ALEC Keynote Speakers - Creating Focus, Forwarding ALEC Agenda

What is Any Keynote Speaker Suppose To Accomplish?

Direct Quote

When your audience takes their seats they are far from focused.

To accomplish the goals of your event, you must have them of one mind: open, ready to learn and then to act in a way to forwards your agenda.

This is the job of the keynote speaker.

A great keynote speaker sets the tone for your meeting and creates an audience of a single mind.

The right keynote can positively influence your audience for the entire event and beyond, when they return to the office.

End of Direct Quote

States & Nation Policy Summit

The States and Nation Policy Summit introduces the ALEC agenda to newly-elected and freshman state legislators for a three-day conference of intensive brainwashing educational sessions addressing issues that will be at the top of their legislative agendas the following year.

Spring Task Force Summit

The Summit is an intensive three-day meeting of ALEC’s task force members, designed to keep members abreast of new developments in the states, and includes Task Force meetings, hearings on pressing issues, and plenary meal sessions with policy discussions, presentations and brainwashing education.

The ALEC Annual Meeting

The ALEC Annual Meeting has grown to become one of the nation’s most prestigious state level conferences, and has been described as the “largest brainwashing educational gathering of conservatives held each year.” Nearly 2,000 state legislators, business executives, and public policy experts gather for four days to discuss the issues and develop policy.

Who have been the Keynote speakers for ALEC events?

ü      Who has helped ALEC members “create a single mind”

ü      Who has helped ALEC “accomplish the goals of their event?”

ü      Who has helped ALEC “forward their agenda”?

2001 28^th Annual Meeting

US Attorney General John Ashcroft

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson

Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne

Florida House Speaker Tom Feeney

Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez

Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham

Professor Jonathan Turley of the George Washington School of Law

Sean Hannity of the FOX News Channel

Sam Beard, Commissioner of the President’s Social Security Commission.

2001 States and Nation Policy Summit

…began with a White House Briefing from President George W. Bush and senior administration members, including Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge (a former Pennsylvania governor),White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and White House Intergovernmental Affairs Director Ruben Barrales.

Secretary of Commerce Don Evans,

Kentucky Senate President David Williams

Lieutenant General Russell Davis, chief of the National Guard Bureau

2001 The Task Force Summit

Jerry Taylor of the Cato Institute

Gisele Huff, Executive Director of the Jaquelin Hume Foundation

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2002 Annual Meeting

Education Secretary Rod Paige

Labor Secretary Elaine Chao

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Mel Martinez

Congressman Mark Green, ALEC Alumni Chairman

Florida Governor Jeb Bush

Florida’s Speaker of the House Tom Feeney.

2002 States and Nation Policy Summit

U.S. Senator Don Nickles

Nationally syndicated columnist Robert Novak

One of the key highlights of the meeting was a briefing by President George W. Bush on homeland security and the situation in Iraq. During the briefing at the White House, U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige and Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge joined President Bush in offering remarks.

2002 Spring Task Force Summit

Former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson

FOX News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly

Author of the New York Times best seller “Bias,” Bernard Goldberg

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2003  ALEC 30th ANNUAL MEETING

Vice President Richard Cheney

U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge

U.S. Coast Guard Admiral Larry Hereth, Director of Port Security

Washington, D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams

Colorado Governor Bill Owens

Colorado Senate President John Andrews

The Honorable J.C. Watts

2003 States and Nation Policy Summit

U.S. Senator Jon Kyl

Attorney General John Ashcroft

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2006 States and Nation Policy Summit

Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters

Health and Human Services Assistant Secretary Wade Horn

Clint Bolick of the Arizona-based Alliance for School Choice

Paul Driessen, senior fellow with the Committee for a Constructive Tomorrow.

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2007 ALEC’s 34th Annual Meeting

Among the many highlights of ALEC’s 34th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia this summer was a surprise visit by President George W. Bush. The president was warmly welcomed by ALEC members Thursday morning, who reserved their loudest applause for his promise to veto any tax increase Congress sends him. The president was preceded by The Honorable Dick Armey and introduced by Texas Congressman Kenny Marchant.

Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee

Former Tennessee senator, Fred Thompson,

Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Newt Gingrich,

Neil Cavuto of FOX News.

John Fund of the Wall Street Journal

2007 States & Nation Policy Summit

U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn

Former House of Representatives Majority Leader, Rep. Richard Gephardt

Sandy K. Baruah, Assistant U.S. Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development

Stephen Moore of the Wall Street Journal

Renowned economist Dr. Arthur Laffer

ALEC Alumnus, New Jersey Congressman Scott Garrett.

2007 Spring Task Force Summit

U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao

South Carolina Lt. GovernorAndré Bauer

Victor Schwartz of Shook, Hardy, and

Bacon,

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2008 - 35th Annual Meeting

…members also viewed a video message from President George W. Bush

U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty,

Doug McMillon, President and CEO of Sam’s Club

Dr. Richard Vedder, a Distinguished Professor of Economics at Ohio University,

The Honorable Dick Armey

Christopher Manning, of Manning & Sossamon

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters

Former U.S. Senator George Allen

Professor Clayton Christensen of Harvard’s Business School,

2008 ALEC Task Force Summit

Jonathan Williams of the Tax Foundation

Steve Stanek of the Heartland Institute

Bob Williams of the Evergreen Foundation

Dr. Richard Vedder of The Ohio University

Gordon Reel of Enterprise discussing the targeting of tax revenue on the rent-a-car industry.

Senior Vice President for Wal-Mart Stores, Dr. John Agwunobi who previously served as the Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Stuart Rothenberg, editor and publisher of The Rothenberg Political Report

Dr. Jan R. van Lohuizen, President of Voter/Consumer Research

ALEC Private Enterprise Board member Jim Epperson, President of AT&T Texas

2008 States & Nation Policy Summit,

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels

Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich

Syndicated columnist Amity Shlaes

U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin (OK)

U.S. Rep. Tom Price (GA)

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2009 - 36th Annual Meeting

Former U.S. Senator and Georgia Governor Zell Miller

Former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich

Dr. Art Laffer and Stephen Moore, co-authors of ALEC’s Rich States, Poor States, syndicated Radio host Herman Cain

Pete Coors

Daniel Hannan (MEP)

2009 States and Nation Policy Summit

U.S. House of Representatives Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH)

2009 States & Nation Policy Summit,

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour

Congressman Marsha Blackburn (TN)

Kimball Rasmussen, CEO of Desert Power

Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney, producers of the environmental film “Not Evil, Just Wrong.”

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2010 - 37th Annual Meeting

Texas Gov. Rick Perry

Scott Rasmussen, founder and president of Rasmussen Reports

John Fund of  The Wall Street Journal

Asm. Nathan Fletcher (CA)

Former Sen. Norm Coleman (MN)

Randall Stephenson, president and CEO of AT&T

Greg Babe, president and CEO of Bayer Corporation

Lynn Salo, president of Allergan Medical US Breast Aesthetics Division

(I will update this entry as I find more information.)

If you don’t know what ALEC is – you should

please read this, or this, or this, or this, or this.