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About Move America Forward
Move America Forward is a non-partisan, not-for-profit charitable organization committed
to supporting America’s efforts to defeat terrorism and supporting the brave men and women
of our Armed Forces. Contributions are tax deductible.
Our Board of Directors and Staff:
The Honorable Howard Kaloogian – Founder
The Honorable Howard Kaloogian served as a Republican Member of the California State Assembly from 1994-2000. Kaloogian was selected as Assistant Republican Leader, where he led the fight for smaller government and lower taxes.
Assemblyman Kaloogian went on to make history when he launched the Recall Gray Davis Committee, an effort which ousted Democrat Governor Gray Davis from office and resulted in the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger to the governor’s office. Davis was the first statewide elected official recalled in California’s history.
Considering Ronald Reagan to be one of his political heroes, Kaloogian agreed to lead the Defend Reagan Committee. He led hundreds of thousands of Reagan supporters across America to fight against the smear campaign waged against Reagan by CBS, Viacom and Showtime with their anti-Reagan production, “The Reagans.” So many Reagan supporters flooded the offices of CBS and their sponsors with complaints that the movie was cancelled on network television.
A champion of Proposition 13 and taxpayer hero, Kaloogian is a leading voice for fiscal responsibility, individual freedoms and conservative values.
Kaloogian has advanced the issues important to him and the people of California as a conservative radio talk show host, noted convention speaker and documentary host. He is a frequent lecturer on topics surrounding economics and the detrimental effects of over regulation and stifling levels of taxation.
Melanie Morgan – Chairman
Melanie Morgan has established herself as one of the leading conservative voices in the nation. Every morning Morgan shows off her intellect and wit as the co-host of one of San Francisco’s top-rated drive time radio shows, “The Lee Rodgers and Melanie Morgan Show” on KSFO 560 AM.
She’s emerged as a leader in the national pro-troop movement, rallying millions of Americans to support the War on Terrorism, the U.S. Military and the fighting men and women of the armed forces.
In July 2005 Morgan led a delegation of talk radio hosts to Iraq to interview U.S. troops and allow them to tell their stories live to the American people. These interviews were broadcast live to the nation - unedited and unfiltered. Melanie Morgan won the Associated Press award for “Best Special Program – Voices of Soldiers” during her two-week trip to Iraq in 2005.
In October 2006, Morgan co-authored the Amazon.com bestselling book, American Mourning, which told the story of two American heroes who had paid the ultimate sacrifice in the war on terrorism.
Morgan has attracted a huge fan base over the course of her career as a television and radio reporter and commentator, where she has been a leader for countless crusades that have left lasting changes on the political landscape.
Known as “the Mother of the Recall,” Melanie launched the historic Recall Gray Davis campaign from her radio show after a discussion with California Republican Party Chairman, Shawn Steel.
Melanie Morgan stepped up once more and through grassroots activism managed to convince the state of California to reverse itself and end use of the carcinogenic MTBE (which had been added to California gasoline at the insistence of environmentalists).
In addition to her frequent appearances on national news programs (The O’Reilly Factor, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Hannity & Colmes, Crossfire, and many others), she also writes a weekly column at WorldNetDaily.com and is a frequent contributor to HumanEvents.com and Newsmax.com
Catherine Moy - Acting Executive Director
Catherine Moy is an award-winning journalist with 19 years of experience as an investigative reporter, author, editor, columnist, feature writer and business writer.
The Pulitzer-nominee has been both an editor and written for daily newspapers, magazines, weeklies, and high-profile online news magazines such as Human Events and WorldNetDaily.
In 2006, Moy coauthored with Melanie Morgan, Chairman of Move America Forward. the critically acclaimed book, "American Mourning: A Story of Two Families; Touched by War and Torn By Beliefs" which tells the stories of American heroism in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Catherine Moy salutes the men and women of the United States Armed Forces for their service, sacrifice and heroism. Her own father, Manuel Perez, fought in the Navy during the Korean War; her Uncle Jim Perez served in World War II aboard the USS Chicago, which enemy aircraft sunk while he was aboard; and her Uncle Tony Perez died in the Battle of the Bulge. Moy treasurers her uncle's Purple Heart, which she possesses, to remind her of American's sacrifices for freedom.
Moy has been repeatedly recognized for her excellence in journalism. The Society of Professional Journalists has awarded Moy for excellence in investigative reporting, column writing, business writing and public service. She has also been nominated for a Pulitzer Prize.
But her biggest joys related to work are the letters and emails from U.S. troops thanking her for her unwavering support of them and their mission. She is always humbled by the troops' selfless work.
Deborah Johns - Director of Military Relations
When anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan emerged as the darling of the news media in August 2005, there were few voices challenging the statements being made by Ms. Sheehan. One woman, Marine Mom Deborah Johns, stepped up and led the national effort to present the pro-troop alternative to Cindy Sheehan.
Johns served as Move America Forward’s spokesperson for the “You Don’t Speak for Me, Cindy” tour, which crossed the nation and ended in Crawford, Texas with a pro-troop rally that attracted thousands of supporters.
Deborah Johns has been interviewed more than 500 times by the leading news organizations in the United States and abroad, where she has articulated the importance of the missions of U.S. and Coalition troops serving in the war on terror.
Deborah’s son, William, has already served three tours of duty in Iraq as a United States Marine, and he stands ready to redeploy to Iraq when needed.
Patriotism runs deep in the Johns’ family. Another of Deborah’s sons, Adam, teamed up with Move America Forward for Operation Fuzzy Wuzzy, which collected and sent over 5,000 teddy bears and stuffed animals to the children of Beslan, Russia who survived that awful terrorist attack.
Debbie Lee - Gold Star Mother
Debbie Lee has been a leading spokesperson for the missions of U.S. troops fighting in the war on terrorism and for Move America Forward.
Her son, Marc Alan Lee, was the first Navy Seal to lose his life in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Marc, 28, was killed August 2, 2006 in a fierce firefight while on patrol against insurgents in Ramadi, Iraq.
U.S. Navy officers told Debbie Lee that her son died after single-handedly holding off enemy fighters as his team rescued a wounded soldier from a rooftop. During the two-hour battle, Navy officials informed her that Marc Lee fired 100 rounds of ammunition against insurgents before he was killed.
As the Portland Oregonian noted, “A Navy SEAL's everyday life would reduce most people to sobbing wrecks: extremes of heat and cold, sleep deprivation, the constant specter of danger. It is an existence of late-night phone calls and missed birthdays, while standing watch over the troubled waters of this world so that others may sleep peacefully.”
Debbie Lee has toured the nation, speaking at pro-troop rallies, and helping to organize shipments of care packages to our troops serving overseas.
She met with President Bush and pledged her commitment to use her voice to make a difference in America’s to support for our troops. She presented him the Seal Team 3 hat, the Seal Trident and the picture of Marc and his platoon.
She appeared onstage at the 2007 Country Music Awards where Tim McGraw presented to her and other Gold Star Parents his new song, “I’m Already Home” which honors those in the U.S. military who gave their lives in service to this nation.
Sal Russo – Chief Strategist
Mr. Russo has spent over 30 years in the field of political consulting and public affairs beginning as a special assistant to Governor Ronald Reagan after serving as a volunteer in his 1966 gubernatorial campaign. Mr. Russo later founded his own political consulting firm, “California Capitol Consultants” in 1976.
Sal Russo has been at the forefront of some of the most prominent national, state and local campaigns in the nation including the election of Governor George Deukmejian (1982), Senator Alfonse D’Amato, New York (1992), Governor George Pataki, New York (1994), presidential bids by Jack Kemp and Senator Orrin Hatch.
Mr. Russo has been called on several times to provide consulting in other national elections, including the election of Violetta Chamorro in Nicaragua, and in 1991, Mr. Russo conducted the media campaign for the successful referendum on Ukranian independence.
Mr. Russo is a recognized expert in state and national politics, and his analyses are widely reported by the national media. Mr. Russo holds a B.A. in Government from California State University, Sacramento, and a J.D. from McGeorge School of Law. He has recently served on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Political Consultants.
Lew Uhler – Member, Advisory Board
Lewis K. Uhler is founder and President of the National Tax Limitation Committee, one of the nation’s leading grass roots taxpayer lobbies. With offices in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., NTLC works with the White House, Members of Congress, and legislators in states across the nation along with other grass roots organizations to limit state and federal spending through legal restrictions and constitutional change. Uhler has been at the forefront of the national movements for a Tax Limitation/Balanced Budget Amendment to the United States Constitution and for term limits.
In 1968, then-Governor Ronald Reagan selected Uhler to serve on the California Law Revision Commission. In 1970, Reagan designated Uhler as the Governor’s State Director of the Office of Economic Opportunity. Subsequently, Uhler served in Reagan’s cabinet as Assistant Secretary of the Health & Welfare Agency. In 1972, Governor Reagan asked Uhler to organize and serve as Chairman of the Governor’s Tax Reduction Task Force. With the assistance of a nationwide panel of advisors (including Nobel Laureates Milton Friedman and James Buchanan), the task force developed California’s landmark Revenue Control and Limitation Act, which became a model for tax-expenditure limitation measures in many states.
In 1990, Uhler was co-author of Proposition 140, California’s pioneering state term limit initiative. Under Uhler’s leadership, NTLC has forged coalitions, including "Americans for Responsible Privatization," the "Council for Retirement Security" and more recently the "Tax Cut Working Group" in Washington, which Uhler chairs with Jim Martin (60 Plus Association) and Dan Mitchell (Heritage Foundation). In 1996, Uhler participated in a symposium at the Vatican on "The Family and the Economy in the Future of Society" to explore private alternatives to welfare states worldwide.
Uhler is a native Californian, a graduate of Yale University and the Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley. He is a member of the California Bar and serves Of Counsel with the Newport Beach law firm of Davis, Punelli & Keathley. He and his wife, Cynthia, have four grown sons and reside in the Sacramento area.
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