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 weekly contributor at Forbes.co...

Konni was elected in 2014 to represent Tarrant County’s Senate District 10 in the Texas Senate, succeeding Democrat Wendy Davis. At the time, SD-10 was one of the most competitive districts in Texas —...

Konni was elected in 2014 to represent Tarrant County’s Senate District 10 in the Texas Senate, succeeding Democrat Wendy Davis. At the time, SD-10 was one of the most competitive districts in Texas — essentially a 50/50 seat. Konni flipped the district, returning it to Republican leadership, and went on to serve two legislative sessions in Austin.Her strong record of standing firm on conservative principles earned her 100% ratings from the National Federation of Independent Business, National Right to Life, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, and Young Conservatives of Texas. She was also named a Taxpayer Champion by Empower Texans following both the 84th and 85th legislative sessions.A lifelong activist, Konni has been driven by a commitment to limited government, individual liberty, and free-market principles — a passion that continues to shape her work today.In 2019 — after losing the SD-10 seat during the “Beto wave” midterms — Konni chose not to step away from the public arena. Instead, she turned that moment into motivation to create The Texan, where she now serves as CEO. Determined to strengthen civic engagement and improve access to reliable political information, she built a statewide multimedia newsroom committed to fact-driven reporting.

Tom Giovanetti is president of the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI), a public policy research organization based in Dallas, Texas. Prior to joining IPI in 1992, Mr. Giovanetti was a freelance pol...

Tom Giovanetti is president of the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI), a public policy research organization based in Dallas, Texas. Prior to joining IPI in 1992, Mr. Giovanetti was a freelance policy writer and the director of product development for a small manufacturing company in Dallas, where he designed several patented products and gained real-world experience in how taxes and regulations affect small business. Mr. Giovanetti writes for IPI and for other publications on a wide variety of policy topics including tax reform, intellectual property, Social Security personal accounts, communications policy, Internet governance, education reform, the broadband revolution, and out-of-control government spending. In addition to being published in leading papers including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Times, Investor's Business Daily and The Dallas Morning News, he also appears regularly on a number of radio and television programs. Mr. Giovanetti represents IPI many national and international organizations, including the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), where IPI is an accredited NGO. IPI was also accredited as an observer organization with the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), where he argued against UN involvement with Internet governance, and with the UN's Internet Governance Forum (IGF). Mr. Giovanetti also participated during meetings of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Intergovernmental Working Group on Public Health, Innovation and Intellectual Property, and represents IPI as a stakeholder during trade agreement negotiations such as the current Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

As President and Chief Executive Officer of East-West Ministries International, Donald “Kurt” Nelson provides leadership and oversight to all worldwide ministry endeavors in the 50+ countries in which...

As President and Chief Executive Officer of East-West Ministries International, Donald “Kurt” Nelson provides leadership and oversight to all worldwide ministry endeavors in the 50+ countries in which East-West currently operates. After serving with East-West for 15 years, Nelson became President and CEO in June 2010 and has served with East-West for a total of 21 years. He assisted in launching the Institutes for Emerging Itinerant Evangelists in Russia, Central Asia, and India, and he currently serves on the Board of Directors, the Executive Leadership Team, and the StratOps Team. Nelson also personally leads East-West short-term trips to Russia, Latin America, South Asia, Central Asia, and East Asia. Prior to East-West, he served as Vice President of Global Missions Fellowship (GMF - now E3 Partners), where he directed the Russia Field and the Marketing / Communications Department. Also while at GMF, he led evangelism teams to many countries including Russia, Haiti, the Ukraine, Latvia, Japan, and Latin America. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina, his Master’s degree of Theology in World Missions from Dallas Theological Seminary, and his Doctor of Ministry degree in Missions Leadership from Columbia International University. Nelson and his wife, Pat, have been married for 30 years and have nine children (three of whom were adopted from Russia), six grandsons and one granddaughter.

Mike had the great privilege of being born into a Christian home in Louisville, Kentucky with parents who modeled a consistent Godly lifestyle. Though he at times challenged the faith of his parents,...

Mike had the great privilege of being born into a Christian home in Louisville, Kentucky with parents who modeled a consistent Godly lifestyle. Though he at times challenged the faith of his parents, God graciously brought him to a saving knowledge of himself as a young man. In college, Mike was deeply impacted by a college ministry called the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and felt a call towards ministry. Following college, God graciously directed Mike to a strong local church in Denton Texas where he initially studied under the Pastor for a year before joining the church. Mike’s plans were always smaller than God’s and he desired to return to his home area to pastor a local church. God chose to keep him in Texas, allowing him to attend the University of North Texas, earning an MBA in 1994; and Dallas Theological Seminary where he earned a Masters of Theology in 2003. In Texas he also met and married the love of his life, Kerry and they now have three teenaged boys. Mike left the business world and joined Denton Bible’s staff in 1999 and has served there working in Missions since that time. Mike is a testimony of God’s gracious care for His children as God has guided Mike through his life, giving him much more than he ever could have expected or imagined. Mike currently serves as the missions pastor at Denton Bible where he loves to speak of God’s goodness and especially feels blessed to serve alongside and teach other men involved in ministry around the world.