Board of Advisors

Sohrab Ahmari, J.D.

Sohrab Ahmari is the former op-ed editor of the New York Post, a columnist for First Things, and a contributing editor of the Catholic Herald.

Previously, he served as a columnist and editor for the Wall Street Journal and as senior writer at Commentary. His writing has also appeared in The New York Times, The Times Literary Supplement, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Spectator, Dissent, and America. He began as a freelance journalist commenting on the disputed 2009 elections in Iran while attending Northeastern University School of Law.

Born in Tehran, Sohrab moved to the United States at the age of 13 in 1998.

Sohrab is the author of The New Philistines, a critique of identity politics; From Fire, by Water, a spiritual memoir about his conversion to Catholicism; and The Unbroken Thread: Discovering the Wisdom of Tradition in an Age of Chaos, a case for timeless truths.

Christina Bennett

Christina Bennett writes and speaks on behalf of the pro-life cause. Her passion stems from her powerful personal story. Christina was moments away from being aborted, but a miraculous encounter with a stranger changed her mother’s mind and saved Christina’s life. Upon hearing this story in her 20s, Christina dedicated her life to ending abortion, serving in various leadership roles for pro-life organizations, most recently as a Client Services Manager at a crisis pregnancy center. Moreover, she has testified for the cause at two congressional hearings and in the Oval Office. As a Live Action News Correspondent, Christina has appeared on Fox News Primetime, The Christian Broadcasting Network, and radio stations nationwide. Christina lives in Connecticut with her husband and family.

Matthew Birk

Matthew Birk is a former American football center. He played college football at Harvard, was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, and later played for the Baltimore Ravens. He is a two-time All-Pro, six-time Pro Bowl selection, and one-time Super Bowl champion.

Birk established the HIKE Foundation in 2002 to assist at-risk children from elementary school through college. The foundation launched “Ready, Set, Read!” in select Baltimore area public schools helping approximately 100,000 students improve their reading skills through an incentive-based system. Birk received the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2011 for his commitment to improving literacy.

After the Ravens won the Super Bowl, Birk chose not to attend the celebratory meeting with President Barack Obama noting that the president said in a recent speech, “God bless Planned Parenthood.” As a pro-life activist, Birk did not want to be seen as endorsing that statement in any way.

Louis Brown

Louis Brown Jr., J.D. serves as the Executive Director of the Christ Medicus Foundation, a Catholic health ministry whose mission is to share the healing love of Christ by (1) promoting medical conscience rights, (2) advising Catholic health care entities on expanding Christ-centered pro-life care, and (3) providing the CURO Catholic health care community that serves the medical needs and whole person health of individuals and families. An attorney, Louis has worked in private law practice, for a state Catholic conference, and on Capitol Hill as a U.S. Congressman’s legislative counsel. He has also served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) where he worked to enforce federal civil rights laws.  Brown sits on the board of directors of two Catholic health entities and co-founded the Catholic Health Care Leadership Alliance.

Brian Burch

Brian Burch is the President and Co-Founder of CatholicVote, a national organization inspired by St. John Paul II’s call for a New Evangelization and known for its professionalism, fidelity to the Gospel, and commitment to America’s founding principles.

CatholicVote’s videos have inspired millions and have helped grow the organization to over 500,000 members in less than 4 years. Brian frequently appears on national networks, in national publications, on talk radio, and on Catholic radio nationwide.

Brian co-authored The American Catholic Almanac, a daily reader of notable American saints, sinners, and heroes that have shaped American public life.  He is a graduate of the University of Dallas with a degree in Political Philosophy and a founding director of the Illinois Catholic Prayer Breakfast.  Brian serves on the Board of Seton Academy Montessori School in Villa Park, IL. 

Brian and his wife Sara are the grateful parents of nine children.

John Bursch

John Bursch is senior counsel and vice president of appellate advocacy with Alliance Defending Freedom, the world’s largest organization committed to protecting religious liberty, free speech, marriage and family, parental rights, and the sanctity of life.

John has argued 12 cases in the U.S. Supreme Court and three dozen cases in state supreme courts around the country. He has participated in a wide variety of pro-life cases in federal and state courts, including a key role in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Supreme Court case that overturned Roe v. Wade, and in several states’ post-Roe efforts to enforce pro-life laws.

In recognition of his work, John has been inducted as a Fellow of the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers and also serves as a member of the American Law Institute. He is listed annually in Best Lawyers, Michigan Super Lawyers, and Benchmark Litigation.

Shawn Carney

In 2004, Shawn Carney, President of 40 Days for Life, helped lead the first ever 40 Days for Life campaign and has been instrumental in growing 40 Days for Life nationally and internationally.

As featured in the hit movie Unplanned, Shawn turned a now closed Planned Parenthood facility into the headquarters for 40 Days for Life – one of 112 abortion facilities that have closed following 40 Days for Life campaigns.

Shawn is a sought-after speaker and a prolific writer. He has co-authored two books 40 Days for Life: Discover What God Has Done … Imagine What He Can Do (Amazon’s Top Rated Christian book) and What to Say When: The Complete New Guide to Discussing Abortion, and he has authored two books The Beginning of the End of Abortion and To the Heart of the Matter. He also has executive produced several award-winning pro-life documentaries.

Dr. William E. Chavey

Dr. William E. Chavey is Professor Emeritus of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan. He is also founder, medical director and Chairman of the Board of Emmaus Health Partners in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Emmaus was founded in 2014 as a model for a Catholic outpatient multi-specialty practice. Emmaus now includes Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Ob/Gyn and mental health. They have also integrated crisis pregnancy services seamlessly into the medical model.

His medical expertise is largely in the area of cardiology. He has also spoken widely on the concept of Catholic healthcare and has been working through the Catholic Medical Association to develop a sustainable model for independent outpatient faith-based practices.

Dr. Chavey was graduated from the University of Texas Medical Branch before completing a residency in Family Medicine at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After two years as faculty at the University of North Carolina, he returned to Michigan where he was active faculty for over 25 years. At the time of his transition to emeritus status, he was service chief for the Department of Family Medicine and Associate Chief of Staff for the University of Michigan Health System.

Marjorie Dannenfelser

Marjorie Dannenfelser is president of Susan B. Anthony List, a national organization that she has served since its founding nearly 30 years ago.  Under her leadership, SBA List and its super PAC, Women Speak Out, raised more than $61 million in the 2020 election cycle and contacted more than eight million pro-life voters. These efforts helped elect the largest incoming class of pro-life congresswomen in history, with 19 new pro-life women and 30 total serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. 

Recognized for her exemplary strategic planning skills, Dannenfelser served as the national co-chair of the Pro-Life Voices for Trump coalition in the 2016 and 2020 campaigns.

In August 2020, Dannenfelser released “Life is Winning: Inside the Fight for Unborn Children and Their Mothers,” which was ranked Amazon’s #1 New Release in NGO Policy.  An alumna of Duke University, she and her husband, Marty, live in Arlington, Virginia and have five children.

Mary Davenport

Dr. Mary Davenport received her medical degree from Tufts University, and completed her ObGyn residency at University of California, San Diego. Recently she received a master’s degree in Nutrition and Metabolism from the University of South Florida.

Dr. Davenport underwent training in NaproTechnology (Natural Procreative Technology) at Pope Paul VI Institute, emphasizing natural therapies for infertility. With others, she is a developer and author on medical abortion reversal. Additionally, she serves on several boards including the California Institute of Natural Family Planning, Breast Cancer Prevention Institute, and Maternal Life International.  Moreover, she is past president of AAPLOG, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Dr. Davenport has lectured widely in the U.S. and internationally on ethical approaches to reproductive health care. With Father Simeon Omale and friends in the San Francisco Bay area, she founded Magnificat Maternal Health Program to combat maternal mortality in central Nigeria. Dr. Davenport and her family reside in northern California.

George Delgado

Dr. George Delgado is the president and founder of Steno Institute, dedicated to increasing awareness, education and research around abortion pill reversal (APR). He founded the Abortion Pill Reversal network, in 2012. Since 2008, over 2500 women have given birth to healthy babies, thanks to the APR protocols he helped develop. In 2018, Dr. Delgado partnered with Heartbeat International, the largest pro-life organization in the world, including over 2500 affiliated pregnancy centers, maternity homes, and non-profit agencies on six continents, to expand APR’s global outreach.

He has held leadership roles with Culture of Life Family Services in San Diego, California, since 2005. Dr. Delgado is a member of the board of directors of American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

For his groundbreaking work, Dr. Delgado has received numerous awards including the St. Gianna Molla Pro-Life Award, the Servant Leader Award, the Pro-Life Innovator Award, the Legacy Award, and the Evangelium Vitae Award. He is board certified in both family medicine and hospice and palliative medicine. Dr. Delgado received his medical degree from the University of California, Davis, and completed his residency at Santa Monica Hospital/UCLA.

Mario Dickerson

Mario Dickerson serves as the Executive Director of the Catholic Medical Association, the largest association of Catholic individuals in healthcare, which aims to help its members apply the principles of the Catholic Faith to medicine.

Previously Dickerson served as Executive Director of the Augustinian Fund, Chief Advancement Officer at Valley Forge Educational Services, and National Major and Planned Gift Officer at Catholic Medical Mission Board. 

Dickerson is an accomplished lecturer, speaker, and award-winning writer.  He taught at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, and enjoys speaking on topics related to the intersection of theology and ethics in healthcare, non-profit administration, and mission-driven fundraising. 

Dickerson holds a dual bachelor’s degree in Philosophy and Theology from St. John’s University and a Masters in Theological Studies from Washington Theological Union. 

Dickerson has a passion for the Pro-Life movement, being the eleventh of twelve children, and a proud parent of six children in eastern Pennsylvania.

Marguerite Duane

Dr. Marguerite Duane is a board-certified family physician and Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University. She is also co-founder and Executive Director of FACTS – the Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Science, an organization dedicated to educating current and future medical professionals about scientifically valid fertility awareness-based methods for women’s health and family planning.

Dr. Duane currently cares for patients of all ages through her direct primary care,  house-calls based practice in Washington, DC. She previously served as medical director of the Spanish Catholic Center of Catholic Charities and as the first president of the St. Giuseppe Moscati CMA Guild.

Dr. Duane completed her M.D. degree at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and her Family Medicine residency at Lancaster General Hospital. She received a Bachelor of Science with Honors and a Master of Health Administration from Cornell University. She and her husband, Dr. Kenny Lin, are the proud parents of 4 young children.

Kristan Hawkins

Kristan Hawkins, President of Students for Life of America, is a Christian, wife, mother, author, speaker, mentor, and human rights advocate. In 2006, she was asked to launch Students for Life’s full-time operation. Under her leadership, Students for Life has grown from a handful of chapters to more than 1,200 chapters – in all fifty states.

Kristan’s expertise includes abortion, feminism, and disability advocacy. She knows firsthand that all children have value, no matter the perception of their abilities. Two of her four children have cystic fibrosis. She sees abortion as the human rights issue of our day.

Kristan is a grassroots activists admired for her leadership and diverse skills ranging from Podcast host to graphic designer to fundraiser to tech guru to chief executive.

Kristan speaks at college campuses and pro-life events throughout the United States. She works tirelessly on behalf of women, men, families, and preborn children.

Michael Kenney, J.D., LL.M.

A writer, producer, educator, and lawyer, Michael has advocated for preborn human beings and their families for more than forty years. He currently serves as President of Pro-Life Partners Foundation. He practiced law for 13 years before holding various cabinet level roles in Catholic higher education for nearly 20 years. His film credits include Unplanned and PRAY: The Story of Patrick Peyton. He has published numerous articles and co-authored In God We Trust: Morally Responsible Investing, the story behind a pro-life mutual fund with more than $2.5 billion under management. Michael holds undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Notre Dame and a masters of law from The George Washington University Law School.

Lauren Muzyka

Lauren Muzyka, President and CEO of Sidewalk Advocates for Life, oversees the organization’s vision, mission, and programs. She is an attorney and a trained Sidewalk Advocate who has appeared on media outlets throughout the world. 

Before leading Sidewalk Advocates for Life, Lauren served as Campaign Strategist for the National 40 Days for Life Team, advising 300+ campaigns. Additionally, she interned with Alliance Defending Freedom, Americans United for Life, Liberty Institute, Texas Alliance for Life, and the Collin County District Attorney’s Office.

Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish from Texas A&M and is a cum laude graduate of Ave Maria School of Law where she served as president of the pro-life club. Her greatest joy is her relationship with Jesus Christ and His Church, being married to her husband, chasing after her rescue dogs, and bringing God’s people together across denominational lines through the pro-life movement.

Michael Parker

Dr. Michael Parker served as President of the Catholic Medical Association from 2020 to 2022, a period of high visibility, particularly in response to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Along with members of the Catholic Medical Association and the Order of Malta, Dr. Parker helped establish the Order of Malta Center of Care in Columbus, which provides free medical care to the homeless and underserved. Additionally, Dr. Parker is the medical advisor to the Women’s Care Center in Columbus, and together with his family, has long supported Pro-Life initiatives.

Dr. Parker graduated cum laude from Kenyon College, earned his medical degree from The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and completed his residency in obstetrics and gynecology through The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He has served as an OBGYN for the past three decades and currently serves as the Medical Director for Employed Obstetricians at Mount Carmel Health System in Westerville, OH.  Dr. Parker and his wife Teresa live with their six children in Galena, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus.

Chad Pecknold

Chad Pecknold, Ph.D., is a Professor of Theology at The Catholic University of America and a frequent contributor to the public square. He has appeared on numerous radio and television programs, serves as Contributing Editor to The Catholic Herald, and writes for The Catholic Herald, First Things, Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, and National Review.  He has authored or edited five books on St. Augustine. 

Professor Pecknold’s expertise includes the relationship between the Church and politics in American culture. He has a keen interest in Augustine’s masterwork The City of God and how this work can serve as a lens for critiquing, correcting, and inspiring Western civilization. 

Dr. Pecknold serves on the Editorial Board of The Catholic University of America Press, as Chairman of the Academy of Catholic Theology, and as a Fellow of the Institute for Human Ecology. He is a graduate of the University of Cambridge.

Jay Richards

Jay Richards, Ph.D., is the William E. Simon Senior Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Senior Fellow at the Discovery Institute, Executive Editor of The Stream, and Research Assistant Professor in the Busch School of Business at The Catholic University of America.

Dr. Richards is author or editor of more than a dozen books, including the New York Times bestsellers Infiltrated and Indivisible and recently The Price of Panic: How the Tyranny of Experts Turned a Pandemic Into a Catastrophe.  He is also creator and executive producer of several documentaries and has appeared on over a thousand radio and television programs, including CNN, CBS Evening News, MSNBC, Fox News, PBS, CBN, TBN, and EWTN.

An experienced public speaker, Dr. Richards has lectured at scores of academic conferences, universities, think tanks, and before Congress. His debate with Christopher Hitchens, moderated by Ben Stein, was broadcast live to several hundred churches.

Haywood Robinson

Dr. Haywood Robinson is a retired Family Medicine physician who practiced in Bryan/College Station, Texas for four decades. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at Martin Luther King, Jr. Hospital/Charles R. Drew Medical School in Los Angeles, California. While there, he met and married his late wife, Noreen Johnson, M.D., who was completing her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. After residency, the couple moved to Texas to begin a thirty-eight-year journey in their joint private practice. Noreen passed away in August 2021.
Dr. Robinson was blessed to find love again. On Valentine’s Day 2023 he and the former Daphne Harris Nicely, LAS were wed. Daphne is the Founding Executive Director of Atlanta Morning Center (ATLMC), which provides Christ-centered prenatal and postpartum medical care, support, education, and advocacy at no charge, in order to extend the long-term continuum of life-affirming care to women vulnerable to abortion, as well as those vulnerable to adverse pregnancy health and birth outcomes. Together, Dr. and Mrs. Robinson serve internationally and collaborate in family, life, pregnancy care, abortion recovery, and reconciliation ministry, as well as medical missions. Collectively, they have eight children, five grandchildren, and one great grandchild.
A former abortionist, pro-life work has been Dr. Robinson’s passion since 1986. He understands the realities of abortion and demonstrates heroic compassion for both mother and child. His encouraging and principled approach points the way to a culture of life.

Ron Robinson

Ron Robinson served as President of Young America’s Foundation from 1977 to 2021. At YAF, Robinson initiated and led the effort to save President Reagan’s Western White House “Rancho del Cielo” the Reagan Ranch. He served as an advisor to the Reagan Administration’s Department of Education. 

Robinson was a founder of the Conservative political Action Conference as a staff member and Executive Director of Young Americans for Freedom. He served in those capacities from 1973-1979. 

Robinson serves as a longtime director of the American Conservative Union, Citizens United, and the Government Accountability Institute, among other conservative and pro-life organizations.

Robinson received his BA from Canisius College and his JD from The Catholic University of America. Robinson was an active member of the Virginia and Supreme Court bar until his retirement in 2021.

Robinson is co-author of The Conservative Guide to Campus Activism and Funding Fathers: The Unsung Heroes of the Conservative Movement. He is married to Michelle Easton and they have three sons and three grandchildren. Robinson lives in Naples, Florida and in Reston, Virginia.

Lila Rose

Lila Rose founded and serves as President of Live Action, a human rights nonprofit with the largest digital footprint for the global pro-life movement. Her investigative reporting on the abortion industry has been featured in most major news outlets, and her media appearances include Fox News, CNN, BBC, and many other national television and radio programs. 

Lila has addressed members of the European Parliament and spoken at the United Nation’s Commission on the Status of Women, and she has written for the Hill, Politico, USA Today, and First Things.  She speaks internationally on family and cultural issues.

Lila is the author of Fighting for Life: Becoming a Force for Change in a Wounded World and the host of “The Lila Rose Show,” a podcast that tackles faith, culture, and politics.

She has been named among National Journal’s “25 Most Influential Washington Women Under 35.”  

Raymond Ruddy

Raymond Ruddy is a retired businessman and founder of the Gerard Health Foundation, named for the patron saint of pregnant women. He is a philanthropic donor to life-saving causes such as efforts to end AIDS/HIV, abstinence education, and pro-life efforts, and he serves on the boards of life saving charities including RENEW MA, MA Family Institute, Students for Life of America, and Ecofiltro Guatemala. His commitment to building a culture of life is evident in all that he does. 

 With an eye toward achieving optimal impact, Ray advises grant seekers to submit proposals that succinctly respond to four questions:

• How many lives can you save?
• What will you do to save these lives?
• On what basis (scientific research, past experience, etc.) do you believe these many lives can be saved?
• How many dollars do you need to accomplish your objective? 

Ray’s dedication to excellence is ever present.  He is a mentor to many and his impact on the pro-life movement is timeless.  

Linda Ruf

Linda currently serves as CEO of the JPII Life Center and Vitae Clinic in Austin, TX. The Center and Clinic form a unique, hybrid model combining a full-service Natural OB/GYN practice with a pregnancy care center under one roof. The mission of the Center and Clinic is to empower women to choose life for their babies and provide the necessary emotional, financial, and medical support to ensure both mother and baby thrive. The JPII Life Center believes unifying the prolife movement post-Roe and providing educational programs that teach the scientific realities of life and dignity owed each human person from conception to natural death are key to returning our country to the values of freedom it was founded on.

Prior to her role as CEO, Linda served as Executive VP- Development for Relevant Radio, retiring in Jan 2020 after ten years of helping expand the Relevant Radio network nationwide. Linda has also worked with major media teams (NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox, MSNBC, EWTN & others) as she directed communication interest in Opus Dei from 2003-2007. She was a sought-after speaker during this period and presented in numerous locations as well as at the international “Women in the Media” conference in Rome in 2006.

Linda began her career as a CPA with Price Waterhouse, retiring to raise six children with husband, Ben, in Chicago, IL. Linda and Ben currently reside in Austin, TX. She is the proud grandmother of six and continues to be motivated by St. John Paul II’s encouraging words, “Place your intelligence, your talents, your enthusiasm, your compassion and your fortitude at the service of life!”

Alan Sears

Alan Sears founded Alliance Defending Freedom, ADF International, and ADF Foundation. ADF has played important roles in numerous victories at the United States Supreme Court and the European Court of Human Rights.

Sears served as ADF’s CEO and General Counsel for 26 years providing strategic leadership for the training of over 2,000 lawyers from 44 countries and more than 2,300 law students from 227 schools and 21 nations. He now serves as director of Kingdom Alliance Builders helping first-time CEOs of apostolates. He has co-authored/authored several books, his most recent – The Soul of a President: The Untold Story of Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Faith.

Sears has received many awards including the Edwin Meese III Originalism and Religious Liberty Award, the Thomas More Award, the William Wilberforce Award, and the Saint Juan Diego Leadership for the World Award. He earned his Juris Doctor from the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law.

Teresa Tomeo

Teresa Tomeo is an author, syndicated Catholic talk show host, and motivational speaker with more than 30 years of experience in TV, radio and newspaper.

 In the year 2000, Teresa left the secular media to start her own speaking and communications company. Her weekday morning radio program, Catholic Connection, is heard on over 500 Catholic radio stations worldwide and on the Sirius Satellite Network.

Teresa co-hosts the EWTN television series, The Catholic View for Women, and has been featured on Fox News, Fox & Friends, MSNBC, and several other national outlets.  She is a sought-after speaker discussing issues of faith, media awareness, and Catholic Church teaching, especially as it relates to the culture.

Teresa leads retreats and pilgrimages to destinations around the world, including Italy and the Holy Land and has been a delegate to and a speaker at Vatican conferences, with a particular focus on women and the family.