Private Citizen Board of Directors

Wallace Hall, Jr.

President of the Board

A lifelong resident of Dallas, Texas, Wallace L. Hall, Jr. is an entrepreneur with interests in real estate, oil and gas, biotech and other emerging technologies and partnerships. He is a 1984 graduate of the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics. He is Founder and President of Wetland Partners, a company specializing in the preservation, restoration and enhancement of ecosystems through wetland mitigation.

An active member of his community, Hall has served in multiple leadership roles with St. Mark’s School of Texas, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and most recently, a six-year term with the University of Texas System Board of Regents.


As a consequence of his recent public service, Hall was named to the Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Influencers List” and was one of nine finalists for the 2014 “Texan of the Year” by The Dallas Morning News and was awarded the “Torch of Freedom Award” by Texan’s First.

Eric O’Keefe

Vice President of the Board

For the past 35 years, Eric O’Keefe has worked to encourage the establishment of independent political organizations to hold politicians accountable.

One of the results of this work was the Wisconsin Club for Growth, which played a large role in supporting Governor Walker’s reforms of union regulations in 2011 and 2012. That led to O’Keefe being a “target” in the John Doe investigation, and the lead plaintiff in federal and state lawsuits to halt the sweeping government abuses which pervaded the “investigation.”

O’Keefe spent years managing the litigation and communications for the fight against government attack on basic constitutional rights. Now, his team is applying this experience to assist targets of government abuse in states across the nation.

O’Keefe is also Chairman of the Board for Citizens for Self Governance, a national organization supporting a Convention of the States and funding a class action suit against the IRS for its abuses of patriotic citizen groups.

Jewell Patek

Jewell Patek is known for leading in a way that combines his family values and government experience to help promote positive change.

Owner of Jefferson City, Missouri-based Patek & Associates, Jewell doesn’t seek out the spotlight but tirelessly works as a conservative activist and remains an unquestionable advocate for kids and our nation’s future. He previously served three terms in the Missouri House of Representatives for District 7, which encompasses all or part of Carroll, Linn, and Livingston counties.

During his time in office, Patek served on seven House committees and sponsored or co-sponsored numerous House bills aimed at improving education, better transportation, suicide prevention, and shelters for domestic violence victims.

Patek has remained true to his rural hometown roots in Chillicothe, Missouri, while serving as a military police officer in the Missouri National Guard, pursuing a career in law and fulfilling his duties of public office. These experiences shaped his approach to leadership and advocacy as a respected voice in Missouri’s political scene.

As a recent example of his impact, Jewell helped pass legislation that requires all Missouri schools to have dyslexia screening programs in place for grades kindergarten through four as well as his long term advocacy for improved foster care resources. He is a parent of two daughters with dyslexia and truly understands the need to promote literacy efforts and give all our kids the opportunity to succeed.

This sums up Jewell’s political advocacy. He is truly informed, experienced, and aligned with the voice of our nation’s future.