Dakota Wood of Heritage Foundation to Address 2021 PLC

Member Group : PA Leadership Conference

Jesse Watters and Jason Chaffetz of Fox News to Keynote

 (Harrisburg, PA) – Dakota Wood, Senior Research Fellow for Defense Programs at the Heritage Foundation will speak on the Global Role of the United States during the 2021 Pennsylvania Leadership Conference to be held Friday, June 11th and Saturday June 12th at the Radisson Penn Harris Convention Center in Camp Hill, PA.

This year’s premier gathering of Pennsylvania conservatives will feature Jesse Watters of Fox News’ The Five and the Jesse Watters Show as the Friday evening dinner speaker. Fox News contributor and former congressman Jason Chaffetz will be the Saturday luncheon speaker. Wood will Join Tim Goeglein of Focus on the Family, Jonathan Willliams from the American Legislative Exchange Council, Congressman Dan Meuser, Pittsburgh Radio Host Rose Somma Tennent, Congressman Scott Perry, Rachel Bovard of the Conservative Policy Institute, Jeff Bartos of the 30 Day Fund, Bill McSwain, former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; C.L. Bryant of FreedomWorks, John Gizzi of Newsmax, Jason Snead of the Honest Election Project, State Senator Kim Ward, PA Auditor General Tim DeFoor, State Treasurer Stacy Garrity and state Senator Doug Mastriano as speakers at the event.

Dakota L. Wood, who served America for two decades in the U.S. Marine Corps, is the Senior Research Fellow for Defense Programs at The Heritage Foundation.

Wood’s research and writing focus on programs, capabilities, operational concepts, and strategies of the U.S. Department of Defense and military services to assess their utility in ensuring the United States has the ability to protect and promote its critical national security interests. Mr. Wood originated and serves as the editor for Heritage’s “Index of U.S. Military Strength,” the only annual assessment available to the public of the status of America’s military and its ability to carry out its core functions.

Before joining Heritage, Mr. Wood served as the Strategist for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Special Operations Command. His professional and personal travels over nearly four decades have taken him to over fifty countries on five continents and transit through many of the world’s oceans and seas, experiences that included multiple deployments to Asia and the Mediterranean region, NATO support operations in the Balkans, and contingency operations in W. Africa, along with numerous conferences, symposia, and war games.

Wood graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in oceanography. He was named a distinguished graduate for his work in earning a master’s degree in national security and strategic studies from the College of Naval Command and Staff, U.S. Naval War College. He was also recognized for meritorious distinction by the Marine Corps’ School of Advanced Warfighting.

Wood and his wife, Dixie, have three grown children.

This year’s PLC panels include:

 

Re-Opening PA

Guy Ciarrocchi, Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry

Christopher Brooks, East Stroudsburg University

Phil English, Arent Fox

Jennifer Fertenbaugh, Restaurant Owner

 

Powering PA: Responsible Energy Policy

Greg Wrightstone, CO2 Coalition

Rachel Gleason, PA Coal Alliance

Joe Pittman, State Senator

 

Health Care Reimagined

Ashley Klingensmith, Americans for Prosperity-PA

Dean Clancy, Americans for Prosperity

Matthew McCoy, Villanova University

Valerie Gaydos, State Representative

 

Ensuring Election Integrity

Rebecca Oyler, Former Policy Director PA Department of State

Seth Grove, State Representative

Scott R. Davis, Judge of Elections’

Christopher Wright, Potomac TEA Party

 

This year’s “conversations” include:

 

Future of the Conservative Movement

John Gizzi, Newsmax

Dr. Paul Kengor, Grove City College

Colin Hanna, Let Freedom Ring USA

 

Empowering Parents Through School Choice

Lenny McAllister of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Cyber Charter Schools

Susan Selby, Immanuel Christian School

 

Fairness in Women’s Sports

Judge Cheryl Allen, PA Family Institute

Barbara Gleim, State Representative’

 

Political Power of Labor Unions

David Osborne, Americans for Fair Treatment

Gina Diorio, Commonwealth Partners

 

Proper Role of Courts

Keith Naughton, Silent Majority Strategies

Russ Diamond, State Representative

 

Conservative Civility

Joe Watkins, Host, State of Independence

Jeff Coleman, Churchill Media

 

The 2021 Pennsylvania Leadership Conference will include four workshops: Recruiting Friends & Neighbors by Telling Your Story presented by Americans for Prosperity, Critical Race Theory presented by the Pennsylvania Family Institute, Taking Back Your School Board: How to Grow a Parent Lead Movement presented by FreedomWorks, and Election Integrity Training presented by American Majority.

 

Registration for the 2021 Pennsylvania Leadership Conference is now open at www.paleadershipconference.org.