Home » TFAS Events » 2019 Annual Conference

2019 Annual Conference

June 27—29, 2019

775 12th Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20005, USA


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TFAS alumni and supporters reconnect at the 2018 TFAS Annual Conference. Click here to read about last year’s conference.

Come together to celebrate “The Future of Liberty + Leadership” during the 2019 TFAS Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., this summer. We’ll put you face to face with the change-makers who are leading the fight to protect freedom today and introduce you to the rising young leaders TFAS programs are preparing to carry the torch into the future.

Held during our TFAS D.C. Summer Programs, this year’s conference will show you firsthand how the TFAS Journey is cultivating the critical thinking and leadership skills necessary to create a brighter, more prosperous future for us all. View our full conference schedule below.

Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities

Online ticket sales have ended. Please contact Jane Mack at 202-986-0384 or jmack@TFAS.org if you would like to register.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for conference events. These sponsorships include complimentary registration(s), name or logo recognition in conference materials, as well as other benefits and opportunities. Click here or call 202.986.0384 to learn how you can become a 2019 Annual Conference sponsor today!

Accommodations

Marriott Metro Center
775 12th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
202.737.2200

Book your room today: You may make your reservations online or call the Marriott Metro Center at 202.737.2200 and ask for a room with The Fund for American Studies to take advantage of our special room rate of $169 per night for a standard room.

Confirmed Featured Speakers

HELEN ANDREWS

Managing Editor of the Washington Examiner Magazine and TFAS Alumna

Read Bio

GARY ARMSTRONG

Professor of Political Science at William Jewell College and TFAS Professor

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NICK BALLASY

Political Correspondent for PJ Media and TFAS Alumnus

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RICHARD BENEDETTO

Retired White House Correspondent for USA Today and TFAS Professor

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MELANIE BENIT

Activism Associate at the Institute for Justice and TFAS Alumna

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DR. ANNE BRADLEY

George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and TFAS Academic Director

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BRIANNA BUCINELL

Account Director at kglobal and TFAS Mentor

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GREG CASKEY

Ph.D. Fellow at The Mercatus Center, Creator of HipHoponomics and TFAS High School Program Instructor

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RANDY DECLEENE

Partner at kglobal and TFAS Mentor

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DR. DONALD DEVINE

TFAS Grewcock Senior Scholar and Former Civil Service Director Under President Reagan

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MICHAEL BRENDAN DOUGHERTY

Senior Editor at National Review and TFAS Alumnus

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PETER FELDMAN

Commissioner at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and TFAS Alumnus

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FRANK GARRISON

Staff Attorney at National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and TFAS Alumnus

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PAUL GIGOT

Editorial Page Editor and Vice President of The Wall Street Journal

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BRITTANY HACKETT

Web Communication Manager for the Society for Neuroscience and TFAS Alumna

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CLARA JACE

Ph.D. Candidate at George Mason University and TFAS Alumna

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MICHELLE JEFFRESS LE

Vice President of International and Alumni Programs at TFAS and TFAS Alumna

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DR. KEN LEONARD

Associate Vice President for Foundation for Teaching Economics (FTE) and TFAS High School Program Instructor

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DANIEL MCCARTHY

Director of the TFAS Novak and Rago Journalism Fellowship Programs and Editor of Modern Age

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CHERYL MILLER

Director of the Hertog Foundation and TFAS Alumna

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DR. JOSÉ PIÑERA

Former Chilean Minister of Labor and Social Security and Architect of Chile’s Personal Pension System

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ANDREW PUZDER

Former CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings and Author of “The Capitalist Comeback”

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ROGER REAM

President of The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) and TFAS Alumnus

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TOM ROONEY

Former Illinois State Senator, Illinois High School Teacher and TFAS High School Program Instructor

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KEVIN SEIFERT

Chief Operating Officer of At Ease Advisors and Senior Advisor to Former House Speaker Paul Ryan and TFAS Alumnus

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ILYA SHAPIRO

Director of the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute

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STEPHANIE SLADE

Managing Editor at Reason Magazine, Contributing Writer at America Magazine and TFAS Alumna

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ROBBY SOAVE

Associate Editor at Reason and TFAS Alumnus

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DR. BRADLEY THOMPSON

BB&T Research Professor at Clemson University and TFAS Professor

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DR. NIKOLAI WENZEL

Professor at Fayetteville State University and TFAS Professor

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Schedule of Events

Below is a schedule of events. Details will be added and updated as they are confirmed. If you have any questions, please contact Jane Mack at jmack@TFAS.org or 202.986.0384

Thursday, June 27, 2019

  • 8 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Registration and Check-in
  • Room: London 1 (Lower Level)
  • 9 – 11 a.m.
  • Board of Trustees Meeting (Members Only)
  • Room: London II
  • Noon – 2 p.m.
  • Lunch
  • Room: Salons ABC

  • Speaker: Paul Gigot, Editorial Page Editor and Vice President of The Wall Street Journal; and TFAS Trustee Fred Barnes, Senior Columnist of the Washington Examiner

  • Topic: A Conversation Between Paul Gigot and TFAS Trustee Fred Barnes

  • 3 – 5 p.m.
  • Leadership Scholars Check-In
  • Room: London II
  • 3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
  • How TFAS Teaches Freedom Around the Globe
  • Room: Salons DE

  • Moderator: Michelle Le ’95, ’96, Vice President of TFAS International Programs

  • Panelists: Dr. Nikolai Wenzel, V. Hackley Chair for the Study of Capitalism and Free Enterprise and Distinguished Professor of Economics at Fayetteville State University; Dr. Bradley Thompson, BB&T Research Professor at Clemson University and the Executive Director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism
  • 5 – 6 p.m.
  • Leadership Scholars Orientation (LSP Only)
  • Room: London II
  • 6 – 7 p.m.
  • Reception
  • Room: Grand Ballroom Foyer
  • 7 – 9 p.m.
  • Dinner
  • Room: Salons ABC

  • Speaker: José Piñera, Former Chilean Minister of Labor and Social Security

  • Topic: Lessons from the Founding Fathers to the World of Today

  • Alumni Award Presentations: Jeremy Harrell ’07, PPF ’10, Managing Director of Policy for ClearPath; and Mary Elizabeth Taylor ’10, PPF ’12, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Legislative Affairs

Friday, June 28, 2019

  • 8 – 8:30 a.m.
  • Leadership Scholars Breakfast (LSP Only)
  • Room: London II
  • 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
  • 12 Tips for the Successful Young Professional (LSP Only)
  • Room: London II

  • Speaker: Katy Gambella, Network Engagement Manager at Talent Market
  • 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
  • Breakfast
  • Room: Salons ABC
  • 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
  • TFAS Alumni’s Impact Around the Globe 
  • Hear from TFAS alumni who are leading the fight for free markets and liberty around the globe.
  • Room: Salons DE

  • Moderator: Shane Mazzella, Vice President of TFAS U.S. Programs

  • Speakers: Peter Feldman ’04, PPF ’07, Law ’07, Commissioner at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission; Nick Ballasy ’07, Political Correspondent for PJ Media; and Anna Smith Lacey ’07, ’08, PPF ‘12, Executive Director of The Hungary Initiatives Foundation
  • 10:15 – 11:45 a.m.
  • Board of Regents Meeting (Members Only)
  • Room: Capitol Hill Room (Second Floor)
  • 10:45 a.m. – Noon
  • How TFAS Continuing Education Programs Cultivate Leaders
  • Learn how TFAS continuing education programs are educating future policy leaders on the philosophical underpinning of the American Experiment.
  • Room: Salons DE

  • Moderator: Brenda Hafera, Director of TFAS International and Continuing Education Programs

  • Speakers: Melanie Benit ’14, ’15, PPF ’18, Activism Manager at the Institute for Justice; Clara Jace ’16, Ph.D. Candidate in Economics at George Mason University; and Kevin Seifert ’06, PPF ’11, Senior Advisor to Former House Speaker Paul Ryan and Chief Operating Officer of At Ease Advisors
  • 12:15 – 1:30 p.m.
  • Lunch
  • Room: Salons ABC
  • 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.
  • Breakout Sessions with FTE Faculty: Importance of High School Programs
  • Join FTE mentor teachers to experience the exercises they use every day to teach high school students and teachers about the importance of free-market economics.

  • Room 1: London II
  • Speaker: Dr. Ken Leonard, Associate Vice President of FTE
  • Topic: The Job Jungle
  • Are labor markets different from other markets? This activity examines labor markets and answers that question. Students are either employers or employees (skilled or unskilled) and learn derived demand, marginal product and supply. Variations of this activity included economic fluctuations, public assistance and overqualified workers (the Starbucks effect).

  • Room 2: Salon D
  • Speaker: Tom Rooney, Economics Teacher at West Leyden High School
  • Topic: Tic-Tac-Toe Tariff … Who Pays the Tariff?
  • In this interactive simulation, students are citizens in Country X and Country O. They are given a random “basket” of Dum Dum Pops and they trade with other students to get a more valuable “basket” by the end of the activity. But, in order to trade with people from Country X, citizens of Country O must pay the Tic-Tac-Toe Tariff which requires the playing of a game of tic-tac-toe and a visit to the customs officer for approval. Through the course of the simulation, students experience gains from trade and explore the impact of tariffs.

  • Room 3: Salon E
  • Speaker: Greg Caskey, Ph.D. Candidate in Economics at George Mason University
  • Topic: In the Chips
  • This highly interactive simulation teaches students the concepts of equilibrium price (or Market Clearing Price), supply, demand and competition. Understanding how markets work and the role of prices within markets is an important key to being able to explain and predict economic behavior. In true markets, prices are determined by the interaction of buyers and sellers.

  • 3 – 4 p.m.
  • Breakout Sessions with TFAS Faculty: A Day in the Life of a TFAS Student
  • Experience economics as TFAS students do as faculty from our TFAS D.C. Summer Programs teach an abbreviated version of one of their classes.

  • Room 1: London II
  • Speaker: Dr. Anne Bradley, George and Sally Mayer Fellow for Economic Education and TFAS Academic Director
  • Topic: The Hidden Power of Markets
  • The economic way of thinking provides a powerful addition to our analytical toolkit. It gives us the conditions and constraints of purposeful human action and helps us navigate how to best make decisions that not only advance our own well-being but make contributions to human flourishing. The hidden power of markets lies in incentives, choices and trade-offs which are grounded in human agency.

  • Room 2: Salon D
  • Speaker: Richard Benedetto, Retired White House Correspondent for USA Today and TFAS Professor
  • Topic: How the Trump Administration and the News Media Interact
  • What is the role of media in coverage of government? How does the White House manage (or manipulate) the media? How tough are the media on this administration? Are they watchdogs or the opposition party?

  • Room 3: Salon E
  • Speaker: Dr. Gary Armstrong, Professor of Political Science at William Jewell College and TFAS Professor
  • Topic: The Hinge
  • An examination of the way America debates our role in the world – pivoting the arguments between Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.
  • 4 – 6 p.m.
  • Break
  • 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.
  • Leadership Scholars Program Reception (LSP Only)
  • Room: Capitol Hill Room (Second Floor)
  • 6 – 7 p.m.
  • Reception
  • Room: Grand Ballroom Foyer
  • 7 – 9 p.m.
  • Dinner
  • Room: Salons ABC

  • Speaker: Andrew Puzder, Former CEO of CKE Restaurants Holdings
  • Topic: Why Millennials Should Embrace Capitalism, Not Socialism

  • Alumni Award Presentation: Kari Travis ’12, Novak ’18, Associate Editor at the Carolina Journal
  • 9 – 11 p.m.
  • After Dinner Reception
  • Room: Grand Ballroom Foyer

Saturday, June 29, 2019

  • 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
  • Breakfast
  • Room: Salons ABC
  • 8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
  • Leadership Scholars Breakfast and Student Update (LSP Only)
  • Room: London II
  • 9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
  • How TFAS Mentors and Internships Make a Difference
  • Learn why the TFAS mentorship program and internships are an integral part of what makes the TFAS Journey so impactful.

  • Room: Salons ABC

  • Moderator: Dana Faught, Associate Director of TFAS Recruitment, Admissions + Program Operations

  • Panelists: Brittany Hackett ’07, PPF ’15, Web Communication Manager for the Society for Neuroscience; Emily Hayes ’17, Development Coordinator for Island Press; Randy DeCleene, Partner at kglobal; Brianna Bucinell ’11, Account Director at kglobal; Ilya Shapiro, Director of the Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies at the Cato Institute; and Frank Garrison, Law ’14, Staff Attorney at the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation

  • 10:45 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.
  • Women’s Economic Rights: History and Why It Matters (LSP Only)
  • Room: London II

  • Speaker: Dr. Jayme Lemke, Senior Research Fellow and Associate Director of Academic and Student Programs at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and TFAS Professor
  • Noon – 2 p.m.
  • Lunch
  • Room: Salons ABC

  • Speaker: Roger Ream ’76, TFAS President

  • Topic: “The Future of Liberty + Leadership” Campaign Update
  • 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
  • Optional Afternoon Tour of Museum of the Bible
  • 400 4th St SW, Washington, DC 20024

  • Museum of the Bible Highlights Tour – $20 Per Person: Visit the major attractions and exhibits in this orientation tour. You will be introduced to the rich collection of artifacts and features on each floor to better guide your experience at Museum of the Bible. Engage with the top don’t-miss artifacts in the museum. Explore different exhibits to discover some of the treasures of their collection.
  • 3 – 4:30 p.m.
  • Ford’s Theater Tour (LSP Only)
  • 511 10th Street NW, Washington, DC

  • Meet in Lobby (Near Starbucks at 2:45 p.m.)
  • 6 – 8 p.m.
  • Outdoor BBQ with TFAS D.C. Summer Programs Students
  • George Washington University Yard
  • H Street Between 20th and 21st Streets NW

  • Casual Dress

Sunday, June 30, 2019

  • 8:30 – 11 a.m.
  • Farewell Breakfast Buffet (Optional)
  • Room: Salons ABC

Questions?

For more information, please contact Jane Mack at jmack@TFAS.org or 202.986.0384.

Register Today!



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