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Faith & Civic Life Symposium
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30
Faith & Civic Life Symposium
Join The Policy Circle for an engaging and inspiring conversation with Virginia’s Governor and First Lady followed by morning discussions on the future of religious liberty in America and the role that faith-based organizations play in addressing some of our society’s greatest challenges. The event will conclude with a tour of the Museum of the Bible.
DATE & SCHEDULE
Monday, September 30, 2024
8:00 AM – 8:30 AM
Check-In & Breakfast
8:30 AM – 9:15 AM
Fireside Chat with Governor Glenn Youngkin & First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin
9:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Panel Conversations
- Religious Liberty & Litigation: The History of Educational Freedom in America & The Courts, featuring:
- Eric Baxter, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
- Leslie Hiner, EdChoice
- The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Addressing Society’s Biggest Challenges
- Rabbi Eric “Yitz” Frank, Agudath Israel of Ohio
- Luz Tavarez, Catholic Charities USA
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Optional Tour of the Museum – all symposium attendees are given a complimentary museum ticket
LOCATION
Museum of the Bible
400 4th St SW
Washington, D.C. 20024
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Governor Glenn Youngkin
Born in Richmond and raised in Virginia Beach, Governor Glenn Youngkin is a homegrown Virginian from humble beginnings. From washing dishes at a local diner to being named co-CEO of one of the world’s top investment firms, Governor Youngkin knows what it’s like to work hard and is doing so on behalf of all Virginians. Since day one, Governor Youngkin has been a champion for parents rights, students, and teachers. He ushered in historic investments in education, launched a lab school initiative to inject choice and innovation into our public school system, raised teachers’ salaries 12%, passed the Virginia Literacy Act to improve literacy among elementary school-age students, renewed Virginia’s focus on career and technical education and implemented the ALL In Virginia plan to tackle persistent learning loss stemming from forced pandemic school closures through targeted tutoring in math and reading.
As the chief economic development officer of the Commonwealth, the governor has facilitated waves of economic investments and business expansions to reinvigorate job growth and opportunity. Under Governor Youngkin’s leadership, the Commonwealth has welcomed companies committing nearly $71 billion in capital investment and major corporate companies like Boeing, Amazon Web Services, Raytheon and The LEGO Group, along with major expansions from others like Hilton, Northrop Grumman and Framatome.
Lowering the cost of living has been a top priority for the governor and he’s delivered $5 billion dollars in tax relief for Virginians and working families. Fulfilling his promise to reduce the tax burden on Virginia’s veterans, Governor Youngkin also implemented a state tax exemption for military retirement pay. The Youngkin administration has an unwavering commitment to support our men and women in law enforcement, providing additional compensation and salary increases for our public safety heroes.
The governor has made government run more efficiently and more effectively, bringing down DMV wait times, reducing Virginia’s regulatory burden, streamlining permitting processes and easing licensing restrictions for dozens of occupations in the Commonwealth.
At the plight of Virginia’s behavioral health crisis, Governor Youngkin launched historic efforts to transform our overwhelmed behavioral health system through his Right Help, Right Now plan which provides Virginians pre-crisis, in-crisis, and post-crisis help. He didn’t stop there, he has worked to revamp our childcare system – critical for working families, a foster care system that was failing too many, and a developmental disability waiver system that left so many unserved.
Throughout his time as governor, Governor Glenn Youngkin has embraced innovation and commonsense especially when it comes to developing Virginia’s All-American, All-of-the-Above energy approach to deliver reliable, affordable, and increasingly clean power for the Commonwealth’s future.
Governor Glenn Youngkin has transformed government, expanded opportunity in Virginia, and delivered for Virginians.
Governor Youngkin has been married for over 30 years to Suzanne S. Youngkin, a devoted leader in non-profits and charitable causes. Together, they are dedicated to their four wonderful children. Their family journey has been and continues to be guided by their faith, walking hand in hand as humble followers of Christ.
First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin
As First Lady of the Commonwealth of Virginia, Suzanne S. Youngkin prioritizes listening to the needs of Virginians and celebrating the many good works happening across the Commonwealth.
By always aspiring to Strengthen the Spirit of Women+girls (W+g), the First Lady works on a variety of initiatives to uplift and support women and families. Her efforts largely focus on behavioral health, wellbeing, and workforce preparedness. Mrs. Youngkin works to connect people with resources and organizations that can provide the tools and information required to support, heal, and enable growth and flourishing.
Mrs. Youngkin is committed to exposing the unprecedented rise in substance use, human trafficking, and suicide. She works alongside various organizations and families to expose the dangers of fentanyl poisoning. The First Lady also lends her voice and platform to destigmatize addiction, anxiety, and depression.
Motivated by the ever-present Spirit of Virginia, Mrs. Youngkin seeks out compassionate Virginians who are making a difference in their communities. She created the Spirit of Virginia Award to recognize and give thanks to the persons and organizations exemplifying works of goodwill. The award is a testament of the greater good that runs deep and is found in every corner of the Commonwealth.
In 2022, Mrs. Youngkin opened the decades-old Virginia Executive Mansion for the first time in more than two years after closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, guests are greeted by a first-of-its-kind art exhibit that celebrates and promotes Virginia artists. Working with museums, art institutions, and living artists from across the state, Mrs. Youngkin curated the “Art Experience” highlighting original works and artifacts of vast natural beauty and highly diverse content.
Mrs. Youngkin promotes engagement in Petersburg, VA through the Partnership for Petersburg — the Governor’s comprehensive approach to uplift a vulnerable community. The First Lady is also actively volunteering in Richmond-area schools and churches. Each quarter, the Youngkins donate the gubernatorial salary to a Virginia nonprofit organization that is making great strides in areas of need.
The First Lady serves as an honorary member on many boards including the State Ballet of Virginia, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Council, and the Wolf Trap Associates Board. She is President of the Phos Foundation, manages the affairs of a small equine farm in Northern Virginia, continues to engage in array of philanthropic activities, and is a mom to four incredible children.
Governor and Mrs. Youngkin are enjoying 30 years of marriage. They are the co-founders of VA Ready — a nonprofit established to reskill Virginians for sustainable work — and founding and active members of Holy Trinity Church (HTC) in McLean, Virginia.
PANEL SPEAKERS
Eric Baxter
Vice President & Senior Counsel
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty
Eric Baxter is Senior Counsel & VP at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, where has worked since 2011. His favorite case victories include a Ninth Circuit ruling preserving the “Big Mountain Jesus” statue in Montana and a recent DC Circuit ruling allowing Sikhs to serve in the United States Marine Corps with their religious beards. Eric has extensive experience advising religious institutions of higher education and defending the religious freedom of students on public school campuses. Eric has frequently appeared in the national broadcast and print media. Before joining Becket, he was a partner at Arent Fox LLP in Washington, DC. From 2000 to 2002, he clerked for the Honorable Robert H. Cleland in the Eastern District of Michigan. He and his wife have seven children, two grandbabies, and an amateur family bluegrass band.
Rabbi Eric "Yitz" Frank
Executive Director
Agudath Israel of Ohio
Rabbi Eric “Yitz” Frank serves as President of School Choice Ohio and as the executive director of Agudath Israel of Ohio since 2013. In that capacity, he is engaged in multiple projects to educate
community organizations about various governmental programming, funding opportunities, and serves as a liaison to the Ohio Department of Education on behalf of Jewish day schools. Rabbi Frank was previously appointed by the Ohio Senate to serve on the NonPublic School Graduation Requirements Advisory Committee and is a member of Governor DeWine’s School Safety Working Group.
An expert in education policy and nonpublic schools, Rabbi Frank also serves as the President of the Ohio Council for American Private Education. He is a volunteer lay leader serving on the community relations committee of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and President of Congregation Zichron Chaim, located in Beachwood. Rabbi Frank also does government relations and policy work at the federal level related to the National School Lunch Program, ESEA, IDEA, and other related issues.
As President of School Choice Ohio and its related entities, Rabbi Frank is proud to serve as the tip of the spear along with the dedicated team and grassroots activists to expand school options and empower families throughout Ohio. He firmly believes that School Choice is not only the civil rights issue of our time, but crucial to the success of our economy and Ohio.
Leslie Hiner
Vice President of Legal Policy
EdChoice
Leslie Hiner, Esq. is an advocate of educational freedom, a crusader fighting for the unencumbered opportunity of parents to decide how and where their children will be educated. She believes in the power of individuals to change the world, and believes personal liberty will be enhanced when our method of funding K–12 education is changed to empower parents and students before institutions.
As vice president of legal affairs at EdChoice, the nation’s leading educational choice organization, Leslie leads the EdChoice Legal Policy and Education Center (LPEC) for this nonpartisan, charitable nonprofit and engages with other national organizations to support school choice. She is a proven leader, advancing educational freedom and choice for all as a pathway to successful lives and a stronger society.
Hiner is an attorney with extensive state legislative and executive branch experience. In Indiana, she was the first woman chief of staff to the speaker of the house, counsel to the senate president pro tempore, and general counsel/elections deputy to the Secretary of State. She is also a former small business owner, and former litigator in private practice.
A founding board member of one of Indiana’s first charter schools, Leslie served as chairman of the board for the first several years, guiding the school’s growth from about 150 to over 1000 students. She was also directly involved in developing Indiana’s original charter school law, one of the best in the nation, and Indiana’s voucher law, the largest in the country to date.
Leslie is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network, serves on the Schools That Can National Advisory Council, and is a Policy Advisor for The Heartland Institute. Leslie is a long-time member of the Federalist Society and a Lugar Series Excellence in Public Service alumna.
Hiner travels the country speaking on educational issues and testifying at public hearings. Recent engagements include the American Enterprise Institute With all deliberate speed: Brown v. Board of Education II 60 years later; Center for Urban Renewal and Education National Policy Summit, “Changing Policy to Change Lives”; National Conference of State Legislatures Summit debate, School Vouchers and Education Savings Accounts: Are They Constitutional; Network of Enlightened Women National Conference, Three Things You Need To Know About Education Policy; International Conference on School Choice and Reform, The Constitutionality of Educational Choice; 100 Black Men of Greater Dallas/Fort Worth, Project Soar’s Mobilizing the Village; Louisville Federalist Society Lawyers’ Chapter, Is School Choice Good Public Policy; American Conservative Union CPAC 2017.
She’s been cited in several publications, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Times, Forbes, US News & World Report, The Hill, Real Clear Policy, Federalist Society DocketWatch, National Review, The Federalist, Zman Magazine, Watchdog, and has appeared on EWTN News Nightly, Wall Street Journal Video Opinion Journal podcasts, David Webb Show on Sirius/XM, ChoiceMediaTV, The Heartland Institute podcasts and school choice events, The Morning Blaze, Issues in Education and many state level broadcasts.
A native of Ohio, she earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Akron School of Law, her Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Wooster, and attended Rostad Teachers College as an exchange student in Sweden where she was a student teacher in grades 2 and 3. She and her husband reside in Indianapolis, and have two grown children.
Luz Tavarez
Vice President for Government Relations
Catholic Charities USA
Ms. Luz Tavarez has over 20 years of professional experience in the public and non-profit sector. She currently serves as Vice President for Government Relations at Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA).
At CCUSA, Ms. Tavarez leads a team of advocacy and social policy professionals who engage directly with Congress and the White House on issues that affect the Catholic Charities network and its clients. A national membership organization, CCUSA represents the interests of Catholic Charities’ 168 member agencies that serve more than 15 million vulnerable people annually at close to 3,900 locations across the country and its five territories.
Before coming to CCUSA, Luz served for 16 years in several leadership positions at Catholic Charities in the New York Archdiocese. As Chief Government Officer, Luz led the organization’s legislative advocacy strategy at the City, State and Federal levels. Through this work, she helped establish the agency as a thought leader in the areas of emergency food assistance, affordable housing and immigration. She also oversaw the agency’s parish engagement and public relations strategy.
Prior to her work with Catholic Charities, Ms. Tavarez worked in City and State government. She holds degrees from New York University’s Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service and John Jay College of Criminal Justice. She sits on the Executive Committee of the Association of Catholic Homes, the Board of Woodstock Manor, the New York State Commission on National and Community Service and the Board of the Black, Latino, Asian Charter Collaborative.
She has received numerous awards for her work including Dominican Heritage Leadership awards from the Bronx Borough President and the New York City Council, the New York State Assembly Puerto African/Hispanic Heritage award “Entre Nosotras”, Special Congressional Recognition, New York State Assembly Exemplary Service Citation, and New York State Comptroller’s 2024 Non-profit Leadership Award.
FACILITATORS
Stacy Blakeley
CEO
The Policy Circle
Stacy Blakeley is the CEO of The Policy Circle, a nonpartisan nonprofit organization that informs, equips, and connects women to be more impactful citizens. The Policy Circle boosts civic courage and launches community leaders through solutions-oriented programming and approachable training. With 13,000 members, The Policy Circle is rebuilding trust in vital institutions and sparking civil conversations amongst men and women nationwide. Stacy’s work with The Policy Circle takes her coast to coast for speaking engagements, and she has interviewed policymakers, Governors, presidential candidates, Supreme Court justices, authors, and experts on issues ranging from the Middle East to mental health. The best part of her work is meeting men and women who care deeply about their communities and are willing to show up, collaborate, and solve problems.
Stacy is a recovering commercial litigator and proud graduate of Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law. Prior to her legal career, she served as a staffer on the Hill for House Majority Leader Dick Armey and worked in event and sports marketing for corporations, including Dean Foods, BMW, ATT, and Exxon. In 2013, she launched KSG, an event and consulting firm that served international ministries, nonprofits, and corporations. As a nonprofit consultant, Stacy helped numerous nonprofits raise millions of dollars.
She volunteers for New Friends New Life, serves on the Legacy Council for Fair Park, and is Co-Chair of the Texas Women for Nikki Haley campaign. Stacy and her husband of 25 years, Jeff Blakeley, reside in Dallas and have four children and five grandchildren.
Sylvie Légère
Co-Founder and Board Chair
The Policy Circle
Social entrepreneur, investor, and advocate for civic engagement Sylvie Légère is laser-focused on developing innovative solutions that unite people for the common good and advance the next generation of female changemakers.
With a 25-year career spanning multiple sectors, including technology, process, and change management at Fortune 500 companies such as Accenture, JP Morgan Chase, and TD Ameritrade, Sylvie’s passion for civic engagement and inclusion was motivated by her own experiences stepping out of her comfort zone to seize opportunities in male-dominated industries. She has channeled this passion into co-founding The Policy Circle and partnering with more than 25 impact-driven companies and organizations that resolve societal issues. As the author of Trust Your Voice, A Roadmap to Focus and Influence, and host of the Trust Your Voice podcast, Sylvie aspires to motivate emerging changemakers to elevate their influence and make a positive impact in the lives of others.
Randan Steinhauser
Director of Marketing and Events
The Policy Circle
Randan Steinhauser is the Director of Marketing and Events for The Policy Circle. Randan has worked in more than 30 states on strategic communications and issue advocacy campaigns to advance meaningful public policy changes. She previously worked in Washington, D.C. on Capitol Hill and for former U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos during her time at The American Federation for Children. She has served as a national advisor to many of the country’s leading education reform advocacy groups. She lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Brendan and their five children.
REGISTRATION
Registration for this event is currently closed. If you’d like to join the waitlist, fill out the form below. Availability is on a first-come, first-served basis, and attendance is not guaranteed. Our team will contact you as soon as possible if a spot becomes available.
Please contact Maddi Anderson at [email protected] with any registration questions.
THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNERS
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