MerryLynn Gerstenschlager
TEF Vice President and Education Liaison
MerryLynn was appointed as Texas Eagle Forum’s Vice President by national Eagle Forum’s Founding President, Phyllis Schlafly, in 2009.
As Texas Eagle Forum’s Education Liaison, MerryLynn has moved to Austin during the last seven regular legislative sessions to serve as a full time volunteer lobbyist. She has testified before over 25 House and Senate legislative committees.
She also attends the State Board of Education(SBOE) meetings where she often presents testimony. She has traveled throughout Texas to teach the textbook adoption process to grassroots activists and rally them to testify before the SBOE on biology, health, and social studies textbooks up for adoption.
MerryLynn is also active in the Republican Party. She is a longtime member of Parker County Republican Women. She is a Precinct Chair and has worked many elections as an Election Judge, Alternate Judge, or Clerk. She has been a Delegate or an Alternate Delegate to State GOP Conventions since 1998. She was an Alternate Delegate to the 2004 National Convention and a Delegate to the 2008 National Convention.
She was a recipient of Eagle Forum’s Eagle Award in 1996, Texas Eagle Forum's Soaring Eagle Award in 2001, and Texas Federation of Republican Women’s Tribute to Women Award in 2006.
Since 1996, MerryLynn has been an official observer at 16 worldwide United Nations conferences. There the UN has addressed issues such as climate change, the establishment of the International Criminal Court, financing for economic development, food for all, human settlements, sustainable development, the UN Millennium Goals, and world trade.
MerryLynn is a frequent guest speaker to civic groups, church groups, and republican clubs on the topics of education reform and the United Nations.
She and her husband of 42 years reside in Parker County, Texas. They have a son and a married daughter.