Adan Madrigal

Adan is the co-founder of the Join the Abstinence Movement (J.A.M.) project.  He began his career in the abstinence movement in 1999 as an Abstinence Educator for St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center’s Positive Choices program in Toledo, Ohio.  Throughout his career he has impacted the lives of thousands of youth and young adults from around the country.  His interactive presentations are based on the “3 Principles of Abstinence”, which he has developed as a foundation to achieve the goals and objectives of abstinence education.  Adan’s diverse background has allowed him to work with many populations and he has trained professionals in the public and private school systems, in the college and university setting, as well as in the medical field. 

Anthony Preston

Anthony takes pleasure in using his name and talents to educate, enlighten, and entertain today’s youth on the life choices necessary to successfully live abstinent in today’s pop culture society. His TV appearances have included “The Young and the Restless,” “All My Children,” “Days of Our Lives,” and such action films as “Foul Shot” and “Within.” He has also modeled for May Company, Dillard’s, JC Penney, Cannon and Palm Pilot. There have been numerous projects that Anthony has turned down due to their compromising nature. His biggest role to date is that of an abstinent speaker, traveling the county and sharing with today’s youth the benefits of waiting until marriage to have sex.  Students throughout the United States have been thoroughly challenged by his presentation, provoking many to embrace the lifestyle of abstinence. 

Ayinde Russell

Ayinde Russell is committed to seeing youth dream the impossible.  Having worked in inner city communities with youth of difficult circumstance, Ayinde encourages teens to avoid self-destructive patterns and embrace the best.  He has served as a program director for Colorado based abstinence education program, A Promising Future, and has spoken and performed on stages with nationally known artists and speakers.  Ayinde easily connects with students of all races and grabs their attention by blending his warm charisma, comical story telling, spoken word and soulful singing with a powerful, thought provoking message.

Barry Aarons

An acknowledged leader in administration, public policy, telecommunications, public relations and education, Aarons has numerous years of both governmental and corporate experience.  Currently he is the owner of The Aarons Company, a public policy consulting firm with a diverse portfolio of functions and clients, including a portfolio of corporation and trade association clients for whom he lobbies and provides other public policy services before the Arizona State Legislature and U.S. Congress. He facilitates seminars on a multitude of topics, from public policy to business management and has assisted corporations and trade associations in the creation of their strategic plans as well as writing and managing their speaker bureaus.

Carrie Abbott

Carrie is the President of the Legacy Institute and oversees all research and development of Legacy curriculum and resources.  With 20 years of teaching, Carrie is considered by her colleagues as one of the best communicators and innovators on the topic of relationships and human sexuality.  Carrie is the author of the Sexual Integrity Program, used in Pregnancy Resource Centers nationwide; worked with a leading Abstinence program for 13 years; authored and is featured in several video series and is the lead developer of Authentic Sexuality Education, a relationship curriculum for grades K-12 due out in fall of 2008.

Catherine Wood

Catherine has worked in abstinence since 1987. She helped write and implement the Responsible Social Values Program (RSVP). In the 1990’s she developed a Christian abstinence curriculum. In 2004, Catherine published the Relationships Under Construction curriculum for 6^th, 7^th, 8^th grades and high school.  RUC has been implemented in numerous state and federal grants with statistically significant evaluation results.  Catherine believes that young people can make healthy choices if they are given truthful information.  Her goal is to get truthful information about sex and marriage to young people and to the adults who influence them. 

Chris Cannon

Chris Cannon is the author of the best selling book “Diagnosing the Destruction of Young Men” and a national youth empowerment speaker. After struggling to overcome the appealing temptations of sex, drugs, and other pressures as a college football player at EMU, he discovered his passion and purpose for helping youth overcome these same pressures that have dramatically gotten worse over time. His experience of being a former high school teacher and coach has given him a true understanding on how to effectively impact today’s youth. Chris desires to positively inspire the world one person at a time and is fully convinced that, “The battle is not lost unless you accept defeat.”

Dan Magan

Dan Magan is a husband, father, preacher, former-drill sergeant, mentor, and a dynamic motivational speaker.  He has shared his messages about sexual purity, manhood, responsibility, and healthy living with thousands of young people from all walks of life. Dan also encourages parents to be the voice of direction that they need to be, and gives them simple, practical ways to approach the “tough topics” with their teens.

David Mahan

David Mahan, CEO of Frontline Youth Communications, is a dynamic speaker, mentor, husband and father who benefits from the wisdom of over a decade of working with some of society’s most disadvantaged youth. Through serving in the trenches of schools, detention centers and city streets, David has become skilled in delivering just the right mix of humor, in-your-face toughness and compassion. David currently books approximately 200 events per year across the United States and abroad.

Hajj Flemings

Hajj is a dynamic, energetic speaker that connects with his audience.  Hajj's message of “Control Your Stuff” was birthed out of his abstinent lifestyle, where he practiced abstinence until marriage.  He now shares the power of controlling your stuff with young people to empower them to live to their potential.  During college, where he played basketball, Hajj fulfilled his lifelong dream of designing footwear.  With a wealth of business experience Hajj has started two companies himself.

Harvey Shepherd

Harvey Shepherd, better known as “H” resides in Columbus, Ohio.  For the past four years, he has been a presenter and music coordinator of Frontline Youth Communications.  Alongside his mentor, CEO and founder of Frontline, David Mahan, Harvey has developed experience as a motivational speaker and national recording artist.  Harvey has spoken to youth in venues ranging from detention centers to high schools and colleges for numerous organizations.  Through impactful workshops, music and the dynamic tool of spoken word, Harvey strives to help people discover who they are and inspire them to take their role in leadership as agents of change in our culture.

Jammal Lee

Julie Laipply Carrier

Julie Laipply—Miss Virginia USA, an Emmy-Nominated TV Show Host and former Pentagon Consultant—is an award-winning national speaker for young people on healthy choices.  Known for her ability to capture the attention of large audiences of youth and educators, she is known to many as “America’s Most Interactive Speaker.”

Kathy DiFiore

The Confusing Burning movie is based on the A-H CBAE Guidelines. The movie is based on The Choice Game which is taught through a CBAE Grant in both the Newark, NJ Public Schools and on the Reservation Schools of the Lakota Tribe in North Dakota. The Movie has won three awards at the New York Independent International Film Festival including Best Educational Film. Shot in a contemporary, docu-drama style Confusion Burning documents the troubled lives of young people who are part of the Standing Rock Reservation which is part of the Lakota Sioux Native American Nation in North America. Youth on the reservation are torn and tempted by drugs, alcohol, sex, and suicide.

Los 1

Carlos “Los-1” Ramirez II is a youth educator skilled in presenting the message of sexual purity to teens across America.  His style of teaching and outward appearance fit right in with what teens are looking for in a modern classroom setting:  “In your face,” yet compassionate; bold while brotherly.  Teachers and teenagers consistently respond to his teachings with respect and positive feedback.  Visit www.los1.com to download songs and ringtones!

Luis Galdamez

Luis Galdamez uses his dramatic and exciting life story to dynamically illustrate the benefits of a lifestyle of abstinence until marriage.  Luis' communication skills have been utilized throughout the country.  He has appeared on Telemundo, Fox News, Univision, and ABC News as well as newspapers including the LA Times and Orange County Register.  Fluent in both English and Spanish, Luis’s “BOOOM!!!...HOW YOU DOIN??’” energetic style connects with youth regardless of their ethnic background – white, African-American, Native-Americans and Hispanic youth respond to his messages.  Luis is the executive director of La Familia Hispana and his main passion is to reach the Hispanic youth.

Melissa Pardue

Melissa Pardue is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Services Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the Department of Health and Human Services. In her role, she serves as a senior advisor in the Department and to the Secretary on welfare, low-income populations, and policies affecting children, youth, and families.  Melissa and her staff conduct research and evaluation studies, develop policy analyses, and estimates the cost and benefits of policy alternatives under consideration by the Department or Congress.  Before coming to HHS, Melissa was an Associate Director for the White House Domestic Policy Council and prior to that she was a policy analyst for welfare, poverty, and family issues at The Heritage Foundation.  She has written numerous articles, papers, and editorials, and has conducted over two dozen television, radio, and print media interviews on welfare and family issues, including abstinence education.

Onalee McGraw

Onalee McGraw is the co-founder and current Director of the Educational Guidance Institute; Author and Primary Developer of  Love & Life at the Movies: Growing in Love with the Film Classics, a character, abstinence and marriage education curriculum; presenter and consultant.  She has been in the abstinence community for over 20 years.

Rashida Jolley

Rashida T. Jolley, Miss District of Columbia 2000, has a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from Nyack College.  Rashida’s goal is to continually empower and educate people on the benefits of abstinence.  A speaker for Club Varsity, the Ambassador’s Agency, and Project Reality, Rashida combines her vast knowledge of pop culture with entertaining renditions of Top-40 music to expose the lies of our media-saturated times.  Her presentation includes her personal experience of making a decision at a young age to remain abstinent until marriage.

Richard Chavez

Richard has much life experience that makes him powerful in working with young people.  He understands the pressure growing up in a small community and was able to overcome these pressures. This understanding and his way with youth has made him a role model across the state. Since 2003 has worked at Socorro General Hospital Healthy Family Initiative as Youth Activities Coordinator.  He has volunteered and run programming as a teen for the Boys and Girls Club.  Richard formed the Imperial Squad dance crew as a teenager which provided a healthy outlet for self expression through dance.

Rick & Barb Wise

Barb Wise tells her story of becoming positive – HIV+. Rick Wise shows how choosing abstinence protected him from acquiring HIV/AIDS. Together their stories intertwine hope with facts and skills:  a good marriage is possible, men can choose real protection, boundary setting is important, the difference between being “in-love” and committed love, abstinence after being sexually active is attainable, and the important role of a father. In addition to communicating what living with HIV/AIDS entails, Barb and Rick will give some insights into what young people are saying about abstinence! Their goal is to inspire and encourage you!

Robert Siedlecki

Robert Siedlecki, Jr. has been Senior Legal Counsel for the Task Force On Faith-Based And Community Initiatives in the U.S. Department of Justice since November 2007.  Previously, he served for over four years as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human and for over eight years as an attorney in the private sector.  In the past Robert was a member of the board of directors and pro-bono general counsel of the National Fatherhood Initiative.  He is a graduate of Cornell Law School and Harvard College.

Scott Davis

As the Vice President of Education, Scott Davis oversees a division of Exodus International that helps teens and young adults struggling with unwanted same-sex attraction to find life and healing in Christ. He educates and trains college and youth leaders on the topic of homosexuality and oversees the Groundswell Conference—nationwide training seminars that equip community leaders with a powerful, redemptive response to the growing crisis of pro-gay initiatives in America’s schools. Scott is a writer and frequent speaker at colleges, churches and conferences. He has been interviewed by many media outlets across the country including TIME magazine and ABC’s The View.

Shennette Howard

Shenette Howard, Miss Florida International 2006, born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, is a first generation college graduate. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Management from the University of Central Florida.  As a national speaker Shenette has spoken before the Duval County Legislative Delegation, Florida Department of Education and the United States House of Representatives and Senate, urging them to continue funding in abstinence education programs.  She was a featured speaker on tour with the 2006 and 2007 “Great To Wait” Abstinence-Until-Marriage youth rallies throughout Florida.  Additionally, she is one of the outstanding spokespeople for the Illinois based Project Reality Speakers Bureau.