Public Policy & Advocacy Summit

Honorable Michele Bachmann, J.D., LL.M. 

Former Member of Congress and current Dean of Robertson School of Government at Regent University. 

Michele Bachmann was born in Waterloo, Iowa. She received a B.A. in Political Science and English from Winona State University in 1978. She married Marcus Bachmann, a clinical therapist who holds a master’s degree from Regent University. In 1986, Bachmann received a Juris Doctor degree from Oral Roberts University. She was a member of the ORU law school’s final graduating class, and was part of a group of faculty, staff, and students who moved the ORU law school library to Regent University. Two years later, she completed a Master of Law in taxation at the College of William & Mary. She worked for four years as a lawyer for the Internal Revenue Service’s Office of Chief Counsel in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Bachmann and her husband have five children. They also worked with a private foster care agency to house 23 children in their home during the 1990s. Bachmann’s children were home schooled and also attended private Christian schools, and her political career stemmed from her interest in education reform.

In 2000, Bachmann defeated a longtime moderate incumbent for a state senate seat in Minnesota. In 2006, Bachmann entered the race to represent her suburban Minneapolis congressional district. She won 52 percent of the vote, becoming the first Republican woman from Minnesota elected to the House of Representatives. She easily won reelection in 2008 and 2010.

Michele Bachmann currently serves as the Dean of the Robertson School of Government at Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA.

Bachmann’s extensive career highlights include:

• Bachmann was the first Republican woman from Minnesota elected to the U.S. House of Representatives.
• Bachmann served as a United States Congresswoman representing Minnesota’s 6th District from 2007 to 2015.
• She quickly became a national figure in the Republican Party and a founding member of the congressional Tea Party Caucus.
• In 2011, Bachmann announced her bid for the Republican presidential nomination and ran for president in 2012.
• Bachmann is a highly respected leader who is deeply committed to conservative values in government.

“It has been the highest honor to serve the American people and to uphold conservative principles on a national scale,” Bachmann stated. “I am thrilled to now direct my focus to preparing the next generation of government leaders at Regent University.”

The Robertson School of Government is an institutional member of the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) and the American Political Science Association (APSA). Students learn from prominent faculty members and practitioners and participate in meaningful internships in Washington, D.C. and across the country. Over 1,100 alumni occupy strategic positions in state/national legislatures, the White House, local/state government, and the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services. The school offers practice-oriented, research-based degrees including the M.A. in Campaigns & Political Leadership, M.A. in Government, M.A. in National Security Studies, and Master of Public Administration, online and on campus.

Dr. Mark Batterson, Pastor of National Community Church, New York Times Best seller

Mark Batterson serves as lead pastor of National Community Church in Washington, DC, one church with multiple locations. NCC also owns and operates Ebenezers Coffeehouse, The Miracle Theatre, the DC Dream Center, and Capital Turnaround as gathering places for the community and funding for Kingdom causes. Mark serves as lead visionary for The Dream Collective, which equips and supports dreamers who long for revival in the church, reformation in the kingdom, and renaissance in culture.

Mark holds a Doctor of Ministry degree from Regent University and is the author of 23 books including the New York Times bestselling The Circle Maker as well as In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day, Wild Goose Chase, Double Blessing, Whisper, and, most recently, Win the Day and Do it for a Day. Mark is married to Lora and they live on Capitol Hill. They have three children: Parker, Summer (married to Austin), and Josiah.

US SENATE CHAPLAIN, BARRY BLACK

Ph.D., D.Min, D.D., L.H.D, D.P.S

RADMU, USN (Retired)

Chaplain Black is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and an alumnus of Oakwood College, Andrews University, North Carolina Central University, Palmer Theological Seminary, Salve Regina University, and Alliant International University. In addition to earning Master of Arts degrees in Divinity, Counseling, and Management, he has received a Doctorate degree in Ministry and a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Psychology.

He has authored five books beginning with his autobiography, From the Hood to the Hill (2006), The Blessing of Adversity (2011), Nothing to Fear (2017), Make Your Voice Heard in Heaven (2018), and Bible Wisdom for Better Living (2019). And A Prayer for Our Country: Words to Unite and Inspire Hope (2022).

Chaplain Barry C. Black is married to the former Brenda Pearsall of St. Petersburg, Florida. They have three sons: Barry II, Brendan, and Bradford. On June 27, 2003, Rear Admiral Barry C. Black (Ret.) was elected the 62nd Chaplain of the Senate. He started his work on July 7, 2003. Prior to Capitol Hill, Chaplain Black served in the U.S. Navy for over twenty-seven years, ending his distinguished career as the Chief of Navy Chaplains.

Katherine Schweit

Attorney and Retired FBI Special Agent who created and led the FBI's Active Shooter Program after Sandy Hook Shooting

We are honored to have Katherine Schweit will be speaking at the following sessions at the 2023 Public Policy & Advocacy Summit:

Monday, September 18, 2023:

Monday Pre-Law Track Session

Katherine Schweit Biography

Katherine Schweit is an attorney and retired FBI special agent who created and led the FBI’s active shooter program after the horrible tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

She joined a White House team working on violence prevention matters led by then–Vice President Biden. She is the author of Stop the Killing: How to End the Mass Shooting Crisis and How to Talk About Guns with Anybody. She hosts a podcast in its 4^th season called Stop the Killing.

She the author of the FBI’s seminal research on mass shootings, “A Study of 160 Active Shooter Incidents in the United States Between 2000 and 2013,” and was part of the crisis team responding to shooting incidents at the Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Pentagon, and the Navy Yard in the Washington, DC, area.

She is an executive producer on the award-winning film, The Coming Storm, widely used in security and law enforcement training throughout the United States and by the U.S. State Department worldwide. This work earned her a second US Attorney General’s outstanding contributions award.

Before starting her own consulting firm, Schweit Consulting LLC, she was the director for security training at a Fortune 300 company. A one-time print journalist and former Assistant State’s Attorney in Chicago, she has published extensively, including opinion pieces in the New York Times and Chicago’s Daily Herald. She is a recognized expert in mass shooting and active shooter matters, crisis response, workplace violence, and corporate security policies and often is asked to provide on-air television commentary when tragedy occurs.

She regularly speaks to professional, government, and private organizations. She is a member of the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety.

She is adjunct faculty at DePaul University College of Law and Webster University. She has two daughters and lives in Northern Virginia, outside of Washington, DC.

Philip Scott

Vice President for Legal Affairs, ACSI

Philip Scott, Vice President of Legal Affairs at ACSI will be speaking at the following sessions at the 2023 Public Policy & Advocacy Summit:

Monday, September 18, 2023:

Monday- Pre-Law Track Training

Tuesday, September 19, 2023:

Tuesday Session #6: Messaging on Culture

Read more about Philip and his passion for Christian Education and the Law HERE!

Dr. Larry Taylor

President and CEO of ACSI

Dr. Larry Taylor, President and CEO of ACSI will be speaking at the following sessions at the 2023 Public Policy & Advocacy Summit:

Monday, September 18, 2023:

Monday Evening Opening Dinner at Museum of the Bible 

Tuesday, September 19, 2023:

Tuesday Summit Alumni Breakfast

Read more about Dr. Taylor and his passion for Christian Education and Public Policy HERE!

P. George Tryfiates

Vice President of Public Policy and Legal Affairs, ACSI

P. George Tryfiates, Vice President of Public Policy and Legal Affairs will be speaking at the following sessions at the 2023 Public Policy & Advocacy Summit:

Tuesday, September 19, 2023:

Tuesday Session #1: The Case for Advocacy

Read more about P. George Tryfiates and his passion for Public Policy and Advocacy HERE!

Dr. Jay McCurry

National Director for State Advocacy, ACSI

Dr. Jay McCurry, National Director for State Advocacy at ACSI will be speaking at the following sessions at the 2023 Public Policy & Advocacy Summit:

Tuesday, September 19, 2023:

Tuesday Session #1: The Case for Advocacy

Read more about Dr. Jay McCurry and his passion for Public Policy and Advocacy HERE!