Category Archives: National Council

John F. McManus joined the staff of The John Birch Society in August 1966, serving originally as a field coordinator for several New England states. In 1968, he was transferred to a position at the Society’s national headquarters.

In 1973, Mr. McManus accepted the appointment by Robert Welch, the Society’s Founder, as the organization’s Director of Public Affairs. In this post, he became the Society’s chief media representative throughout the nation. He has appeared on hundreds of radio and television programs.

Mr. McManus was named the president of The John Birch Society in 1991 and served as such until January 1, 2016. He also served many years as Publisher of The New American and the JBS Bulletin.

Mr. McManus wrote and produced numerous audiovisual programs, including the popular DVD Overview of America, which is a moving tribute about America’s constitutional roots. He has also written several books including Financial Terrorism (1993), Changing Commands: The Betrayal of America’s Military (1995), William F. Buckley, Jr.: Pied Piper for the Establishment (2002), The Insiders (2004), and The John Birch Society: Its History Recounted by Someone Who Was There.

Born in 1935 in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. McManus graduated Holy Cross College in Massachusetts. He served on active duty as a lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps for three years. For six years before accepting a staff position with the Society, he was employed as an electronics engineer. The father of four and grandparent of several, Mr. McManus was married to the former Mary Helen O’Reilly of Boston. He passed away on March 4, 2024.

Lori Watt is President and Founder of Investors Advisory Group (IAG). She is one of a select few planners who specialize in advanced financial planning techniques. Lori is a co-author of “The Black Book of Personal Finance”, published in October 2005. She has been honored on Milwaukee Magazine’s “Five Star: Best in Client Satisfaction” list for 2013 and 2015.

Lori and her husband reside in Hartland, WI, and are active members of their community and church. She has three children and five grandchildren. She enjoys running, golfing and traveling.

George B. Wallace was born in Minnesota in 1932, but he grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. After two years at the University of Wisconsin, he joined the Aviation Cadet program. In 1955, he received his wings and a commission as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

He served several tours of duty as a fighter pilot. During the Vietnam War, George survived a combat tour flying the F-105 fighter/bomber. For his efforts, he earned the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters. He retired from the military in 1978 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Settling in Oklahoma City, he completed college in 1978, earning his bachelor’s degree at Oklahoma City University. George later founded Sunbelt Recycling Company, a firm he operated until he sold it in 2004.

Following the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, he joined the Oklahoma Bombing Investigation Committee. He was instrumental in the committee’s efforts to force a county grand jury investigation of the crime and in the research and publication of the committee’s comprehensive report. He accepted appointment to the JBS Council in 2004.

“Mr. Jess Roques first heard of JBS from Charlie Smith on a televised “Meet the Press” interview in Orlando, Fl in the early 1970s. He intended to contact someone then, but was transferred by Penn Life to Jackson, MS. Years later, both he and his wife Mary joined the John Birch Society and have remained active.

Before retiring, Mr. Roques was Regional Director for Pennsylvania Life Insurance Company, with offices in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia. He served as Chairman of the Board of Stewards at Riverside Independent Methodist Church, and as the Treasurer for the International Association of Independent Methodists.

He was also an active member of the Jackson-Madison Camp of the Gideons International.”

The Honorable Deborah Pauly serves as an attorney with the Lex Rex Institute, a legal organization that seeks to uphold constitutional government. She attained her juris doctorate from Trinity Law School, a private law school in Orange County, California, providing exceptional legal education in the Judeo-Christian tradition with a Biblical world view and adherence to natural law jurisprudence.

For more than a decade, she has been a popular speaker in conservative circles — known for blunt honesty, speaking the truth boldly and articulating a common sense approach to current political and public policy issues. Deborah employs humor, godly wisdom and a Conservative-libertarian slant. She is often on the speakers’ circuit offering analysis of statewide ballot propositions.

She is a founding board member and current President of the Conservative Patriots of Orange County, an autonomous 527 Political Not-for-Profit dedicated to individual liberty, limited government, local control, sound fiscal policy and free enterprise. She was a candidate appearing on the June 2016 ballot for California State Assembly, District 68, having concluded her second 4-year term as Councilwoman for the City of Villa Park.  She fell short in that effort, even though she garnered nearly 14,000 votes in a crowded Republican field.

Ms. Pauly received the 2009 Woman of the Year Award for the 60^th Assembly District. The California Legislative Women’s Caucus sponsors the annual recognition ceremony in the Capitol each March as part of Women’s History Month. It is a rare distinction to be honored once, but Deborah was also named Woman of the Year in 2003. She served as the Principal Controlling Officer of the “Stop the Rip-Off! campaign committee and was the lead organizer and hostess of The OC DeploraBall: Trump Inaugural Celebration in Orange County.

She was a member the Orange Republican Women Federated from 2003 until it was dissolved in November 2021 and served as chairwoman for Local Issues and Educational Issues, as a member of the Scholarship Committee and as 1^st Vice President for Programs. She has served as Chaplain South for the California Federation of Republican Women.

Deborah is a summa cum laude graduate from Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville with a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications and a minor in Political Science. In 2005, Deborah was selected as a Scholar in the Excellence in Public Service Series, an Executive Training Program of the Republican National Committee. She is also a graduate of the Defense Information School and served active duty in the United States Air Force as a Public Affairs Specialist. She’s handy with an M16 and a 38.

Mr. Moon is a graduate of the University of Idaho, School of Mines with a B.S. in Geological Engineering. After graduation, he spent six years with Schlumberger International as a field engineer and station manager for North Sea, Saudi Arabian and Egyptian oil field operations. Darr is a licensed professional civil engineer and land surveyor heading up his engineering firms primary offices in Rupert and Challis, Idaho.

Darr grew up in the mining industry working mostly on small family-owned placer and lode gold mines in Central Idaho. He and his family are involved in mining, milling, and gold production on various Central Idaho properties.

George (Michael) Lohr was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1955 and moved to Jacksonville, Florida, where he still resides with his wife Lora, two children, and two grandchildren.

Michael studied biology and geology but went into technology sales and continues to work for a global technology company since his own company, along with his partners, were purchased by them.

George Lohr, his father, was a chapter leader in Charleston, so Michael grew up with JBS. He is a chapter and section leader in Jacksonville.

Michael hopes that his experience as a salesman, sales manager, business owner, and long history with The John Birch Society will be an asset to the council.