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2024 Speaker

Larry Ross

Larry Ross is Founder & CEO of A. Larry Ross Communications (ALRC), a Dallas-based full-service public relations firm he founded in 1994 to provide crossover media liaison at the intersection of faith and culture. His mission is to “restore faith in media,” by providing “value-added P.R. that defines values” and gives Christian messages relevance and meaning in mainstream media.

Ross, whom Newsweek magazine headlined as “Point Man for God,” –was quoted in a New York Times Magazine personal profile feature saying his job is “…to find the sweet spot where faith and culture intersect.” He has more than 45 years of mainstream and Christian corporate, agency and non-profit experience influencing public opinion through the power of story by providing senior strategic P.R. consultation and ongoing representation for organizations and individuals on a mission for God or the common good.

These include some of the world’s most influential faith leaders, such as evangelist Billy Graham, for whom he served as personal media spokesperson for more than 33 years, beginning in 1981; Pastor Rick Warren; Bishop T.D. Jakes; numerous non-profits and ministry organizations, such as Prison Fellowship International, Promise Keepers, Answers in Genesis, Harvest America, and Compassion International; and theatrical film releases, for example The Passion of The Christ. In 2016, he served as Communications Director for Dr. Ben Carson’s presidential campaign.

Ross has diverse experience in all forms of promotion and communications, including extensive spokesperson training, crisis communications, corporate positioning and issues management. He has developed national and international images for global organizations, in some cases serving as primary corporate media representative.

Throughout his career spanning more than four decades, Ross has represented clients advancing the national conversation by addressing numerous political, economic, social and spiritual issues. He spearheaded media relations for the 2009 Saddleback Civil Forum on The Presidency with presumed presidential nominees Senator John McCain and then-Senator Barack Obama, which was attended by more than 530 media representatives and garnered worldwide coverage.

Ross has also established press operations for live events – some attended by crowds exceeding 250,000 – in most major U.S. cities and scores of foreign countries. These include more than 70 Billy Graham crusades, four global conferences, international satellite uplink events covered by media from more than 185 countries and territories and dozens more involving other evangelistic outreaches, conferences and motivational training events.

For several years in the late 1970s, Ross served as field spokesman for the General Motors Corporation. In 1980, he joined a top New York public relations agency, where his primary focus was on media liaison through entertainment and business press for the Cap Cities/ABC media conglomerate and handling media positioning for iconic Major League Baseball great Joe DiMaggio.

A graduate of Wheaton College in Illinois, Ross and his wife Autumn have three sons, two daughters-in-law and three grandsons, and they reside in Lewisville, Texas. You can follow him on Twitter at @ALarryRoss.

Key Note Speakers

2023 – Neal Jeffrey
2022 – Debbie Stuart
2021 – Darren Woodson
2018 – Kelly Shackelford
2017 – Lt. Col. Allen B. West
2016 – Sheila Walsh
2015 – Terdema L. Ussery II
2014 – Pete Delkus
2013 – June Jones
2012 – Kenneth W. Starr
2011 – J. C. Watts
2010 – Scott Turner
2009 – Frank Lazarus
2008 – Pat Summerall
2007 – Scott O’Grady
2006 – Dr. Kenneth Cooper
2005 – Cindy Brinker Simmons
2004 – Gerald Turner
2003 – Albert Black
2002 – (J. McDonald) Don Williams
2001 – Zig Ziglar
2000 – James Baker (wife, Susan actually spoke in his place)
1999 – Chan Gailey