Pamela Villarreal is an NCPA expert on retirement, economic growth and tax issues.

Villarreal has written studies and analyses on specific economic and retirement topics such as minimum wage effects, the jobs market, returns on stock and bond investments, retirement account reforms and the NCPA’s state tax calculator. She has authored and co-authored numerous publications on diverse topics such as capital gains taxes, reverse mortgages, Social Security disability and baby boomers’ spending habits. One of her studies, "Wealth, Inheritance and the Estate Tax," was coauthored with noted economist Jagadeesh Gokhale.

Villarreal's work on the NCPA's 401(k) borrowing calculator and the negative consequences to borrowing from a 401(k) has been recognized by media throughout the country. Among those was Kathy Kristof, the award-winning personal finance columnist with the Los Angeles Times.

Villarreal routinely shares her insight with media outlets throughout the country. Her work has been covered by FOX Business News, CNBC, Forbes, Bloomberg, USA Today, Money Magazine and The Washington Times. She is a much in demand speaker on retirement and tax issues.

Devon Herrick, Ph.D., is a preeminent expert on 21st century medicine, including the evolution of Internet-based medicine, consumer driven health care and key changes in the global health market. He was among the first health policy analysts to identify and publish in-depth policy reports on consumerism in health care, including: medical tourism, telemedicine, retail clinics, concierge medical practices, cosmetic medicine, "shopping for drugs" strategies and value-based health plan design. He has researched personal technology and medical aps that empowers patients to better manage their medical needs.

Dr. Herrick’s expertise includes a variety of critical health care issues, such as health insurance and the uninsured, patient empowerment, and trends in federal and state health policy reform. He has conducted about 100 cutting-edge research projects for the NCPA.

As a health care economist, Dr. Herrick speaks on health policy issues nationwide. His comments have appeared in hundreds of media outlets. He writes regularly on health policy for the NCPA and other research organizations, and is a contributing editor of Health Care News. He served two terms as the chair of the Health Economics Roundtable of the National Association for Business Economics. Dr. Herrick has testified before the U.S. Congress and before state legislatures. He began his career in health care financial management for a large health care system.

Dr. Herrick received a Master of Public Affairs and a Ph.D. in Political Economy from the University of Texas at Dallas. Dr. Herrick's dissertation research examined patient empowerment through empirical analysis of the Internet and disease advocacy. He also holds advanced degrees in business and finance

Clifford G. Sosamon was born and raised in Central Illinois and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps after high school. In 1994 he participated in Operation Uphold Democracy in the Caribbean Island of Haiti. After the mission was completed he received orders to attend Marine Security Guard School in Quantico, VA. Upon completion of this course he was sent to the American Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand and then to the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In 2004, having completed his Associate of Arts degree from Collin County Community College, Clifford was accepted to Southern Methodist University. After 5 semesters he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy with a minor in Economics.

He is the Senior Vice Commander of VFW Post 8273, a member of the Frisco Veterans Advisory Committee, Governmental Advisory Committee for the Frisco Chamber of Commerce, Frisco Veterans Memorial Upgrade Committee. He previously served as the Panther Creek Estates home owner’s association board president as well as the President of the North Texas Libertas Society.

Jake Schick, Warrior Relations Specialist with the Brain Performance Institute’s Warrior Training Team, is a third generation Marine who epitomizes service and sacrifice.

After a triple-stacked tank mine detonated below his vehicle in Al Anbar Province, Iraq in 2004, Jake suffered compound fractures in his left leg and left arm; multiple skin, ligament and bone losses; varying burns; partial loss of his left hand and arm; amputation below the knee of his right leg, traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Jake has undergone 46 operations, 23 blood transfusions, and countless hours of rehabilitation. Jake will tell you his physical injuries weren’t the worst that happened to him. For years he dreaded his TBI and PTSD diagnosis; a common mindset among warriors. After being encouraged by a fellow warrior to train his brain the way he re-trained his body, Jake skeptically participated in the Brain Performance Institute’s high performance brain training, called SMART. He credits this opportunity with making him a better husband, father and man.

Since participating in the SMART program, Jake has become a staunch advocate for maximizing the cognitive potential in people from all walks of life and shares his story and the effects of being severely wounded at public speaking engagements throughout the country.