Healing the Culture: A New Vision for Life
2008 Pro-Life Conference and Expo, November 6-8
Hilton Bellevue • Seattle, Washington
Speakers
Please check back soon for more speakers
Robert J. Spitzer, S.J., Ph.D. is co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Healing the Culture, and is President of Gonzaga University. Rev. Spitzer has spoken to thousands of audiences, and has done ethics consulting for over 300 organizations, including Boeing, Caterpillar, Toyota, Costco, the British Prime Minister's Cabinet, the leadership of Costa Rica, Protestant and Catholic leadership in Northern Ireland, and the Orthodox Church in Russia. The mission of Healing the Culture is based on the principles in Rev. Spitzer's books, Healing the Culture: A Commonsense Philosophy of Happiness, Freedom, and the Life Issues, and The Spirit of Leadership.
Camille De Blasi Pauley, M.A. is co-founder and President of Healing the Culture, and serves as Vice-chair of the Board. She is the founder of Being With and Compatior Institute. In 1993, she co-founded the Center for Life Principles and served as its Director until 2003. She was Director of Education for Human Life of Washington from 1993 to 2003. Mrs. Pauley has trained hundreds of speakers for the pro-life movement, spoken for thousands of audiences, designed several retreat programs for adults and teenagers, guest-hosted several radio and television programs, co-produced five video series, and published dozens of articles.
Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers will be one of the banquet speakers on Saturday evening. Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers was elected to the House of Representatives in 2004. She has co-sponsored the Unborn Child Pain Awareness Act, the Weldon-Stupak Human Cloning Prohibition Act, and the Child Custody Protection Act. She is currently Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. She is married to Brian Rodgers and gave birth to her first son, Cole, in 2007. Cole has Down Syndrome, and he inspired her to start the first ever Down Syndrome Caucus in the House of Representatives to raise awareness about the blessings of children affected by the disease.
Wesley J. Smith is our opening Keynote Speaker on Thursday evening. He is a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, an attorney for the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, and a special consultant for the Center for Bioethics and Culture. In May 2004, he was named by the National Journal as one of the nation's top expert thinkers in bioengineering. He has authored or co-authored eleven books, most recently Consumer's Guide to a Brave New World, in which he explores the morality, science, and business aspects of human cloning, stem cell research, and genetic engineering. His writing and opinion columns on assisted suicide, bioethics, the morality of human cloning, the dangers of animal liberation, legal ethics, and public affairs have appeared nationally and internationally.
Eileen Geller, R.N., B.S.N., is presenting the workshop "Walking our Pro-Life Talk at the End of Life" on Friday afternoon. She is the Founder and President of Consoling Grace. In a professional capacity, Eileen has worked for more than twenty years as a registered nurse in the fields of hospice and palliative care. As a 'midwife for souls,' she has cared for thousands of dying persons and ministered to their families. In this capacity she has developed extensive expertise in areas of pain control, symptom management, care of the caregiver, advance directives, and care of the bereaved. She is passionate about advocating for the rights of the seriously ill and the dying and has been a spokesperson locally and nationally in print, radio, and TV.
Dr. Sharon Quick is presenting the workshop "Bioethics of Stem Cell Research and Cloning" on Friday afternoon. Dr. Sharon Quick is a pediatric anesthesiologist/critical care physician, although she is not currently involved in clinical work. She was formerly Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington, with a staff position at the Children’s Hospital of Seattle. Currently, she is the Washington State Coordinator for the American Academy of Medical Ethics. She has written articles, given presentations, and provided public or expert testimony in her areas of interest which include: accuracy in referencing and scientific reporting, end of life issues, human cloning and embryonic stem cell research, and sex education. Her primary roles are wife and homeschooling mother to two children aged 10 and 9 years.
Michael Pauley is presenting the workshop "The Antidote to Assisted Suicide" on Friday afternoon. He attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and while studying there also co-founded American Collegians for Life, a national student pro-life group. Michael worked as a legislative aide and press secretary for U.S. Congressman Chris Smith, the Chairman of the Congressional Pro-Life Caucus. He has worked as a political consultant for campaigns in 15 different states, ranging from state legislature to U.S. Senate. In his home state of Alaska, Michael helped draft several pro-life laws, and was also instrumental in winning passage of Alaska's state constitutional amendment protecting marriage.
Chris Carlson is presenting the workshop, "The Antidote to Assisted Suicide" on Friday afternoon. He is a founding member and campaign chairman of the Coalition Against Assisted Suicide in Washington State. Chris is a long-time business Democrat, former press secretary to Idaho Governor Cecil D. Andrus; former assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of the Interior under President Carter; and founding partner of The Gallatin Group. In November 2005, Chris was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer and told that he had less than six months to live. Nearly 3 years later, Chris is still here... an active and eloquent voice against assisted suicide.
Most Rev. Alexander J. Brunett will be celebrating Mass on Saturday evening. He was appointed Archbishop of Seattle by Pope John Paul II on October 28, 1997. Archbishop Brunett’s ministry has focused on international affairs and dialogue. He has served on international committees and national dialogues, including Jewish/Roman Catholic, Islamic/ Roman Catholic, and Orthodox/Roman Catholic. He was a member of the International Roman Catholic-World Methodist Dialogue and most recently served as Co-Chairman of ARCIC, the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission. He serves as a member of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, and as a member of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Policy.
Dr. Joseph B. Fuiten will be celebrating a devotional service Saturday morning. He is the Senior Pastor at Cedar Park Assembly of God in Bothell, Washington. He is a member of the Society for Pentecostal Studies, as well as an Executive Presbyter of the Northwest Ministry Network of the Assemblies of God and past President of the Eastside Pastors’ Association. Active in politics, Joe is the former President of Washington Evangelicals for Responsible Government, and is the founder of Positive Christian Agenda (PCA), a group of Christian organizations whose purpose is to work towards and support a positive, Christian agenda in the Washington State legislature. In addition, he has written numerous books, papers and articles.