The Southwest Oklahoma Republican Women will meet, Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m., at the Farm Bureau of Altus. 

Guest speaker for this meeting will be Ryan Leonard, candidate for State Attorney General.  A meal will be served at the cost of $5 per person.  Everyone is welcome to attend. 

Ryan Leonard, 37, is an attorney, former state prosecutor, and former senior aide to U.S. Senator Don Nickles. A fourth-generation native of Beaver in the Oklahoma panhandle, Leonard presently resides in Oklahoma City with his wife Carrie and their three children. Ryan is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Attorney General, and will officially kick-off his campaign in the coming weeks.

Leonard was shaped by the values he learned growing up in western Oklahoma. As a young man, he grew up working on the farm with his grandfather, where he learned the traits of hard work, honesty and integrity. Leonard earned the rank of Eagle Scout, and applies the common sense, conservative values he learned in western Oklahoma to everything he does.

As a state prosecutor, Leonard prosecuted both serious felony and misdemeanor cases in Canadian County. As an attorney in private practice, Leonard has fought for small businesses, which form the backbone of this state’s economy. Leonard has also been proud to defend the rights of individuals, including representing pro bono children in the state’s foster system.

Leonard previously served for four years as a senior legislative aide for U.S. Senator Don Nickles in Washington, D.C. In that capacity, Leonard was intimately involved in crafting federal legislation benefitting Oklahoma farmers and ranchers, building Oklahoma’s transportation infrastructure, securing the rights of Oklahoma hunters and fishermen and serving as the chief aide for issues involving the federal judiciary, natural resources and Indian affairs. Leonard was also honored to assist Senator Nickles draft and pass legislation aiding victims of the Oklahoma City bombing and establishing the Oklahoma City National Memorial.

Leonard has served on numerous civic boards, including the Board of Trustees of the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the Board of Directors of the Central Oklahoma Red Cross and the Board of Directors of the Oklahoma Academy for State Goals. Leonard has also served on the Legal Ethics Committee of the Oklahoma Bar Association, and currently represents the state of Oklahoma as a national commissioner on the Uniform Law Commission. Leonard is also a member of Leadership Oklahoma and Rotary Club 29.

Leonard earned his law degree from the University of Oklahoma and graduated magna cum laude from Boston College. Leonard attends Westminster Presbyterian Church in Oklahoma City.

For further information contact Debbie Davis at 471-2573.