A “year one” assessment of the Trump administration, with a panel that includes one former member, will be the kick-off morning discussion session Saturday at the ninth annual Roanoke Conference at the Ocean Shores Convention Center.

As an event that brings hundreds of state Republicans and conservative-leaning citizens, activists, commentators and politicians together for a weekend retreat at the beach, the Roanoke Conference this year features some of the stalwarts of past conferences: former Sen. Slade Gorton, KVI talk show host Kirby Wilber, commentator John Carlson, Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman and current 8th District congressional candidate Dino Rossi, who ran twice for governor and lost to Patty Murry in the 2010 U.S. Senate race.

It also brings to the beach Katie Walsh Shields of America First Policies, a group formed to promote the Trump agenda nationally. Shields also had served in the Trump administration as deputy chief of staff until March last year, when she left to go to work with America First Policies, described as a pro-Trump group.

When she left, Jared Kushner, the President’s son-in-law and advisor issued a statement about Walsh Shields that said, “Katie Walsh was instrumental in the victory in November.”

She will be a member of the panel that looks at the first year of the Trump presidency along with Gorton, Apollo Fuhrman of the Small Business Administration, Steve Beren of One Spark Marketing and moderated by Wilbur.

The conference opens on Friday with a welcome from Ocean Shores City Council member Susan Conniry, who is making what is believed to be the first address at Roanoke by a member of the local community.

Conniry, while maintaining a nonpartisan political affiliation, said she attended the conference last year out of curiosity, and found one of the breakout sessions to be particularly inspiring.

“I want them to know they are welcome and we are grateful they keep coming back year after year,” Conniry said of her position on the opening-night schedule.

Also scheduled on Friday night to speak is Mike Shields, who recently married Katie Walsh.

Mike Shields is a CNN Political Commentator and partner in Convergence Media. He served as president of the Congressional Leadership Fund during the 2016 election cycle and assisted 32 House races, winning 29. Previously Shields served as the Chief of Staff to the Republican National Committee, President of the American Action Network, Political Director of the National Congressional Committee, and Communications Director for then Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Shields also served as the chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert from 2005-2009.

“I have always wanted to participate in the Roanoke Conference, and I am glad we are finally able to attend,” said Shields. “It will be great to see many friends and help kick-off the important 2018 election year.”

In 2013 ,Walsh Shields joined the Republican National Committee where she eventually became the Finance Director and then the Chief of Staff in 2015.

“I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Ocean Shores,” said Walsh Shields in a statement to the conference organizers. “The Roanoke Conference has quickly built a great reputation for being one of the top regional conservative conferences in the country.”

Jim Keough, one of the founders of the conference and a member of its board, noted that the Shields “have worked with and worked for all of the constituencies that make up the Republican party. You have the Trump folks, you have the conservatives and you have the establishment. Mike and Katy have worked with all of these folks, and because of that they have really great perspective.”

Another panel event that is expected to draw wide interest is, “Free speech on trial.” The discussion includes former Bremerton High School coach Joe Kennedy, who refused to stop praying on the field after football games. It also includes Gonazga University student Abigail Anne Osburne who objected to the decision to block speeches from conservatives. Also on Saturday, one panel event is headlined: “Why conservatives are happy,” and includes Wyman as well as Mike Shields.

On a larger stage, Wyman is considered to be a rising star for Republicans.

“She has very broad appeal in terms of the work she has done in working on elections and making them more accessible,” Keough said. “She is doing a phenomenal job as Secretary of State ,and she can write her ticket on where she wants to go next and a lot of people will support her in that endeavor.”

This year, attendance is expected to be about 500 people, and Keough noted the participants come with a big local impact for the city, estimated to pump $250,000 into the beach economy for a winter weekend. The first year, about 200 attended and it has grown every year.

“We have greatly appreciated the local businesses that have welcomed us and have offered to help us out. We’re incredibly appreciative of that,” Keough said, adding the Roanoke Conference has made a “long-term commitment to coming out there.”

Keough also lauded the Ocean Shores Convention Center for making the event possible: “It’s the only place outside of Puget Sound where you can have a conference like this.”

The idea for the conference in the first place was that “we wanted people to go someplace” away from the congestion and distractions of the Seattle-Tacoma area.

“There was no place on the western side of the Cascades besides Ocean Shores that had a conference center like this that could accommodate 500-600 people and have the hotel space. It really made Ocean Shores very attractive to us,” Keough said.

For more information on the conference, visit online: http://www.roanokeconference.org/