Introduction
In this 45th year, look no further than our alumni to see “Why ALEC matters.” It’s a Who’s
Who of public officials from Vice President Pence to freshman member of Congress
Representative Debbie Lesko of Arizona. ALEC alumni haven’t forgotten where they
came from. Vice President Pence keynoted the Gala dinner. He was joined by White
House advisor Kellyanne Conway who delivered a message from President Trump
praising our work in leading the nation.
Other highlights of the 45th anniversary celebration included Representative Lesko’s tour
of the Capitol and a surprise visit with Speaker Paul Ryan. Not to be outdone, ALEC
alumnus U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry took us behind the scenes to the White House
Briefing Room where he conducted an informative press conference, questions and all.
In our 2018 annual report, we’ll introduce you to today’s ALEC leaders – ordinary
citizens stepping up to lead state governments, the laboratories of democracy.
Compared to 45 years ago, it’s exciting to see how quickly “best practices” are shared
across the country among our legislator-members. The states are leading the nation in
the search for solutions. That’s why ALEC matters.
Sincerely,
Lisa B. Nelson
Chief Executive Officer
American Legislative Exchange Council