ABOUT JAMES ROGER

Sonya Hightower LaBosco

Executive Director, Air Marshal National Council; Secretary,
Federal Air Marshal National Advisory Council; District Governor - Rotary District 6980

Sonya currently serves as the Executive Director of the Air Marshal National Council. A
professional association that advocates for Federal Air Marshals who deploy worldwide to protect aviation travel. She works directly with Congressional oversight committees for comprehensive reforms due to the current deuteriation of aviation security.

She joined the Federal Air Marshal Service in June of 2002, after the tragic events of 9/11. First, assigned to the Orlando Field Office as a Federal Air Marshal (FAM) and was charged with deploying and mentoring Federal Air Marshals on behalf of the Transportation Security Administration. She coordinated, developed, implemented, and supervised law enforcement activities within the transportation domain, both domestically and internationally.

During her career with the Federal Air Marshal Service, she served as a Federal Air Marshal and was promoted to the Assistant to the Special Agent in Charge in 2007. She has served in numerous supervisory assignments at the Orlando International Airport and Sanford Airport as the Assistant Federal Security Director, the Global Response Team Supervisor, the Critical Incident Response Team, the Training Division Supervisor, and the National Coordinator for Assistant Federal Security Directors for Law Enforcement. She is an expert in the field of Behavioral Detection and supervised Behavioral Detection Teams deployed throughout airports nationwide. In 2008, she was instrumental in identifying and arresting a passenger with components for an explosive device at the Orlando International Airport.

Prior to joining the Federal Air Marshal Service, Sonya served over twelve years with the
Daytona Beach Police Department. She accepted a position as a Patrol Officer in 1990 and worked numerous assignments, rising to the rank of Sergeant. She was awarded the Medal of Valor and the Medal of Merit during her tenure.

She graduated from Warner Southern University with a Bachelor of Arts degree, is a Graduate of the Office of Personnel Management Mid-Level Development Program, and completed her federal law enforcement training in Roswell, New Mexico, and Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Tomas J. Lares

Advocate & Leader in the Fight Against Human Trafficking

Tomas J. Lares has been a dedicated advocate against human trafficking since 2004, with over 34 years of experience in human services at the local, state, and national levels. His career began in the early ‘90s, working with vulnerable children at the YMCA and Big Brothers Big Sisters in Florida. In 2005, he facilitated one of the first human trafficking seminars in Florida, building key partnerships with law enforcement and victim service organizations.

As the founder of United Abolitionists, Inc., Lares has pioneered victim-centered approaches, facilitated extensive community education, and established a 24-hour Human Trafficking Hotline in Central Florida. His advocacy has influenced legislative policies, including Florida’s SB 1690, mandating safe home standards for survivors. He has trained thousands in the hospitality and tourism industries, collaborated with major law enforcement agencies, and played a key role in the first human trafficking outreach in 2009 at Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa, FL.

Lares has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Orange County Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award, the Florida Attorney General’s Community Advocate of the Year, and the finalist for the Orlando Sentinel Central Floridian of the Year. He continues to lead efforts through coalitions, legislative initiatives, and educational programs, ensuring a comprehensive response to combat human trafficking.

Lares is a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy, and he holds a degree in Psychology from Southeastern University and has pursued graduate studies in Social Work at the University of Central Florida.

Jon Miller

Advocate, Marketing & Strategic Expert

Jon is an award-winning strategist in advocacy and public affairs, having spent the past 20+ years managing campaigns in the brand, advocacy, and public affairs space. He has worked as a lobbyist at the federal and state levels and proudly served Governor Ron DeSantis as a board member for CareerSource Florida. Miller also served as Vice-Mayor/Commissioner for the City of Casselberry, Florida from 2006-2013.

Jon is the President & CEO of Victory Marketing & Communications and is the Managing Director of Advocacy for Majority Strategies. Miller develops campaigns for national and state-level clients in a variety of fields, including higher education, energy, transportation, and social welfare as his primary verticals. Jon lives in Casselberry and is the father to five children.

Rebekah Ricks

Advocate, Speaker, & Policy Leader

Rebekah Ricks is a legislative advocate, nonprofit leader, and speaker with over 20 years of experience in education, policy, and grassroots activism. As President and Founder of The Coalition of Mothers, she has championed over 40 bills defending parental rights, medical freedom, and education choice. She also served as President of Florida Moms for America, furthering her advocacy for faith, family, and freedom.

She co-founded Moms for Medical Freedom, a movement with 30,000+ members, and led a 1,000-person medical freedom rally in Tallahassee. As Chairman of the Florida Parent Educators Association Foundation, she fights for homeschooling rights and student success, and her Homeschool Connection curriculum has helped students attend West Point and Annapolis.

Rebekah serves on the State Board of Music Education, shaping policy for Florida’s public school music programs. Her trips to the U.S.-Mexico border exposed her to the trafficking crisis, inspiring her to advocate for stronger protections for children and families.

She helped found Vote Your Vision, a national voter engagement initiative, and has traveled the U.S. leading MOMentum, mobilizing mothers in the voting movement.

A wife of 20 years and mother of two young boys (ages 3 & 6), Rebekah remains committed to faith, family, and freedom, ensuring parents have a voice in shaping the future.