SPEAKERS
The following is a list of speakers.
Larry Sharpe
Larry Sharpe is the Libertarian Party of New York’s candidate for Governor of New York in 2022. His mission is to help people find happiness through community and purpose, often by overcoming bad policy decisions in government. He ran for Governor of New York in 2018 and garnered about 100,000 votes—more than any previous Libertarian candidate for Governor. His ability to connect with voters across the spectrum enabled the Libertarian Party to achieve automatic ballot access for the first time in state history. Since his campaign, Larry Sharpe has toured every county of New York multiple times, and was instrumental in a lawsuit that opened up entertainment venues across the state. Larry Sharpe is a husband, father, Marine, entrepreneur, teacher, and political activist.


Mike ter Maat
Mike is a candidate for the Libertarian Party presidential nomination. In 2021-22, he campaigned as the LP candidate in the January special Congressional election in Florida’s District 20. Mike served as a police officer in Broward County from 2010 through 2021, including as a field training officer for several years, all as a registered Libertarian.
Mike’s prior career in finance and economics included work with commercial banks, the White House Office of Management and Budget and international & federal agencies. He advocated for free markets on behalf of the American Bankers Association for nine years before starting a professional education and consulting business for bank executives in 2002, which he ran until 2009.
Mike has traveled in thirty-five countries, taught economics at three universities and substituted at dozens of Broward public schools. He has one wife, two kids and two stepdaughters, two dogs and one truck, a BS in Aeronautical Engineering and an MBA from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and MS and PhD degrees in Economics from The George Washington University.
Jim Ostrowski
James Ostrowski is a trial and appellate lawyer and author from Buffalo, New York. He is the CEO of LibertyMovement.org, which promotes direct action strategies to achieve liberty. He graduated from St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute in 1975 and obtained a degree in philosophy from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1980. He graduated from Brooklyn Law School in 1983. He was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society and the International Law Moot Court Team. In 1984, he attended Professor Murray Rothbard’s private seminar on the history of economic thought in New York City. He served as vice-chairman of the law reform committee of the New York County Lawyers Association (1986-88) and wrote two widely quoted reports critical of the law enforcement approach to the drug problem. He was chair of the human rights committee, Erie County Bar Association (1997-1999). He is the author of 11 books, several peer-reviewed scholarly articles and several bar association reports. He has published well over 100 columns and op-ed pieces. His books include: Government Schools Are Bad for Your Kids (2009), Direct Citizen Action (2010), Progressivism: A Primer (2014) and The Second Amendment Works (2020). He and his wife Amy live in North Buffalo and have two children. He is a long-time youth baseball and basketball coach. His hobbies include hiking and speed chess.


Melissa Heinrich
Melissa is the co-founder and co-President of Born Free Ministries — a private membership association for home based learning enrichment. It is a grassroots movement that truly liberates children and parents from the broken educational system and promotes wellness, freedom, realistic teachings about our history and allows working families to reclaim their children’s education — free from government edicts, directives and funding.
Melissa is a Western New York native with a passion for natural health + wellness. She feels that everyone should have a right to experience FREEDOM in all aspects of their lives. She believes that TRUE FREEDOM starts with your health – mind, body and soul. Freedom looks different for each person and it is her goal to help her clients come into alignment with their truth, breaking through psychological barriers, and becoming informed, empowered individuals so they can make intentional and educated decisions for their health and the health of everyone in their family.
Melissa is a Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, receiving an education from Trinity School of Natural Health, certified by the American Association of National Wellness Practitioners. She is also a Certified Mind Body Integration Specialist, specializing in emotions and their related somatic experiences and techniques for emotional reappraisal.
She is an activist and advocate for Civil Rights. She is an active participant in the Community Recovery Initiative for the Buffalo area. She leads a homeschool network in WNY and is extremely passionate about the future of our children’s education, health and well-being.
Steve Felano
Steve Felano is Second Amendment Advisor to the Erie County Libertarian Party and partner in Whitmer Tax Defense, a new firm focused on protecting all individual and business taxpayers from the abuses of the newly expanded, unaccountable rogue agency that is the IRS. He is a competitive shooter and firearms instructor with 15 years of experience focused on the GLOCK pistol and AR15 fighting rifle. Felano has five years of experience working full-time on Second Amendment-focused litigation, media relations, and direct-action projects. He holds a master’s degree in Marketing and Business Management from the College of Saint Rose in Albany, NY.


Heshem El-Meligy
Hesham El-Meligy is a political and national security analyst, Middle East and Muslim world expert, with native fluency in Arabic and more than 25 years living experience in the Middle East. A former Chairman of the Staten Island Libertarian Party and member of the LPNY State Committee. He was the Libertarian candidate for NYC Comptroller in the 2013 elections and was a delegate to the 2016 and 2018 Libertarian National Conventions. An Interfaith and Muslim leader, co-founder of Muslims for Liberty and the Building Bridges Interfaith Coalition, and recipient of the Peace Maker Award from Peace Action in 2009.
Angela McArdle
Angela McArdle is a paralegal from Los Angeles, California. She is a former chair of the Libertarian Party of Los Angeles County, and the former secretary of the Libertarian Party of California. In 2017, McArdle ran as the Libertarian Candidate in the special election for California’s 34th District in the United States House of Representatives. She ran for the same position in 2018’s primary election and placed third, with over 5,500 votes. McArdle is a member of the Libertarian Party Mises Caucus. In November 2020, McArdle announced her intent to run for chair of the Libertarian National Committee. She was elected at the Libertarian Party’s national convention held in Reno (Sparks), Nevada at the Nugget Casino Resort over Memorial Day Weekend in 2022.


Pat Ford
Pat Ford currently serves the Libertarian Party Libertarian National Committee, as the Region 8 Representative, and Chair Of The Libertarian National Committee Affiliate Support Committee Pat managed New England Media for the 2020 Jo Jorgensen Presidential Campaign. As a 6 year State Chair & 20 year plus activist, Pat has generated countless hours of earned media on Radio, Television & Print, both on major networks & indy media
On the homefront, Pat is surrounded by the brilliance of his wife Liz, & daughters Rachel & Becca. In his professional life, Pat manages “The Coalition Radio Network”, based in Providence, Rhode Island, dispensing “Outrage Porn Free, Civilly Disobedient Media” to the unwilling, often finding himself at the best riots in town. Libertarians can reach him at 617.835.1899 or Pat.Ford@LP.org.