Phil Heimlich is the son of Dr. Henry Heimlich, inventor of the Heimlich Maneuver. His grandparents, Arthur and Kathryn Murray, were television stars in the 50’s and 60’s and founders of the Arthur Murray Dance studios. Phil‘s own story, marked by distinguished public and community service, is as interesting as that of his famous relatives.
A graduate of Stanford University with Distinction in 1975, Phil earned his law degree from the University of Virginia in 1979. While serving as Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor in Cincinnati, Phil specialized in felony criminal prosecutions, including murder, rape, robbery, assault and white-collar offenses.
Phil was Elected to Cincinnati City Council from 1993-2001 and the Hamilton County Commission from 2002-2006. Phil was a strong supporter of law enforcement - initiating Cincinnati’s teen curfew, passing laws restricting strip clubs and porn shops, and founding Cincinnati’s highly successful Citizens on Patrol program.
As a fiscal watchdog, Phil uncovered corruption in the Genesis Housing program, which led to its defunding; he exposed waste at the city-run asphalt plant, resulting in the plant’s closing and outsourcing of the service; He uncovered abuses at taxpayer-funded Drake Hospital that threatened to bankrupt the facility - working with the University of Cincinnati, Phil was able to preserve the hospital and eliminate millions in taxpayer subsidies.
As a passionate advocate for school choice, Phil established Riverside Academy, a kindergarten through sixth grade charter school; and the Life Skills Center, a charter school which provides academic instruction, job training and placement for high school dropouts. He is also the co-founder of the Children’s Scholarship Fund of Greater Cincinnati, which has raised $3.5 million in scholarships for low-income children.
Phil’s awards include the first Torch Award for Community Service from Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and the Community Defender Award from Citizens for Community Values.
Phil believes it is important for him to share his faith in Christ and the impact God has made in his life. Phil has given this message at Mayor’s Prayer Breakfasts throughout the country.
Phil is married to Rebecca, the Ohio Director of Americans for prosperity. They are the parents of Henry, age 7, and Allie, age 5.
Speeches
- How a nice Jewish boy became a Christ Follower -
What led a driven, ambitious young man from a famous family to become a Christian? Here’s the funny and compelling story of Phil Heimlich’s Walk Of Faith.
- Preparing For The Coming Crash -
Throughout history, debt has caused virtually every economic collapse. The United States currently owes $62 trillion to foreign governments and its own citizens. When our country defaults, how will you protect your assets?
- Is God a Conservative? –
How do we apply Biblical Principles to today’s Issues? It’s not the Christian right and it’s not the welfare state; it’s fiscal responsibility as well as caring for the poor –like Jesus taught.
In The News
…Phil Heimlich (R), a tireless student of good government who always does his homework. "I believe in the power of a good idea," he said. He has proved it with a property tax rollback, improved public safety and better government.
- Cincinnati Enquirer, October 24, 1999
Mr. Heimlich has a well-earned reputation, from his years on Cincinnati City Council, as a near-obsessive budget hawk who will persistently ask questions and demand answers on why things run the way they do – and how they could run better.
- Cincinnati Enquirer, October 27, 2002
…credit goes to Hamilton County Commissioner Phil Heimlich. He fought a bitter and often personal battle to reform Drake Hospital Heimlich did not compromise. Taxpayers and patients should be glad of it.
- Cincinnati Enquirer, October 22, 2006.
In this campaign Heimlich has emphasized the link between the city's fortunes and its educational options. And he has done more than talk: in the last two years Heimlich has helped open two charter schools in Cincinnati and served as co-chairman of a campaign that raised more than $2 million in scholarships for inner-city kids.
- Cincinnati Post, October 20, 1999.
"School choice gives families power at the schoolhouse door it lets them vote with their feet on the best school for their children," says Mr. Heimlich. "Poor families want the same thing wealthy families do: the ability to obtain a quality education for their children, whether they go to public, private or religious schools to get it." Many families leave the city because of poor schools … By tirelessly focusing the spotlight on competition and choice, Mr. Heimlich and a few others are slowly forcing change.
- Cincinnati Enquirer, May 3, 1999.
Phil Heimlich has simply been the most effective member of council. By doing exhaustive homework and building airtight community coalitions, he won uphill victories on rapid indictment and the curfew and is still fighting for more. He's a can-do councilman who has put more police on the streets, streamlined the courts and created innovative, well-designed plans for better government at less cost.
***It is important to note that Phil is currently not a Catholic. However, his pro-life message has heavy Catholic principles and continues to inspire many within the Catholic Faith and the fight-for-life as a whole. CatholicSpeakers.com does work with non-Catholic speakers who have an incredible powerful pro-life messages, want to speak to Catholic audiences and have been embraced for many years by Catholic organizations and pro-life events. As the most trusted resource for Catholic Speakers in the world, it is our policy to make it crystal clear if a speaker we work with is not Catholic. Traditionally there have been many non-Catholic warriors for the fight-for-life who lock arms with the Catholic Church and help Catholic initiatives in the common goal of ending abortion. Any non-Catholic speakers we work with have agreed to never challenge Catholic teaching when speaking at an event we book for them. If you are intersted in booking Phil for a talk, please contact us for more information.
