Our annual fall banquet makes it possible for our lobbyists to maintain a constant presence in Springfield and work with pro-life legislators to turn the tide on abortion in our state! Your support and partnership in our mission is what makes standing up for life possible in Illinois!
Keynote Speaker
Melissa Ohden
Founder of the Abortion Survivors Network
Life empowers women, not abortion, and Melissa is one of likely tens of thousands of abortion survivors who exemplify this. Melissa is the survivor of a failed saline infused abortion, but like every survivor, she is so much more than a survivor.
Melissa is a Master’s level prepared Social Worker and the author of You Carried Me: A Daughter’s Memoir. Her second book, which will focus on sharing the stories of other abortion survivors breaking their silence, will be published in 2022. She is the Founder and Director of The Abortion Survivors Network, the only healing and advocacy organization for abortion survivors world-wide and The Education and Policy Center, which impacts policy issues relation to abortion and abortion survivors. Melissa and her team have connected with 397 survivors as of July 2021. Melissa is a frequent contributor to pro-life and conservative news outlets and a regular guest on radio and television programs around the world including Fox News, Focus on the Family, Hannity, The Eric Metaxas Show, Huckabee, and more. Although Melissa’s heart is for providing help and hope to all affected by abortion, she also strives to humanize the unborn through activism. She has testified before Congressional committees numerous times, as well as lobbied, and even met President Trump in the Oval Office in 2019.
Fulfilling the purpose that she believes God set out for her when He saved her form the certain death of the abortion attempt, Melissa is truly a voice for the voiceless.
Master of Ceremonies
Jeanne Ives
Host of The Real Story
Jeanne Ives served three terms as an Illinois State Representative. First elected in 2012, Representative Ives demonstrated not only a willingness to lead on difficult issues, but also possessed an insightful understanding of policy. Jeanne is on the IRLA Board of Directors, and is founder of Breakthrough Ideas whose mission is to build an infastructure and network to advance conservative ideas. She also hosts the radio show The Real Story with Jeanne Ives on AM560 Chicago on Sunday from 7-9 pm.
Jeanne has lived in Wheaton for 29 years with her husband, Paul (also a USMA Class of 1987 graduate), and their 5 children. The tradition continues with three sons serving in the military.
Opening Prayer
Fr. Trenton Rauck
Associate Pastor at St. John Cantius Parish
Fr. Trenton Rauck is the chaplain for Illinois Right to Life Action. He is a member of the Canons Regular of St. John Cantius, and an Associate Pastor at St. John Cantius Parish in Chicago, Illinois.
Welcome Address
Mary Kate Zander
Board President
Mary Kate Zander (formerly Knorr) became the president of Illinois Right to Life after serving as the executive director from 2018 to 2020 and 2023 to 2024. Prior to her work in the pro-life movement, Mary Kate was an operative and communications advisor on numerous state and federal political campaigns. She has been quoted in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun-Times, the New Yorker, the Washington Post, and has been featured on WGN, ABC-7, CBS, EWTN, and Fox News, among others. Mary Kate has spoken before thousands on the need for abortion restrictions in Illinois. She has presented to law and medical students at Northwestern University and to undergraduates at the University of Chicago, where she debated Professor Geoffrey Stone, who was a clerk on the Supreme Court when Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973.
Mary Kate and her husband, Will, welcomed their son, Roan Bosco, in October of 2023. They are currently expecting a daughter, due in February of 2025.
Visioncasting
Jaclyn Cornell
IRL Executive Director
Jaclyn Cornell accepted the position of executive director of Illinois Right to Life in May of 2024. Since then, she has advocated and spoken about the essential need for every human life to be recognized, respected and unconditionally valued from conception until natural death. She also serves as the spokesperson for IRLA. She has been quoted in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago City Wire. Prior to her tenure at Illinois Right to Life, she spent the previous decade working in advertising and marketing for a media group based out of the Chicago suburbs.
Jaclyn and her husband Jason recently celebrated 18 years of marriage and are the proud parents of four sons.
Closing Prayer
Phil Chapman
Pastor at Village Bible Church
My upbringing in rural Newark, IL, was filled with fun, laughter, sports, and movies. A pivotal moment came at the end of my high school years when I gave my life to Jesus. This set the stage for my journey into ministry, starting with my role as a Youth Pastor during college.
I spent two decades in the field of education, serving in both public and private institutions. My Master’s in Educational Leadership allowed me to lead three Christian schools as their Superintendent.
In 2015, I answered the call to join Village Bible Church, initially serving as Campus Pastor at the Indian Creek Campus. I feel humbled to serve at VBC, a church my family has called home since 2005. Later, I transitioned to the Sugar Grove campus as the Connections Pastor. In 2020, I added the role of Online Campus Pastor. Our family absolutely loves being part of the Village family.
My wife, Shari, and I share a deep passion for vulnerable children. We are the proud parents of 11 children who were welcomed into our family through biological birth, international adoption, and adoption from foster care. One of my greatest joys is being called ‘Grandpa’ by a growing number of kiddos.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
If you’re interested in learning more about our sponsorship opportunities, or placing an ad in our annual ad book, please send an email to Denise at [email protected].
