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Judie Brown is president and cofounder of American Life League, the nation’s oldest grassroots pro-life educational and advocacy organization. ALL started in 1979 and has grown from a kitchen table operation to a full-fledged professional organization with more than 30 full-time employees and 120 Associate organizations throughout the nation.
Judie has distinguished herself as an unapologetic pro-life leader. She served three five-year terms (1996-2011) as a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life in Rome. Daily Catholic cited her as one of the top 100 Catholics of the 20th century. She has written 12 books, including the most recent The Broken Path: How Catholic Bishops Got Lost in the Weeds of American Politics (2011) and Saving Those Damned Catholics: A Defense of Catholic Teaching (2007).
Judie has been instrumental, through American Life League, in getting many pro-life organizations started, including Human Life International, Priests for Life, and Pro-Life Action League. ALL has a 29-year history of helping organizations grow as Judie advances the cause of personhood for every innocent human being from his or her creation. Her main focus has been, and continues to be, respect for the dignity of the human person.
Judie speaks around the nation and writes a twice weekly commentary entitled Straight Talk on Life that is posted on the American Life League website (www.all.org) and is syndicated. Judie writes on contraception, abortion, Catholic dissent, Catholic bishops, euthanasia, in vitro fertilization, biotechnology, and pro-life activism. She has written numerous editorial pieces for magazines and newspapers, including The Washington Post and USA Today.
Judie has appeared on 20/20, 60 Minutes, Mother Angelica Live, The O’Reilly Factor, Good Morning America, Today, Oprah, and Larry King Live, as well as hundreds of other television and radio talk shows. Her comments regularly appear in major print media nationwide.
Judie is married to Paul A. Brown, and they have three children and 11 grandchildren. She and her husband have been involved in the pro-life movement since 1969.
Topics:
- The Catholic Church and culture
- The dignity of the human being
- The politics of Catholicism
- The impact of Obamacare/mandates on religious freedom
- Abortion
- End of life
James W. Sedlak, M.S., is vice president of American Life League and a recognized leading expert in the pro-life movement.
Jim holds a bachelor of science in physics from Manhattan College (Bronx, New York) and a master of science in industrial administration from Union College (Schenectady, New York). He began his professional career as a physics teacher at Marymount High School in New York City. He then joined IBM Corporation where he worked for 30 years as a research physicist and manager for corporate new products release and control methodologies. While working for IBM, Jim published four invention disclosures, received seven company awards, ran numerous corporate-wide task forces, achieved the position of senior engineer, and was recognized as the corporate expert on the release and control of engineering changes. He joined the pro-life movement in 1980 and set into motion—as cofounder and director—Stop Planned Parenthood (STOPP) in 1985. He retired from IBM in 1993 to devote a full-time effort to the pro-life cause.
In 1994, Jim formed STOPP International on the global stage as its president and merged it into American Life League in 1998. In 1993, Jim was identified by Planned Parenthood Federation of America as one of the 15 “most active” fighters against Planned Parenthood sex education programs. He was also featured in two segments of its anti-life film, Unholy Alliance, in 1995.
A national and international speaker, Jim has made presentations at conventions hosted by American Life League, Concerned Women for America, Human Life International, and Coral Ridge Ministries. He has given pro-life talks in Canada, England, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, and Australia. He was a special one-hour guest on the Dr. Laura radio show and has made TV appearances on Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher, Mother Angelica’s EWTN worldwide network, the MTV Sex in the Nineties series, the 2007 HBO documentary Friends of God, and numerous local and regional TV shows. In addition, Jim continues to provide timely commentaries on numerous local and national radio programs including The Bishop’s Hour, Truth that Transforms, and Point of View.
Jim is also publisher of the Wednesday STOPP Report and author of Deadly Deception and Parent Power!! Jim has received many awards and recognitions, including the 1984 Dutchess County Right to Life’s Pro-Lifer of the Year Award, the 1987 Expectant Mother Care’s New York Pro-Life Champion Award, the 1987 Parent’s Roundtable’s Family Life Award, the 1988 American Life League’s Unsung Hero Award, and the 1993 Distinguished Service to Life Award from pro-lifers in Grand Haven, Michigan.
In addition to these achievements, Jim has served as president of a parent teacher organization; has been a guest medical ethics lecturer at Mt. St. Mary’s College in Newburgh, New York; and was an annual guest ethics lecturer (1986-1992) at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York.
Jim and his wife, Michaeleen, reside in Fredericksburg, Virginia. They have three grown children and 10 grandchildren. He is a third degree member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 4034, in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
Topics:
- Planned Parenthood
- Catholic culture and history
- The dignity of the human being
- Abortion
- End of Life
- Human rights
- Abortion funding
Hugh Brown has been involved in the pro-life movement for most of his life.The son of Judie Brown, Hugh currently serves on the board of American Life League and is proficient in subjects relating to marriage, children, and the family.
Hugh is a veteran of the nonprofit direct mail fundraising world, focusing most of his efforts on the Catholic marketplace, helping many organizations grow and expand their fundraising efforts. He is a sought-after speaker for fundraising matters, with a solid understanding of creating and producing effective appeals and other direct mail communications.
Active in his church and community, Hugh is also the founder and chairman of the board of Saint Michael the Archangel High School in Fredericksburg, Virginia. He is also the founder of the Catholic Business Network of Central Virginia, responsible for over $1,500,000 raised and given to local Catholic schools since 2004.
Hugh’s direct mail company, AKA, supports scores of athletic teams in the greater Fredericksburg area as well as many Catholic parishes and Catholic and Christian schools and churches including Bethany Christian Services, Mary’s Shelter, and the Paul Stefan Home—all dedicated to the sanctity of human life. Nationally the company is quietly active behind the scenes supporting many organizations doing good works.
Hugh attended the University of Maryland, where he was a varsity football player from 1987 to 1991. Hugh is married and the father of five children.
Topics:
- Marriage
- Abortion
- Children
- Family
- Culture of Life
- Fundraising
- Marketing