Breaking Protocol with Bob Satawake

On this episode my guest is Brian Bond, Executive Director of PFLAG, Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays, the first and largest organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people, their parents, families, and allies. With over 400 chapters and 200,000 members and supporters crossing multiple generations of families in major urban centers, small cities, and rural areas across America, Brian leads PFLAG providing support and initiatives to ensure the equality of LGBTQIA persons. Brian is no stranger to being front and center on positions of what some people would identify as controversial, but instead of sidestepping these initiatives he finds himself embracing the opportunities. It’s doubtful Brian had much of a choice considering his mother was a notable leader in the Missouri Democratic party and he himself came out publicly to his parents in high school launching him on a path of leadership that he continues forward with to this day. Brian was the former executive director of the Victory Fund, the executive director of the Democratic National Committee Gay and Lesbian Leadership Fund, the National Constituency Director of Obama For America and the Deputy Director of the White House Office of Public Liaison during the Obama Administration. Anyone in the LGBTQIA community in the United States would be hard pressed not to have benefitted from the life long dedication to equality that Brian has been committed to his entire adult life. https://pflag.org

On this episode Alan Solow a former advisor on Middle East policy to President Obama and the Obama Administration joins me for a dynamic conversation on the current state of affairs in Israel. Mr. Solow is a public affairs consultant, political advisor and notable leader in the U.S. Jewish community. He is the former Chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations having met with the leaders of multiple countries around the world. In addition, he served as Chairman of JCC Association of North America, the Chairman of Chicago's Jewish Community Relations Council, President of the Jewish Community Centers of Chicago, President of Young Men's Jewish Council and as a member of the board of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, including on its Executive Committee. He also served as a Trustee of the Jewish Federations of North America and was a Director of Sinai Health Systems. In addition,  Mr. Solow is the former Chairman of Interfaith Youth Core, a national organization promoting interfaith dialogue and service projects on college campuses. He is a member of the Board of Advisors of the Truman National Security Project and is the Vice-Chair of the Israel Policy Forum. He graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School and served as a partner at the international law firm of DLA Piper. Mr. Solow was a senior advisor and national co-chair of the 2012 Obama re-elect campaign and accompanied the former President on his first trip to Israel in 2006.

Jake Kheel joins me to discuss his recent book “Waking The Sleeping Giant, Unlocking The Hidden Power of Business to Save The Planet”. For fifteen years Jake Kheel www.jakekheel.com has confronted social and environmental challenges in the Dominican Republic as Vice President of the Grupo Puntacana Foundation and Vice President of Sustainability for Grupo Puntacana. Under his leadership, the company’s sustainability programs have been recognized with numerous prominent international awards. Jake was instrumental in pioneering one of the Caribbean’s largest coral reef restoration projects, implementing the Dominican Republic’s largest integrated solid waste program known as the Zero Waste initiative and directs the Center for Sustainability, a think tank that works with some of the world’s most notable universities to conduct research and devise experiments related to sustainable development. The Punta Cana development has become a global example of how the private sector can implement sustainability programs and simultaneously turn them into profitable enterprises.

U.S. Congressman Eric Swalwell who currently represents California’s 15th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and was first elected to Congress in November 2012. His top priorities include national security, intelligence, criminal justice reform, voting rights, LGBT equality, comprehensive immigration reform, and protecting a woman's right to make her own health care decisions and responsible gun registration. His father, a police officer and his mother an administrative assistant raised four sons, Eric being the oldest. He attended public schools and as a result of earning a Division 1 soccer scholarship to the University of Maryland he became the first person in his family to attend college. After completing his education he returned home to serve as the Alameda County district attorney for seven years. The congressman currently serves on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Judiciary Committee, and the House Homeland Security Committee, in addition to a variety of policy subcommittees and a member of several progressive and bipartisan caucuses.  In this episode, Congressman Swalwell discusses the success of passing the Covid Relief Bill and providing opportunity to Americans who are suffering as a result of the global pandemic. Sit back and join our conversation with a glass of wine or take a listen while running, riding your bike or on your drive to work! Subscribe for free  to receive notification of all episodes and please leave your comments.

Texas has gone off the grid…. LITERALLY! The week of February 14, 2021 the electrical grid in the State of Texas, it’s independent in case you didn’t know, virtually shut down completely. My guest Craig McCartney breaks down the tragedy that caused millions of Texans to remain without power for days causing people to lose the ability to heat their homes.  People died of hypothermia, water pipes busted causing billions in damage, the sewer backed up in the streets, grocery store shelves were completely bare and the so called “rolling blackouts” provided electricity for barely a few.  All the while Senator Ted Cruz, #FledCruz, found it all entirely unbearable and fled the country with his family to Mexico leaving his precious poodle home alone.  But probably the most devastating thing of all to happen was the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott had to call President Joe Biden and ask for help. In Texas relying on the federal government for anything is looked upon as treason to the Lone Star State.  Fortunately the lights came back on after several days, the weather warmed up and now the Texas State Legislature has to decide should they power forward along the status quo or completely deconstruct the isolationist approach that caused all this in the first place.

WELCOME to Breaking Protocol, on this episode we welcome one of the foremost democratic campaign strategists in the United States with an impressive resume of winning elections. Scott Fairchild serves as the Executive Director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. I met Scott Fairchild in 2010 when he arrived in Chicago to run the successful mayoral campaign of Rahm Emmanuel. In addition, Scott has served in the position of Chief of Staff in the U.S. Congress and successfully ran the U.S. Senate Campaign for Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairwoman, Senator Catherine Cortez- Masto later to serve as her Cheif of Staff. In addition, Scott served as the national campaigns director for the League of Conservation Voters. Leading the DSCC to victory in Nevada, Arizona and Georgia we discuss the future of the Democratic Party and what blood red state is next to change. Grab your favorite beverage or take us for a car ride or run and join the conversation. Please subscribe for free to receive notification of future episodes!

Kristin Towers-Rowles is an award-winning singer, actor, director in a world without an audience.  Kristin is a third generation Musical Theatre actress from a very musical family.  Her grandmother was the MGM Film actress, Kathryn Grayson. Her grandfather was musician, film actor and Broadway leading man, Johnny Johnston. Her mother Patricia Towers, was a stage actress and singer and her father, Robert Towers, is a Film/TV/Stage/Radio veteran of almost 65 years! In this episode we discuss the impact of Covid on the entertainment community and is there an opportunity for a comeback. An extraordinary conversation with an incredible advocate for her industry and humanity. You can read more about Kristin on her website https://www.kristintowers-rowles.com and find up to date information on her new projects and upcoming performances. Grab a coffee or a cocktail and join this insightful conversation or take us for a drive or a run. Please click and subscribe for notification of future episodes and feedback is always welcomed!

This episode features U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul an international foreign policy expert who has literally spent a lifetime researching, studying, working on and writing about the importance of international government relationships, specifically the relationship between the United States and Russia.  He is the author of several books, most recently the New York Times bestseller From Cold War to Hot Peace: An American Ambassador in Putin’s Russia. His current research interests include American foreign policy, great power relations, and the relationship between democracy and development. Dr. McFaul was born and raised in Montana. He received his Bachelors in International Relations and Slavic Languages and his Masters in Soviet and East European Studies from Stanford University in 1986. As a Rhodes Scholar, he completed his Doctorate in Philosophy in International Relations at Oxford University in 1991. In this episode he provides his extraordinary insight on the future of international relationships and foreign policy and specifically addresses his experiences as the U.S. envoy to the Russian Federation.

This episode features U.S. Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney D-NY who currently represents New York’s 18th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives and was first elected to Congress in November 2012. His top priorities include national security, protecting our environment, ensuring our veterans get the benefits they earned, and combating the heroin and opioid epidemic. Congressman Maloney was on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives inside the U.S. Capitol when a mob of insurrectionists attacked the building, killed a U.S. Capitol Police Officer, destroyed historical architecture, broke windows, injured hundreds of people and attempted to overthrow the government of the United States of America. It was a dark day for global democracy but within a few hours order was returned to the sacred halls of the U.S. Congress and the democracy prevailed and flourished as the elected leaders returned to their positions and carried out the people's business protecting the constitutional freedoms of the American people.

Welcome to Breaking Protocol with Bob Satawake, my guest today is Craig McCartney who has returned for some coffee talk and politics.  Craig writes a weekly column entitled “Well, Let Me Say This About That” for He Said Magazine and is joining me today to share some of his colloquial insight on our current state of affairs.  The election has taken place and to the chagrin of Donald Trump, Joe Biden IS the "President-Elect of the United States" winning by a landslide victory exceeding the Trumper by 6 million votes and winning 306 electoral college votes.  The social media political pundits on both sides of the aisle are having an extraordinary time pontificating their positions on the outcome and Trump refuses to acknowledge his loss and has Rudy Guiliani filing lawsuits faster than a Republicans can raise the national debt. I am guessing we will not run out of topics to discuss, take us on your walk, run, drive to work or kick back with a glass of wine this one is sure to be insightful!

Natalia Brzezinski is the former CEO of Brilliant Minds Foundation, an initiative focused on bringing together traditional, long-term business families and major tech founders to debate the convergence of humanity and technology.  She also served as the CEO for Brilliant Minds annual two-day leadership summit in the creative setting of Stockholm where specifically chosen guests from the worlds of business, technology, art, music and science, meet in a marriage of tradition and disruption, values and innovation, to debate and create. Natalia is an experienced moderator, journalist, and communications strategist focused on building dynamic dialogue across numerous sectors and cultures. She has held cutting-edge roles in the U.S. Senate Press Office for Senator John Kerry, to The Huffington Post, she served as a diplomat alongside her husband the U.S. Ambassador to Sweden from 2011-2015 in addition Natalia served as an advisor to the U.S. Embassy in Sweden focusing on the intersect of digitalization and diplomacy, innovation and leadership. Natalia is also the host of the podcast series, The Brilliant Minds Podcast, a Spotify original and one of Spotify’s earliest pieces of original content.  She holds open and honest conversations with leading entrepreneurs, politicians, artists and activists that share a passion for leveraging creativity for impact. She share with me in this episode the value of bridging business and diplomacy creating a global impact on profits and humanity.

On this episode I am joined by Brandon Wolf, he is the Development Officer and Media Relations Manager for Equality Florida. Where he supports initiatives to expand equality to all Americans and ensure future generations are free from discrimination in the workplace, housing and health care, in addition to other platforms. Brandon is a survivor of the Pulse Nightclub massacre where in the early morning hours of June 12, 2016 a domestic terrorist fired over 200 rounds of ammunition into the crowd inside the club killing 49 people and injuring 53 more. Brandon along with those in the club that night were simply doing as millions in this country have been doing for generations, gathering on a Saturday night to enjoy each other’s company and share a drink together. Despite that horrific evening he and so many others experienced, Brandon has moved forward to become a nationally-recognized advocate for LGBTQ issues and gun violence prevention, Brandon found his passion for social change following the shooting at Pulse Nightclub. He is a frequent contributor on state and national media outlets, having published opinion columns in USA Today, CNN digital and Orlando Weekly. He has brought awareness to the issues in HuffPost, Metro Weekly, and has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, and multiple other news outlets. Brandon received the Voice for Equality Award at the 2018 Orlando Gala. In addition, Brandon volunteers with The Dru Project, an organization he founded following the shooting at Pulse Nightclub that sponsors LGBTQ student groups and provides college funding to future leaders. He lives in Orlando.

The final Presidential debate has taken place and one might say it’s all over but the crying, for the loser that is, but before we get to November 3rd there is still a lot of campaigning to take place. We will continue to be bombarded with TV ads, opening our mailboxes to find stacks of campaign literature and opening our front door to campaign lit hanging on our door knobs despite the fact that over one third of the voter population from 2016 has already cast a ballot. On this episode I am joined by political strategist Sonia Van Meter. Sonia is the Managing Partner of Stanford Campaigns, a Democratic Opposition Research firm in Austin TX. she joined Stanford Campaigns in 2009 and quickly found her professional home. Now in her tenth year in the political consulting industry, Sonia has worked hundreds of campaigns all over the country, including city council, gubernatorial and US Senate races. In 2013 Sonia became a Partner of Stanford Campaigns where she continues bringing the good word of opposition research to democratic campaigns and causes up and down the ballot nationwide. Sonia graduated cum laude from Georgia State University with a B.A. in Sociology. When she’s not digging up dirt on politicians, you can find her enjoying a bourbon, playing bass with her band, or marveling at her husband’s latest pun.

In 1992 my guest Jim Obergefell met the love of his life John Arthur and fell in love with him while living in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the early 90’s the gay community all over America lived in secrecy because in that not too distant past LGBTQ people could be arrested, jailed, and of course fired from their jobs for who they were and who they loved. There were no protections under the law for LGBTQ people to be treated equally but despite the hurdles the community faced there were those who continued to live their lives with those they loved and one of those couples was Jim and John.  Jim Obergefell is the named plaintiff in the Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges that was decided in June 26, 2015 legalizing marriage between same sex couples in the United States and the co-author of the book “Love Wins” The Lovers and Lawyers who Fought the Landmark Case for Marriage Equality. There is still so much instability facing the future of the LGBTQ community as it pertains to legal protections in employment, housing, healthcare, jurisprudence and of course marriage and I am happy to explore all of these subjects and Jim’s book on this show. In addition, Jim and I discuss the future ahead and his current initiative Family Equality www.familyequality.org and his passion for wines that includes his current venture Equality Vines equalityvines.com where a portion of the sale of each bottle of these premium wines goes to support multiple humanitarian initiatives including equality.  Grab a glass of Equality Vines wine and join us for the enlightening conversation or take us along on your drive to work or a walk or run!

On this show I host two of the most notable political reporters in the state of Texas! Jason Whitely has been honored with 24 Emmy Awards, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, and two dozen others from the Associated Press in Tennessee, Illinois, and Texas. Mr. Whitely won the Emmy for Best General Assignment Reporter in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2010, and 2005. Jason Wheeler has had an amazing career that has taken him on some phenomenal adventures including the Amazon rainforest, the presidential campaign trail, a front-row view of space shuttle launches and to the vortexes of many hurricanes. One might refer to these experiences as grueling, gut-wrenching, but no doubt exciting. Mr. Wheeler has been recognized with three Emmy Awards, two Edward R. Murrow Awards, a State Bar of Texas Gavel Award, an Excellence in Personal Finance Reporting Award and multiple Texas Associated Press Awards.Jason Wheeler and Jason Whitely are the hosts of my favorite podcast, well other than my own I suppose, Y’allitics!  The unofficial political podcast of Texas Y'allitics is where Jason Whitely and Jason Wheeler crack open an ice-cold Texas brew and explore a single hot topic affecting Texans as we gear up for the 2020 election. Sit back and enjoy this extraordinary conversation about the behind the scenes demands of professional journalism today and the maneuvering the world of politics as a reporter. Take us along on your drive to work, while walking, running or enjoying a glass of wine!

Maria Hinojosa is an award-winning journalist who has collaborated with the most respected networks and is known for bringing humanity to her reporting. In this beautifully-rendered memoir, she relates the history of US immigration policy that has brought us to where we are today, as she shares her deeply personal story. For thirty years, Maria Hinojosa has reported on stories and communities in America that often go ignored by the mainstream media. Bestselling author Julia Alvarez has called her “one of the most important, respected, and beloved cultural leaders in the Latinx community.”In Once I Was You, Maria shares her intimate experience growing up Mexican American on the south side of Chicago and documenting the existential wasteland of immigration detention camps for news outlets that often challenged her work. In these pages, she offers a personal and eye-opening account of how the rhetoric around immigration has not only long informed American attitudes toward outsiders, but also enabled willful negligence and profiteering at the expense of our country’s most vulnerable populations—charging us with the broken system we have today.This honest and heartrending memoir paints a vivid portrait of how we got here and what it means to be a survivor, a feminist, a citizen, and a journalist who owns her voice while striving for the truth. Once I Was You is an urgent call to fellow Americans to open their eyes to the immigration crisis and understand that it affects us all.

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has passed leaving a spirit that will forever remain in the legacy of the United States Supreme Court. There is no replacing her, someone may occupy the seat where she sat but her influence that guided the court over the course of her career can never be duplicated. Craig McCartney joins me for an insightful conversation about the future our our democracy and determines if our arc moving forward will guided by a moral compass as it bends toward justice. Join the conversation while driving, biking, running or a little day drinking, as it does seem that alcohol and politics definitely mix these days. Click and subscribe for notification of future episodes of Breaking Protocol with Bob Satawake.

In the United States of America voting is the ultimate definition of freedom! Ambassador Bruce Heyman and his wife Vicki Heyman have dedicated themselves to ensure that freedom and democracy live on through advocating that all Americans regardless of where they live in the world exercise their constitutional right to vote. One very simple way for those of you living outside of the United States is to visit the website votefromabroad.org and follow the simple steps to casting your ballot and having your voice heard in the upcoming U.S. elections. There is no better way to honor the millions of men and women who have died protecting the constitutional right to vote. Ambassador Heyman and Vicki are truly passionate about the future of American democracy and in this podcast provide you a very simple solution for participating in the future of the U.S.A. Cast your ballot today, visit votefromabroad.org

Kaivan Shroff is a Democratic political strategist, commentator, and organizer. He serves as Senior Advisor to the Institute for Education, a leading D.C. non-profit, and is a member of the Forbes NY Business Council. Before joining the team at IFE, Shroff worked at Microsoft New York on their Technology and Civic Engagement team, partnering with the NYC government and non-profits to offer data-driven solutions to big social problems. Shroff also worked on the Digital Team at Hillary For America. He holds an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management and a B.A. in Political Science from Brown University. Social media, environmental policy and humanitarian initiatives have driven the under thirty generation to stand up and engage in the political arena. As a result a new generation of leaders are being elected and their positions are changing the face of America's future. Take the time to engage by joining this conversation during your daily run, drive to work or over a relaxing cocktail after work.

In 2018, Gina came within 926 votes of defeating Will Hurd in TX-23. A first-generation Filipino American, Gina was raised by a single mother who came to the United States because she believed in the promise of a better future. After graduating from Boston University on a four year R.O.T.C. scholarship, Gina was commissioned as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Air Force and served tours of duty in Iraq under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Gina returned home to San Antonio following her deployment to help care for her mother who was fighting cancer. Gina has built a career in national security, with a focus on defense intelligence and economic security. This includes serving as the Director for Investment at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative under President Obama. Gina knows that we need a leader standing up for the issues that can make a real impact on people’s lives. That’s why she’s stepping up to serve her country and her community again by running for Congress addressing important issues such as health care, education, trade and unemployment. If you would like to know more about Gina and her campaign you can visit ginaortizjones.com for more information and become a supporter. If you enjoyed this podcast please click and subscribe for notification of future episodes, and if you haven’t had an opportunity to read my book, Breaking Protocol Forging A Path Beyond Diplomacy it is available at your favorite online retailer or for download to your kindle, table or smart phone. Stay safe, stay healthy and many blessings.