Michael Barnett and Ryan Hnatiuk at January Lunch

2016 will be an active political year, with Presidential Primary and Municipal elections in March, county-wide non-partisan and primary elections in August, and the general election in November – “the most important election of your lifetime” as they say.

To help us make sense of it all, the club will host PBCGOP Chair Michael Barnett and Executive Director Ryan Hnatiuk in January.

Please join us and be prepared to get active and involved for your favorite candidate(s) as the races heat up.

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Michael Barnett currently serves as Chairman of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County. He was born in Queens, New York but has lived in Boca Raton since 1987. He graduated from Boca Raton High School in 1995, the University of South Florida in 2004 with a BA in Political Science, and the University of Miami School of Law in 2007 with a JD degree. Michael has been practicing law since 2007.

Michael has been a life long conservative Republican. A grassroots activist since 1994, he was involved early on with the College Republicans, Young Republicans, and became an REC committeeman in August, 2010. He was elected Secretary of the Republican Party of Palm Beach County in December, 2010, Vice Chairman in December, 2012, and Chairman in December, 2014.

As Secretary and Vice Chairman, Michael helped start the Party’s black and minority outreach program, with a heavy focus on the large local Haitian community. The Party’s activities and successes in Palm Beach County have made news across the state.

Michael has been grassroots-oriented but has also been able to unite the local Party, earning unanimous support of Republicans across the entire spectrum. “Our job is to get Republicans elected but we must never ever sacrifice principles or values. I am a pro-life, pro-traditional marriage social and fiscal conservative. I believe the Party must stick to its principles while welcoming other groups who share our conservative values.”

Michael is an active parishioner at Ascension Catholic Church in Boca Raton. He’s a member of the Knights of Columbus, has been on political and missions trips to Haiti, and volunteers at The Soup Kitchen in Boynton Beach, Florida.

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Ryan C. Hnatiuk has been appointed to the role of Political Director. He was born and raised outside of Flint, Michigan. He, and his wife of 13 years, have one son who is a very active toddler and is a full time job in his own right. Since coming to South Florida, Ryan has had the opportunity to work with various candidates, consultants and fundraisers primarily within Palm Beach County but has also consulted in the counties of Martin, Broward, and St. Lucie. He has worked in various sized campaigns from town council to congressional and county commission seats.

Ryan recently attained his master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University in Conflict Resolution and is also a certified mediator. Prior to getting his master’s degree he received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Michigan and a minor in International Relations with primary focus being on Latin American governments and their emerging markets. He is looking to use the skills he has attained to strengthen friendships, build lasting coalitions and open dialogue to attract new people to the Republican Party.

December Luncheon Features Dimensional Harmony

Join us at Bear Lakes on Wednesday, December 9 for Holiday Music from Boynton Beach High School’s phenomenal “Dimensional Harmony, as they dance, sing and harmonize their way to London!

Please bring non-perishable foods to contribute to the Palm Beach County Food Bank.

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Dimensional Harmony is a sensational choral group of 50 extraordinarily talented Boynton Beach High School students that has received state and nationwide acclaim for its amazing singing ability!

Under the direction of innovative director, Mr. Sterling Frederick, Dimensional Harmony has been widely recognized nationwide over the past few years, winning first place gold in several competitions in New York and Atlanta; and also winning the prestigious National Show Choir Title. Members have performed their creative interpretations of inspirational songs, ballads, and popular hits live on the “Today Show,” as well as at numerous theaters. Other venues for Dimensional Harmony’s accomplishments include the Florida Music Educators Association Music Conference, openings for renowned gospel singers, and at events held at Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago Resort.

Dimensional Harmony members are a proven example of the positive impact dedicated students, their dedicated leader, and the Performing Arts can have on the local community and on developing future successful, well rounded, and responsible, young individuals and citizens! With their incredible talent, grace, harmony, and unlimited enthusiasm, they deserve the opportunity to become our ambassadors and compete at the highest level.

November Meeting Features “A Tribute to our Troops and Veterans”

In November, we highlight our veterans and active duty military.

Join us at Bear Lakes on Wednesday, November 18 to hear Colonel Arthur DeRuve discuss the contributions that our military has made to the establishment and preservation of our great nation. Colonel DeRuve will refer to all who have worn the uniform of our country, from the Colonialists to our current Boots-on-the-Ground armed forces members. He will describe how the accomplishments of our greatest leaders throughout our history, in preserving our Republic, would not have been possible without the soldiers/sailors/marines/airmen & coastguardsmen who put themselves in harm’s way for the United States of America.

The meeting will also feature patriotic songs by members of Dimensional Harmony from Boynton Beach High School, who will also be featured at our December Christmas / Hanukkah Celebration.

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Colonel Arthur DeRuve was commissioned a second lieutenant through the college ROTC program. After serving two years with the 2nd Armored Division as a cold war soldier in Germany, he remained an additional 28 years in the Army’s active reserve, including 11 years as a military liaison officer for West Point. He is a graduate of the Army’s Artillery & Guided Missile School, the Command & General Staff College, and the Army War College.

In civilian life Colonel DeRuve served as the regional management officer of the “Office of Hearings & Appeals”, the judicial arm of the Social Security Administration, for the states of New York and New Jersey and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. He holds a BS degree in political science from Fordham University and a Masters Degree in Public Administration from New York University.

A County Update – with Commissioner Steven Abrams

Appointed by Charlie Crist in 2009 and twice returned to office, Steven Abrams is currently our longest serving Republican Commissioner, and one of only two out of seven (Hal Valeche is the other, elected in 2012).

Speaking at our October lunch, Steve gave a relatively upbeat synopsis of the county economy, describing the low unemployment and other official statistics, as well as anecdotal “unofficial” measurements such as the uptick in traffic, tourism, and garbage collection.

The commission isn’t typically partisan he said, noting that they were in general agreement about allowing Uber to operate in the county, but there are exceptions.

Next week for example (Tuesday at 5pm) Mayor Vana is holding a public hearing on a county proclamation to support the Obama Executive Amnesty, and asking that the state of Florida withdraw from the lawsuit opposing it. If you think such unilateral amnesty is unconstitutional, you may want to attend the meeting and give them your thoughts.

In the Q&A, the commissioner was asked some substantive questions concerning the upcoming proposal for a 1 cent sales tax to fund infrastructure, and Monday’s vote to allow more development in the Ag reserve.

The sales tax proposal, if approved, would appear on the November ballot, but because both Fire/Rescue and the School System would also like to increase the sales tax, it may or may not happen. As you consider this possibility, remember that this September, the county passed the largest budget, with the largest adopted tax in county history. The millage did not increase, but the significant run up in property valuation produced a massive windfall. Steve spoke about the possibility, but did not say one way or the other whether he supports the sales tax referendum. A voted General Obligation Bond issue is also on the table to fund roads and bridges.

On the Ag Reserve (that area west of Boca, Delray and Boynton where the county bought $100M worth of land to keep in agriculture), they just voted to ease the rules on selling development rights for small, non-contiguous parcels. This will have the effect of increasing the number of houses that can be developed by about 1000, although Steve argued that the total will not exceed the amount envisioned in the master plan in 1999 (which is about 14,000 homes). What he didn’t say is that the way the land has been developed to date, the contiguity rules limited it to about 13,000. To his credit, Steve has a well thought-out set of reasons for his yes vote, and it is a relatively complex issue pitting developers and small landowners against environmentalists and groups like the League of Woman Voters.

Several candidates or their surrogates were in attendance, including CD18 candidate Rebecca Negron. Club VP Meg Shannon spoke for CD18 candidate Rick Kozell, and club Treasurer Bette Anne Starkey spoke for Jeb Bush.

Join us for the next lunch on Wednesday, November 18th where we will present a tribute to our troops and veterans with Colonel Arthur DeRuve.

October 28 Meeting Features County Commissioner Steve Abrams

This year has been a busy one for the Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners. Approving the baseball stadium in West Palm Beach, discussing regulations for ride-sharing company Uber, new development, the future of the Agricultural Reserve and passing the largest budget in history have all been on their plate.

Join us at Bear Lakes on Wednesday October 28 to hear Commissioner Steven Abrams speak about these and other county issues.

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Steven L. Abrams has been a member of the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners since 2009, winning reelection twice. He had the distinction of serving as the first mayor of Palm Beach County in 2013.

Commissioner Abrams has a lengthy record of public service. He is the former mayor of Boca Raton, elected in 2001 and re-elected in 2003 without opposition. In the 2005 election, Abrams received the most votes in city history and was later named mayor emeritus when he stepped down in 2008 due to term limits.

The Commissioner also served five terms as a city council member in Boca Raton from 1989 to 1999 and was a member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board between 1987 and 1989. Abrams is a past president of the Palm Beach County League of Cities and a founding board member of the Florida League of Mayors.

As mayor of Boca Raton, Abrams gained national exposure and local respect during the first bioterrorist attack in American history when anthrax was discovered at the AMI building in Boca Raton in 2001. He received the Distinguished Service Medal from the Israel National Police for his leadership during the ordeal and testified on national television on the government’s response at the invitation of a United States Senate subcommittee.

Abrams is a member of the Florida and District of Columbia Bars. Prior to moving to Florida, he served in the White House as law clerk to the counsel to President Reagan and current Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr.
While attending Harvard University, Abrams received the Philo Sherman Bennett Prize for the best government senior thesis and was graduated magna cum laude in 1980. He received his law degree from The George Washington University in 1985. In 2005, Everglades University awarded Abrams an honorary doctorate of humane letters.

Commissioner Abrams was born in Des Moines, Iowa and grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He and Debbie have been married for 33 years and have two children.

Currently, Abrams serves as board member on the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, where he recently completed two terms as chairman. He also chairs the county’s Broadband Committee, Multi-Jurisdictional Issues Coordination Forum Executive Committee, and Value Adjustment Board. He also chaired the Coastal Ocean Southeast Florida Task Force.

In addition, he sits on the boards of the Florida Atlantic University College of Engineering Advisory Board; Metropolitan Planning Organization; National Association of Counties Transportation Policy Steering Committee, and the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

Magna Carta: Eight Centuries of Liberty

Conservatives and Republicans frequently cite the “rule of law” and “constitutional government” as the basis of our exceptional country, and point to the founding documents – the constitution and Declaration of Independence as defining a new direction in human history. These documents were not created from whole cloth however. We owe much to the British declaration of rights under King John in 1215 – the Magna Carta.

As Daniel Hannan wrote in the Wall Street Journal in May, to mark the 800th anniversary of that document:

“It was at Runnymede, on June 15, 1215, that the idea of the law standing above the government first took contractual form. King John accepted that he would no longer get to make the rules up as he went along. From that acceptance flowed, ultimately, all the rights and freedoms that we now take for granted: uncensored newspapers, security of property, equality before the law, habeas corpus, regular elections, sanctity of contract, jury trials.”

See the full article HERE.

Join us on September 23rd at Bear Lakes to hear PBAU Associate Professor of History Doctor Wes Borucki explain why this document is so relevant today.

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Dr. Borucki, who has taught at PBA since 2003, specializes in the antebellum South, the Civil War and Reconstruction, Colonial America, and presidential history. He teaches undergraduate history and humanities and also serves as a faculty member in the Frederick M. Supper Honors Program. Dr. Borucki’s first book, George H.W. Bush: In Defense of Principle, was published in early 2011 by Nova Science Publishers as part of its First Men: America’s Presidents series. His second book, Ronald Reagan: Heroic Dreamer, was published as part of the same series in 2014.

The history of sports is one of his side interests: his article “Moving on Up?: Whether Leaps to Division I-A in American College Football Benefit Universities” was published in June 2015 in The Journal of Sports Management and Commercialization; and in 2003, his article, “You’re Dixie’s Football Pride: American College Football and the Resurgence of Southern Nationalism,” was published in the journal Identities: Global Studies in Culture and Power.

Dr. Borucki has written book reviews for The Journal of Southern History, The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, and The Alabama Review. He had the honor of serving as both a junior fellow and senior fellow in The University of Alabama’s Blount Undergraduate Initiative, in which he taught the freshman sequence of this interdisciplinary studies program that is similar to PBA’s humanities core program in its subject matter. At Alabama, he served as editor-in-chief of the journal Southern Historian in 1998-1999. He is a contributor to Oxford University Press’s Encyclopedia of African American History, Macmillan Press’ multi-volume Civil Rights in the United States, and the Gale Group’s Women in World History. His dissertation, “Yankees in King Cotton’s Court: Northerners in Antebellum and Wartime Alabama,” was the basis of presentations at the Families at War Conference at the University of Richmond, the Alabama Studies Symposium in Montgomery, and local historical group meetings for the Alabama Humanities Foundation’s Speakers Bureau. Dr. Borucki is a long-standing member of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and is currently the secretary of the vestry of Redeemer Lutheran Church in West Palm Beach. He served as a lay delegate to the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod’s convention in St. Louis in 1998 and to the LCMS’s Florida-Georgia District Conventions in 2006 and 2015.

Dr. Borucki has a B.A from Michigan State, an M.A from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst, and a Ph.D. from the Univerity of Alabama.

Senator George LeMieux on the Challenges We Face

Opening with “the 2016 election is the most important of our lifetime!”, Senator George LeMieux joked that we always say that, but unfortunately, for the last 10 years it has really been true.

Giving us a broad overview of challenges facing us abroad as well as at home, he made the case that the country can be saved from the ravages of the Obama years but only if conservative ideas prevail. If we lose the White House and/or the Senate in 2016, the country left to our children and grand children will be unrecognizable.

Touching on the “nuclear deal” with Iran, which is the most pressing problem of the day, he spoke of how bad a deal it is. Iran is not our friend, as they spread their radical Shiite ideology into dominance of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen. Much of the inspection regime in the “deal” requires trust of Iran – and we cannot trust Iran.

Isis, as much a threat to us at home as to the people of Iraq and Syria, have been able to create their terrorist “caliphate” because Obama turned his back on Iraq. With Russia rampaging across Ukraine and threatening its neighbors, and China building up its military in Asia and threatening us with cyberespionage, we need a President who is competent to manage America’s role in the world.

At home, we have slow growth and many feel we are still in a recession. Obama’s regulatory regime has bogged down the economy, and it will take a change in the White House before growth can be restored. If we returned to 4% growth, the debt could be retired in 10 years.

In summary, we can recover but it requires a change of direction.

Also at the meeting, were CD18 candidate (and former club President) Rick Kozell, and US Senate candidate Todd Wilcox, each of who spoke briefly, and Jay Goldfarb gave us an update on Lobster Fest. Hanna Matry, one of our scholarship recipients from last month who could not be with us then, also spoke about her current work at NASA.

Senator George LeMieux for July Lunch

Join us on July 22 at Bear Lakes Country Club, for Senator George LeMieux, co-founder of the LeMieux Center for Public Policy at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

Senator Lemieux will discuss “The 2016 Presidential Race and Why it Matters”.

Currently Chairman of the Board of the Gunster Law Firm, Senator LeMieux has broad experience in Washington and Tallahassee, having served as both as US Senator and chief of staff to former Governor Charlie Crist, chairman of the Governor Jeb Bush re-election campaign, and as a Broward county GOP Chairman. From politics to public policy, he will give us his perspective on the issues and events of the day.

Read Senator LeMieux’s recent op-ed on U.S. Supreme Court overreaches in the Tampa Bay Times.

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George LeMieux focuses his practice on resolving business and governmental disputes, and advising CEOs and “C” level executives on business, law and politics from a state and national perspective.

He has advocated for clients before state and federal trial and appellate courts, as well as governmental agencies and regulatory bodies.

George served as Florida’s 34th United States Senator in the 111th Congress. In the United States Senate, he served on the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, the Armed Services Committee, and the Special Committee on Aging. He successfully passed legislation on health care fraud, export promotion, rating agency reform, small business promotion, as well as a treaty resolution on tactical nuclear weapons.

George served as Florida’s deputy attorney general overseeing more than 400 attorneys and appearing before appellate courts on behalf of the state of Florida, including the United States Supreme Court. George also served as the Governor’s chief of staff overseeing all state agencies and operations. In that role, he negotiated a gaming compact with the Seminole Tribe of Florida.

George LeMieux serves as the chairman of the board of the Gunster law firm.

PBAU President William Fleming to Present 2015 Anne Roberts Scholarships

Please Join us for the awarding of the 2015 Annual Anne Roberts Scholarships and celebrate the day with our young scholars.

Presenting the awards for the club will be our featured speaker, Palm Beach Atlantic University President William Fleming.

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William M. B. Fleming, Jr. was elected 8th president of Palm Beach Atlantic University on May 7, 2012, after serving as interim president for the previous 14 months. Up to that time, he served Palm Beach Atlantic as vice president for development, joining the University in 1992.

Under President Fleming’s leadership the University has gained significant momentum as illustrated by ratings as a “best” choice in U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, and inclusion in the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. In the fall of 2013, the University brought in a record class while maintaining strong academic standards.

Further, the University has established four Centers of Excellence; was chosen as a model for community engagement by the NCAA Division II; and increased its local economic impact to $326 million in 2013. In addition, the Rinker Athletic Campus officially opened on Sept. 4, 2014. President Fleming has been instrumental in raising more than $142 million for Palm Beach Atlantic during his tenure as vice president for development and president.

Prior to coming to Palm Beach Atlantic, Fleming served in several administrative roles at Wingate University and Guilford College, both in North Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in political science from Guilford. Judson University in Illinois presented him with an honorary doctorate degree. He lives in Wellington, Fla. with his wife, Pam. They are members of St. Peter’s United Methodist Church and parents of two sons.

Legislative Update with Senator Joe Negron and Representative Pat Rooney

Please join the Republican Club of the Palm Beaches us for an interesting and informative legislative update from State Representative Pat Rooney and State Senator Joe Negron. A brief Q & A will follow, time permitting.

$20/Members $25/Guests

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