District 15, Florida House of Representatives
Jay Fant's Florida roots are deep. His grandfather's family arrived in Jacksonville almost a century ago, and Jay learned the value of hard work and community service by watching his dad and granddad start and run their family business, First Guaranty Bank. After graduating from law school at the University of Florida, Jay joined the business and was proud to run it alongside his dad until 2012.
Through his business, Jay was honored to serve many homeowners and small businessmen and women by providing the credit they needed to improve their lives and achieve their dreams. Like many of his customers, the Great Recession hit Jay's business hard, and just as they were poised to recover, federal government overreach and incompetence made that impossible.
That experience drove Jay to run for the State Legislature to be part of solving the problem of explosive government growth that chokes free enterprise and makes it harder for families to get ahead. In 2014, he was elected to the District 15 seat in the Florida House of Representatives, and he has been honored to serve his Jacksonville constituents in Tallahassee.
In the House, he serves on the Ways and Means and Government Accountability Committees, where he has worked diligently to make state government leaner and more efficient and ensure it works for the people, not the other way around. On the Judiciary Committee and as Vice Chair of the Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee his leadership has helped protect the rights of Florida's citizens.
Jay and his wife, Lauren, are the proud parents of two sons and two daughters. They live in Jacksonville, where he invests time in the community and has coached youth sports and served with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rotary, and the Healthy U Now Foundation. The Fants are members of St. Johns Presbyterian Church.
Attorney General, Florida
Attorney General Ashley Moody, a fifth generation Floridian, was born and raised in Plant City, Florida. She attended the University of Florida where she earned her bachelors and masters degrees in accounting and juris doctorate. She later attended Stetson University College of Law earning a masters of law in international law. In 2018, she was elected the 38th Attorney General of Florida.
General Moody joined the United States Attorney’s Office prosecuting drug, firearm, and fraud offenses. While a federal prosecutor, Ashley was commended by the DEA for prosecutorial excellence and outstanding initiative in drug law enforcement. She was also recognized by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for her lead of “Operation Round-Up,” a targeted prosecution of violent and repeat offenders.
In 2006, at the age of 31, General Moody became the youngest judge in Florida when she was elected Circuit Court Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County. As a judge, she founded the Attorney Ad Litem program recruiting volunteer attorneys to stand in the place of parents who did not appear in court with their children. She also developed a mentoring program for at-risk children within the juvenile delinquency system.
Ashley is married to Justin, a federal law enforcement agent. They have two sons, Connor and Brandon. Their eldest son Brandon is serving in the United States Army.
District 59, Florida House of Representatives
Ross currently represents District 59 in the Florida House of Representatives and is a managing partner of Spano & Woody, P.A. in Riverview, FL. He is also the Chairman of the Florida Human Trafficking Working Group and serves on the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission.
As a state representative, Ross is a member of the following legislative committees:
Ross and his wife Amie have four children: Kali, Vincent, Caleb and Isaiah. They are active members of the Bell Shoals Baptist Church.
As Florida's Attorney General, Ross will always fight to uphold the rule of law and protect Florida's Constitution. He will prioritize protecting vulnerable populations, including victims of human trafficking. And as a proven conservative leader in the Florida Legislature, Ross will strive to protect the conservative values that are so important to him. He will keep government small and limited, protect family values and uphold the rule of law.
Owner/Partner, Torrens Law Group, P.A.
Ryan Torrens is running for Florida Attorney General for the right reason – to fight for you. For more than four years, Ryan Torrens has been going to battle in Court against the biggest banks in this country on behalf of Florida’s consumers. When Ryan says he will fight for Florida’s consumers, these aren’t just words, it is what he has already been doing!
A fifth-generation Tampa native, Ryan Torrens owns his own law practice, which focuses on foreclosure defense and consumer protection litigation.
Ryan Torrens defends consumer clients against mortgage foreclosure actions and also represents against creditors and debt collectors for collection violations.
Prior to starting his own law practice in 2012, Ryan Torrens worked as an independent consultant on the federal government-mandated Independent Foreclosure Review Project, where he was charged with reviewing toxic mortgage loans. While working on this project, Ryan gained a serious interest in consumer protection law.
Ryan Torrens earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government and World Affairs from the University of Tampa magna cum laude and graduated from the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. While in law school, Ryan served as an intern for a federal bankruptcy judge and for several members of the U.S. Congress.
In his spare time, Ryan Torrens enjoys running, fishing, reading, and enjoying time with his family, including his partner, Francesca, and their rescued dog named Ziggy.
District 2, Florida House of Representatives
COMMUNITY LEADER AND FAMILY MAN
Frank and his wife Stephanie are proudly raising their three boys with conservative values in the Florida Panhandle. Frank serves as a Deacon in the First Baptist Church and teaches Sunday School with his wife. He is also a board member for Baptist Hospital and Pensacola M.E.S.S. Hall Children's Science Museum. Recognized for his business and community leadership, Governor Rick Scott appointed Frank to the Florida Development Finance Corporation Board of Directors, where he serves as Chair.
A SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS LEADER AND ATTORNEY
Frank is the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel for the Sansing Dealer Group, an organization with over 650 employees and stores throughout Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.Frank graduated from Southern Methodist University School Law and was the President of the Federalist Society chapter. Frank has practiced law in Texas and Florida for over 15 years. Prior to entering public service, Frank practiced law as an Attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a top national law firm.
UNMATCHED EXPERIENCE FIGHTING FOR CONSERVATIVE VALUES
As a Florida legislator, Frank
District 15, Florida House of Representatives
Jay Fant's Florida roots are deep. His grandfather's family arrived in Jacksonville almost a century ago, and Jay learned the value of hard work and community service by watching his dad and granddad start and run their family business, First Guaranty Bank. After graduating from law school at the University of Florida, Jay joined the business and was proud to run it alongside his dad until 2012.
Through his business, Jay was honored to serve many homeowners and small businessmen and women by providing the credit they needed to improve their lives and achieve their dreams. Like many of his customers, the Great Recession hit Jay's business hard, and just as they were poised to recover, federal government overreach and incompetence made that impossible.
That experience drove Jay to run for the State Legislature to be part of solving the problem of explosive government growth that chokes free enterprise and makes it harder for families to get ahead. In 2014, he was elected to the District 15 seat in the Florida House of Representatives, and he has been honored to serve his Jacksonville constituents in Tallahassee.
In the House, he serves on the Ways and Means and Government Accountability Committees, where he has worked diligently to make state government leaner and more efficient and ensure it works for the people, not the other way around. On the Judiciary Committee and as Vice Chair of the Civil Justice and Claims Subcommittee his leadership has helped protect the rights of Florida's citizens.
Jay and his wife, Lauren, are the proud parents of two sons and two daughters. They live in Jacksonville, where he invests time in the community and has coached youth sports and served with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Rotary, and the Healthy U Now Foundation. The Fants are members of St. Johns Presbyterian Church.
Attorney General, Florida
Attorney General Ashley Moody, a fifth generation Floridian, was born and raised in Plant City, Florida. She attended the University of Florida where she earned her bachelors and masters degrees in accounting and juris doctorate. She later attended Stetson University College of Law earning a masters of law in international law. In 2018, she was elected the 38th Attorney General of Florida.
General Moody joined the United States Attorney’s Office prosecuting drug, firearm, and fraud offenses. While a federal prosecutor, Ashley was commended by the DEA for prosecutorial excellence and outstanding initiative in drug law enforcement. She was also recognized by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for her lead of “Operation Round-Up,” a targeted prosecution of violent and repeat offenders.
In 2006, at the age of 31, General Moody became the youngest judge in Florida when she was elected Circuit Court Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit in Hillsborough County. As a judge, she founded the Attorney Ad Litem program recruiting volunteer attorneys to stand in the place of parents who did not appear in court with their children. She also developed a mentoring program for at-risk children within the juvenile delinquency system.
Ashley is married to Justin, a federal law enforcement agent. They have two sons, Connor and Brandon. Their eldest son Brandon is serving in the United States Army.
District 59, Florida House of Representatives
Ross currently represents District 59 in the Florida House of Representatives and is a managing partner of Spano & Woody, P.A. in Riverview, FL. He is also the Chairman of the Florida Human Trafficking Working Group and serves on the Federal Judicial Nominating Commission.
As a state representative, Ross is a member of the following legislative committees:
Ross and his wife Amie have four children: Kali, Vincent, Caleb and Isaiah. They are active members of the Bell Shoals Baptist Church.
As Florida's Attorney General, Ross will always fight to uphold the rule of law and protect Florida's Constitution. He will prioritize protecting vulnerable populations, including victims of human trafficking. And as a proven conservative leader in the Florida Legislature, Ross will strive to protect the conservative values that are so important to him. He will keep government small and limited, protect family values and uphold the rule of law.
Owner/Partner, Torrens Law Group, P.A.
Ryan Torrens is running for Florida Attorney General for the right reason – to fight for you. For more than four years, Ryan Torrens has been going to battle in Court against the biggest banks in this country on behalf of Florida’s consumers. When Ryan says he will fight for Florida’s consumers, these aren’t just words, it is what he has already been doing!
A fifth-generation Tampa native, Ryan Torrens owns his own law practice, which focuses on foreclosure defense and consumer protection litigation.
Ryan Torrens defends consumer clients against mortgage foreclosure actions and also represents against creditors and debt collectors for collection violations.
Prior to starting his own law practice in 2012, Ryan Torrens worked as an independent consultant on the federal government-mandated Independent Foreclosure Review Project, where he was charged with reviewing toxic mortgage loans. While working on this project, Ryan gained a serious interest in consumer protection law.
Ryan Torrens earned a Bachelor of Arts in Government and World Affairs from the University of Tampa magna cum laude and graduated from the George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C. While in law school, Ryan served as an intern for a federal bankruptcy judge and for several members of the U.S. Congress.
In his spare time, Ryan Torrens enjoys running, fishing, reading, and enjoying time with his family, including his partner, Francesca, and their rescued dog named Ziggy.
District 2, Florida House of Representatives
COMMUNITY LEADER AND FAMILY MAN
Frank and his wife Stephanie are proudly raising their three boys with conservative values in the Florida Panhandle. Frank serves as a Deacon in the First Baptist Church and teaches Sunday School with his wife. He is also a board member for Baptist Hospital and Pensacola M.E.S.S. Hall Children's Science Museum. Recognized for his business and community leadership, Governor Rick Scott appointed Frank to the Florida Development Finance Corporation Board of Directors, where he serves as Chair.
A SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS LEADER AND ATTORNEY
Frank is the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel for the Sansing Dealer Group, an organization with over 650 employees and stores throughout Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.Frank graduated from Southern Methodist University School Law and was the President of the Federalist Society chapter. Frank has practiced law in Texas and Florida for over 15 years. Prior to entering public service, Frank practiced law as an Attorney at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, a top national law firm.
UNMATCHED EXPERIENCE FIGHTING FOR CONSERVATIVE VALUES
As a Florida legislator, Frank
Former Secretary; U.S. Department of Labor
Rene Alexander Acosta is an American attorney and politician, who served as the 27th United States Secretary of Labor from 2017 to 2019.
Secretary Acosta is the son of Cuban refugees, a native of Miami, and first-generation college graduate. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard University.
Following law school, he worked as a law clerk for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He then worked at the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis and went on to teach at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia School of Law.
Secretary Acosta has served in three presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed positions. In 2002, he was appointed to serve as a member of the National Labor Relations Board, where he participated in or authored more than 125 opinions. In 2003, he was appointed Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and from 2005 to 2009 he served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
Prior to his tenure at the Department of Labor, Secretary Acosta served as the dean of the FIU College of Law.
Secretary Acosta has twice been named one of the nation’s 50 most influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business magazine. He was also named to the list of 100 most influential individuals in business ethics in 2008. In 2013, the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce presented him with the Chairman’s Higher Education Award in recognition of his “outstanding achievements, leadership and determination throughout a lifetime of caring and giving back to the community.”
Secretary Acosta and his wife enjoy spending time together as a family, raising their two daughters.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
Judge Katsas was appointed to the D.C. Circuit in December 2017. He graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, where he was an executive editor on the Harvard Law Review. Between 1989 and 1992, he served as a law clerk to Judge Edward Becker on the Third Circuit, to then-Judge Clarence Thomas on the D.C. Circuit, and to Justice Thomas on the Supreme Court. Between 1992 and 2001, he was an associate and then partner in the Washington office of Jones Day, where he specialized in appellate and complex civil litigation. Between 2001 and 2009, he served in many senior positions in the Department of Justice, including as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division and as Acting Associate Attorney General. In 2009, he returned to Jones Day. From January to December 2017, he served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President.
Before joining the bench, Judge Katsas argued more than 75 appeals, including three cases in the Supreme Court, 13 cases in the D.C. Circuit, and cases in every other federal court of appeals. By appointment of the Chief Justice, he served on the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules from 2013 to 2017. In 2016, he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Scott Pruitt served as the 14th Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
As Administrator, Mr. Pruitt’s overarching goal was to lead EPA in a way that our future generations inherit a better and healthier environment as he works with the thousands of dedicated public servants at EPA who have devoted their careers to helping realize this shared vision, while faithfully administering environmental laws.
Prior to the EPA, Pruitt served as the Attorney General for Oklahoma. Almost immediately upon taking office, he worked with his Democratic counterpart in Arkansas to reach agreement to study the water quality of the Illinois River, which crosses the border between the two states and has been enjoyed by generations of Oklahomans. The Statement of Joint Principles provides for a best science study using EPA-approved methods, with both states agreeing, for the first time, to be bound by the outcome.
Also during his tenure as Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Pruitt led an historic water rights settlement between Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and the Choctaw and Chickasaw Tribal Nations that preserved the ecosystems of scenic lakes and rivers on native lands. The agreement, which required Congressional approval, was enacted into Section 3608 of Public Law 114-322 and signed in December 2016. It provides a framework that fosters intergovernmental collaboration on significant water resource concerns with the settlement area, while at the same time protecting existing water rights and affirming the state’s role in water rights permitting and administration.
Water settlement cases can be lengthy, costly, divisive and disruptive; however under Pruitt’s forward-thinking leadership, the process was hailed by all parties as one of commitment, hard work, perseverance and cooperation.
Pruitt became a national leader through a career of advocating to keep power in the hands of hard-working Americans. He has a proven track record of working with others – including industry, farmers, ranchers, landowners and small business owners - who want to do the right thing by the environment.
He has dedicated his career to creating policy that serves the people. He strongly believes that environmental law, policy and progress are all based on cooperation between the states, cooperation between the states and EPA, and cooperation between regulators and the public. As Attorney General for Oklahoma, he led the state’s legal challenges against property rights intrusion, while protecting Oklahoma’s natural resources and environment.
He is recognized as a national leader in the cause to restore the proper balance between the states and federal government, and he established Oklahoma’s first federalism unit to combat unwarranted regulation and overreach by the federal government.
Before being elected attorney general, he served eight years in the Oklahoma State Senate where he was a leading voice for fiscal responsibility.
After earning his Bachelor’s Degree from Georgetown College and graduating from the University of Tulsa College of Law, Pruitt went into private legal practice, specializing in constitutional law.
In addition to his life as a civil servant, Pruitt is a successful entrepreneur. As a co-owner and managing general partner of Oklahoma City’s Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate, the Oklahoma City Redhawks, Mr. Pruitt took over the team’s marketing operations and helped the team become one of the minor league leaders in attendance and merchandise sales.
Pruitt is, first and foremost, a family man. He and Marlyn, his wife of 27 years, proudly raised their daughter, McKenna, and son, Cade, in Tulsa. Pruitt has made it a priority to pass on to his children the same principled family values with which he was raised.
Former Secretary; U.S. Department of Labor
Rene Alexander Acosta is an American attorney and politician, who served as the 27th United States Secretary of Labor from 2017 to 2019.
Secretary Acosta is the son of Cuban refugees, a native of Miami, and first-generation college graduate. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Harvard University.
Following law school, he worked as a law clerk for Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He then worked at the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis and went on to teach at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia School of Law.
Secretary Acosta has served in three presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed positions. In 2002, he was appointed to serve as a member of the National Labor Relations Board, where he participated in or authored more than 125 opinions. In 2003, he was appointed Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and from 2005 to 2009 he served as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
Prior to his tenure at the Department of Labor, Secretary Acosta served as the dean of the FIU College of Law.
Secretary Acosta has twice been named one of the nation’s 50 most influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business magazine. He was also named to the list of 100 most influential individuals in business ethics in 2008. In 2013, the South Florida Hispanic Chamber of Commerce presented him with the Chairman’s Higher Education Award in recognition of his “outstanding achievements, leadership and determination throughout a lifetime of caring and giving back to the community.”
Secretary Acosta and his wife enjoy spending time together as a family, raising their two daughters.
Judge, United States Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
Judge Katsas was appointed to the D.C. Circuit in December 2017. He graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School, where he was an executive editor on the Harvard Law Review. Between 1989 and 1992, he served as a law clerk to Judge Edward Becker on the Third Circuit, to then-Judge Clarence Thomas on the D.C. Circuit, and to Justice Thomas on the Supreme Court. Between 1992 and 2001, he was an associate and then partner in the Washington office of Jones Day, where he specialized in appellate and complex civil litigation. Between 2001 and 2009, he served in many senior positions in the Department of Justice, including as Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division and as Acting Associate Attorney General. In 2009, he returned to Jones Day. From January to December 2017, he served as Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy Counsel to the President.
Before joining the bench, Judge Katsas argued more than 75 appeals, including three cases in the Supreme Court, 13 cases in the D.C. Circuit, and cases in every other federal court of appeals. By appointment of the Chief Justice, he served on the Advisory Committee on Appellate Rules from 2013 to 2017. In 2016, he was elected to membership in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers.
Former Administrator, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Scott Pruitt served as the 14th Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
As Administrator, Mr. Pruitt’s overarching goal was to lead EPA in a way that our future generations inherit a better and healthier environment as he works with the thousands of dedicated public servants at EPA who have devoted their careers to helping realize this shared vision, while faithfully administering environmental laws.
Prior to the EPA, Pruitt served as the Attorney General for Oklahoma. Almost immediately upon taking office, he worked with his Democratic counterpart in Arkansas to reach agreement to study the water quality of the Illinois River, which crosses the border between the two states and has been enjoyed by generations of Oklahomans. The Statement of Joint Principles provides for a best science study using EPA-approved methods, with both states agreeing, for the first time, to be bound by the outcome.
Also during his tenure as Oklahoma’s Attorney General, Pruitt led an historic water rights settlement between Oklahoma, Oklahoma City and the Choctaw and Chickasaw Tribal Nations that preserved the ecosystems of scenic lakes and rivers on native lands. The agreement, which required Congressional approval, was enacted into Section 3608 of Public Law 114-322 and signed in December 2016. It provides a framework that fosters intergovernmental collaboration on significant water resource concerns with the settlement area, while at the same time protecting existing water rights and affirming the state’s role in water rights permitting and administration.
Water settlement cases can be lengthy, costly, divisive and disruptive; however under Pruitt’s forward-thinking leadership, the process was hailed by all parties as one of commitment, hard work, perseverance and cooperation.
Pruitt became a national leader through a career of advocating to keep power in the hands of hard-working Americans. He has a proven track record of working with others – including industry, farmers, ranchers, landowners and small business owners - who want to do the right thing by the environment.
He has dedicated his career to creating policy that serves the people. He strongly believes that environmental law, policy and progress are all based on cooperation between the states, cooperation between the states and EPA, and cooperation between regulators and the public. As Attorney General for Oklahoma, he led the state’s legal challenges against property rights intrusion, while protecting Oklahoma’s natural resources and environment.
He is recognized as a national leader in the cause to restore the proper balance between the states and federal government, and he established Oklahoma’s first federalism unit to combat unwarranted regulation and overreach by the federal government.
Before being elected attorney general, he served eight years in the Oklahoma State Senate where he was a leading voice for fiscal responsibility.
After earning his Bachelor’s Degree from Georgetown College and graduating from the University of Tulsa College of Law, Pruitt went into private legal practice, specializing in constitutional law.
In addition to his life as a civil servant, Pruitt is a successful entrepreneur. As a co-owner and managing general partner of Oklahoma City’s Triple-A minor league baseball affiliate, the Oklahoma City Redhawks, Mr. Pruitt took over the team’s marketing operations and helped the team become one of the minor league leaders in attendance and merchandise sales.
Pruitt is, first and foremost, a family man. He and Marlyn, his wife of 27 years, proudly raised their daughter, McKenna, and son, Cade, in Tulsa. Pruitt has made it a priority to pass on to his children the same principled family values with which he was raised.
Professor of Law, University of Minnesota Law School
Professor James W. Coleman is a scholar of energy law. He specializes in North American energy infrastructure, transport, and trade. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute focused on energy policy.
Professor Coleman has testified before Congress on steps to speed up energy infrastructure permits. He also worked with a team of experts as part of Alberta's Royalty Review to revise the Canadian province's management of its vast oil and gas resources.
Before joining Minnesota, Professor Coleman taught at Southern Methodist University's Dedman School of Law, the University of Calgary’s law and business schools, and Harvard Law School. Earlier, he practiced environmental and appellate law at Sidley Austin in Washington, D.C., and clerked for the Honorable Steven M. Colloton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Professor Coleman received two degrees from Harvard University—a J.D. (cum laude) and B.A. in biology (magna cum laude with highest honors in the field). As a result of his undergraduate thesis on butterfly genetics, which required fieldwork in Central Asia, a species of lycaenid butterfly was named after him—Agrodiaetus ripartii colemani.
Chairman and CEO, NTELX
As Chairman and CEO, Rob sets the vision and direction for NTELX. Rob is a former member of the US Federal Maritime Commission and an internationally recognized expert in maritime and US transportation policy; his experience spans energy, transportation, safety and environmental regulation, and other public policy issues. Rob is a prolific writer and speaker, frequently cited in the media and called upon for expert testimony. He has been a senior policy advisor to numerous public figures and to Congress. He received his undergraduate degree in biology at Rice University and his Master’s in public and private management from Yale University’s School of Organization and Management. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and other public policy and security advisory bodies.
Partner, Blank Rome
Jonathan Waldron concentrates his practice in maritime, international, and environmental law, including maritime security. Jon counsels clients, both domestically and internationally, in areas such as:
Jon served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 20 years, attaining the rank of commander, and was senior counsel to the Marine Spill Response Corporation, where he provided on-scene legal advice at major spill events.
He is ranked by Chambers USA as a leading attorney for shipping regulatory matters, with Chambers sources stating that he has a “deep knowledge of maritime and environmental laws” and is “iconic when it comes to D.C. regulatory matters.” Chambers has also noted that Jon is “knowledgeable but practical” and is “known for his prominence in matters relating to the Coast Guard.” Sources say that he is “the ultimate professional,” “knowledgeable, wise, well known in the industry and a pleasure to work with,” and particularly appreciate that he is “very well connected within the Coast Guard.”
Partner, Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLP
Peter focuses his legal practice on representing management in employment-related litigation and in contract negotiations, NLRB proceedings, EEO matters and arbitration.
Peter Kirsanow is a partner with Benesch’s Labor & Employment Practice Group. He returned to Benesch in January 2008 after serving as a presidential appointee to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in Washington D.C. for two years. While serving on the NLRB, he was involved with significant decisions including Oakwood Healthcare, Inc., Dana/Metaldyne and Oil Capital Sheet Metal, Inc. In addition, Peter testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the nominations of John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court. He also continues to testify before and advise members of the U.S. Congress on employment law matters, most recently on November 18 before the House Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight regarding disparate impact theory.
Peter was recently reappointed by the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives to his fourth consecutive six-year term on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. This is a part-time position which will expire in December 2025.
Recently, Peter and a team of Benesch attorneys served as lead counsel to the National Association of Manufacturers in litigation before the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia against the NLRB, challenging the Board’s Notice of Employer Rights Posting Rule. The court ruled in favor of Benesch’s client, striking down the NLRB’s Rule in its entirety. This ruling impacts over 6,000,000 employers nationwide which would have been subject to the posting requirement.
Additionally, Peter is past chair of the board of directors of the Center for New Black Leadership and is a member of Benesch’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. This committee helps ensure that the firm promotes an environment in which differences are respected, employees are treated fairly, and individual skills and talents are valued.
President, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty; Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for Religious Liberty, Catholic University; Visiting Professor, Harvard Law School
Mark joined the Becket team in 2011 and splits his time as Associate Professor at The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law, and as Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School. Mark teaches constitutional law, religious liberty, torts, and evidence. He has been voted Teacher of the Year three years in a row by the Law School’s Student Bar Association.
Mark has broad experience litigating First Amendment religious exercise and free speech cases. He has represented the winning parties in a variety of Supreme Court First Amendment cases including Hobby Lobby, Little Sisters, Wheaton College, and Holt. In January 2014, Mark argued before the Supreme Court in McCullen v. Coakley, a First Amendment challenge to a Massachusetts speech restriction outside of abortion clinics. The Justices ruled in favor of his clients 9-0. Mark also led a successful eight-year litigation battle against Governor Blagojevich’s effort to force religious pharmacists to distribute the morning-after and week-after pills.
Mark’s academic writing focuses on the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and has appeared in a variety of prestigious journals, including the Harvard Law Review.
Mark is a widely sought after speaker on constitutional issues, particularly concerning abortion and the First Amendment. Professor Rienzi has been invited to discuss these issues at Harvard Law School, Columbia University Law School, Georgetown University Law Center, Boston College Law School, Notre Dame Law School, the National Press Club, and the Capitol. He has been quoted on constitutional law issues on NPR, in the Washington Times, The New York Daily News, and the Chicago Sun-Times. Mark has also been featured on the Kelly File, Fox News Sunday, Your World with Neil Cavuto, Geraldo at Large, CNN Tonight, CNN Live, Andrea Mitchell Reports, and Wall Street Journal Live.
Prior to joining Becket, Mark served as counsel for the litigation department and the intellectual property litigation practice group of WilmerHale LLP. His practice focused on complex civil and appellate litigation with a particular emphasis on intellectual property and First Amendment issues. Prior to joining WilmerHale, he served as law clerk to the Hon. Stephen F. Williams, senior circuit judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. Prior to that, Mark was an editor of the Harvard Law Review, and earned his J.D. from Harvard Law School and B.A. from Princeton University, both with honors.
Partner, Bracewell LLP
Jeffrey Holmstead, former assistant administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency for Air and Radiation, is one of the nation’s leading climate change lawyers as recognized by Chambers USA (2008-2016) and heads the environmental strategies group (ESG) at Bracewell. The ESG is a multi-disciplinary group that includes environmental and energy attorneys, public policy advocates and strategic communications experts – most of whom have had high-level government experience. Under Jeffrey’s leadership, they work together on a daily basis to advise and defend companies and business groups confronting major environmental and energy-development challenges, both domestically and globally.
From his time in both the government and the private sector, Jeffrey is very familiar with the environmental and energy challenges facing the business community. He advises clients dealing with an increasingly complex regulatory, legal and public relations landscape, drawing on his experience in policy development, administrative and legislative advocacy, litigation and strategic communications. He has worked with clients in a number of industries on issues related to climate change, Clean Air Act policy and enforcement, and energy policy — including the development of new coal-fired power plants, refineries, renewable energy sources, and electric transmission infrastructure.
Jeffrey headed the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation from 2001 to 2005, longer than anyone in EPA history. During his tenure, he was the architect of several of the agency’s most important initiatives, including the Clean Air Interstate Rule, the Clean Air Diesel Rule, the Mercury Rule for power plants and the reform of the New Source Review program. He also oversaw the development of the Bush Administration’s Clear Skies Legislation and key parts of its Global Climate Change Initiative. Between 1989 and 1993, Jeffrey served on the White House Staff as Associate Counsel to former President George H.W. Bush. In that capacity, he was involved in the passage of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 and the key steps taken to implement those amendments. From 1987 to 1988, he served as a law clerk to Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
He received his B.A. from Brigham Young University, summa cum laude, and his J.D. from Yale Law School.
Partner, Resolution Economics
Victoria Lipnic is a Partner at Resolution Economics. She leads the Company’s Human Capital Strategy Group. The Human Capital Strategy Group combines the Company’s expertise in data analytics and deep knowledge of regulatory requirements with an interdisciplinary approach to advise organizations on the full range of their human capital needs and reporting requirements including recruitment, selection, promotions, DE&I, pay equity, and overall talent allocation.
Lipnic joined Resolution Economics in 2021. She has broad experience in the full range of human capital, labor and employment issues, especially from the regulatory enforcement perspective. Prior to joining the Company she served as Commissioner from 2010 to 2020 and Acting Chair from 2017 to 2019 of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She was appointed to the EEOC by President Barack Obama and unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate. At the EEOC she worked on policy, cases, and regulations under all of the statutes enforced by the Commission including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Equal Pay Act (EPA), the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). While at the EEOC she participated in numerous agency regulatory initiatives including the final GINA regulations, the ADA, as amended, regulations, and the revisions to the EEO-1 form to include pay data reporting. She organized the agency’s first public meeting on Big Data in Employment, created its Chief Data Officer position, oversaw development of the Office of Enterprise Data and Analytics and published a significant report on age discrimination. She co-chaired the EEOC’s Select Task Force on the Study of Harassment in the Workplace, and co-authored its seminal report, issued in 2016, before the #MeToo movement.
Prior to joining the EEOC, she practiced law with Seyfarth Shaw, LLP. She also served as the U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Employment Standards from 2002 to January 2009, a position she was appointed to by President George W. Bush. At the Department of Labor she oversaw regulatory development and enforcement for the Wage and Hour Division, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), the Office of Labor Management Standards and four national workers’ compensation programs. This included oversight and enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, Executive Order 11246 and the Labor Management Reporting Disclosure Act.
Prior to her service as Assistant Secretary, Lipnic served as Workforce Policy Counsel to the Committee on Education and the Workforce in the U.S. House of Representatives. She was also in-house counsel for labor and employment with the U.S. Postal Service.
Chief Financial Officer, Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Gary Leff is the chief financial officer at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University.
Previously he was the director of development for Mercatus, and prior to that the program director for the Institute for Humane Studies Liberty & Society summer seminars.
He has assisted several market-oriented organizations with their fundraising programs, having written direct mail prospecting letters for them under the signatures of Dick Armey, Tom DeLay, Bill Archer, Paul Ryan, and others.
He has been cited in numerous publications including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post and his favorite, Austin Womanmagazine.
Mr. Leff first came to Washington as a Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow at the Tax Foundation where he co-authored (with Arthur P. Hall) the excitingly-titled "A Half Century of Small Business Federal Income Tax Rates and Collections."
A renowned expert on airline, hotel, and credit card loyalty programs, Mr. Leff served as senior moderator and member-elected board president of Flyertalk.com, the world’s most popular online travel community. He was named one of five voices to listen to on business travel by Inside Flyer magazine, and one of five travel experts to follow on Twitter by Conde’ Nast Travel. The launch of his blog in 2008 at BoardingArea.com was covered in the New York Times and International Herald Tribune, and its influence over the travel industry has been noted in multiple stories by the New York Times and Washington Times.
Perspectives on the Florida Office of Attorney General
Jay Fant, Ashley Moody, Ross Spano, Ryan Torrens, Frank White
2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference
2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference The panelists discussed the roles and responsibilities of Attorney Generals...
Perspectives on the Florida Office of Attorney General
Jay Fant, Ashley Moody, Ross Spano, Ryan Torrens, Frank White
2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference
2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference The panelists discussed the roles and responsibilities of Attorney Generals...
Florida Chapters Banquet Discussion
R. Alexander Acosta, Gregory G. Katsas, Scott Pruitt
2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference
2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference Panel Discussion Participants: Hon. R. Alexander Acosta - Secretary, United...
Florida Chapters Banquet Discussion
R. Alexander Acosta, Gregory G. Katsas, Scott Pruitt
2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference
2018 Annual Florida Chapters Conference Panel Discussion Participants: Hon. R. Alexander Acosta - Secretary, United...
Time to Reform the Jones Act?
James W. Coleman, Rob Quartel, Jonathan Waldron
Regulatory Transparency Project Co-Sponsored Event
Section 27 of the Merchant Marine Act of 1920, colloquially known as the Jones Act,...
Race, Sex, and the Administrative State
Peter Kirsanow
Short video featuring Peter Kirsanow
What effect has disparate impact theory had on the administrative state? Peter Kirsanow, a partner...
The Administrative State and Religious Freedom
Mark L. Rienzi
Short video featuring Mark Rienzi
Why is there so much conflict between the administrative state and religion? Mark Rienzi, professor...
Introduction to the Energy & Environment Working Group
Jeffrey Holmstead
Regulatory Transparency Project's Fourth Branch Video
Jeffrey Holmstead is the Chairman of RTP's Energy & Environment working group and Partner, Bracewell...
A View from the Top: DOL, EEOC, and NLRB
Victoria Lipnic
Short video featuring Victoria Lipnic
Do administrative agencies have a role in preventing discrimination in the workplace? Victoria Lipnic, the...
Airline Law and Regulation: A Brief History [POLICYbrief]
Gary Leff
Short video featuring Gary Leff
Why is the airline industry one of the most heavily regulated and subsidized industries in...