place where conservative and libertarian politicos can kick back with like-minded folks and connect not just over politics, but form long-term friendships as well,” he said. In addition to providing voluntary leadership to Young Republican clubs across the country, Rich works full time for Townhall Media, a subsidiary of Salem Communications. Salem Communications is America's leading radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher targeting audiences interested in Christian and family-themed content and conservative values. Townhall Media is the parent company of five of the country's leading conservative websites, including: HotAir.com, HumanEvents.com, RedState.com, Townhall.com, and Twitchy.com. Altogether, the Townhall Media network receives more than 100 million page views per month, Rich says. As the senior account executive, Rich “works to bring in revenue to support our various editorial and marketing endeavors,” he said. “The majority of revenue has traditionally come from advertising and email marketing, but some also comes from sponsorships to support events like the RedState Gathering held annually in August,” he continued. The RedState Gathering, an event the Leadership Institute frequently sponsors, will be held in Fort Worth, Texas this year August 8 -10. Rich was featured by The Hill as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People for 2011, received the DC Republican Committee's "Up and Comer" award in 2010, was selected as a DC delegate to the 2012 Republican National Convention, and served as DC Campaign Co-Chair for the Mitt Romney presidential campaign. “There are many different think tanks in this city, but the Leadership Institute has for years trained conservatives on how to make things happen on the local, state, and national levels. LI doesn't just tell people to do more; the faculty train and guide conservatives on how to get it done,” Rich said. Rich has graciously offered his time and expertise to serve as volunteer faculty for the Leadership Institute, where he lectures and shares his acquired knowledge with other young activists. Register now for a LI training. “The Leadership Institute offers invaluable trainings on the key issues for people who are serious about pushing themselves both politically and professionally,” he said. Please congratulate Rich Counts for his consistent efforts in activating young conservatives into the political process and the whole YRNF leadership team for a successful conference this past weekend. 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 Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org. The Leadership Institute is classified by the IRS as a 501(c)3 non-partisan, not-for-profit organization. LI does not endorse or oppose political parties, candidates, public officials, or legislation. All programs are open to the public.

Many graduates of Leadership Institute (LI) political training have asked if LI provides any follow up to the sessions on strategy and messaging. To provide for a way to continue your education in this important area, LI will provide a new feature and service --- an occasional commentary called "Sutton's Place," written by LI's Vice President of Development Steven Sutton, on current campaign messaging and strategy.Welcome to Sutton's Place...a small slice of campaign strategy and messaging heaven. The purpose of Sutton's Place is to continue the education you received at a Leadership Institute training school. Hope you find it interesting, educational, and complimentary to your LI training.We start off the first of these commentaries with an article which appeared recently in the Washington Post entitled, House Democrats plot strategy against long odds to win back chamber.Click here for the full Washington Post article.This article reports on an "annual retreat at a resort on Maryland's Eastern Shore." Both major political parties have these annual retreats, but the Democrats appear to actually discuss strategy and messaging in a disciplined way that results in attempts by their leaders and rank and file members to coordinate and implement a strategic message that they articulate to voters. As the article reports, House Democrats developed and refined the following theme for the 2014 elections: As stated by Congressman Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee...the DCCC, the Dems will champion "building an economy that works for everyone and not just special interests."Other Dem Members state: "The majority is supposed to...move us forward..." There's that word again..."forward.""If Republicans shirk their responsibility...we're ready to lead.""Dem unity will give voters a clear choice...More obstruction...or get something done."You can see the beginning of a clear theme, but there are some big problems with it.It will be very difficult for Dems to make the case that they will "lead" when their political leader (President Obama) has shown himself to be the weakest leader/President since Jimmy Carter (now there's an interesting way for the GOP to message back on this).Another problem is that the very high "wrong track" polling numbers suggest that Americans don't want to be led in the direction suggested by the left. And another problem is that this message is unlikely to sufficiently motivate the left's base to come out to vote this year, and that is the challenge and goal for the left. Negatives (such as fear) are more powerful motivators. The above themes are simply not strong enough to motivate their base. That suggests (once they realize this) that things will get much more confrontational/negative as Election Day nears. This retreat was held earlier this year (in February). I sense a shift in the left's strategy since then (more on that in a future Sutton's Place article).Prior to joining the Leadership Institute, Steven Sutton was a chief of staff in the House of Representatives for more than 14 years, where he specialized in setting up Congressional offices for four different incoming freshmen Members. He has also managed numerous political campaigns from city council to U.S. Congress, specializing in challenger campaigns. As a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Steve has a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering with many interesting stories to boot!As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Leadership Institute does not oppose or endorse any faculty opinions such as Steve's thoughts above, or any legislation, candidate, or elected official. LI offers more than 41 types of training programs, works with more than 1,589 conservative campus groups on colleges across the country, and helps employers connect with conservative jobseekers. Since the Institute's 1979 founding, more than 146,000 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 extremely proud of my time at the Leadership Institute,” said Young Conservatives Coalition President Chris Malagisi, also an adjunct professor at American University. “It might be cliché, but Morton Blackwell and the Leadership Institute (LI) changed my life," he continued. "In the past decade, I have regularly interacted with LI staff both personally and professionally.” Chris is president of the Young Conservatives Coalition (YCC), a Washington, D.C.-based young professionals' leadership, educational, and networking organization. YCC organizes the Young Conservative Leaders Fellowship – a six-month program to equip young conservative leaders with conservative philosophy to apply those principles in the political battlefield. In March, the 2014 fellows class launched with 13 rising leaders within the conservative movement that work on Capitol Hill, in think tanks, media, nonprofits, and the private sector. They also represent various branches of the conservative movement – economic, social, national security and constitutional conservatives. Just last week the class met with historian Dr. George H. Nash, as seen in the photo to the right. Previous speakers have included former U.S. Attorney General Edwin Meese, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, and columnist and author Jonah Goldberg. Chris seeks to preserve the America his grandparents sought when fleeing communism in Greece. “I was the beneficiary of the American Dream my grandparents had, and that sentiment stayed with me growing up,” he said. “I think conservatism is a natural extension of the American Dream. Its goal is to conserve the uniqueness that made America the exceptional nation my grandparents left their home country for.” In high school, Chris made the most of it. He served as a congressional page in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998, getting to run errands for Members of Congress and have floor access. In college, Chris pursued a B.A. in Political Science at American University in Washington, D.C. His studies included a semester in London with visits to over a dozen European countries, and a semester at sea around the world. Back stateside, Chris interned in the Bush White House in 2001. After obtaining a Masters of Public Administration at Syracuse University in 2004, the College Republican National Committee (CRNC) hired Chris to be their Ohio youth director. “I was in charge of the student outreach field program in the lead up to the presidential election,” he said. “To prepare for this challenging position, I went for training at the Leadership Institute.” Chris discovered once he became involved with the Leadership Institute, the relationship would continue throughout his career. After he attended several Leadership Institute trainings, LI hired Chris as a grassroots coordinator to train conservatives across the country on how to win campaigns. Later, Chris became LI's director of political & new media training where he taught activists how to develop a message, speak in public, debate, build coalitions, and manage a campaign as the campaign manager and even as the candidate. Along with recruiting attendees, Chris recruited top-notch volunteer faculty to teach at more than 200 trainings. “I'm proud that during my time at LI, we trained more than 5,000 candidates, activists, and organizational staff across the country,” he said. Later, Chris joined the American Conservative Union as the director of national CPAC & external relations. The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is the nation's largest gathering of conservatives nationwide. The Leadership Institute partners at CPAC and hosts various trainings and events during the conference. In 2014, LI engaged with 1,216 attendees through six trainings and events. Next, Chris joined the Leadership Institute's Conservatism 101 project to teach conservative students the history and philosophy of conservatism. Since 2008, Chris has taught the History of the Conservative Movement class at American University in Washington, D.C., and a class on voting behavior, elections, and campaigns. Every semester, Chris' version of the Conservatism 101 class has a waitlist of students who clamor to get one of the maximum of 30 spots available. LI's Conservatism 101 project establishes for-credit courses on college campuses to balance the overwhelmingly-liberal course curriculum most colleges tout. The Conservatism 101 project acts as a compliment to LI trainings. Whereas LI's 41 unique types of training schools teach conservatives how to win against the left, Conservatism 101 teaches students how to articulate their conservative beliefs. The Leadership Institute also recruited Chris to help launch an online component of the Conservatism 101 project to reach students nationwide. Chris joins conservative figures such as Wall Street Journal columnist Stephen Moore, author and radio talk-show host Mark Levin, Leadership Institute president Morton Blackwell, and U.S. Senator Ted Cruz to teach students conservative principles through online lectures. Go here to view these lectures for free. Himself a recognized conservative leader, several publications and news programs such as Washington Examiner, American Spectator, Washington Times, Fox News, CNN, and CSPAN have tapped Chris for his political analysis. He's also been awarded the Rising Star award by Campaigns & Elections. He has high hopes for the 2014 and 2016 elections. “Barack Obama has turned out to be a great gift for conservatism as he's helped reboot a movement that strayed in the latter Bush years,” Chris said. “With presidential scandals and perceived legislative failures piling up, conservatives stand to gain ground in 2014 and are well-positioned to have a strong presidential candidate pool to choose from in 2016.” Through his teaching and training, Chris strives to teach conservative principles to the next generation – and restore a prosperous and free United States of America. He credits the Leadership Institute with much of his success. “Whether attending LI trainings as a attendee, working as Leadership Institute staff, training others as a faculty member, or keeping in touch with some of the best friends I've made in DC, there is no way I would have been prepared to run CPAC and YCC, give political consultation, and teach at the university level without the Leadership Institute,” he said. “I'm honored to have worked with Morton Blackwell and other LI staff, and can't thank them enough for their guidance and support along the way. If you want to win, go to the Leadership Institute.” Please congratulate Christopher Malagisi on a great start to the second annual Young Conservative Leaders Fellows Class of 2014 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 Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Classy fashionista Gabrielle Jackson shows beauty even in politics. “I can still remember my first Leadership Institute training as a 15-year-old in California,” Founder and President of The Millennial Solution Gabrielle Jackson, now 25, said. “My mom drove me two hours to Stanford University from my hometown in Sacramento after hearing about the Youth Leadership School training program.” “Even at that age, I knew that politics was how I wanted to make the world a better place and I was hungry for training to use my passion and excitement to advance the conservative movement,” she said. Now, Gabrielle works in the Washington, D.C. area as the director of external partnerships at the Institute for Faith, Work & Economics. In this role, Gabrielle develops strategic relationships with individuals and organizations and provides opportunities for them to partner with the organization to advance freedom and fulfillment. “We reach evangelicals in America who may not understand the connection between their faith and a free economy, and empower them with the knowledge and resources they need to bring about flourishing in their spheres of influence,” she said. She's also the current Miss Fairfax County United States and first runner up at Miss DC United States, and this past weekend Gabrielle was crowned second runner-up at the Miss Virginia United States 2014 pageant. “I encourage young women to stay true to themselves. It may sound cliché, but in order to be successful you really need a strong sense of identity and be able to answer: who are you? what are you most passionate about? And, what do you have to say that the world needs to hear? If you can answer those questions, you will be able to better navigate life's big questions- like job offers and relationships,” Leadership Institute graduate Gabrielle Jackson said. This coming Saturday, April 12 Gabrielle will be speaking at the Liberated with Truth Conference at Langley High School in Northern Virginia. She'll discuss the power of cross-generational collaborations as well as how millennial women can become ambassadors for truth. “The media would have us believe that there is a ‘war on women' waged by the right. This weekend's Liberated With Truth Conference will address the mythical war, and expose the real war that women are fighting in America today. It will bring experts together to address the real history of the feminist movement, the connection between breast cancer and the pill, and the story of what abortion has done to women's rights. In order to reverse this trend and address the lies circulating today, we must come together across generations,” Gabrielle said. Additionally, she is also the founder and president of the Millennial Solution. Her entrepreneurial idea began as a college thesis paper on millennial conservatives. Gabrielle wanted to find the connection between the millennial affinity for volunteering, justice, and entrepreneurship and the pro-liberty movement. “I discovered not only the clear correlation between millennial characteristics and conservative principles, but also the science and solutions behind what makes millennials tick,” she said. Her organization was formed to aid conservative managers to optimize the skill-base and talents of their generation Y employees to excel in the workplace and beyond. The organization focuses on providing collaborative strategies to help managers and the millennial generation succeed and connect the interests of multiple generations so they can work together effectively. Gabrielle recently released her new book, 5 Millennial Myths: The handbook for managing and motivating Millennials. Watch her promotional video here. “My book is a quick-guide for anyone curious about who millennials are and how our unique passion and preferences are changing the way organizations and businesses work. In it, I break down the five main stereotypes floating around about millennials: we are entitled; independent; disloyal; addicted to technology; and unmotivated. This is particularly helpful for non-profits, one of the largest employers of millennials,” she said. Before moving to DC, Gabrielle was selected as a senate fellow in the Capital Fellows Program in 2010. She was also former legislative aide to the Californian State Senate where she worked for two years, from 2010 to 2012. She has a Masters of Arts in Government from Regent University and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy from William Jessup University. “LI has been such an incredible resource for me as I have honed my skills as a young professional and in helping me in the direction I am looking to take my career,” she said. “Everything from Morton's reading list, to the in-person training I have received, to the networking it has provided me—I can confidently say the Leadership Institute is the one organization that has been most committed to my personal and professional success.” Gabrielle has taken seven LI trainings as various as the Introduction to Television Techniques Workshop, On-Camera TV Workshops to the Youth Leadership School, the International School of Fundraising twice, and the Women's Leadership Training. “The Leadership Institute is the premier boot-camp for young conservative activists who have a passion to change the world, but still need the training to make it happen. I would encourage anyone who wants to learn more about conservative activism, involvement, and action to get plugged into one of the many amazing programs the Leadership Institute offers and get the tools and training they need to make it happen,” she said. Please congratulate Gabrielle Jackson for a wonderful weekend at Miss Virginia United States and for finding her passion of bridging different generations, especially women, together to advance the conservative movement. Please applaud her 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.

“Get off your butt and do something! Stop complaining about the size of government and be proactive about our problems. We can't afford to just sit around and talk philosophy with each other. If you want to make a change, stop reading and start doing,” Leadership Institute graduate Brandon Cestrone who is the northeast regional director for Young Americans for Liberty said. “At some point books only become a crutch,” he continued. “People would rather read political theory than learn practical application. Don't make this mistake. Take what you learn and put it to action. That's where the magic happens.” Brandon Cestrone has made significant contributions to advancing liberty through youth activism. He's helped start 50 college Young Americans for Liberty (YAL) chapters at universities stretching from West Virginia all the way to Maine. Originally from western Pennsylvania, Brandon attended Slippery Rock University and earned a Masters of Arts degree in History. While in college, he cofounded the YAL chapter at Slippery Rock University. “Cofounding the YAL chapter at Slippery Rock University has open doors that I never knew existed! Without having started my chapter I would not be where I am today,” he said. “It afforded me the chance to prove my commitment to the liberty movement and YAL's mission.” Brandon has trained existing YAL chapters on recruitment, leadership development, and fundraising as part of his duties. His other responsibilities include management of the organization's database, YAL University, and some fundraising. “I owe a lot to the Leadership Institute,” Brandon said. “They helped me start and plan my first semester as a YAL chapter. With the Leadership Institute's (LI) guidance, and the help of my chapter members, we grew to be a mighty voice for liberty on campus.” You too can get help from LI's Campus Leadership Program. Click here for all the free resources you may have. Brandon has taken LI's Youth Leadership School, On-Camera Television Workshop, and the Campaign Management School. “The Leadership Institute has been a great resource for my professional journey by offering training, guidance, and a helping hand,” he said. YAL is hosting 12 state conventions across the country where young people can attend a one-day training and networking event designed to build stronger state cooperation, improve activists' effectiveness, and inspire attendees to do even more to advance the cause of liberty. Conventions that have already taken place include: New York, Idaho, Arkansas, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Florida is coming up this weekend. LI is partnering as a Gold Sponsor at all 12 YAL conventions and will host grassroots activism and messaging training during the program. For more information about these YAL conventions and to sign up, please click here. After college, Brandon worked at a major retail store as their sales manager and “was on the fast track,” he says. There, he sharpened his public speaking skills and learned to build relationships with customers, which he believes “are two key components to effective grassroots activism.” “But, my passion has always been to advance liberty. So, I took a chance interning for YAL and it paid off big,” he said. YAL Founder and Executive Director Jeff Frazee also got his start through the Leadership Institute, where he worked prior to starting the organization. YAL Director of Programs & Operations Ed King also worked at the Leadership Institute before moving over to YAL. “The Leadership Institute is an organization dedicated to helping you succeed not only on your campus as a political activist, but also in your professional career. With a large variety of training courses and resources, you don't need to look anywhere else for help,” Brandon said. To register for an Leadership Institute training like Brandon, click here. Please congratulate Brandon Cestrone for advancing liberty among young Americans, 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, please contact LI's Director of External Affairs Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Being a woman in leadership is beneficial to the conservative movement, former Arizona State Senator and Leadership Institute graduate Lori Klein said. “Women need to put themselves out front, get elected, and hold their ground as a conservative,” she said. Lori has a powerhouse of experience with 18 years on Capitol Hill and seven years as the director of public relations for the Washington Times. Her most recent contribution was coordinating the Western Conservative Conference, which was held a few weeks back in Phoenix, Arizona. As a young woman in Washington, D.C. from 1976 to 1994, Lori learned of the Leadership Institute (LI) and began taking LI trainings. After taking the Leadership Institute's Television Workshop, former Senator Klein says LI was beneficial to her when she worked in radio and television as well as when she campaigned for office in the Arizona State Senate in 2010. “The Leadership Institute was a real help and assistance to me in my career,” she said. Former Senator Klein took office in January 2011. During her tenure in office she successfully worked to repeal legislation that impeded businesses and she worked to reduce their tax burdens. Her achievements in office have subsequently encouraged growth and increased employment in Arizona with a 2.8 percent drop in the unemployment rate – 10.8 percent in January 2010 to 8 percent in January 2013 at the end of her term in the Senate. Unemployment Rate: Arizona, National. – Department of Numbers. Former Senator Klein passed SB 1598, The Regulatory Bill of Rights, in 2011 which streamlined government licensing. The bill assisted businesses to grow and to flourish without unnecessary government intervention. With the legislature having just finished its second session with a structural balanced budget, the bill provided an additional $450 million in surplus. Lori said, “It is tremendously important to have the Leadership Institute around to train and mentor candidates and grassroots activists so that we can be effective getting our message out. LI serves an invaluable service to up-and-coming leaders.” The former Senator encourages women to run for office. “Women actually have an advantage if they're running against a man,” she said. “Women get a five percent bump in the polls. But as a woman, you still need to be professional. You still need to be articulate and you need to understand your values as a conservative and be able to communicate effectively because the future of our country is at stake.” With the future of the country at stake, as Lori says, why not register for one of LI's upcoming Women's Leadership Trainings? It's taught by female leaders and intended to assist women. Register here for the March 29 program. Please congratulate Lori Klein for her coordination of the Western Conservative Conference and her contributions to the conservative movement at large. 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, please contact LI's Director of External Affairs Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.

Communism is real for Zeljko "Zed" Zidaric. A Croatian by birth, he escaped communism and grew up in Canada. “As an escapee from communism with family left behind in Croatia, I know firsthand what communism is about,” he said. “I heard from my family about the hardships and the fear. I knew that communism was a flawed system that benefitted only a few. I was fortunate to have escaped and felt that it was my duty to stand against communism and fight to defend the freedom that we in the West cherish.” So he attended Royal Military College in Canada and became an officer. “I was fortunate that communism collapsed and I did not need to go to war, but I did volunteer to go and protect the new democracy in Croatia as it struggled to escape the shackles of the former communist Yugoslavia,” Zed said. Although Zed grew up in Canada, he was born in a small village near Zagreb, Croatia. His love for his homeland prompted him to develop the Civic Innovation Incubator in Croatia. “I want to take what I have learned and bring it to Croatia so that young Croatians do not need to leave Croatia for a better life, but they can build a better life for themselves and create a better future for Croatia,” he said. His group empowers and supports Croatian youth ages 18 to 35 to have faith in their ability to develop new conservative solutions to the problems that plague the nation. Members of the Conservative Party of Canada recommended Zed look into the Leadership Institute's political training. So he came to LI's Campaign Management School in February 2011. He returned for LI's International Leadership Training School in December 2012, and later he attended LI's Future Candidate School and International Fundraising Training in 2013. “The courses that I took at the Leadership Institute helped me apply what I learned in the corporate space to the civic activism space,” he said. In the fall of 2013, Zed came to work at the Leadership Institute. He volunteered in LI's International Programs department. “While working in LI's International Programs department I met many great people and realized how many of us are fighting for liberty,” he said. “Knowing that there is a large support base and that you are not alone is very empowering. I now have friends that I can contact for just a conversation or help with a problem all over the USA and around the world.” Zed met his sweetheart Alma Ortega, also volunteering in LI's International Programs department. They recently became engaged and are now planning a wedding. “As others told me, I will tell others: The Leadership Institute is the place to go if you want to learn how to be a successful conservative activist and want to meet others that share the same passion,” he said. “When you become a part of the LI network, you are no longer alone.” Please congratulate Zeljko Zidaric for finding his passion to mobilize Croatian youth to advance the conservative movement. 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, please contact LI's Director of External Affairs Lauren Day, at Lauren@LeadershipInstitute.org.