SFLAction Announces Political Staff Expansion: New Strategy for New Generation

“With the growing need to engage in state and federal policies that protect the preborn, it makes sense for our team at Students for Life Action to expand our roster. We are among the most robust and competitive teams that put up a fight against the abortion lobby in state capitals and courthouses across the nation. We look forward to utilizing our staff’s vast talents and experience by applying them towards life-saving laws as we work with legislators to advance our mission of protecting women and the preborn,” said Dustin Curtis, SFLAction Vice President of Political Affairs & Operations.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (01-03-2023) – Students for Life Action (SFLAction), established in 2019, is thrilled to announce the expansion of the political team working to amplify its grassroots operations. Tasked with growing and propelling pro-life leadership, starting with young people, the organization has been successful in swaying people and policy to protect life in law.

The 501c4 reported 80% of the students who engaged in its electoral campaigns had never participated in the political process before SFLAction. Through comprehensive strategy, SFLAction is working with the younger generation that now makes up 37% of the electorate. As a result, the organization is seeing them align with its policies and equipping them to run for office and positions of leadership.

By applying pressure on the local and federal level to progress life-saving legislation while engaging in primary and general races, the organization is gearing up for a monumental year ahead with the help of:

• Kristan Hawkins, President

Hawkins is the President of SFLAction as well as its 501c3 sister organization, Students for Life of America (SFLA). Together, the two entities make up the nation’s largest pro-life youth organization and a political and policy operation engaging people of all ages.

• Dustin Curtis, Vice President of Political Affairs & Operations

As the VP of Political Affairs & Operations, Curtis sets the political strategy for SFLAction’s federal and state action determining expenditures and races to engage in.

• Kristi Hamrick, Vice President of Media & Policy

Hamrick, a well-known media consultant, strategist, writer and commentator, specializes in earned media. She has years of journalistic experience and issue advocacy, advancing the storylines of organizations that create effective policy and enhance the cultural debate.

• Christina Hagan, Vice President of Strategic Advancement

Hagan became the youngest woman to serve in the history of the Ohio House of Representatives and proudly championed the passage of Ohio’s Heartbeat bill. Receiving endorsements from former-President Trump and Congressman Jim Jordan, Hagan will advance the mission of SFLAction by engaging with legislators and supporters.

• Chanel Prunier, Director of State Policy

Prunier manages SFLAction’s nationwide state legislative advocacy program and grassroots advocacy efforts that mobilize voters as the Director of State Policy. Prunier coordinates SFLAction’s grassroots advocacy efforts that mobilize voters to encourage legislators to pass robust protections for the preborn, state-by-state, and also served as the Massachusetts Republican National Committeewoman from 2013 to 2016.

• Senator Jason Rapert (R-AR), Senior Policy Advisor

Sen. Rapert will assist in leading legislative efforts in a post-Roe America. He has sponsored and passed SB 6 – the Unborn Child Protection Act – which became the model bill on which SFLAction based its Life at Conception Acts introduced in various state legislatures across the nation.

• Mike Mears, National Coalitions Advisor

Utilizing his decades of experience in building coalitions, consulting campaigns, and promoting conservative policies, Mears now serves as the National Coalitions Advisor for SFLAction to bridge the pro-life movement with top leaders. Most recently, Mears served as the RNC Director of Strategic Partnership and Faith Engagement before launching his consulting firm, Mordecai Strategies.

• Savanna Deretich, Government Affairs Coordinator

Based in the Washington, D.C. metro area, Deretich’s focus is on the federal level where she works with coalitions and Members of Congress to pass life-saving laws. In addition, she creates captivating social media content to convey SFLAction’s message while frequently speaking to the press and state legislators.

• Lily Branham, Senior Administrative Assistant

Branham closely monitors state legislation and oversees much of SFLAction’s activism deployments throughout the country. Her close political ties to state legislators and coalitions have paved the way for SFLAction-inspired bills to be introduced.

• Titus Folks, National Activist Coordinator

Folks travels diligently throughout the country to recruit the top pro-life activists and engage them with SFLAction’s mission. He helps lead Political Leadership Workshops, trains the Pro-Life Generation on how to win a political fight, and works closely on state and city-wide efforts.

• Jordan Moorman, National Field Coordinator

After serving as the Appalachian Regional Coordinator for Students for Life of America in 2020, 2021, and early 2022, Moorman has joined SFLAction to mobilize student leaders in state legislative and voter education deployments.

• Nichole Bentz, Strategic Partnerships Advisor

Bentz previously served as SFLA’s Pacific Northwest Regional Coordinator and Field Operations Coordinator. She joined SFLAction to educate and multiply our supporter base.

• Michael Wood, State Legislative Program Coordinator

Wood has ten years of experience working on and volunteering with campaigns at the local, state, and national levels. He is passionate about advancing legislation that protects the fundamental right to life at the state and national levels. He currently oversees legislative operations in seven states for SFLAction.

• Mark Mezzina, State Legislative Program Coordinator

Mezzina brings his 10 years of experience working for conservative organizations and causes to SFLAction as he oversees legislative operations in six states. He is a former state coordinator for the Campaign for Liberty and ran for State Representative in Massachusetts in 2018.

• Rodney Hoppe, State Legislative Program Coordinator

Hoppe has been actively involved in political strategy and public policy for many years before joining SFLAction. After working on many local, Congressional and Statewide campaigns, Hoppe became the Press Secretary for the U.S. House of Energy and Commerce Committee in 1995. Leaving the Committee, Hoppe became partner in a Law Firm where he advised a broad range of clients from small non-profits, Fortune 500 companies and broad-based industry coalitions on both the legislative and political maneuverings in Washington, D.C.

• Kaitlyn Sanchez, Brand and Marketing Manager

Sanchez uses her professional graphic design, social media, and marketing experience to execute SFLAction’s plan for digital strategy and engagement. Sanchez focuses her daily work on developing marketing strategies, managing SFLAction socials, and enforcing brand standards.

To learn more about the Post-Roe Blueprint from Students for Life Action, read Hawkins’ recent op-ed at Fox titled RIP Roe: Supreme Court abortion ruling sets stage for what pro-life groups do next.

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Students for Life Action (SFLAction), a 501c4, along with its 501c3 sister organization, Students for Life of America (SFLA), make up the nation’s largest pro-life youth organization and a political and policy operation engaging people of all ages. Together they work to end abortion — the human rights issue of our day — and provide political, legal, and community support for women and their children, born and preborn. Headquartered in Fredericksburg, VA, SFLA has more than 1,300 groups on middle, high school, college, university, medical, and law school campuses in all 50 states. SFLA creates strategy, policy, and programming to connect those most targeted for abortion with people ready to help and builds a framework for political engagement on their behalf. SFLA and SFLAction have more conversations with those most targeted by the abortion industry than any other pro-life outreach in the world, reaching more than 2 million people across social media platforms each week and engaging in approximately 100,000 digital conversations per month. Over more than 16 years, President Kristan Hawkins has grown SFLAction/SFLA into an $18 million organization preparing for a Post-Roe America.