Wayne Morrow has held several senior positions in the Healthcare industry with Fortune 500 organizations to include Domestic & International markets. His management experiences range from Director level positions to President/CEO of several start-up companies in the US.

He has over 25 years of experiences successfully managing and building organizations from operations to business development prior to joining the JBS.

Gary Benoit is the editor of The New American, a biweekly magazine affiliated with the John Birch Society. The New American’s mission is encapsulated by the slogan on its cover — “That Freedom Shall Not Perish.” Mr. Benoit has been on the staff of John Birch Society since 1977, and over the years his positions with the organization have included eastern manager of the Society’s speakers bureau, director of the Society’s tax-reform program, director of the research department, and editor of The John Birch Society Bulletin. He has been associated with the magazine since its inception in 1985 and has been editor for most of its existence. Since 1977, Mr. Benoit has taught classes on the principles of freedom and the importance of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, at more than three dozen week-long youth camps for teenagers held at various locations throughout the country.

Those camps, originally sponsored by the John Birch Society, are now sponsored by the American Opinion Foundation. Mr. Benoit was appointed to the board of the American Opinion Foundation at its inception in 2005. Mr. Benoit graduated from the University of Lowell (now the University of Massachusetts – Lowell) magna cum laude in physics in 1976. Between his junior and senior years, he worked through the summer at a nuclear power plant. Gary Benoit and his wife Laurie reside in Wisconsin, where they enjoy being close to their 11 children and 10 grandchildren.

David Lewis is Director of Finance at The John Birch Society.  He started at the firm’s headquarters in 1997 as the Controller.  David studied accounting, economics, history and French at Portland State University and at schools in France.  In 1984 he received a B.A. with honors in Business Administration and interned at KPMG (La Fiduciaire de France) in France.

David followed a career in the brokerage and banking industries in New York and Europe for a decade then personal study and volunteer work developed into a career in the non-profit sector.

Since 2007 David has served as the corporate secretary and treasurer for several corporations, most recently for FreedomProject Academy. 

Art Thompson was born in Seattle, Washington in 1938. Art attended the University of Washington, the Washington Military Academy and other business related institutions, before going into business for himself. He joined the staff of the John Birch Society in May, 1964 and became a successful Area Coordinator for the Society in the 1970’s. He left the staff to go back into business in 1981 and returned to the staff again in the 1990’s.

In the 1980’s and early 90’s, Mr. Thompson’s business took him all over the United States. A frequent visitor to Western Europe on business, as a tourist, and once on a political fact finding tour for the JBS, Mr. Thompson was at the Berlin Wall as it was coming down. In the

During this tour, he became acquainted with many businessmen, academics, and members of the German cabinet and European Union.

Mr. Thompson has also served on his small town City Council, as the chairman of his local Chamber of Commerce, as an official and an elector for the Republican Party, and as a local leader in the state of Washington for the Christian Coalition. He also served as an officer in the Select Reserve Force of the Army and National Guard.

Unanimously elected by the Board of Directors on August 1, 2020, to replace retiring CEO Arthur Thompson, Mr. Hahn has been an employee since May 2007. Originally hired as Public Relations Manager, he was responsible for many areas of communication before being promoted to various positions throughout the years, including Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1995.

Early in his career, Mr. Hahn gained valuable experience and leadership skills in the construction industry, having the good fortune of working for and alongside various industry visionaries and with many trade industry associations.

Working in the publishing industry as a publicist helped hone his outreach skills, especially through growing and strengthening author, media, and consumer relations.

He credits the foundation of his constitutional views from growing up on one of Wisconsin’s largest cranberry marshes where work ethic, responsibility, independence, and land stewardship values were thoroughly learned through repeated practice.

Mrs. Mary Black earned her B.A. in elementary education from Marian College and did graduate work at Butler University, Ohio State University, and Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis. In her forty-six years as an educator, Mrs. Black has taught Kindergarten through 12th grade students in public schools, Catholic schools, private schools, a one-room schoolhouse, and a life skills classroom. Her experience also includes homeschooling her own children.

Within months of retiring from the classroom in 2010, Mrs. Black accepted a position as Curriculum Director with FreedomProject Academy. Her responsibilities included developing the curriculum for all grades- Kindergarten through 12th - and working with teachers, parents, and students. Currently, Mrs. Black is the Educational Advisor for FPA and has the opportunity to focus on her favorite part of being an educator – working with parents, students, and teachers.

About the time she joined FPA in 2011, Mrs. Black became aware of the Common Core standards. She became an active opponent to CC; activities included filming a video with Dr. Duke Pesta, speaking before many audiences, conducting a number of radio interviews, and writing many articles. Currently, Mrs. Black is working to awaken all who will listen to the danger Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) poses to our freedom and children, especially state legislators in her home state of Indiana.

Her connection to the JBS began in the mid-1960s when her late parents became members. Her father, Dr. Philip Binzel, was a member of the John Birch Society Executive Council for several decades. Mrs. Black joined the JBS in 1975. She served as a Chapter leader when living in California and is currently a Chapter leader for an Indianapolis chapter.

John F. McManus joined the staff of The John Birch Society in 1966, serving originally as a field coordinator for several New England states. In 1968, he was transferred to a position at the Society’s national headquarters. In 1973, Mr. McManus accepted appointment by Robert Welch, the Society’s Founder, as the organization’s Director of Public Affairs. In this post, he became and remains the Society’s chief media representative throughout the nation. Mr. McManus has written and produced numerous audiovisual programs. He is in wide demand as a speaker and is the author of several books. In addition to being a regular contributor of articles to The New American magazine, he serves as its Publisher. He is also the Publisher of the Society’s monthly Bulletin sent to all members and subscribers. Mr. McManus was named President of The John Birch Society in 1991.

Over the years since its summer camp program was launched in 1970, Mr. McManus has served as an instructor. He was instrumental in arranging that this valuable program is now a project of the American Opinion Foundation. As President of this educational foundation since its inception in 2005, he will continue to instruct at the camps as well as ensure that each grows in quality and influence. Born in 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, he is a graduate of Holy Cross College in Massachusetts. He served on active duty as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps for three years. For six years before accepting a staff position with the Society, he was employed as an electronics engineer. The father of four and grandparent of several, Mr. McManus has been married to the former Mary Helen O’Reilly of Boston since 1957.

Andy “Hirsh” Dlinn, CSA, President and Senior Portfolio Manager with Senior Wealth Management, LLC in Pittsburgh, PA and has been a financial advisor and advice-based portfolio manager since 1993 specializing in multi-generational financial planning and institutional investment management. He has achieved distinction as a Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) helping Seniors maximize their golden years. Securities offered through Capital Guardian LLC, member FINRA/SIPC. Mr. Dlinn has a long track record of political/community activism. Andy is a 29 year veteran member of The John Birch Society, an electorate educational organization advocating less government and more responsibility, and serves as the organization’s Southwestern Pennsylvania Section Leader.

In early 2006, Mr. Dlinn realized the time was right to get Republican politics back to its Americanist roots, so along with a strong core of other community leaders, a meeting was held and it was decided to form a statewide affiliate of the National Federation of Republican Assemblies and the reorganization of the PA Republican Assembly was launched with Mr. Dlinn serving as its president. Today he serves as the president of the PA Republican Leadership Council. He is chairman of the city of Pittsburgh’s 5th Council District Republican Committee. Andy is a Past-President of the Pittsburgh Rotary Club, a past Chair of the Rotary Club Foundation Board and current acts as the Club’s webmaster. He is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh, the FBI Citizen’s Academy and the Citizen’s Police Academy.

Commander Dlinn is a retired Navy Public Affairs Officer and has served in every time zone in the world! Among his honors and awards, Andy was the 2014 Yeshiva Schools Honoree for his work in the Jewish Community. He has been named a Five Star Wealth Manager by Pittsburgh Magazine two years in a row (2012/13). He also received the Marjorie S. Eiseman Community Leadership Award. He has also received the Prudential Securities Community Champions Award for four consecutive years. He is a past-president of the Squirrel Hill Urban Coalition and Founder/Director of the Squirrel Hill Citizen’s Patrol. He produced a weekly local radio show “The Jewish Experience,” an hour of music, news and information which is enjoyed by Jews and Gentiles alike. Andy can be heard on WPXI’s PCNC NightTalk on Cable TV when called to comment on political issues.

Graduating from the University of South Carolina, Andy earned a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1974. He went on to achieve a master’s degree in mass communications with a 3.8 grade point average at the same school. He was the News Director of a nightly news program on WUSC-FM in Columbia, SC. He was on the team that launched the first AM Stereo station and acted as assistant General Manager at WIS-AM taking them through their 50th anniversary.He stays active in his local synagogue and is married with six wonderful children.

Attorney / CPA in private tax / legal / business practice with principal emphasis on client business problems & issues in the areas of income, estate & gift taxation. Client types & profiles include partnerships, trusts, corporations, tax exempt organizations, individuals, among others...

In Business Consulting Practice, Springfield, MA Touche Ross (now Deloitte Consulting), Boston, MA, CPAs Maloney, Williams & Baer, Boston, MA, Attorneys State Street Bank & Trust, Boston, MA, Vice-President, Financial Planning

LL.M, Boston University School of Law J.D., Boston College Law School B.S., Boston College

Dr. Duke Pesta is Director of FreedomProject/American Opinion Foundation and a tenured professor of English at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

Dr. Pesta received his M.A. in Renaissance literature from John Carroll University and his PhD in Shake- speare and Renaissance literature from Purdue Univer- sity. He has taught at major research institutions and small liberal arts colleges on a wide variety of subjects at the graduate and undergraduate levels, including courses on Shakespeare, Renaissance literature, the Bible, Russian literature, Christian Apologetics, and C.S. Lewis. His book, The Renaissance and the Post- modern: A Study in Comparative Critical Values, was published by Routledge in 2016. He has published scholarly essays on Renaissance Literature, American Literature, Shakespeare, Spenser, Byron, Michelangelo, and the History of Medicine, Surgery, and Anatomy. His teaching has garnered seven teaching awards at four universities.

Dr. Pesta is an engaging and animated speaker, whose experiences as an educational reformer, university professor, high school teacher, and the administrator of an online classical school uniquely qualify him to address the current state of education in our country. He speaks at home school conventions and education- al conferences across the nation on topics including homeschooling, the decline of morality and critical thinking in the public schools, and the myriad ways that colleges and universities indoctrinate students.

Dr. Pesta is one of America’s foremost authorities on the dangers of Common Core, having delivered more than 700 talks in 46 states. He has also testified about Common Core and educational reform before 20 state legislatures and participated in more than 5000 radio and television interviews, from Canada to China, and from Mexico to the United Kingdom. His collective videos and presentations top more than three million views online, and much of his work is available at Free- domProject.com and FPEUSA.org.