Nancy Tunick founded GrassRoots Promotion with Teresa Johnston-Chance in 1996 and has been managing partner of GrassRoots Promotion since 2002 where she presently consults artists and record label clients while directing GrassRoots Promotion’s operations. Nancy also served as Vice-President of Promotion at Warner Bros. Records Nashville, Vice-President of Promotion at VFR Records where her team made history by taking Mark McGuinn’s debut single into the Top 10 of Billboard’s Country chart, making it the highest debut from an independent country artist in three decades, and prior to that was National Promotion Director at Asylum Records. She was named by Music Row Magazine as the Best Independent Record Promoter for 2004 after she developed and implemented the strategy behind the radio success of Randy Travis’ “Three Wooden Crosses” which resulted in the first #1 Country single for a Christian song in the history of Billboard magazine. Tunick began her music career after college as an on-air personality and music director in various formats of radio that included Urban, Classical, Jazz and Country. She currently serves on the St. Jude Country Cares Advisory Board and has previously consulted Hear The Music Live, a national non-profit that provides concert going experiences to children in residential foster care homes and orphanages and served on the board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Middle TN. Nancy is also the Rabbi at Temple B’nai Israel in Florence, AL and is a cantorial singer, composer and motivational speaker.

Monica Crowley is an American political commentator and lobbyist. She is a Fox News contributor, where she works from 1996 to 2017, a former online opinion editor for The Washington Times, and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Nancy Kay Arnold is a renowned educator of 30 years and author. In addition to writing the beloved children’s books Patriotic Pups, Pioneer Pups, and Pilgrim Pups, Mrs. Arnold also puts on entertaining and informative programs for children and adults about American history and the importance of patriotism.

A high school teacher for the past 20 years, Terry Cherry has also served as Educator Advisor for the 6th Floor Museum in Dallas, the Dallas Holocaust Museum and is active with the Educators Advisory Council of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank. He is currently present of the National Council for the Social Studies.

Amy Ciraolo is a photographer and founder of Amy Kris Photography.

Jonathan Flora is an award-winning producer with Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, also directing commercials and music videos. He is the Director/Producer of the Award Winning Documentary, “Lt. Dan Band: For The Common Good” featuring Academy Award Nominated Actor Gary Sinise with appearances by Robert Duvall, Jon Voight, and more. In 2011, he received the inaugural Santini Patriot Spirit Award given annually to a filmmaker whose work honors American veterans or their families. A veteran of the U.S. Army’s 82d Airborne Division and serving 12 years in the military, Jonathan received his B.S.A. in Television Performance and Production from Ohio University. Following three years as a radio sports broadcaster, Jonathan returned to O.U. to earn his M.S.A. in Marketing.

Hannity is an American talk show host, author, and conservative political commentator. Hannity is the host of The Sean Hannity Show, a nationally syndicated talk radio show. He also hosts a cable news show, Hannity, on Fox News Channel. Hannity has received several awards and honors, including a Marconi Award in 2003 and 2007. He received an honorary degree from Jerry Falwell, the chancellor of Liberty University in 2005, and a Freedom of Speech Award by Talkers Magazine in 2003. Hannity has written three books. His Let Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalism, Deliver Us from Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalism, and Conservative Victory: Defeating Obama’s Radical Agenda have all been New York Times Bestsellers.

John Rich is an American country music singer-songwriter. From 1992 to 1998, he was a member of the country music band Lonestar, in which he played bass guitar and alternated with Richie McDonald as lead vocalist. After departing from the band in 1998, he embarked on a solo career on BNA Records in the late 1990s, releasing two singles for the label and recording Underneath the Same Moon, which was not released until 2006. By 2003, he joined Big Kenny to form the duo Big & Rich, who released three albums on Warner Bros. Records as well as ten singles, including the Number One “Lost in This Moment”.

Burgess Owens is a retired safety who played ten seasons in the National Football League for the New York Jets and the Oakland Raiders. Owens is the author of an ebook published in August 2012 with the title, It’s All About Team: Exposing the Black Talented Tenth. The book examines how the black community has fared since the start of the twentieth century, especially in following the thinking of W. E. B. Dubois and progressive liberalism. Owens is the author of Liberalism or How to Turn Good Men into Whiners, Weenies and Wimps (2016) which offers a history and analysis of the Black experience in the U.S.A. with suggestions for moving past conventional ideas of moving the Black community forward.

Before joining FOX News in 1996, Hume was with ABC News for 23 years, serving as chief White House correspondent from 1989 through 1996. During his tenure, he contributed to World News Tonight with Peter Jennings, Nightline and This Week, as well as various specials for the news division. Hume joined ABC in 1973 as a consultant for the network’s documentary division and was named a Washington correspondent in 1976. He was later promoted to Capitol Hill correspondent and reported on Congress until 1988. He has received numerous honors and awards, including the 2003 Sol Taishoff Award for Excellence in Broadcast Journalism from the National Press Foundation and a 1991 Emmy Award for his coverage of the Gulf War. The author of two books “Inside Story” and “Death and the Mines,” Hume was named “the best in the business” by the American Journalism Review for his extensive news coverage of the White House.

Currently in his sixth term, State Representative Tan Parker represents House District 63 that from Flower Mound to Argyle. Initially elected to office in 2006, Parker is an effective champion for economic development, job creation, tax relief, appraisal reform, border security, and promoting fiscally responsible government spending. For the 85th Legislative Session, Parker was re-appointed as Chairman of the House Committee on Investments and Financial Services and the Chairman of the House Republican Caucus, which represents all 95 Republican House members. Previously, Parker has served on House Committees with jurisdiction over: the state prison system, technological and economic development, Texas’ fiscal policy, financial institutions, the delivery of social services, municipal operations, and other key issues facing Texas.

Gary Sinise was born in Blue Island, Illinois, to a family who supported his artistic endeavors, and encouraged his drive to create. At the age of 10 his parents bought him his first guitar and he played actively in bands into his 20s. Gary began acting during his sophomore year in high school in Highland Park. In 1994, Sinise’s portrayal of Lt. Dan, in the Academy Award winning film Forrest Gump, brought him mainstream attention and earned him nominations for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and the Screen Actors Guild Award. He received the Best Supporting Actor Award from the National Board of Review, and the Commander’s Award from the Disabled American Veterans for the role as well. He then went on to take starring roles in the acclaimed Apollo 13 opposite Tom Hanks; the thriller Ransom with Mel Gibson and Rene Russo; and Brian DePalma’s psychological thriller Snake Eyes with Nicholas Cage.

FOX News Channel’s chief political anchor, Bret Baier, is no stranger to Washington, DC. In 2006, he was named Chief White House Correspondent, and covered the second term of the George W. Bush administration. During his tenure at the network, Baier interviewed two sitting Presidents and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. He provided coverage of the 2012 campaign cycle and, more recently, anchored the first GOP debate of the 2016 election season. Baier is also the anchor of Special Report with Bret Baier, the top-rated cable news program in its time slot.

One of Cannon’s first notable compositions was “I Love the Way You Love Me”, a Number One hit for John Michael Montgomery in 1993, which Cannon co-wrote with Victoria Shaw. This song also won the Song of the Year award at the Academy of Country Music awards, which is awarded to songwriters. From there, Cannon began working primarily for Toby Keith, including “Me Too”, “Dream Walkin'”, “We Were in Love”, “Getcha Some”, “If a Man Answers” and “When Love Fades” in the late 1990s, “How Do You Like Me Now?!” in 2000, and “American Soldier” in 2003-2004. “How Do You Like Me Now?!” was also the Number One country song of the year according to the Billboard Year-End charts. Both it and “I Love the Way You Love Me” earned Eight-Million-Air awards from Broadcast Music Incorporated for receiving eight million spins at radio. Cannon also self-released two albums: God Shaped Hole and Love and Money in 2006 and 2008, respectively.

Lari White is an award-winning recording artist, hit songwriter and producer, indie record label owner, and actress. Her music has earned three Grammys (The Apostle Soundtrack and Amazing Grace 1 and 2: A Country Tribute), and RIAA Gold (Wishes/RCA Records). Lari made music history as the first female producer of a male superstar, producing Toby Keith’s platinum album White Trash with Money. Her production of Shawn Mullins’ My Stupid Heart album garnered universal praise. As a songwriter, her credits include Tammy Wynette, Toby Keith, Lonestar, Danny Gokey, and Pat Green. She appeared opposite Tom Hanks in the blockbuster movie Cast Away, and has starred in films for Lifetime TV and CMT. She made her critically-acclaimed Broadway debut originating the role of June in Ring Of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash. Lari has sung with the NY Pops, Boston Pops, and the Atlanta and Nashville Symphonies, and recently launched her popular online Vocal Course through Artistworks.com.

Suzanne Weinert is the president of Flatiron Pictures which specializes in producing independent feature films throughout the Southwest. Prior to that she interned for director Ron Howard and was the VP of Julia Robert’s Shoelace Productions in NYC. She has been a faculty member at both Fordham University and The School of Visual Arts in NYC and is on the Advisory Board of the SXSW Film Festival and a Board Member of the Austin Film Society. She splits her time between NYC and Austin, TX.

Ross Richie is an American comic book publisher, the founder of Boom! Studios, film producer, television producer, and comic book creator. The New York Times has profiled Richie and his company twice. 20th Century Fox production president Emma Watts called Richie’s company “a publishing powerhouse devoted to original, innovative storytelling and world-class artists” and Deadline.com named it an “IP mega-library”. The Wall Street Journal cited the Boom! Studios movie Richie produced, “2 Guns” starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg, a “successful adaptation’ and featured Boom! Studios in their article on the 2016 San Diego Comic Con International.] Richie is a five-time publisher of New York Times best-sellers Mouse Guard the Adventure Time graphic novels, Lumberjanes, Clive Barker’s Hellraiser graphic novels and Irredeemable.

Micheal Flaherty is the co-founder of Walden Media, which produced 30 films since its origin in 2000, grossing more than $3.5 billion in worldwide box office including “The Chronicles of Narnia” series, “The Giver,” “Charlotte’s Web” and the “Journey to the Center of the Earth” franchise. Prior to founding Walden Media in 2001, Flaherty designed innovative curricula in the Boston Public School System, which captured national attention from The Wall Street Journal and The Boston Globe. He designed the curriculum and taught for the Steppingstone Magnet Program for students in the worst public school cluster in Boston. As an author, Flaherty has been published in National Review, The Boston Business Journal and American Spectator. He also worked as a speechwriter for William Bulger, former President of the Massachusetts Senate, and Tom Reilly, the Massachusetts Attorney General. Flaherty is a graduate of Tufts University.

Francis X. “Chip” Flaherty heads up Walden Media’s publishing division, Walden Pond Press. As Publisher, Flaherty has the opportunity to read the literary submissions of some of the best children’s authors in the world, so he is well prepared for his service here. Under Flaherty’s stewardship, Walden Media has published many successful book titles, including Savvy, a New York Times Bestseller and 2009 Newbery Honor book, and Cosmic, the best reviewed children’s book of 2010. A former litigator, Flaherty looks forward to serving as a judge and reading essays from some of America’s next generation of leaders.

Ron Hall is an international art dealer whose long list of regular clients includes many celebrity personalities. He is the writer and producer of the Paramount Pictures film, Same Kind of Different As Me. An MBA graduate of Texas Christian University, he and his wife Beth divide their time between Dallas, New York, and their Brazos River ranch near Fort Worth.

GRAMMY nominated producer, Joe Scaife was born in the Mississippi / Arkansas Delta and moved to Nashville, Tennessee as a child. He was influence by musical talents from a very early age, with Southern Rock being perhaps the most prevalent in his productions. He is the son of Music Row Pioneer, Cecil Scaife who was the visionary behind the beginnings of the Music Business Program at Belmont College. It is now known as The Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business. Joe attended Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee while getting hands on experience at the control board of his dad’s Hall of Fame Recording Studio. Scaife has an ear for finding talent and has catapulted many new artists to the top of the charts. He is known in Music City as an artist’s ‘break out ‘ Producer. He produced Billy Ray Cyrus’ chart breaking hit “Achy Breaky Heart”, Gretchen Wilson’s “Red Neck Woman”, Montgomery Gentry’s albums “Tatoos and Scars” and “Carrying On”, and produced KT Oslin’s “80’s Lady”. Scaife has worked with Lionel Richey, Anne Murray, The Pointer Sisters, Charlie Daniels, and many other great artists. He is married and has two children and resides in Williamson County near Nashville.

Peter Flaherty is a co-founder and principal of The Shawmut Group, a public affairs and strategy consulting group based in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Flaherty is a former Assistant District Attorney in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office in Boston where he investigated and prosecuted hundreds of criminal cases and was a prosecutor in the homicide unit. After leaving the District Attorney’s office, Flaherty became Vice President of Walden Media, a film production studio, dedicated to the development of family friendly films. At Walden, Flaherty was director of partnerships and alliances and head of Walden’s IMAX division. Notable Walden projects include The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, Holes, Charlotte’s Web, and James Cameron’s Ghosts of the Abyss. In 2003, Flaherty went to work for newly-elected Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, where he was Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Adviser on constitutional issues, criminal justice, bioethics and judicial selection. On the Romney presidential campaign, Flaherty was Deputy Campaign Manager in charge of coalition building and the liaison to the faith community. Mr. Flaherty serves on the Board of Trustees at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, The Ally Foundation, and The Suffolk County Children’s Advocacy Center. He is a graduate of the College of the Holy Cross with a bachelor’s degree in Economics, and received a Juris Doctorate from New England School of Law.

Marc Theissen is an American author, columnist and political commentator. He served as a speechwriter for United States President George W. Bush (2004–2009) and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld (2001–2004). Thiessen’s articles have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, National Review, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Weekly Standard, USA Today and other publications. He has also appeared on Fox News, CNN, NPR, and other media outlets.

Gary Dixon is the President of The Foundation for a Better Life. He formerly served as vice president of Bonneville Communications where he directed the creative development of many successful campaigns, including Homefront, Major League Baseball, Children’s Miracle Network and the American Cancer Society. He has also been a speaker at regional and national advertising conferences for the American Advertising Federation and a keynote speaker for various events. Gary has a master’s degree in communications from Brigham Young University and a bachelor’s in broadcasting from Texas Tech University

Jim Miller is an expert on various public policy issues, including federal/state regulatory programs, industrial organization, antitrust, intellectual property, general litigation, fiscal finance, tax structure, federal/state spending, deficits, public choice, campaign finance, and the effects of various laws and regulations on the overall economy. From October 1985 to October 1988, Miller was Director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, was a member of President Reagan’s Cabinet, and was a member of the National Security Council. From October 1981 to October 1985, he was Chairman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. And from January 1981 to October 1981, he was Administrator for Information and Regulatory Affairs at OMB, where, among other things, he helped to establish and administer President Reagan’s program of regulatory relief

As a speaker, poet and photographer, Karla’s work spans many subjects and forms. She is a Betsy Colquitt Award Winner, Eric Hoffer Award Winner, Montaigne Medal Finalist, a two-time Indie Book Award Winner, a North Texas Book Festival Award winner, a nominee for the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame and a Pushcart Prize nominee. Widely published in literary journals, she is also the author of twelve books of poetry, including the award-winning Redefining Beauty (now in its 3rd printing), Constant State of Leaping and Accidental Origami. A traveling photography/poetry exhibit and book, No End of Vision: Texas as Seen by Two Laureates, features Ms. Morton’s black and white photographs combined with poems written by fellow Texas Poet Laureate Alan Birkelbach. Her latest project is a 3-year Words of Preservation National Parks Tour and her latest book, Wooden Lions, is the ultimate animal lovers’ book.

Bruce Cole is a Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His areas of expertise include the teaching of American history and civics, and private and federal cultural policy. Mr. Cole, the former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is the author of fourteen books and numerous articles. Mr. Cole served as a delegate on the U.S. National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), on the boards of the Woodrow Wilson Center and the Norman Rockwell Museum, and as a Senate-appointed member of the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity. He is currently a member of the boards of American Heritage and the Jack Miller Center. In 2010, Mr. Cole was appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels to a three-year term on Indiana University’s Board of Trustees. In 2008, President George W. Bush awarded Mr. Cole the Presidential Citizens Medal “for his work to strengthen our national memory and ensure that our country’s heritage is passed on to future generations.” The medal is second only to the Presidential Medal of Freedom among the honors the President can confer upon a civilian. Also in 2008, Mr. Cole was decorated Knight of the Grand Cross, the highest honor of the Republic of Italy. In August 2013, Mr. Cole was appointed by President Barack Obama to be a member of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission.

Phil Taylor’s is the founder and artists of the American Fallen Soldiers Project With a deep conviction to bring comfort and hope to the mourning families of our fallen military, The American Fallen Soldiers Project, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides at no cost to the family an exquisitely framed original portrait of their fallen loved one that fully captures their appearance and personality. Upon completion, it is personally presented by Phil Taylor during a special event designed to honor the Fallen, honor the family, and involve the community.

Sherry O. Watters is an artist in Weatherford Texas who hand paints apparel. She began selling her artwork at the prompting of her husband Dennis in 1987. It began with five painted shirts and a few crafts, but quickly outgrew the little space in her husband’s Insurance office. Over the years, her renown expanded and now celebrities, entertainers, and special people from around the world make their way to her “one of a kind” boutique, where original works of art, of startling beauty, are painted upon wearing apparel, including hand painting and adding crystals to your own boots! Sherry O’, paints each piece by hand with great artistic care.