Gary Porter is Founder and Executive Director of the Constitution Leadership Initiative, Inc. (CLI) a project to encourage a better understanding of the U.S. Constitution among the American people.
CLI provides courses on the U.S. and Virginia Constitutions, and promotes the use of other, online and live courses as the needs of the audience dictate. Gary also re-enacts James Madison in period costume, distributing pocket Constitutions to school children and having “Madison” explain his role in creating the U. S. Bill of Rights.
Gary retired from the U.S. Air Force in 1989 after a 21-year career flying the F-15, F-105 (303 combat hours over Vietnam), and several different models of gray steel desk (i.e., staff positions). After a short stint flying for Pan American World Airways, he worked for another 20 years for various defense contractors. Gary retired “for good” in 2012 to devote his full energies to CLI.
Gary is a volunteer at the Foundation for American Christian Education (FACE) in Chesapeake, Virginia, manages FACE’s “Lessons in Liberty” lecture series, and was managing editor of Volume 3 of the Christian History of the U.S. Constitution project.
Gary contributes to Constituting America’s annual “90-Day Study” Project, has spoken on constitutional issues to regional and national conferences, and spoken before a committee of the Virginia Assembly. For two years he hosted a weekly radio show called “We the People, The Constitution Matters” on a Philadelphia-area radio station.
Gary holds a B.S. in Zoology from Kent State University, and an M.S. in Education from the University of Southern California. He has been married to his wife, Phyllis for 55 years and has two children and seven grandchildren. He can be reached via email at constitutionlead@gmail.com.