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Missouri Boys State is fortunate to enjoy a rich history of prominent Lehr Memorial Chair keynote speakers. Click here to see the full list of speakers dating back to 1989.
ANTHONY ROBLES
Saturday, June 22, 2024
Anthony Robles is a three-time all-American wrestler who won the 2010-11 NCAA wrestling championship in the 125-pound weight class despite being born with only one leg. A graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in Business Communication, he was also awarded the 2011 NCAA “Best Wrestler of the National Tournament Award”.
Robles is the recipient of the “Jimmy V Perseverance Award” at the 2011 ESPN ESPYs and he has also received the NFL “Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award”. Robles is a Nike athlete, the first signed to an agreement after having retired from active participation in a sport. He is currently ESPN's NCAA wrestling analyst and expert. He was inducted to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012 and is the author of Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion. In 2013, President Obama appointed Robles as a member of the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. Additionally, Robles was a member of the Presidential Delegation to the 2014 Sochi Paralympic Games.
In 2015, the National Wrestling Media Association awarded Robles with the "Broadcaster of the Year" award, and he was inducted into Arizona's Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. Between 2018 - 2021, he became the Guinness World Record Holder for 3 different pull-up records. In 2022, Robles was inducted into ASU's Sun Devil Athletics Hall of Fame.
As a testament to the extraordinary nature of his life story, principal photography for a film based on Robles’ life was completed in January 2024. Produced by Artist Equity and set to be distributed by Amazon Prime MGM, the film titled “Unstoppable,” features an ensemble cast including Don Cheadle, Bobby Cannavale, Michael Pena, and Jennifer Lopez.
SARAH HURWITZ
Sunday, June 23, 2024
From Michelle Obama's breakout address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention to her powerful speeches at the 2016 Convention and during the 2016 presidential campaign, Sarah Hurwitz helped one of America's most beloved first ladies capture the hearts of people around the world.
As a trusted staffer to Mrs. Obama, Hurwitz worked with her on crafting her widely-acclaimed addresses as First Lady and traveled with her across America and to five continents. Before becoming chief speechwriter for Mrs. Obama, Hurwitz served as a senior speechwriter for President Obama and as chief speechwriter for Hillary Clinton during her 2008 presidential campaign.
A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Hurwitz was a Fellow at the Institute of Politics at Harvard University in the spring of 2017. Hurwitz has been profiled in The Washington Post, People.com, The Boston Globe, and The Guardian; interviewed on The Today Show, Morning Joe, Amanpour & Co., and NPR; and featured in The Forward as one of 50 Jews who impacted American life in 2016 and 2019. Hurwitz is the author of a book about Judaism entitled, "Here All Along: Finding Meaning, Spirituality, and a Deeper Connection to Life -- In Judaism (After Finally Choosing to Look There)."
SEN. BILL EIGEL
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Senator Bill Eigel was elected in 2017 to serve the residents of Missouri’s 23rd Senatorial District in St. Charles County and is a major candidate for the Office of Governor in 2024. Senator Eigel is a United States Air Force military veteran of eight years and has owned a small business in St. Charles County for more than 10 years. He held the rank of Captain while serving in the Air Force, completed assignments in Louisiana, Arizona, and most recently at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri. He is a decorated veteran for service overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, as he was awarded commendations for his service in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan.
BRENDAN JUBA, PH.D.
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Brendan Juba is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. His current research interests lie in theoretical approaches to Artificial Intelligence, founded on the theory of Algorithms and Computational Complexity, and is also interested in Theoretical Computer Science more broadly construed. He is the author of "Universal Semantic Communication," concerning methods for communication without a common language. He was the recipient of a 2015 AFOSR Young Investigator Award and an NSF CAREER award in 2020.
ABBY STYLIANOU, PH.D.
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Abby Stylianou is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science at St. Louis University. Her research has focused on building very large datasets of images and their metadata, and the deep learning approaches to digest and understand those datasets for a variety of tasks. These tasks include performing hotel-specific image retrieval in order to locate victims of sex trafficking who have been photographed in hotels, making measurements of the natural environment in time-lapse imagery to understand climate change, and observing how individuals interact with the world around them in outdoor webcam images to support better design of the built environment.
MICHAEL STEELE
Monday, June 24, 2024
When he was elected Lt. Governor of Maryland in 2003, Michael Steele made history as the first African American elected to statewide office; and again, with his subsequent chairmanship of the Republican National Committee in 2009.
As chairman of the RNC, Michael Steele was charged with revitalizing the Republican Party. A self-described "Lincoln Republican," under Steele’s leadership the RNC broke fundraising records (over $198 million raised during the 2010 Congressional cycle) and Republicans won 63 House seats, the biggest pickup since 1938. His commitment to grassroots organization and party building at the state and local levels produced 12 governorships and the greatest share of state legislative seats since 1928 (over 760 seats).
As Lt. Governor of Maryland, Mr. Steele’s priorities included reforming the state's Minority Business Enterprise program, improving the quality of Maryland's public education system (he championed the State’s historic Charter School law), expanding economic development in the state and fostering cooperation between government and faith-based organizations to help those in need.
Mr. Steele’s ability as a communicator and commentator has been showcased through his current role as a political analyst for MSNBC. He has appeared on Meet the Press, Face the Nation, HBO's Real Time with Bill Maher, and Comedy Central's The Daily Show. In addition to his work in television, Mr. Steele co-hosted the daily radio program, Steele & Ungar on the POTUS Channel on SiriusXM and is the host of the podcast The Michael Steele Podcast.
Mr. Steele’s writings on law, business and politics have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Hill.com, The Grio.com, Politico.com, The Root.com, BET.com, Townhall.com, The Journal of International Security Affairs and Catholic University Law Review, among others.
He is the author of Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda, which is a call to arms for grassroots America and co-author of The Recovering Politician’s Twelve Step Program to Survive Crisis.
MARA LIASSON
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Mara Liasson is the national political correspondent for NPR and a contributor to FOX News Channel (FNC). She joined FOX in 1997 and serves as a panelist on Special Report with Brett Baier and FOX News Sunday, FOX Broadcasting Company's public affairs program that airs nationwide each Sunday morning.
Liasson joined NPR in 1985 as a general assignment reporter and newscaster. She covered Congress and served as the White House correspondent during all eight years of the Clinton administration. Now, as the national political correspondent her reports can be heard on the award-winning newsmagazines, "All Things Considered" and "Morning Edition."
During her tenure, she has covered the all the presidential elections since 1992 and reports on Senate and House races every election year. She is an expert on elections, national policy and on relations between the White House and Congress.
Liasson received a Bagehot Fellowship in Economics and Business Journalism. From September 1988-June 1989, she took a leave of absence to attend Columbia University in New York. Shortly thereafter, she returned to NPR as its congressional correspondent.
Liasson has received numerous awards and honors for her reporting, including the White House Correspondents' Association’s ” Merriman Smith Award” in 1994, 1995 and 1997 for excellence in daily news reporting.
Liasson earned her bachelor's degree from Brown University.
THE MISSOURI COURT OF APPEALS, EASTERN DISTRICT
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
On Tuesday, June 25th, the Court of Appeals for the Eastern District of Missouri will sit in special session at Lindenwood University with both Missouri Girls State and Missouri Boys State citizens in attendance. The citizens will hear an appeal from a significant case in which a former Hyatt employee sexually assaulted a guest at one of their hotels. After trial, the victim was awarded $177 million dollars in damages. Hyatt is appealing the matter, arguing that the trial court made several errors in admitting evidence of the employee’s prior criminal history, failed to properly instruct the jury, and that there was insufficient evidence to support the award of punitive damages, which made up $149 million of the total award. Missouri Girls State and Missouri Boys State citizens will hear oral arguments from both sides, as the Court sits in a live session.
GOVERNOR MICHAEL L. PARSON
Tuesday, June 25, 2024
Governor Michael Parson is Missouri’s 57th governor, sworn in on June 1, 2018. He was reelected in November 2020 at the 2021 Bicentennial Inauguration. Governor Parson came into the role of governor with a lifelong commitment to serving others and over 30 years of experience in public service. Governor Parson previously served as the 47th lieutenant governor of Missouri from 2017–2018. Governor Parson also served six years in the U.S. Army and as the Sheriff of Polk County from 1993–2005. He served in the Missouri House of Representatives from 2005–2011 and in the Missouri Senate from 2011–2017. From day one, workforce development and infrastructure have been major priorities for Governor Parson. He and his administration have achieved historic bipartisan progress on both issues through programs like Missouri One Start, Fast Track, MoExcels, and the transportation cost-share program. The governor’s proposal to improve economic and workforce development through a reorganization of state government was overwhelmingly supported by the General Assembly, and 100 of Missouri's poorest bridges were repaired or rehabilitated in just over one year through his Focus on Bridges program. In all, the program will repair or replace 250 bridges throughout the state. While in office, Governor Parson has received several awards and honors. In 2017, as lieutenant governor, he was inducted into the Missouri Farmers Care Hall of Fame. In 2018, he was named Missouri Times Statesman of the Year, Biz 417 Person of the Year and named on Ingram’s 50 Missourians You Should Know list. In 2019, he received the Missouri Chamber of Commerce Man in the Arena Award. Governor Parson was also awarded the Order of the Marechaussee, one of the most prestigious honors bestowed upon members of the Military Police Corps Regiment, in 2021. Governor Parson and First Lady Teresa Parson live in Bolivar. Together, they have two grown children and six grandchildren. He was raised on a farm in Hickory County and graduated from Wheatland High School in Wheatland, Missouri. He is a small business owner and a third-generation farmer who currently owns and operates a cow and calf operation near Bolivar.
LT. GOV. MIKE KEHOE
Wednesday, June 26, 2024
Mike Kehoe serves as Missouri’s 48th Lieutenant Governor and is a major candidate for the Office of Governor in 2024. He has previously represented the Sixth Senatorial District, where he served as both Assistant Majority Leader and Majority Leader.
Lieutenant Governor Kehoe has been honored by the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, the Missouri Association of Electric Cooperatives, and many others for his legislative accomplishments, including being named the Statesman of the Year Award for his work as Floor Leader. As a businessman – he received the Time Magazine Quality Dealer Award, Ford’s President Award, and was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame.
Lieutenant Governor Kehoe serves as Chairman of the Missouri Food, Beverage and Forest Manufacturing Products Task Force, helping prepare Missouri family farms to meet the agriculture and food production needs of the future. He also works to promote infrastructure and workforce development as a member of the Missouri Development Finance Board, promotes Missouri Tourism, the MO Arts Council, and is committed to preserving the Missouri State Capitol for the next 100 years serving on the MO Capitol Commission. Under his leadership, the Buy Missouri program has grown to more than 400 members representing 85 counties from across the state. As Missouri’s advocate for Veterans and Seniors, a top priority is increasing awareness of programs the State of Missouri and Federal Government have available to assist Veterans, Seniors and their families.
Lieutenant Governor Kehoe and his wife, Claudia, have called mid-Missouri home for more than 30 years and are the proud parents of four children. A man of strong faith and family values, Lieutenant Governor Kehoe remains a small businessman at heart, never forgetting the lessons learned at Osage industries and Mike Kehoe Ford-Lincoln. In addition to his public service, he enjoys being a first-generation farmer working at his beef cattle production business located on the family farm in Phelps County.
SEC. OF STATE JAY ASHCROFT
Thursday, June 27, 2024
John R. “Jay” Ashcroft serves as Missouri’s 40th Secretary of State and is a major candidate for the office of Governor in 2024. He is a graduate of Missouri University of Science and Technology with a master’s degree in engineering management and is also a licensed attorney, earning his law degree from St. Louis University School of Law.
Each year Secretary Ashcroft makes it a priority to visit all 114 counties in the state to thank Missourians for their hard work and dedication. “From county officials to students, business owners to farmers, Missouri is a great place to live, work, and raise a family. It’s a privilege to represent the hard-working people of our state.”
Secretary Ashcroft leads an office with more than 200 employees taking an active role in its administration. As the state’s chief election officer, the secretary oversees federal and state elections, provides guidance to local election authorities and maintains and secures the Missouri Centralized Voter Registration system. He spearheaded the first National Election Security Summit held in St. Louis in 2018.
The Business Services Division of the secretary of state's office answers over 2,000 phone calls every week and maintains more than 1.2 million business registrations. Ashcroft has helped streamline this registration process, making it easier and more convenient for entrepreneurs.
Through his Securities Division, Ashcroft created the Vulnerable Citizens Services Unit to help protect seniors and other at-risk populations from investment fraud.
Over the last five years, Secretary Ashcroft was able to administer over $9 million in grant funding to help expand library access and improve resources. And in 2021, Ashcroft announced a new program - the first in the nation – to give adults the opportunity to earn a high school diploma through their local library.
He and his wife Katie, who is also an attorney and passionate about education reform, are raising their four children and a husky named Friday at their home in Jefferson City, where Jay was born and raised.
SEN. JOHN RIZZO
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Senator John Joseph Rizzo, a Democrat, represents Independence, Sugar Creek and NE Kansas City within Jackson County (District 11) in the Missouri Senate. He previously served two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to the Missouri Senate in November 2016. In addition to his legislative duties, Senator Rizzo is a marketing consultant. Senator Rizzo has served as the 11th Ward Committeeman for Jackson County. His is a former board member for Truman Medical Center and a former member of the Kansas City Planning Commission.
SEN. CALEB ROWDEN
Thursday, June 27, 2024
Senator Caleb Rowden was elected to the Missouri Senate in 2016, representing Boone and Cooper Counties. Rowden previously served two terms in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was first elected to the Missouri House in 2012, becoming the first Representative in the history of Missouri to beat two former State Senators in a Missouri House race. Rowden currently serves as the Senate Majority Floor Leader. Senator Rowden has spent his life in service to others. He enjoyed a successful career in full-time ministry as a touring Christian singer/songwriter. During that time, he played in 45 states, selling thousands of records and garnering two top 20 national radio hits. He also participated in multiple mission trips, ranging from serving the homeless in Atlanta, GA to a month-long internship ministering to the people of Reynosa, Mexico.
HERB KOHN
Friday, June 28, 2024
Herb Kohn is a prominent attorney, mediator, and community leader in Kansas City. He earned his undergraduate and juris doctorate degrees at the University of Michigan and concentrated his law practice on corporate, business and banking law, particularly in the areas of acquisitions, financial transactions, banking, and public finance. He now works as a mediator, assisting people and businesses in resolving their disputes. He has served on numerous public and charitable boards, including on the Executive Committee of the Board of Trustees for the Truman Presidential Museum & Library, is a past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the Kansas City Art Institute, and has served as a member of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City and the Finance Committee of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Kohn attended Missouri Boys State in 1955 where he was elected MBS Lt. Governor. As a former Director and Dean of Counselors for Missouri Boys State, Kohn was instrumental in creation and development of the A. B. Weyer Memorial Trust (now The Missouri Boys State Memorial Trust). He is a lifetime member of the Executive Committee of the MBS Board of Directors and was inducted into the MBS Hall of Fame in 1988.
Mr. Kohn will sit down with the citizens of Missouri Boys State on the program’s final evening. He will share the harrowing story of his family’s escape from Nazi Germany when he was just a boy, his experience emigrating to the United States, and his lifelong commitment to our democracy as a private citizen.
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