Good government
begins
in our
own backyard!
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2012 IRWC SPEAKER AGENDA
Come and hear dynamic conservative speakers!
Learn about the issues, solutions, and what
you can do to take back our country! We must win in 2012!
Also see past 2011 speakers below
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March 12, 2012
Meet the Judiciary Candidates
Special forum
Get to know those who are running for local, state
and national offices. Join us for the IRWC candidate forum.
Among confirmed
candidate attendees:
- Jeff Coen, candidate, Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals, Place 2
- David Evans, Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals, Place 2
- Kevin Keith, Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals, lace 2
- Bill Whitehill, Texas Fifth District Court of Appeals, Place 2
Note the new meeting location: Hunan Dynasty Restaurant,
8150 North MacArthur, Irving, TX.
Call our club for more details: (214) 244-0411.
Please note: The Irving Republican Women's Club does not endorse candidates during the Primary Election Period. Our forums are for information purposes only.
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__________________________________________________________
PAST PRESENTERS 2012
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Randy Dunning
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January 9, 2012
Randy Dunning
Topic: Precinct Organization, the Key to Victory in November
A proven conservative, Randy has a long history of service in the Texas Republican Party. Over the past 20 years, he has supported candidates financially and with “shoe leather” and has been a delegate to nearly every local and state convention during that time.
With a background in public service, business, and
the Republican Party, Randy Dunning has deep roots in Texas House District 112, where he is running for election. Most recently he served as Mayor Pro-Tem of Garland, the tenth largest city in Texas. Randy has lived or worked in Garland and Richardson for more than 20 years.
On the Garland City Council, Dunning earned a reputation as a principled, consistent voice for taxpayers, and he was overwhelmingly re-elected to his last term. Dunning served on Senator Deuell’s School Finance Advisory Committee and on the North Central Texas Council of Governments Emergency Preparedness Planning Council.
Randy and his wife Karen (a scientist who has trained Astronauts at the Marshall Space Flight Center) have four daughters. Randy is a Principal Software Engineer for Rockwell Collins in Richardson, where he develops communication systems used by the military to defend our nation. |
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February 13, 2012
Meet the Candidates
Special forum
Get to know those who are running for local, state
and national offices. Join us for the IRWC candidate forum. Those attending
or representated at the meeting:
- Rodney Anderson for Texas Senate District 9
- Linda Harper Brown, Texas House Representative
- Joe Chow for U.S. House, District 6
- John Carona, Texas State Senator
- Toby Goodman for Texas Senate District 9
- Frank C. Kuchar for U.S. House, District 6
- Kenny Marchant, U.S. Congressman
- Dr. Steve Nguyen for Texas House District 115
- Andy Olivo for Texas House District 115
- Bennett Ratliff, for Texas House District 115
- Matt Rinaldi, for Texas House District 115
- Grant Stinchfield for U.S. House, District 24
Note the new meeting location: Hunan Dynasty Restaurant,
8150 North MacArthur, Irving, TX.
Call our club for more details: (214) 244-0411.
Please note: The Irving Republican Women's Club does not endorse candidates during the Primary Election Period. Our forums are for information purposes only.
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PAST PRESENTERS 2011
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Erin Leu |
January 10, 2011
Erin Leu
Topic: The Liberty Institute
and Its Role in Defending Constitutioal Freedoms
Erin Leu, Esq., is a native Texan and a 2009 graduate of the Harvard Law School. During her time at Harvard, she was in the leadership of the Society for Law, Life, and Religion, served as a Senior Editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, and was an active member in the Federalist Society. Erin is a Blackstone Fellow and has worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee for Senator John Cornyn and as an intern for House Speaker Tom Craddick on the Human Services Committee. Erin graduated Phi Beta Kappa and with highest honors from the University of Texas at Austin in 2006, with degrees in both economics and government.
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Eric Opiela
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February 14, 2011
Eric Opiela
Topic:
Insights Into Federal and Texas
Election Laws
Eric Opiela, former Executive Director of the Republican Party of Texas and
current Associate General Council for the Party
A former Executive Director of the Republican Party of Texas, and current Associate General Counsel for the Party, Eric Opiela has substantial experience in Federal and Texas election law. Mr. Opiela advises numerous elected officials, political action committees, and political organizations on compliance with state and federal election regulations, and is intimately familiar with current caselaw regarding the application of the Voting Rights Act to federal, state, and local redistricting. Additionally, he has litigated several election contests at both trial and appellate levels.
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Michael Smith
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March 14, 2010
Michael Smith
Topic:
What to Do With All That Tea?
Tools to Get Government Back Under Voter Control
Michael Smith, Executive VP Heritage Alliance
Michael Smith is Executive Vice President of Heritage Alliance, a Texas-based grassroots
organization restoring Judeo-Christian values to all levels of government.
Michael’s political involvement began with the Reagan-Bush campaign, volunteering at the
1984 GOP Convention. More recently he volunteered for Coalition for a Conservative Majority
at the 2008 GOP Convention, and was an alternate at the Texas State GOP Convention in 2010.
After 20 years at Southwest Airlines, Michael joined Heritage Alliance in 2010. He lives in Dallas
with his wife and three home-schooled children
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Brett Shipp |
April 11, 2011
Brett Shipp, WFAA investigative reporter
Topic:
An Inside Investigative Report on Irving Government
Brett has worked as an investigative reporter at WFAA-TV since 1995.
His most notable work of late, the year-long inquiry into faulty natural gas couplings linked to fatal explosions and serious injuries dating back to the 1980's. Brett's investigation has led to a state order for removal of the fittings and the adoption of new natural gas safety standards statewide.
His investigation resulted in his being awarded the two most coveted prizes in broadcast journalism, the 2008 duPont Gold Baton and the 2008 George Foster Peabody Award. The seldom awarded Gold Baton from Columbia University was the first ever given to a local television reporter.
Brett's has received three duPonts and three Peabodys since 2003 in recognition for stories such as the alleged inhumane treatment of women and children immigrants at a federal prison in Texas, the Fake Drug Scandal at the Dallas Police Department and the mistreatment of injured workers by the Texas Workers Comp Commission which was abolished as a result.
In 2003 and 2005, Brett was named as a finalist for Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Journalism by Harvard University.
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Melinda
Determan Frericks |
June 13, 2011
Melinda Determan Fredricks
Topic:
On Critical Issues Facing Our Government
Republican Party of Texas Vice Chairman
Melinda Fredricks was elected Vice Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas at the 2010 State Convention. From 2000-2008, Melinda served on the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) representing Senate District 4, and was appointed by Chairman Tina Benkiser to chair the SREC Ballot Security Subcommittee in 2004. In 2001, RPT Chairman Susan Weddington awarded Melinda with the “Seed Sower” Award for her work as an SREC member. Ms. Frecricks' parents are members of the Irving Republican Women's Club.
Melinda has been a delegate to precinct, senate district, and state conventions since 1994, first from Denton County and later from Montgomery County. She chaired the Senate District 4 Caucus at the 2004, 2006, and 2008 State Conventions.
As a delegate to the 2008 Republican National Convention, Melinda represented Texas on the National Convention Rules Committee. In 2004, she represented Congressional District 8 as an alternate delegate to the National Convention in New York City.
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Cathie Adams
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August 8, 2011
Cathie Adams, chairman, Eagle Forum International Issues
Topic:
Insights Into the United Nations Agenda 21
Cathie Adams currently serves as the “International Issues” chairman for Eagle Forum and on the board of the national Eagle Forum. She previously served five years as president of the Dallas Eagle Forum and 16 years as president of the Texas Eagle Forum, until being elected chairman of the Republican Party of Texas in 2009.
Cathie has been an election judge, a member of the district, state and national resolutions/platform committees; and a delegate to five Republican National Conventions. She has served as both Republican National Committeewoman for Texas and as Chairman of the Republican Party of Texas.
Most recently, Cathie has been observing the United Nations design a Green Climate Fund. As an observer of major UN conferences since 1995, Cathie enjoys telling about her experiences. She attended the Women’s Conference in Beijing, China; the Housing Summit in Istanbul, Turkey; the Food Summit in Rome, Italy; and a number of Climate Change meetings in Kyoto, Japan, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Bonn, Germany, The Hague, Netherlands, Poznan, Poland and Cancun, Mexico. When the International Criminal Court was created in Rome in 1998, Cathie attended the proceedings. She also attended the 2000 Millennium Summit in New York City, the Global Taxing Summit in Monterrey, Mexico, and the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. She traveled to Hong Kong for a Ministerial Meeting of the World Trade Organization.
Mrs. Cathie Adams is a full-time volunteer. She has been married to Dr. Homer Adams for 42 years and they have five grandchildren. |
Wade Emmert |
September 12, 2011
Wade Emmert, Dallas County Republican Chairman
Topic: Dallas GOP Path to Victory in 2012
As a Republican Candidate for Dallas County Judge 2009-2010, Wade Emmert built a massive campaign for Dallas County Judge and almost took the top County job away from the Democrats.
He served on the City Councilman, Cedar Hill 2004-2010 where he led the charge for lower taxes and fiscal responsibility. He was the lead attorney representing Linda Harper-Brown 2008-2009 when the Democrats tried to steal the election by challenging electronic ballots.
He also served as cCo-chair of Ballot Integrity, Dallas County 2008 & 2010 and as
Cedar Hill Precinct Chair Coordinator 2007.
Mr. Emmert is an experience partner in one of the oldest law firms in Dallas and has been rRecognized by Texas Monthly and Law & Politics as one of the top attorneys in Texas.
In addition, he has served as president of Cedar Hill Economic Development Corporation,
Board member and Chairman of the Best Southwest Partnership, Chamber and on the
Methodist Charlton Medical Center, Hospital Advisory Board.
He receied his Juris Doctor law degree from Baylor Law School in1995, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from
Abilene Christian University, B.B.A. Business & International Studies in 1992.
Wade is a memer of Mensa. He has been married to Michelle Ashley Emmert for 18 years and has two sons, Walker and Will. He is a
Deacon and teacher in local Church.
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Dr. Merrill Matthews Jr. |
October 10, 2011
Dr. Merrill Matthews Jr.
Visiting Scholar, Institute fokr Policy Innovation
Topic: If the Economy Doesn't Evict Obama From the White House, ObamaCare Will.
Merrill Matthews, Ph.D., is a resident scholar with the Institute for Policy Innovation, a research-based, public policy “think tank.” He is a health policy expert and the past president of the Health Economics Roundtable for the National Association for Business Economics, the largest trade association of business economists.
Dr. Matthews served for 10 years as the medical ethicist for the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center’s Institutional Review Board for Human Experimentation, and has contributed chapters to several books, including Physician Assisted Suicide: Expanding the Debate and The 21st Century Health Care Leader and, in 2009, Stop Paying the Crooks (on Medicare fraud). He also serves on the Texas Advisory Committee of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission.
He has been published in numerous journals and newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, Barron’s, USA Today, Forbes magazine and The Washington Times. He was an award-winning political analyst for the USA Radio Network, appears occasionally on National Public Radio and for several years had a daily one-minute commentary on Sirius-XM.
Dr. Matthews received his Ph.D. in Humanities from the University of Texas at Dallas.
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Lisa Chambers |
November 14, 2011
Lisa Chambers, Former Director, Office of Homeland Security
and Emergency Management, Dallas County
Topic: Our World Post 9/11: Are we safer today?
Lisa served as the County representative on matters related to homeland security and emergency preparedness; served as the EOC commander during activation; coordinated day to day activities in the department to include communications with jurisdictions in the County and State of Texas Department of Emergency Management; served as a liaison officer to federal agencies in the region and emergency preparedness partners; served as public information officer for the department.
Background: Lisa is a former intelligence officer with service in the CIA clandestine service and as a CIA spokesperson in the public affairs office. Her federal government service also includes managing a bilateral program in Tokyo between the Government of Japan and Department of Defense. Lisa has extensive overseas experience and managed the Security Operations Center in the Athletes’ Village during the 1998 Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. She is a fluent Japanese speaker.
Lisa holds a B.A. in English and Japanese from the University of Texas at Austin and was recently nominated as “Outstanding Alumni under 40” by the Texas Exes Association. She also performed regularly as a stand-up comedienne in New York City.
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Justice Lana Meyers
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Decemer 12, 2011
No regular meeting in December!
Special Christmas Celebration
6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. December 12, 2011
Location: Home of Wendy and Robert Kecseg
4416 Windsor Ridge Drive, Irving, TX 75038
Installation of Officers by Justice Lana Meyers
RSVP: Elena Blake ebblake@tx.rr.com |
Good government begins in our own back yard!
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