Dear Michael,

I am especially pleased that the Republican National Lawyers Association has selected Ron Hicks to be the second recipient of the Robert J. Horn Chairman’s Award.  Ron personifies the attributes and skills that all of us at RNLA value in terms of insuring the accuracy and honesty of elections and the election process.  The RNLA has a targeted set of missions - all complementary, and none of which duplicate missions accomplished elsewhere.  From my perspective, its most important mission is to ensure open, fair and honest elections at all levels of American society in a non-discriminatory manner and to provide access to the polls to all qualified and eligible voters.

Your participation in this Seminar evidences your desire to accomplish this mission by receiving election law training from our members who are among the most qualified election law professionals from all over the country. Through the efforts of volunteers like Ron Hicks, we have been able to respond to requests for assistance from Republican Party organizations and its candidates by communicating the requests to all of you and having you volunteer and work pro bono to address these concerns.

I was introduced to Ron by Heather Heidelbaugh, on election day 2004, when I went to Pittsburgh to help out by working in the call center they created to protect the honesty of the presidential election process. What I discovered, was an efficient and well run operation that anticipated many of the issues that arose or could have arisen as a result of Democrat initiatives to change the outcome of the electoral process. Ron and Heather were the lead counsels at the time and Ron represented the campaign by requesting expedited decisions from the Pennsylvania Supreme Court under the Pennsylvania Election Code.  His success in handling these matter before Democrat Supreme Court Justices contributed greatly to ensuring a positive electoral outcome.

Since then Ron has continued to contribute greatly to the Republican Party in Pennsylvania and to the RNLA. In addition to having a successful  private practice, Ron has worked as Co-General Counsel and as a member of the Board of Governors for the Republican National Lawyers Association.  He is a founding board member and former chair of the RNLA’s Pittsburgh Chapter.  He serves as the Deputy Solicitor for Western Pennsylvania for the Pennsylvania Republican State Committee, and is an elected member of the Republican Committees of Allegheny County and Pittsburgh, and the County Committee’s Solicitor and chair of the City Committee’s 3rd Council District in Pennsylvania. 

As a result of what he accomplished and for everything he has done, I am especially pleased and honored that Ron has been selected as the second recipient of the RNLA’s Robert J Horn Founding Chairman’s award.  Although I am saddened that I cannot join you at the conference this year, I wish you great success and hope that I can join you next time.   Best wishes to all of you, especially Ron and hope that all of you will find the time to help the Republican cause in the upcoming mid-term election.  

Sincerely,

Bob Horn