On Thursday, October 2, 2008, from 8:00-9:00 a.m. in Colorado Christian
University's Beckman Center, Room 210, National Taxpayers Union
President Duane Parde will speak on the topic of "Federal Taxes,
Government Spending, and Government Accountability -- How Might This
Election Change Your Taxes, and Why Should You Vote?" The presentation
will be followed by a question and answer session. The event is open to
the CCU community and the general public; however, space is limited.
Members of the general public who would like to attend are encouraged to
call 303-963-3309 to reserve seats.
Parde is president and chief operating officer of the National Taxpayers
Union (NTU) and National Taxpayers Union Foundation (NTUF). Before
joining NTU and NTUF, he was a principal at Phoenix Strategies LLC, a
provider of consulting, governmental affairs, and corporate relations
services at federal, state, and local levels. From 1996-2006, prior to
founding Phoenix, Parde served as executive director of the American
Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), where he was responsible for
setting the strategic vision and managing operations for the nation's
largest nonpartisan, individual membership association of state
legislators. Prior to this role, he was ALEC's chief of staff,
responsible for the management of internal operations including the
development, implementation and enforcement of financial,
administrative, and personnel policies and procedures. He also served as
a liaison to the board of directors.
From 1992 to 1995, Parde served as director of state affairs for the
Council for Affordable Health Insurance, a national trade association
representing the interests of small- and medium-sized health insurance
companies. Before that, he was ALEC's director of state legislation and
research, responsible for guiding the organization's policy operations.
Specializing in tax and fiscal policy issues, he was instrumental in
ALEC's successful effort to ratify what was then called the "Madison
Pay-Delay Amendment," which required that members of Congress sit for an
election before they could receive a pay raise. This provision was
ratified in 1992, becoming the 27th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
and the first new amendment since 1973.
After receiving a bachelor's degree in political science from the
University of Kansas, Parde accepted a position as a legislative
research assistant in the Kansas Attorney General's Office. He is a
member of the American Society of Association Executives, the Federalist
Society, and the University Club of Washington, D.C. He is also the
author of numerous papers and articles on state policy and has testified
many times on a wide range of issues before state legislative
committees.
For more information about NUT or NTUF, visit the
National Taxpayers Union website.