2022 Conference Speakers
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Jacqueline H. Abernathy, Ph.D., MSSW is a public sector consultant, policy scholar, bioethicist, & the Texas gubernatorial candidate for the American Solidarity Party (ASP), the 5th largest party in Texas. The ASP promotes compassionate, common sense policies based on the Consistent Life Ethic and Catholic Social Teaching and Dr. Abernathy proudly represents them as the only candidate for Texas Governor who does not support killing anyone. She is running to offer a truly pro-life choice against the supposedly pro-life Republican incumbent Greg Abbott who is anti-abortion but like many in his party, also anti-immigrant, anti-LGBTQ and pro-death penalty. Likewise his Democrat challenger, the former Senator Beto O'Rourke, upholds his party's line on abortion and can rightly be considered an abortion extremist. Dr. Abernathy is pleased to provide a non-violent alternative to voters in the Lone Star State this November and encourages other consistent lifers to run for office and do the same for their community. She currently lives in San Antonio with her husband and kids.

Melba is a teacher and former engineer who ran for state representative in New Mexico as a Republican on a consistent pro-life platform. Her perspective on whole-life advocacy is informed by her experiences with childhood poverty, teen pregnancy, and having a child with congenital anomalies, as well as her Catholic faith.

Karin Barbito, co-author of Unraveled Roots and Special Projects Manager at Support After Abortion, is a pioneer in the abortion healing movement. Karin's personal journey of healing from abortion, as well as alcoholism, drug addiction, domestic violence, homelessness, and codependency fuels her compassion and zeal to help others unravel the roots of their traumas and behaviors to find healing and wholeness.

Roger Bergman is Professor Emeritus of Cultural & Social Studies at Creighton University where he served as founding director of the Justice & Peace Studies Program from 1995 until his retirement in 2017. He is the author of Preventing Unjust War: A Catholic Argument for Selective Conscientious Objection (2020). For two decades he taught Christian ethics of War & Peace and, for senior ROTC cadets, a Morality of War Seminar. He is completing work on an expanded edition of his 2011 award-winning book Catholic Social Learning: Educating the Faith That Does Justice. With his wife Dr. Wendy M. Wright, Professor Emerita of Theology at Creighton, he has six grandchildren, more than half of whom are twins.

Abraham J. Bonowitz has been a leading organizer to end the death penalty since he changed his mind on the issue 30+ years ago. As Field Manager for New Jerseyans for Alternatives to the DP, in 2007 he helped pass the first post-Furman legislative repeal bill. He was also directly involved in the repeal victories in NM, IL and MD and to a lesser degree in CT, NE, NH, CO & VA.

Bonowitz co-founded Death Penalty Action in 2017 in response to anticipated federal executions and led the grassroots response to the unprecedented federal execution spree in the final months of the Trump Administration. As executive director, he has helped grow Death Penalty Action into the leading grassroots anti-death penalty organization in the United States. The organization creates high visibility public protests and manages behind-the-scenes strategic organizing and communications campaigns that save lives and change public policy. Among other projects, Bonowitz and his team of volunteers and staff are currently supporting the effort to abolish the death penalty in Ohio and led efforts which helped successfully stop the execution of Melissa Lucio, an innocent woman who had been scheduled to be executed on April 27th.

Abe is a graduate of the Ohio Institute of Photography and worked as a photographer before being bitten by the human rights bug in the late 1980s. He served on the board of directors of Amnesty International USA and worked for several years with as assistant to the founding executive director of the Cesar E. Chavez Foundation, established following the civil rights leaders' death in 1993. Abe is a native Ohioan and lives in Columbus with his wife, their son, two cats and a dog.

Terrisa is an atheist, leftist, and the Founder and Executive Director of Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU). She formerly founded Pro-Life San Francisco where she continues to act as President and is the former President of Democrats for Life of America. Terrisa also serves as Vice President of Secular Pro-Life, and on the Board of Directors for Let them Live and Rehumanize International. Terrisa graduated at the top of her class from Specs Howard School of Broadcast Arts and has over 15 years experience in business and team management with several fortune 500 companies. She has been arrested multiple times and spent time in jail for leading peaceful civil disobedience actions in and around abortion businesses. Terrisa has also participated in direct actions for various social justice movements from animal rights to death penalty abolition. Her efforts have been featured in every major media outlet including the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, NPR, BBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, Rolling Stone and the Christian Post. She resides in Dupont Circle, Washington DC, with her two cats.

Robert Byrd is the Executive Coordinator of Pro-Life San Francisco, a nonsectarian and multi-partisan grassroots organization operating in the abortion training capital of America. A San Francisco native, he has volunteered for SF’s Alpha Pregnancy Center and creates quality media content for pro-life groups around the country. In 2018 he received an honorable mention in the Encounter Youniverse art competition for his iconic illustration “OfGilda.”

A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, Jack Champagne currently works as an educator in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He has formerly worked for the Capital Habeas Unit of the Federal Public Defender's Office, The Innocence Project, and The Southern Poverty Law Center.

Recovering Army veteran. Activist. Podcaster. Former Consistent Life Network national program coordinator. Thad stands for life, freedom of Conscience, human rights, social justice, nonviolent conflict resolution, and peace. Shocked and betrayed by a command who deceived him into training tortuous death squads, he lived with his enemies for three weeks and transitioned from an angry-veteran war protestor to a healthier, more effective, consistent activist. His 28 years of peace activism, 24 years of Conscientious Objection to military taxation, 8 years of Pro-Life/Consistent Life and 6 years of climate activism include Veterans For Peace, Christian Peacemaker Teams, 40 Days for Life, and Pax Christi.

David Daleiden is an investigative journalist who went undercover for 30 months to expose illegal activities of abortion industry. He is also the creator of numerous videos currently under gag order, some released in 2015, that shocked the country and exposed the criminal activity of many facets of the abortion industry and how tax payer dollars fund research using fetal organs harvested from born alive babies. David is the catalyst who caused Congress to do an investigation into the abortion industry, and led many states to defund Planned Parenthood.

Jeri Fields, M.Ed and M.Div, is a former educator who serves in her community as a first responder chaplain with a longstanding commitment to the spiritual well-being of all of God’s people. She holds a Professional Certificate in Restorative Justice from Vermont Law School. Jeri is inspired by the transforming and healing powers that occur within restorative processes that offer safe spaces to be brave and vulnerable as personal stories are shared openly with authenticity, deep listening, and respect for others. In her professional and personal life, she is passionate about restorative justice practices and is an enthusiastic member of the Restorative Justice family of the DC Peace Team.

Tiny in stature, big in ambition, Beth Fox’s life is a story worth sharing. Before she even had a name, Beth became a prime target for abortion. Her mother’s pregnancy was risky and doctors advised an abortion to preserve her life. Beth’s poor prenatal prognosis led doctors to conclude her quality of life would be so poor that having an abortion would be the “merciful” choice. Though living a life with chronic illness and disability is challenging, Beth is here to share why life is worth living and striving for. Today, Beth cannot see, walk, or breathe on her own; it is through these physical struggles, past doubts of self-value, and the diagnosis of multiple rare, life-limiting disorders that Beth has developed an active voice aimed at making positive changes. Despite her challenges, Beth lives independently in central Virginia, where she has received Master’s degrees in public health and developmental psychology, works as a tutor, vlogger, and public speaker, and aspires to become a professor and lovingly foster terminally ill children.

Herb Geraghty is the Executive Director of Rehumanize International, a secular, non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to bringing an end to all forms of aggressive violence against human beings through education, discourse, and action. Herb’s unique position as a politically independent pro-life atheist has broken down barriers to reach demographics often untapped by the mainstream pro-life movement. Similarly, Herb’s common ground on the abortion issue with many folks on the political right has enabled productive outreach on the issues of war, torture, and the death penalty. Herb has a passion for building bridges and finding common ground with people across the political spectrum to call everyone to a greater consistency in the fight for human rights.

Cassie is a dedicated advocate with a passion for social awareness and challenging stereotypes. She currently works as a Marketing Specialist at the JPII Life Center and Vitae Clinic, a maternity resource center and OB/GYN medical practice in Austin, Texas. A graduate from The University of Texas, Cassie has been previously involved in consistent life activism as the President of the pro-life student organization Horns for Life. Cassie integrates her professional skills with her advocacy by delivering the Consistent Life Ethic message from a unique lens that encourages audiences to consider new perspectives and affirms people of all backgrounds and identities.

Lauren is a Catholic, anarcho mutualist, prison abolitionist, and Director of Activism for Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising. She has also been a leader in the Red Rose Rescue movement since its inception. Her work has taken her to over 100 abortion businesses across 32 states and she has helped nearly 800 families choose life through her LGBTQ+ inclusive sidewalk advocacy efforts. Lauren has been arrested more than 30 times for nonviolent direct actions representing a spectrum of human rights injustices.

Kelsey Hazzard founded Secular Pro-Life in 2009 and serves as its president. She is a graduate of the University of Miami (B.A. 2009), where she founded the school’s pro-life student organization, and the University of Virginia School of Law (J.D. 2012). Immediately following law school, she was selected for a Robert F. Kennedy Public Service Fellowship, which allowed her to devote a year to public interest work with Americans United for Life. She is now an attorney in private practice in Naples, Florida.

Kelsey is a proud anti-abortion atheist. Her writings appear regularly in pro-life media and she is featured in the pro-life documentary “40”. Kelsey has also made appearances in mainstream news sources like NPR, Buzzfeed, and Slate.

Dr. Leonie Herx is a specialist palliative care physician in Kingston, Ontario, Associate Professor and Division Head of Palliative Medicine at Queen's University, Clinical Director for Palliative Care at Providence Care Hospital, Chair of the Royal College Specialty Committee in Palliative Medicine and a Past-President of the Canadian Society of Palliative Care Physicians.

Leonie is passionate about advocating for the integrity of holistic palliative care — “medical assistance in living” (MAiL), maintaining its distinction from euthanasia, and ensuring clinicians have a right to follow their conscience. She has written multiple academic articles and chapters, editorials and general media pieces about palliative care, and has been an invited speaker on this topic to national and international parliamentary committees and medical association meetings, including Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the UK.

Cherilyn specializes in initiating tough conversations surrounding racial equity including the womb. Cherilyn travels the country educating our community about the negative messaging they receive regarding Motherhood and the sanctity of life. Cherilyn is an author and a thought leader. Her point of view has been sought after by ABC as part of their series, “Soul of a Nation.” Her candor about the state of Motherhood in the Black community brings stale and erroneous assumptions out into the open for examination and review.

Taylor Hyatt worked in disability policy from 2015-2020, including serving as an advisor to a Member of Parliament. Ms. Hyatt is a former member of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition’s board and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities’ Ending-of-Life Ethics Committee. She served as Policy Analyst at Toujours Vivant-Not Dead Yet Canada from 2017-early 2020, and testified before the Canadian Parliament’s Justice Committee in November 2020. Ms. Hyatt’s articles and interviews have appeared on CBC, Global News, and the Ottawa Citizen. She lives in Ottawa, Canada. In her spare time, she can be found with her nose in a book, exploring local food and music venues, or spoiling her chubby cat.

Heidi Janz, Ph.D. (She/Her/Hers) is a Core Faculty Member and Associate Adjunct Professor with the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre at the University of Alberta. Her areas of specialization include Disability Ethics, Critical Disability Studies, and Research-Based Drama. She is also an active disability-rights advocate at the national level. Her advocacy is centered around exposing the ableism behind the ever-expanding eligibility for a state-sanctioned death through MAID.

Kathy Kelly is a peace activist whose efforts have sometimes led her to living in war zones and prisons. She and her companions believe that “where you stand determines what you see."
She and an ad hoc circle of internationals have been assisting young Afghans to resettle in safer havens. She co-coordinates the BanKillerDrones.org, is board President of World BEYOND War, (worldbeyondwar.org), and is planning the 2023 Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal (tribunal23@MerchantsofDeath.org)

Hayden Laye was born and raised in Upstate South Carolina. After Trump won the GOP nomination in 2016, they became a Democrat, and they now identify as a Democratic Socialist. They came out as bisexual in 2018. In 2020, Laye found out about abortion. They were always told it was a "woman's right," but after doing their own research — as a Democrat who is pro-science and pro-human rights — they saw it for what it really is: the intentional killing of an innocent and defenseless human being. A few months later, they started Pro-Life LGBTQ pages on Instagram, Tik Tok (@ProLifeLGBTQ), and Twitter (@ProLife_LGBTQ), and began volunteering for Democrats For Life and the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising. They have devoted most of their time to fighting for Preborn and LGBTQ+ rights.

Cecelia Lester is Vice President and Social Media Director for Feminists Choosing Life of NY. Cecelia has a background in fine arts and currently teaches art to students grades K-8. She lives with her husband and family in Rochester, NY.

Missy Martinez-Stone is the national leading expert in abortion facility closures. Missy began her pro-life career with Students for Life of America and became their National Field Director. She oversaw the growing team of Regional Coordinators and helped Students for Life cross the threshold by helping over 1,000 student groups. Missy has traveled the country working with young people, training and equipping them to be revolutionary pro-life activists. She’s been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Christian Broadcasting Network, and many other media outlets. In 2020, Missy helped incorporate Reprotection, a national pro-life watchdog group that investigates and shuts down abortion facilities that violate state health and medical codes. Reprotection has shut down two abortion facilities in the past two years, stopped three abortion facilities from opening, and has ongoing investigations in over 30 states.

Sonja Morin is a Catholic, consistent life ethic advocate, and community organizer, currently pursuing a BA in Graphic Design at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth. She currently works as a Communications Consultant for Consistent Life Network, co-leads the Rehumanize New England chapter, organizes for PAAU, and serves on the Board of Directors for Massachusetts Citizens for Life. Her work encompasses several other established organizations, including Students for Life, Boston Pro-Life Future, and Live Action. Sonja currently resides in the Boston area. She enjoys reading, exploring, photography, and music.

Aimee Murphy is the founder of Rehumanize International, a non-partisan, secular organization dedicated to bringing an end to all aggressive violence against human beings (from conception to natural death) through education, discourse, and action. For this world-changing work, Murphy has been featured in news media outlets such as MSNBC, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, The New York Times, The Washington Post, VICE News, and many more.

Debra is a Professor of Religious Studies and Co-Director of the Center for Restorative Justice at WV Wesleyan College. She is the author of two books, numerous articles and essays, and is currently working on a project related to climate grief. She uses the circle process with students and with unsheltered and newly-housed folks in Clarksburg, WV.

Michael J. New, Ph.D., is a an Assistant Professor of Practice at The Catholic University of America and an Associate Scholar at the Charlotte Lozier Institute. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate from Dartmouth College, Dr. New received a master’s degree in statistics and a doctorate in political science from Stanford University in 2002.

Dr. New researches and writes about the social science of sanctity of life issues. He gives presentations on both the positive impact of pro-laws and the gains in public support for the pro-life position. He is a frequent guest on various Catholic radio programs and his blogposts often appear on National Review Online's "The Corner."

Maria is a dedicated activist and artist who cut her teeth as a graphic design student at The University of Alabama, where she oversaw the creative direction of four student magazines while interning for Rehumanize International. In addition to this, she participated in the Students for Life Wilberforce fellowship and led her university's pro-life student group, Bama Students for Life, before graduating in 2017. She was hired on to the Rehumanize International team in September 2018. She runs Rehumanize's social media pages, designs all materials, edits the Rehumanize Podcast, and serves as editor-in-chief of the Rehumanize Blog.

Carrie Perham is a board member for Feminists Choosing Life of NY. She became active in the pro-life movement after moving to Rochester, NY to begin a job working for various pro-life organizations as a creative strategist. She has been privileged to help lead successful campaigns that have prevented local Planned Parenthood expansion. She is honored to be a part of FCLNY's work and believes that their message to reveal the truth about femininity and the violence of abortion is a message that every man and woman needs to hear.

Lauren is a writer and homeschooling mother of 6. Her first pregnancy was incredibly complicated and culminated in a preterm rupture of membranes at 22 weeks. That child survived and thrived, and she has been active in supporting others facing poor prenatal diagnoses ever since.

Gloria Purvis is an author, commentator and the host and executive producer of The Gloria Purvis Podcast. Through her media presence, she has been a strong Catholic voice for life issues, religious liberty, and racial justice. She has appeared in numerous media outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, PBS Newshour, NPR, Newsweek, and Catholic Answers Live and hosted Morning Glory, an international radio show.

She recently debuted a video series entitled Racism, Human Dignity and The Catholic Church through the Word on Fire Institute.

She is the Inaugural Pastoral Fellow at the McGrath Institute for Church Life at Notre Dame University and recently received an Honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters from the University of Portland in Oregon.

Maria Santelli has been director of the Center on Conscience and War since 2011.

Nicole Scheidl is a lawyer and the Executive Director of Canadian Physicians for Life. She is passionate about care for the elderly and conscience rights, speaking to a variety of audiences on both topics.

Sarah comes to Rehumanize International with a goal of building capacity among staff and ensuring a long and stable future for the organization. A pacifist, Sarah has previously worked in event planning, community development, donor relations, and nonprofit administration. Sarah has a M.A. in Theology from Duquesne University, where she focused on Catholic Social Teaching. Her thesis addressed moral philosopher Josef Pieper’s use of the theology of Thomas Aquinas in Pieper’s works on the virtuous life in society. At Rehumanize, she develops and sustains relationships with the organization's donors and supporters and maintains compliance with government mandates for nonprofit organizations. Sarah's work allows other Rehumanize staff to concentrate their efforts on implementing projects to spread our consistent life message across the globe.

Caroline Taylor Smith is a leftist, Gemini, and the Public Relations Director for Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising (PAAU). Caroline has worked for Protect Life Michigan, the University of Notre Dame, and volunteers with Democrats for Life of Michigan. She holds degrees in both Strategic Communication and French from Calvin University and has lived in both France and England. Caroline has organized for climate justice and has championed the use of abortion victim imagery in the contemporary pro-life movement. She been arrested for peacefully and nonviolently defending the unborn through direct action. Caroline has travelled to more than 20 countries and has been featured in major media outlets such as Washington Post, Christian Post, Catholic News Agency and more. She resides in Grand Rapids with her cat, Chica.

Kaine Spitak is a Juris Doctor Candidate at the Duquesne University School of Law. She is the current President of the law school's Lambda Law Society, an LGBT law society that focuses on advocacy and outreach. Kaine is also a member of PLAGAL+, a frequent volunteer for Rehumanize International, and likes trying new vegan recipes.

Michele Sterlace-Accorsi grew up experiencing poverty and, at times, homelessness. She quit high school when she was 17. She later earned her GED and graduated magna cum laude from New York University, while working full-time. While a mother of four young children, at age 37, Michele’s experiences inspired her to advocate for vulnerable populations. She completed her Juris Doctor degree from the University at Buffalo School of Law.

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Michele began her legal career as a trial attorney for those seeking custody of abused and neglected children. She continued this work at the Children’s Legal Center in Buffalo, serving as a children’s attorney. Seeing the needs of the community, Michele advanced her studies by attending the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School. While a student at Pepperdine, she worked in the U.S. District Court. She assisted the mediation program director with prisoner rights cases and other civil litigation for the disenfranchised.

In 2017 she completed her studies and her youngest child, born during her first semester of law school, stood proudly by her, as she graduated with a Masters of Law in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute.

Michele is the paradigm of a pro-life feminist, a role model for equal opportunities for the poor, for women and their children, born and unborn.

Lisa Stiller has an MA in Communication Studies and in Secondary Education, and has worked as a part time community college instructor in English and Speech Communication, as an elementary and middle school teacher, and as an elementary and secondary school counselor. She has been politically active since she was 6 years old when she plastered her neighborhood with flyers urging people to vote for progressive candidates. In college Lisa was a passionate anti war activist, and continued that activity into the Iraq war protests. Currently she is spending time advocating for universal health care, peace, increased mental health resources for schools, and gun safety. She is a strong follower of the Consistent Life Ethic and believes that opposing abortion is a progressive stand. Living in a fanatically prochoice state has once again turned her focus to having conversations about hot button topics, without losing friends and family.

Sarah Terzo is a supporter of the Consistent Life Ethic, a writer for Live Action News, and a board member of the Consistent Life Network and PLAGAL. She also writes poetry, essays, and fiction.

Heather Thompson is passionate about reforming the system and structure of incarceration in our country. Her greatest passion is restorative justice, a pursuit she nurtures through the DC Peace Team as a volunteer circle keeper and facilitator of workshops on circle keeping, victim-offender dialogues, anti-racism, and other restorative practices. She has helped develop the restorative justice training curriculum and tailors it to the needs of the community.

Kristin is the executive Director of Pro-Life San Francisco, which has been on the front lines in the fight against unethical fetal research since 2019. She is also a progressive, atheist, vegan, feminist and social justice activist from Northern California, as well as the communications Director for the Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising.

Anj (performing as Sunrise Transparence) is a Los Angeles-based facilitator, teacher, and music creator. Anj's experience includes designing and teaching classes, workshops, and intensive programs, engaging participants of diverse experience and skill levels; sonically facilitating mindful, meditative, and spiritually explorative/expressive spaces; working as a live sound engineer; and maintaining an active performance and composition/production presence in a variety of genres and ensembles for nearly two decades.

Emiliano is co-Vice President of Rehumanize, podcast director, contributor and translator for the blog, and member of the Board since 2021. They have followed the Consistent Life Ethic movement since high school and got actively involved in college at Northwestern University, serving as Vice President of NU Students For Life and organizing in several social justice groups. They ran for State Representative of the Illinois 93rd as an openly CLE Democratic candidate. Emiliano holds a Master's from the Universidad de las Américas Puebla and currently lives in Mexico with his partner and two pets, Cezy and Xaza.

Alex Vernon directs the Immigration Law Clinic at University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, where students assist people fleeing for their lives, struggling for family unity, and striving to regularize their status in the United States. Much of the clinic’s work involves assisting migrants, particularly women and children, who are victims of serious crimes. Alex’s vocation for migrant and refugee advocacy grew out of his experiences with people experiencing crisis pregnancies.

Alex is a former international exchange student, and he carries a lifelong love of cultural learning, particularly when it comes to music, food, folkways and spiritualities.

Rev. Dr. Crystal Walker is the Interim Pastor of United Christian Church in Clayton, OH. She is married to Rev. Shelby Walker and they have a blended family of (5) children-1 deceased and 10 grandchildren. Dr. Walker is a strong advocate for the abolishment of the death penalty and serves on the boards of Ohioans to Stop Executions and Journey of Hope from Violence to Healing. She lost her son Edward, age 28, to gun violence in 2013.

Kateri Weege is a Master of Social Work student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison researching the experiences of parenting students on campus. Her work was catalyzed by her own experiences as a parenting student, marked by a crisis pregnancy at 19. Kateri is passionate about creating an equitable and accessible world for parents - regardless of when their parenthood begins. She is the President of Rehumanize-Madison and the Vice President of the Wisconsin Student Parents Organization.

Business degree achiever who with his wife Charlene was shot multiple times and left for dead during an armed robbery at his place of business in Enterprise, AL Feb 27 1985. George lived, his wife did not. Thus began a 7 year legal nightmare as George was charged, convicted and ultimately exonerated of his wife's murder.

Victim of violent crime in which the defendant was put to death in Arkansas. Advocate against death penalty and spoke on behalf of the defendant. Criminal investigator with Public Defender, NJ. Follower of Christ.

Christy Yao Pelliccioni started with Rehumanize as an intern in 2017. She then became Rehumanize’s first staff writer in 2018. In 2019, Christy was elected to the National Committee of the American Solidarity Party. She currently serves as President of the Consistent Life Network and is active in her local Rehumanize chapter, Rehumanize DMV.

Christy currently works in elder care and is studying towards a Masters in Professional Writing from Towson University. She lives in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC with her wonderful husband Ethan, beautiful baby Nathaniel, and mischievous dog Rumplestiltskin.