Monthly Webinar Series
Maryland Right to Life Webinar Series
REGISTER
What: A free monthly educational webinar via Zoom featuring pro-life leaders and policy experts who will discuss key issues facing the pro-life movement in Maryland and beyond.
When: Tuesday, August 25, 2026 – 7:00- 9:00 PM EST
Guest Speakers: Melissa Ortiz (Capability Consulting) and Lori Kehoe (New York State Right to Life)
Topic: Assisted Suicide
About Our Speakers
Melissa Ortiz
Melissa Ortiz is the founder and principal of Capability Consulting, an award- winning speaker, and a self-described “relentlessly resilient warrior princess (RRWP).” At Capability Consulting she advises on ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)- compliance, accessibility, and disability policy. She served as a presidential appointee and has written op-eds for USA Today, the Washington Examiner, and other publications. She has been interviewed by numerous tv and radio outlets, including the BBC, Fox News, and One America News. Prior to founding Capability Consulting, in 2011, Melissa created Able Americans, which she later sold to a DC area think tank. She has also served as a visiting fellow for the Independent Women’s Forum and, in 2005, served as Ms. Wheelchair New York. The first female board member of The Conservative Caucus, she is now the Vice President of the Board of the Spina Bifida Patients Association, a new organization supporting adults with spina bifida. Melissa resides in Maryland with her husband Tony and service dog, Annie Oakley. Connect with Melissa through her website: capabilityconsulting.org or on Instagram and Twitter, where she communicates as @DCBelleonWheels.
Lori Kehoe
Lori Kehoe works for New York State Right to Life with a special focus on youth education. She coordinates Camp Esther, a pro-life training program for young people held each summer. Lori is the former senior congressional liaison for the department of medical ethics at National Right to Life. She has lobbied Congress on abortion, euthanasia, assisted suicide, healthcare rationing, cloning, and other pro-life issues. She has appeared on CNN, C-SPAN, and Fox News television programs and been quoted in the New York Times, Associated Press, Los Angeles Times, and many other publications nationwide. She has served as an at-large member of the National Right to Life Board of Directors. Lori is a graduate of the State University of New York at Geneseo. She and her husband, Marty, have a daughter named Rowan Blessing and two precious children in heaven.
Previous Webinars:
July 2026– Topic: Religious Freedom and Conscience Protections
Guest Speaker: Lorna Henry, J.D., attorney with Pacific Justice Institute
June 2026– Topic: Marking the 4th Anniversary of the Dobbs decision
Guest Speaker: Helen Alvaré, J.D., author, legal scholar, & professor at the Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University