Karl Rove and James Burnley Will Speak in Charlottesville

*** Annual Ronald Reagan Dinner Returns to Charlottesville

*** Bush White House Advisor Karl Rove and Reagan Cabinet Secretary James Burnley Will Headline Event 

(CHARLOTTESVILLE, February 21, 2013) --- Fox News contributor Karl Rove and former U.S Secretary of Transportation James H. Burnley IV will be the featured speakers at the 2013 Ronald Reagan Dinner sponsored by the Charlottesville Republican Committee.

The Reagan Dinner will be held on Sunday, April 7, at the Omni Hotel in downtown Charlottesville.

 “A longtime Charlottesville tradition, the Reagan Dinner has been 'on hiatus' since 2003,” said Charlottesville Republican Committee chairman Charles “Buddy” Weber. “That year's dinner speaker was former U.S. Attorney General Dick Thornburgh, and it took place on the same night that the Iraq War began. With that kind of 'shock and awe,' we needed a break, but now we're back.”

Karl Rove, who served as Deputy White House Chief of Staff and as a Senior Advisor to President George W. Bush, is well-known as columnist for the Wall Street Journal and as a political strategist.

“I am looking forward to speaking in Charlottesville, a region that offers opportunities for growth and revitalization for the local Republican Party. It will be my pleasure to meet party activists and offer my thoughts on the future of the conservative movement," Mr. Rove said.

James H. Burnley IV

James Burnley was President Ronald Reagan's Secretary of Transportation, serving from 1987 through 1989. He is currently an attorney with the Washington law firm, Venable LLP, sits on the board of FreedomWorks, and is a past chairman of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

 “It will be a great pleasure to return to Charlottesville” said Burnley. “My family has deep roots in the community – Burnley-Moran School is named for my great-great aunt, and I spent summers in the area as a child when my great-uncle owned the Hardware Store on the downtown mall. I look forward to reminiscing about my years in President Reagan's cabinet and discussing the transportation issues we face in the 21st century.”

Weber added: “The Ronald Reagan Dinner is our local committee's primary fundraising event of the year. It not only provides an opportunity for Charlottesville Republicans to come together for an evening of fun and conviviality, it raises the seed money for our candidates for City Council, the General Assembly, and other local offices. We welcome the participation of Karl Rove and James Burnley in this year's festivities.”

 The 2013 Ronald Reagan Dinner will include a cocktail reception, a VIP reception for major sponsors, and a silent auction featuring items donated by Republican leaders and celebrities from across the United States. So far House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, Fox News host Sean Hannity, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, and former Ambassador to the United Nations John Bolton have contributed autographed items for the silent auction.

Tickets for the Charlottesville Republican Party's 2013 Ronald Reagan Dinner are $75 each, with discounts for packages of two and tables of eight. Seating is limited but requests for invitations may be sent by email to rsvp.2013ReaganDinner@gmail.com or by postal mail to P.O. Box 6936, Charlottesville, VA 22906.

 Contributions to the Charlottesville Republican Party are not tax-deductible.

(Crossposted from the Charlottesville Republicans Blog.)