Andrew Campanella to replace Joe Trippi as keynote speaker at Milton Friedman's 101st Birthday Dinner
President of National School Choice Week will speak about Building Coalitions to Expand School Choice
News Release from Grassroot Institute
HONOLULU, Hawaii -- July 19, 2013 -- Today, Dr. Keli'i Akina, President of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, announced that Mr. Andrew Campanella will give the keynote speech at the Milton Friedman 101st Birthday Dinner on July 31st, replacing Mr. Joe Trippi, the event's previous headliner who has found it necessary to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances.
Campanella, president of National School Choice Week, will speak on "Let's Work Together: Building Coalitions to Expand School Choice," following the theme of Mr. Trippi's "Better Schools Aren't a Partisan Issue". National School Choice Week is supported by a diverse group of national leaders. In 2013, 29 governors from across party lines along with more than a dozen mayors officially recognized the Week. Participating leaders include Joe Trippi, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, Sen. John McCain, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, former D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, and Dick Morris.
Jeff Reed, Communications Director for Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice states: "The Friedman Foundation and Grassroot Institute are excited to welcome Andrew Campanella, president of National School Choice Week, as the keynote speaker of Hawaii's 2013 Friedman Legacy Day celebration. The event's previous headliner, Joe Trippi, unfortunately is unable to attend because of a commitment outside the United States. Joe's support for and Andrew's leadership of National School Choice Week have helped elevate Americans' recognition of and support for school choice-a vision first established by Milton Friedman."
Dr. Akina also announced that ThinkTech Hawaii, headed by Jay Fidell, has joined as co-sponsor of the Milton Friedman Birthday Dinner. Akina and Fidell have established a strategic partnership with weekly broadcasts hosted by Dr. Akina on the ThinkTech Hawaii Broadcast network (www.ThinkTechHawaii.com) which will air this event.
As an additional speaker, Grassroot Institute is pleased to announce that Alex Teece, Director of Development & External Partnerships at Teach for America Hawaii, will speak on TFA's mission to provide an excellent education for kids in low-income communities.
"Grassroot Institute is committed to helping lead the effort to bring together diverse groups to promote better schools for our keiki." stated Dr. Akina. "We are grateful for the broad-based support that has been shown for this year's Friedman celebration."
The Friedman Birthday Dinner is sponsored by the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii and the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice and celebrates the life, achievements, and goals of the renowned economist.
Milton Friedman's 101st Birthday Dinner will take place Wednesday, July 31, 2013 at 5:00pm at Pearl Country Club, 98-535 Kaonohi Street, Aiea, HI 96701. The public is invited to attend and can RSVP at grassrootfriedman2013.eventbrite.com.
For more information contact Executive Director Tim Lussier at (808) 591.9193 or tim@grassrootinstitute.org.
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ABOUT CAMPANELLA: Andrew R. Campanella is widely recognized as one of the most effective media strategists in the education reform movement. As president of National School Choice Week, Andrew works with hundreds of organizations and thousands of schools to increase public awareness of school choice in all of its forms. Previously, Andrew held senior-level communications positions at the Alliance for School Choice and at the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence. He also owned a successful public relations firm focusing exclusively on education reform and economic development clientele. At last count, Andrew has conducted 2,500 radio and television interviews.
ABOUT FRIEDMAN: Milton Friedman (1912-2006) was an American Nobel Laureate economist and public intellectual who did much of his work at the University of Chicago. He is best known as a scholar and advocate of the idea of the free market.
ABOUT GRASSROOT: Grassroot Institute of Hawaii is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Honolulu, Hawaii. Our mission is to advocate for a Better Economy, Government, and Society in Hawaii by promoting individual liberty, the free market, and limited and accountable government.