Our Mission

Linda McMahon is originally from New Bern, North Carolina, and serves as Chair of the Board and Chair of the Center for the American Worker for AFPI. McMahon served in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet as Administrator of the Small Business Administration. At SBA, McMahon re-imagined the organization, focusing on rural development and championing women entrepreneurs and military veterans. She oversaw natural disaster recovery efforts and helped improve the way the SBA connected small businesses to capital, counseling, and government contracts. After her service in the Trump Administration, she served as Chair of the America First Action SuperPAC, and America First Policy, LLC. Prior to her career in public service, McMahon was the President and later CEO of WWE, INC., which she and her husband, Vince, grew from a small regional corporation to a multinational public company.

“If you want something done, give it to a busy woman to do it.”

Lucille Ball

Larry Kudlow serves as Vice Chair of the Board for AFPI and as Chair of the Center for American Prosperity. He is also the host of “Kudlow” on Fox Business and “The Larry Kudlow Show” on WABC Talk Radio. He previously served as Director of the National Economic Council under President Donald Trump, where he led the domestic and global economic policy agendas. Throughout the years, Kudlow has hosted several popular television shows with an economic focus, had a successful career on Wall Street, and worked as an associate director in the Office of Management and Budget during the Reagan Administration. He began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a staff economist. Kudlow describes himself as a Reagan supply-sider and is a staunch advocate for free markets, tax cuts, and deregulation.

“Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity.”

LARRY KUDLOW

Brooke Leslie Rollins is originally from Glen Rose, Texas, and serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of AFPI. Rollins was formerly Director of the Domestic Policy Council and Chief Strategist in the White House under President Donald Trump, where she also previously served as Director of the Office of American Innovation. In these roles, she developed and managed the transformational domestic policy agenda of the Trump Administration, leading to historic achievements for the American people. Rollins graduated with honors from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development and was the first female to be elected student body president. After earning her Juris Doctor with honors at the University of Texas School of Law, she served as Governor Rick Perry’s policy director before running the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) for 15 years. At TPPF, Rollins elevated a small policy organization to a national force and redefined the possibilities for a state-based think tank — setting the model and aspiration for AFPI. Rollins and her husband, Mark, currently reside in Fort Worth, Texas, and spend a large majority of their free time taxiing their four very active children to baseball games, cattle shows, piano lessons, and Aggie football games.

“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. ”

Thomas Paine

Chad F. Wolf serves as AFPI’s Executive Director, Chief Strategy Officer, and the Chair for the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration. In this role, Wolf is responsible for the day-to-day management and strategic direction of AFPI with a focus on setting policy goals and research priorities. Prior to joining AFPI, Wolf served as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the third-largest federal department in the U.S. Government. During his time at DHS, he successfully navigated numerous global and domestic challenges to the nation’s security, including COVID-19, civil unrest, numerous border and immigration crises, historic natural disasters, and threats to global aviation security. Wolf is a former Visiting Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and currently a Member of the Texas Public Policy Foundation Border Security Coalition. He also serves as President and Founder of Wolf Global Advisors. Wolf has written and speaks frequently on national security, border security, immigration, China, counterterrorism issues. Prior to his service at DHS, he spent over 10 years in the private sector helping clients manage risks and earlier in his career worked on Capitol Hill. He has received the U.S. Secretary of Transportation 9/11 Medal, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood ....”

Theodore Roosevelt

Catharine Cypher is a Hilton Head Island, South Carolina native, but calls Fenton, Michigan, home and serves as Deputy Chief of Staff; Chief Of Staff, Constitutional Litigation Partnership; Advisor, Center for the American Child at AFPI. Cypher most recently worked for First Lady Melania Trump as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Media Affairs. Cypher also spearheaded many policy projects, including the First Lady’s 19th Amendment Centennial Anniversary engagements and her “Be Best” policy engagements within the issue areas of foster care, opioids/neonatal abstinence syndrome, and children’s well-being. Previously, Cypher worked for Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, where she served as Special Assistant to the President and Director of External Affairs. Cypher also worked at the law firm Hogan Lovells, for U.S. Senator David Perdue, and served as the National Political Director at the College Republican National Committee. Cypher graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from Grand Valley State University. Growing up, Cypher was a top-3 nationally ranked equestrian and a member of a multi-national championship water ski team. She has carried on those passions into adulthood and enjoys spending her free time riding horses and spending time with her family on the lake in Michigan.

“There Comes A Time When One Must Take A Position That Is Neither Safe, Nor Politic, Nor Popular, But He Must Take It Because Conscience Tells Him It Is Right.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Gillespie is a proud native of South Jersey and serves as the Chief Development Officer for AFPI. Gillespie previously served as Director of Donor Relations and Senior Advisor to the President for Corporate Relations at The Heritage Foundation. His over two decades in the conservative movement include serving as Deputy Director at the Republican National Committee, Executive Director of American Majority Action, Campaign Manager for Congressman Chris Smith, Political Director for Senator Sam Brownback, and service as a political appointee in the Department of Justice under President George W. Bush. He is a graduate with highest honors in political science from Rutgers University and also has a master’s degree in management and fundraising from Avila University. He is named after his immigrant grandfather and also married to an immigrant (Joana) and wants to preserve the promise of America for future generations, most especially his children Jimmy, William, and Martin. In his spare time, he loves playing golf (broke 70 twice in his life—with witnesses!), the Jersey shore, and Italian restaurants.

“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

Rocky Balboa

Jessica Hart Steinmann is from Houston, Texas, and serves as AFPI’s General Counsel, Director of Litigation, Constitutional Litigation Partnership, and Secretary of the Board of Directors. During the Trump Administration, she was appointed by the President as a senior official at the Department of Justice, as the Director for the Office of Victims of Crime, where she oversaw nearly $9 billion and awarded over $2.5 billion in funding in 2020 that helped victims in the aftermath of crime. Her office provided the largest federal funding to combat domestic human trafficking. Before this role, she served as the Intergovernmental and Public Liaison for the DOJ. In this role, she was the primary liaison with governors, state attorneys general, state elected officials, law enforcement officials, and key stakeholders. She previously worked for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, served as Elections Committee Clerk & Counsel of the Texas House of Representatives, COO of the Harris County Republican Party, and was a commercial litigation attorney at Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and received a Juris Doctor from Baylor Law School. Jessica and her husband, Brandon, reside in The Woodlands, Texas. They just welcomed their son, Luke, in October. She spends the majority of her free time involved in state & local republican politics, traveling, hiking, yoga, or out at the lake.

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things”

Ronald Reagan

Ashley Hayek is originally from the small agricultural town of Clovis, California, and serves as AFPI’s Chief Engagement Officer. Hayek is a political strategist with over 15 years of experience in political, non-profit, and organization consulting, most recently serving on the Trump-Pence 2020 presidential campaign as the National Coalitions Director. At the age of 22, she started her first company in the loft of her townhouse in San Diego and within five years became the premier political and non-profit fundraising firm in Southern California. Hayek attended the University of California, San Diego, where she received a degree in Political Science, and is the proud wife of a United States Marine and mom of four. Despite her relentless commitment to work, she is devoted to her family, juggling it all in her best stilettos.

“Success is not a random act. It arises out of a predictable and powerful set of circumstances and opportunities.”

Malcolm Gladwell

Doug Hoelscher grew up on a farm near Williams, Iowa, and serves as Chair, America First Transition Project & Senior Advisor at AFPI. He previously served as an Assistant to the President and Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs under President Donald Trump, where he was the Administration’s primary liaison to the nation’s governors, lieutenant governors, attorneys general, and other state, local, and tribal leaders. In this role, he built relationships and solved shared challenges at each level of the government. He previously served as the Director of the Iowa Office of State-Federal Relations, as a workforce development advisor, and chaired the National Governors Association 2016 Summer Meeting Committee. Hoelscher previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and held several positions within the George W. Bush Administration at the White House and at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He graduated from the University of Iowa summa cum laude. Hoelscher and his partner, Danny, enjoy traveling to Iowa and Florida to see family, watching college football (especially the Iowa Hawkeyes), dining out, and taking long walks with their loveable mutt, Kenny.

“I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”

Mark Twain

Renee Hudson is from Concord, North Carolina, and serves as the Chief of Staff and; Chief Government Affairs Officer at AFPI. She has over 20 years of government affairs experience. Prior to AFPI, Renee served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy under President Donald J. Trump. In that role, Hudson was responsible for overseeing staff on the Domestic Policy Council to develop and execute the president’s domestic policy initiatives. During her time in the White House, she also served as Chief of Staff to Kellyanne Conway, Senior Counselor to the President. Before that, Hudson spent 13 years on Capitol Hill serving as Chief of Staff to four U.S. Representatives. She attended the University of Colorado, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Hudson, her husband, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson, and their young son live in Concord, North Carolina.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

1 Corinthians 16:13

Richard Lawson is from Tampa, Florida, and serves as Executive Director of the Constitutional Litigation Partnership. During the last 20 years, Lawson has handled cases involving fraudulent and deceptive practices across the county. He is an experienced litigator who has tried more than 50 jury trials, and clients facing complex legal challenges are able to draw on his years of courtroom experience to successfully navigate the most complex civil disputes and government investigations. Before joining AFPI, Lawson served in the Office of the Florida Attorney General as the Director of the Consumer Protection Division. This unit is responsible for enforcing Florida’s “little FTC Act,” the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). In this role, Lawson handled matters as diverse as deceptive marketing, enforcement of financial regulations, and data security. He also worked closely with other state attorney general offices and the Federal Trade Commission; during his tenure, Florida became the first state to receive the FTC’s Partnership Award. Though a native of Florida, Lawson has also practiced in New York as a partner with a national law firm, an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx, and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. In addition to his time with the Attorney General, Lawson’s public service in Florida also included serving as Deputy Chief of the Economic Crime Unit for the State Attorney’s Office in Tampa, Florida. Lawson is admitted to practice law in Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia. In his free time, Lawson enjoys reading history books, listening to operas, and chauffeuring his three children to their various engagements.

“I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.”

Ronald Reagan

Marc Lotter is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and serves as the Chief Communications Officer at AFPI. Previously, Marc served as Director of Strategic Communications for the Trump-Pence 2020 campaign. He also was a Special Assistant to the President and Press Secretary to Vice President Mike Pence during most of the first year of the Trump Administration. Prior to joining the administration, he served as Press Secretary to the Vice President during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition. In those roles, Lotter regularly appeared on national and cable news outlets including Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN and programs such as: ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper, MSNBC’s Meet the Press Daily with Chuck Todd and Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. Lotter brings experience spanning decades in politics, public service and media. Before joining the presidential campaign and White House, he worked in top communication roles in Indiana state government, Communications Director for former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Communications Director for former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, and the McCain-Palin Campaign in Indiana. Before entering public service, Lotter spent 13 years as a producer and manager for television stations across the country. During Lotter’s career in local television news, his work received two Emmy awards and was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for the “Best Newscast” in Indiana. A dedicated Hoosiers, Colts and Cubs fan, Lotter graduated from Ball State University, where he majored in Telecommunications and Political Science. He resides with his family and dog, Wrigley, in the Washington, D.C. area. 

“The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.”

Ronald Reagan

Dr. Heidi Overton is from Gallup, New Mexico, and serves as AFPI’s Chief Policy Officer and Director, Center for Healthy America. Overton recently served as a White House Fellow in 2019-2020 in both the Office of American Innovation and the Domestic Policy Council and is currently completing her medical training in Preventive Medicine. Previously, Overton was a general surgery resident at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a physician advocate for price and quality transparency in healthcare through Restoring Medicine. During medical school, Overton was appointed by Governor Susana Martinez to serve on the University of New Mexico (UNM) Board of Regents, which included fiduciary and full-voting responsibilities for all business and clinical operations of the university and health system. Overton graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Health, Medicine, and Human Values from UNM’s Combined BA/MD Program, received her medical degree from the UNM School of Medicine, and obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Investigation from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Overton loves living in our nation’s capital and enjoys traveling to see family and friends around the country, especially going back home, where she gets her fill of New Mexico red and green chile and can improve her favorite new hobby – golf – in the bright blue skies and sunshine of the high desert.

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people.”

Colossians 3:23

Adam W. Schindler was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as Chief Digital Officer at AFPI. In previous roles, Schindler served as a digital strategy executive focusing on data-driven digital marketing, messaging, technology architecture, web design, and development. He has served as a CTO, CSO, CMO, Director of Marketing, SVP Marketing, Data and Strategy, and V.P. of Digital Strategy for various technology, accounting, media, and non-profit companies. Schindler received a degree in philosophy in comparative religion from Colorado State University. As an ordained pastor, he regularly speaks on topics at the convergence of politics, history, culture, and faith. He has a lifelong love of Israel and the ancient near-east and has worked with the Israeli Knesset and U.S. government leaders to host Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast events in Jerusalem, Dallas, and San Antonio, Texas. Schindler grew up playing volleyball and enjoys improving his golf skills in his free time.

Linda McMahon is originally from New Bern, North Carolina, and serves as Chair of the Board and Chair of the Center for the American Worker for AFPI. McMahon served in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet as Administrator of the Small Business Administration. At SBA, McMahon re-imagined the organization, focusing on rural development and championing women entrepreneurs and military veterans. She oversaw natural disaster recovery efforts and helped improve the way the SBA connected small businesses to capital, counseling, and government contracts. After her service in the Trump Administration, she served as Chair of the America First Action SuperPAC, and America First Policy, LLC. Prior to her career in public service, McMahon was the President and later CEO of WWE, INC., which she and her husband, Vince, grew from a small regional corporation to a multinational public company.

“If you want something done, give it to a busy woman to do it.”

Lucille Ball

Larry Kudlow serves as Vice Chair of the Board for AFPI and as Chair of the Center for American Prosperity. He is also the host of “Kudlow” on Fox Business and “The Larry Kudlow Show” on WABC Talk Radio. He previously served as Director of the National Economic Council under President Donald Trump, where he led the domestic and global economic policy agendas. Throughout the years, Kudlow has hosted several popular television shows with an economic focus, had a successful career on Wall Street, and worked as an associate director in the Office of Management and Budget during the Reagan Administration. He began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a staff economist. Kudlow describes himself as a Reagan supply-sider and is a staunch advocate for free markets, tax cuts, and deregulation.

“Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity.”

LARRY KUDLOW

Chad F. Wolf serves as AFPI’s Executive Director, Chief Strategy Officer, and the Chair for the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration. In this role, Wolf is responsible for the day-to-day management and strategic direction of AFPI with a focus on setting policy goals and research priorities. Prior to joining AFPI, Wolf served as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the third-largest federal department in the U.S. Government. During his time at DHS, he successfully navigated numerous global and domestic challenges to the nation’s security, including COVID-19, civil unrest, numerous border and immigration crises, historic natural disasters, and threats to global aviation security. Wolf is a former Visiting Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and currently a Member of the Texas Public Policy Foundation Border Security Coalition. He also serves as President and Founder of Wolf Global Advisors. Wolf has written and speaks frequently on national security, border security, immigration, China, counterterrorism issues. Prior to his service at DHS, he spent over 10 years in the private sector helping clients manage risks and earlier in his career worked on Capitol Hill. He has received the U.S. Secretary of Transportation 9/11 Medal, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood ....”

Theodore Roosevelt

David Bernhardt grew up outside of a small western rural community, Rifle, Colorado, and serves as the Chair of the Center for American Freedom at AFPI. Bernhardt previously served as the 53rd Secretary of the Department of the Interior, where he furthered conservation stewardship, expanded opportunities for access to hunting and fishing on public lands, drove common-sense regulatory change, and enhanced our Nation’s energy independence. Bernhardt also led the effort to enact the Great American Outdoors Act, which established the most consequential dedicated funding for maintaining critical facilities and infrastructure at our national parks, wildlife refuges, and recreational facilities in history. He also developed and implemented sweeping regulatory changes that were estimated to reduce regulatory burdens by more than $5 billion.  Bernhardt is active in numerous charitable and business endeavors, practices administrative law, and enjoys the spectacular outdoors with his spouse, Gena Rae Bernhardt, their two teenagers, and two yellow Labrador Retrievers.

Ken Blackwell is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, and serves as the Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI. Blackwell has an extensive career in public service and is widely regarded as a leading expert on elections and election security. Prior to joining AFPI, Blackwell served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, and was also elected to serve as the Treasurer and Secretary of State for the State of Ohio. Blackwell also currently serves as a Senior Fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance at the Family Research Council. He is the Co-Chairman of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and serves on the Board of Directors for the Public Interest Legal Foundation, the Near East News Agency, and the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity. Blackwell was formerly the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. After receiving both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Xavier University, Blackwell became a professor there for many years. He enjoys Hermeneutics, hunting, and traveling the world with his wife of 53 years.

“A NATION OF SHEEP WILL BEGET A GOVERNMENT OF WOLVES!”

Edward R. Murrow

Pam Bondi is from Tampa, Florida, and serves as the Chair for the Constitutional Litigation Partnership, and Co-Chair of the Center for Law and Justice at AFPI. A fourth-generation Floridian, Bondi spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor, trying cases ranging from domestic violence to capital murder. She served as Florida’s 37th and first female Attorney General. When Bondi took office, Florida was referred to as the pill mill capital of the United States, and in her first legislative session she successfully advanced reforms to eliminate unscrupulous doctors and clinics operating in Florida. Bondi served on the President’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission under President Donald Trump, where she worked alongside other national leaders in areas of drug prevention, interdiction, and treatment. Bondi was also a strong champion for the First Step Act, which helps formerly incarcerated inmates re-enter society safely and prevents recidivism. Bondi is a partner at Ballard Partners’ Washington, D.C. office, where she chairs the firm’s corporate regulatory practice. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Florida and her Juris Doctor from Stetson Law School. Bondi splits her time between Tampa and Washington, D.C, where she is on the Board of Trustees for the Kennedy Center. In Tampa, Bondi enjoys watching all the great Tampa Bay sports teams and spending time with her family and rescue dogs.

“Keep your heels, head and standards high”

Coco Chanel

Jack Brewer was raised in Grapevine, Texas, and serves as the Chair of the Center for Opportunity Now, and Vice-Chair of the Center for 1776 at AFPI. Recently, Brewer was an Advisory Board Member of Black Voices for Trump. In 2004, he started his own firm, the Brewer Group, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager. His global charity efforts have delivered millions in emergency aid and currently provide programs to thousands living in extreme poverty.  He is a White House appointee on the Congressional Commission for the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, and is currently a Professor at Fordham Gabelli School of Business, where he has created curriculum tailored for transitioning athletes and prisoners. Brewer was a team captain for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Brewer attended Southern Methodist University where he was a two-sport athlete, breaking the Disney World Classic record in triple jump, and was an All-American candidate as a wide receiver in football. He later transferred to the University of Minnesota, where he continued as an All-Big Ten athlete in track and football and served as the team captain. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota by the age of 22. Brewer resides in Florida with his wife, Cortney, and has four children: Jared, Laesha, Jackson, and Zayah.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Luke 9:23

Kellyanne Conway is from Atco, New Jersey, and serves as the Chair of the Center for the American Child at AFPI. For nearly 4 years, Conway served as Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor to the President at the Trump White House, working on a range of issues affecting domestic and global policy. She also served as Campaign Manager of the come-from-behind victory of Trump-Pence 2016, making her the first woman in U.S. history to helm a presidential campaign successfully. She is the Founder and former President of The Polling Company, Inc./WomanTrend, a privately held, woman-owned corporation she operated from 1995 to 2016. She has appeared on various media outlets, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, and Fox News Channel. Conway holds a law degree, with honors, from George Washington University Law Center and completed her undergraduate studies at Trinity College and Oxford University. Most recently, she started a new business, KAConsulting LLC, which provides clients advice, polling, and media training. Her memoir was published in Spring 2022. She is a mom to four amazing kids.

Fred Fleitz is originally from Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and serves as Vice Chair of AFPI’s Center for American Security. He also is a Newsmax TV contributor. Fleitz served in 2018 as a Deputy Assistant to President Donald Trump and Chief of Staff of the National Security Council. Fleitz served in U.S. national security positions for 25 years with the CIA, DIA, the Department of State and the House Intelligence Committee staff. Fleitz is a prolific writer who has written extensively on the Iranian and North Korean nuclear program, the growing threat to U.S. security from China, the politicization of U.S. intelligence and many other national security topics. He is the author or editor of seven books. Fleitz’s last book, Defending Against Biothreats: What We Can Learn from the Coronavirus Pandemic to Enhance U.S. Defenses Against Pandemics and Biological Weapons, was published in 2020. Fleitz holds a B.A. in Politics from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and an M.A. in Political Economy from Fordham University in New York. He lives in Frederick, Maryland with his wife Julie, who he met at the CIA, and his daughter Marie. 

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”

Margaret Thatcher

Hogan Gidley is from Columbia, South Carolina, and serves as AFPI’s Vice Chair of the Center for Election Integrity & Senior Advisor for Communications. Most recently, he served as National Press Secretary for President Trump’s Re-Election Campaign and Principal Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President in the Trump Administration. Gidley is a communications, political, and marketing consultant with more than twenty years of experience.  He was Director of Communications for Mike Huckabee, Elizabeth Dole, and Rick Santorum, to name a few, and served as Executive Director of the South Carolina Republican Party. In his free time, he enjoys duck and turkey hunting, going to the beach, and golfing with friends.

Doug Hoelscher grew up on a farm near Williams, Iowa, and serves as Chair, America First Transition Project & Senior Advisor at AFPI. He previously served as an Assistant to the President and Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs under President Donald Trump, where he was the Administration’s primary liaison to the nation’s governors, lieutenant governors, attorneys general, and other state, local, and tribal leaders. In this role, he built relationships and solved shared challenges at each level of the government. He previously served as the Director of the Iowa Office of State-Federal Relations, as a workforce development advisor, and chaired the National Governors Association 2016 Summer Meeting Committee. Hoelscher previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and held several positions within the George W. Bush Administration at the White House and at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He graduated from the University of Iowa summa cum laude. Hoelscher and his partner, Danny, enjoy traveling to Iowa and Florida to see family, watching college football (especially the Iowa Hawkeyes), dining out, and taking long walks with their loveable mutt, Kenny.

“I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”

Mark Twain

Lou Holtz is originally from East Liverpool, Ohio, and serves as the Chair of the Center for 1776 at AFPI. Holtz is considered one of the most successful college football coaches of all time. He earned a Bachelor of Science in History from Kent State in 1959, a Master of Arts in Arts and Education from the University of Iowa in 1961, and has received numerous honorary doctorate degrees. During his time at Kent State, Holtz enrolled in the Army ROTC and later served as an Officer in the United States Army Reserves. He played linebacker at Kent State for two seasons before an injury ended his career. In addition to his extensive career as head football coach for several universities, including Notre Dame, William & Mary, Minnesota, Arkansas, and North Carolina State, he was the head coach of the NFL’s New York Jets. He later was a college football studio analyst on ESPN and is currently in his second year with SiriusXM Radio as a co-host for two sports programs. In 1996, the Holtz Charitable Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, was formed. The Foundation seeks to provide scholarships to trade schools. On Dec. 3, 2020 Lou was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to our society by President Donald Trump. Holtz is the father of four children, grandparent to nine children, and he currently resides in Orlando, Florida.

Bobby Jindal is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and currently serves as the Chair of the Center for a Healthy America at AFPI. Jindal has a well-earned reputation as one of America’s most successful public sector executives and one of the boldest innovators in the healthcare and education sectors. Jindal used his two terms as Governor of Louisiana to rebuild and diversify the state’s economy and financial footing in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Jindal’s agenda included top-to-bottom reformation and privatization of the state-run charity hospital and the state’s healthcare payer systems. Fiscally, Jindal reduced the state budget by 26%, reduced the state employee headcount by 30,000, and implemented the largest income tax reduction in state history. Despite being the Nation’s youngest governor when he was elected in 2007, Jindal was well-prepared thanks to stints as the head of the state Department of Health and Hospitals, President of the University of Louisiana System, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Executive Director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare – all before his thirtieth birthday. Jindal graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Public Policy, with honors, from Brown University, and received a Master of Letters in Politics from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

General Keith Kellogg was born in Dayton, Ohio, grew up in California, and 23 global and stateside military moves later, settled in Virginia, where he serves as co-Chair of the Center for American Security at AFPI. Kellogg is a highly decorated, retired three-star Army General and has extensive experience in the military and international business. Most recently, he was the National Security Advisor to former Vice President Mike Pence. He also served as the Chief of Staff and Executive Secretary of the National Security Council. Kellogg has wide-ranging experience in Europe, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. He has served as an author and contributor on Fox News and CNN. Kellogg graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Political Science and went on to receive his master’s degree in International Studies from Kansas University. Kellogg and his wife, Paige, have three children, and love nothing more than having their four grandchildren stay with them and spoil them with anything they want. It drives their parents nuts.

“There is only one duty, only one safe course, and that is to try to be right and not to fear to do or say what you believe to be right.”

Winston Churchill

Dr. Alveda C. King is from Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as the Chair of the Center for the American Dream at AFPI. She is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. A.D. King and the niece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King is the founder of Speak for Life, fighting for the sanctity and dignity of all life – from the womb to the tomb. She currently serves as a Fox News contributor and host of the Fox Nation show “Alveda King’s House.” Dr. King is a former college professor, served in the Georgia State House of Representatives, is a former presidential appointee, and a 2021 recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. 

“I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Martin Luther King, JR.

Robert Lighthizer is originally from Ashtabula, Ohio, and serves as the Chair of the Center for American Trade at AFPI. Prior to joining AFPI, Lighthizer served as the 18th United States Trade Representative (USTR) under President Donald Trump. Alongside President Trump, Lighthizer engineered a historic trade agreement with China that put American workers, farmers, and manufacturers first. An experienced trade negotiator and litigator, Lighthizer has dedicated his life working for equitable trade enforcement for the U.S. and has an impressive record of fighting for American workers, farmers, manufacturers, and businesses. Prior to joining the Trump Administration, Lighthizer was a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP (Skadden), where he practiced international trade law for over 30 years. Before joining Skadden, Lighthizer served as Deputy USTR for President Ronald Reagan. During his tenure, Lighthizer negotiated over two dozen bilateral international agreements, including agreements on steel, automobiles, and agricultural products. As Deputy USTR, he also served as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Lighthizer earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. He has two children and in his free time enjoys playing golf.

“Liberty does not exist in the absence of morality.”

Edmond Burke

Rick Perry was born in Haskell, Texas, and raised in Paint Creek, Texas. The son of dryland cotton farmers, he currently serves as the Chair of the Center for Energy & Environment at AFPI. Perry previously served as the 14th Secretary of Energy under President Donald Trump, where he advanced America’s dominance in energy production to help American businesses, workers, families, and farmers. Previously, Perry served as the 47th Governor of Texas. As Governor of the Lone Star State, Perry championed conservative principles that helped Texas become America’s economic engine. Perry also served Texas as Lt. Governor, Agriculture Commissioner, and State Representative. Perry is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having flown C-130 tactical airlift aircraft in Europe and the Middle East and remains passionate about supporting the active duty and veteran community. Perry earned distinction early in his life as an Eagle Scout and he was one of the first in his family to go to college, earning a degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and a Yell Leader. Perry married his childhood sweetheart, Anita, in 1982. They have two children, two beautiful granddaughters, and a grandson, who was born on the 4th of July.

John Ratcliffe grew up in Mount Prospect, Illinois, and serves as a co-Chair of the Center for American Security. Most recently, he served as the sixth Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under President Donald Trump. In that role, Ratcliffe served as the leader of the U.S. intelligence community and principal intelligence advisor to President Trump. As “America’s Top Spy,” Ratcliffe successfully deployed covert and clandestine intelligence assets to remove numerous designated terrorist leaders from the battlefield, led a shift in the U.S. intelligence community priorities to better position the U.S. for success in the great power competition with China, and designated space as a priority intelligence domain by adding the U.S. Space Force as the 18th member of the intelligence community. In recognition of his national security achievements, President Trump awarded Ratcliffe the National Security Medal, the nation’s highest honor for distinguished achievement in the field of intelligence and national security. Prior to his nomination and confirmation as DNI, Ratcliffe served in Congress for over five years as the U.S. Representative for the 4th Congressional District of Texas. As a Congressman, he was a leading policymaker on national security issues as a member of the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees and as Cybersecurity Chairman on the Homeland Security Committee. The son of two schoolteachers and the youngest of six, John was born in Illinois but “got to Texas as fast as I could.” He and his family reside in Heath, Texas, where John previously served as mayor for eight years.

“A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.”

President John Adams

Ambassador Carla Sands is from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and serves as the Vice Chair of the Center for Energy and Environment at AFPI. Previously, she was appointed to President Donald J. Trump’s Economic Advisory Council, and in 2017, President Trump called on Sands to represent the United States as the Ambassador to Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. During her tenure, Denmark increased its defense spending, while U.S. exports to the Kingdom of Denmark rose more than 43%, creating additional jobs right here at home. As Ambassador, Sands proposed and helped establish the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, and assisted with resolving the Thule Base Maintenance Contract dispute. She facilitated partnership agreements between the U.S. and the people of Greenland and the people of the Faroe Islands and expanded the U.S. mission in the Kingdom of Denmark to include the Coast Guard. In January 2021, Sands received the Department of Defense’s highest civilian honor, the Medal for Distinguished Public Service, for her work to increase security in the high north while countering Russia and China. Before her time in the Trump Administration, Sands was the first woman to serve as Chairman & CEO of Vintage Capital Group in 2015. She studied biology and chemistry at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Elizabethtown College before receiving her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life Chiropractic College. Following her father and grandfather’s footsteps, Sands was the third generation in her family to practice chiropractic in Pennsylvania. In 1999, she married her beloved husband, Fred Sands, and had a daughter together. 

Scott Turner is from Richardson, Texas, and serves as AFPI’s Chair of the Center for Education Opportunity at AFPI. Turner is a businessman, motivational speaker, and former professional football player, who previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Turner formerly served as a Texas state representative for the 33rd District, which includes part of Collin County and all of Rockwall County. Before entering public service, Turner was an American football cornerback who played in the NFL for nine seasons with the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers, and the Denver Broncos. He attended the University of Illinois, where he played as their starting cornerback and graduated with a degree in speech communications.

Matthew G. Whitaker is from Des Moines, Iowa, and serves as a Co-Chair for the Center of Law & Justice at AFPI. Whitaker was the Acting Attorney General of the United States from 2018 to 2019. Prior to becoming Acting Attorney General, Mr. Whitaker served as Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He was previously appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa by President George W. Bush, serving from 2004 to 2009. Whitaker was also previously the managing partner of Des Moines-based law firm Whitaker Hagenow & Gustoff, LLP from 2009 until rejoining the U.S. Department of Justice in 2017. He was also the Executive Director for FACT, The Foundation for Accountability & Civic Trust, an ethics and accountability watchdog, from 2014 to 2017. Mr. Whitaker earned a Master of Business Administration, Juris Doctor, and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa. While at Iowa, Whitaker was a three-year letterman on the football team, where he received the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor. Mr. Whitaker is also of counsel with the Graves Garrett law firm.

“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”

HARRY S. TRUMAN

Paula White-Cain was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and serves as the Chair of the Center for American Values at AFPI. Currently, White-Cain serves as Senior Pastor at City of Destiny. For the past 37 years, White-Cain has worked across the world in almost 200 countries, ministering, fighting for religious freedom and humanitarian rights, and advocating for the voiceless. White-Cain also served as an advisor to President Donald J. Trump in the Office of Public Liaison’s Faith and Opportunity Initiative. Prior to her work at the White House, she co-founded one of the fastest growing and largest churches in the nation, which currently has over 28,000 members. She served as pastor of this church for 22 years, and during that time, Paula White Ministries was launched and became a global media and outreach ministry. She is married to legendary singer/songwriter Jonathan Cain of the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Journey and recites his daily motto of Don’t Stop Believin’ while riding horses and having the time of her life with her family.

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Maya Angelou

Steve Yates is from St. Petersburg, Florida, and serves as a Senior Fellow and Chair of the China Policy Initiative. He is an analyst and practitioner with experience at various levels of politics, policy, media, and national security affairs. A veteran commentator and trainer for television, radio, and print media opportunities, Yates has navigated policy decision-making processes across agencies, foreign and domestic. Since 2006, he has been a senior advisor to presidential campaigns, a frequent media commentator, and CEO of D.C. International Advisory. He previously served as President of Radio Free Asia and Professor in the Practice of International Business and Politics at Boise State University. Before opening D.C. International Advisory, Yates served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney for National Security Affairs from 2001 through 2005, where he provided direct support to the Vice President and his national security advisor for White House deliberations. Yates served as chairman of the Idaho Republican Party from August 2014 to April 2017 and as co-chair of the 2016 Republican Platform Subcommittee on National Security. Yates was a candidate for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in Idaho’s May 2018 primary. He regularly appears on several national TV and radio stations. He previously served as Senior Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation and an analyst at the National Security Agency. He received a master’s degree in China Studies from the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Yates’ TV career began in 1980 at age 12 on Ed Walker’s WJLA AM Washington show, after winning a coloring contest sponsored by the Muppets, Woodward & Lothrop, and The Washington Post. 

“If we maintain our faith in God, love of freedom, and superior global air power, the future looks good.”

Curtis LeMay

Ge Bai is from Luoyang, China, and serves as a Member on AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. Bai is currently a Professor of Accounting at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Professor of Health Policy & Management (joint) at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An expert on health care pricing, policy, and management, Dr. Bai has testified before House Ways and Means Committee, written for the Wall Street Journal, and published her studies in leading academic journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, JAMA Internal Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Health Affairs. Her work has been widely featured in ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, Los Angeles Times, NBC, New York Times, NPR, PBS, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other media outlets and used in government regulations and congressional testimonies. Dr. Bai has received the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award

Richard V. Burkhauser is from Austin, Texas, and serves as a Member on AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. In 2017, Burkhauser became Emeritus Sarah Gibson Blanding Professor of Public Policy in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University. Between September 2017 and May 2019, he served as a Member of President Trump's Council of Economic Advisers. His professional career has focused on how public policies affect the employment and well-being of vulnerable populations. He has published widely in journals of demography, economics, gerontology as well as public policy. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, IZA Research Fellow, and NBER Research Associate. Previously, Burkhauser held tenured Professor positions in the Department of Economics at Vanderbilt University and Syracuse University as well as in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University. In 2010 he was the President of the Association for Public Policy and Management. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago in 1976. Burkhauser served two years in the Peace Corps in Jamacia before entering the Ph.D. program in Economics at the University of Chicago.

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

Mark Twain

Jeffrey Campbell is from Trenton, Michigan, and serves as a Member on AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. Jeffery currently serves as the Frances D. Rasmus and Jerome A. Castellini Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame (USA) and as Professor of Macroeconometrics at Tilburg University (NL).  Campbell’s research covers macroeconomics, industrial organization, and econometrics. He also teaches a variety of courses at both universities, ranging from Adam Smith's social thought (for freshmen at Notre Dame) to Time Series Econometrics (for graduate students at Tilburg). Campbell received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a Doctoral degree from Northwestern University, both in Economics. 

Dr. Kevin Hassett is from Greenfield, Massachusetts, and serves as Chair of AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. He previously served as the 29th Chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers from 2017 through 2019. He also served as Senior Advisor to President Trump to support data-driven decisions in response to the Coronavirus. While working in the Trump White House, Hassett was a key force driving internal and external debate on virtually every economic topic, from taxes and trade, to substance abuse and deregulation. While at the White House, Hassett was the top public spokesperson for the White House on economic policy and the state of economy, appearing regularly on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, MSNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, and more. He even was drawn upon at times to run the televised White House press briefings. He served as John McCain's chief economic adviser in the 2000 presidential primaries and an economic adviser to the campaigns of George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election and McCain in the presidential election of 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. Dr. Hassett is currently Vice President of the Lindsey Group, a visiting distinguished fellow at the Hoover Institution, an economic contributor at CNN, and senior advisor to Capital Matters, the economic web site of National Review. Dr. Hassett has a wife, two sons, and two dogs. A noted trash talker on the basketball court, his shots purportedly (by him) always go in.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Gandalf

Casey B. Mulligan is from Chicago, Illinois, and serves as a Member of the Board of Academic Advisors at AFPI. Casey is a Professor in Economics at the College at the University of Chicago; he received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago in 1993. Previously, he also served as Chief Economist of the White House Council of Economic Advisers and as a visiting professor teaching public economics at Harvard University, Clemson University, and the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago. He is affiliated with the National Bureau of Economic Research, the George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State, and the Population Research Center. Casey has received awards and fellowships from the Manhattan Institute, the National Science Foundation, Wolfram Research, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Smith-Richardson Foundation, and the John M. Olin Foundation. His research covers capital and labor taxation, the gender wage gap, health economics, Social Security, voting and the economics of aging. Mulligan has written widely on discrepancies between economic analysis and conventional wisdom. He wrote: Before You're Hired!, Chicago Price Theory, Side Effects and Complications, The Redistribution Recession, and Parental Priorities and Economic Inequality. He has also written numerous Op-Eds and blog entries for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, the Chicago Tribune, blogsupplyanddemand.com, and other blogs and periodicals. 

Lee E. Ohanian is from Santa Barbara, California, and serves as a Member on AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. He is a Distinguished Professor of Economics, and Director of the Ettinger Family Program in Macroeconomic Research at UCLA, where he has taught since 1999. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the Associate Director of the Center for the Advanced Study in Economic Efficiency at Arizona State University. Ohanian is an adviser to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and previously has advised other Federal Reserve Banks, Foreign Central Banks, and the National Science Foundation. He has been an economic adviser to state and national political campaigns and has testified to the U.S. Senate and the California State Legislative Assembly. His research, which recently has been discussed in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other media sources, focuses on economic crises, and has been published widely in several peer-reviewed journals. He is a frequent columnist for the Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, and other media. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rochester.

“Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.”

Milton Friedman

Dr. Kiron K. Skinner is from Chicago, Illinois, and serves as a Member of the Board of Academic Advisors at AFPI. She is also the Taube Professor for International Relations and Politics at Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute for Politics and Strategy. Previously, she founded and directed these entities at Carnegie Mellon University: the Center for International Relations and Politics, the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program, the Institute for Politics and Strategy, and the Institute for Strategic Analysis. Skinner is the W. Glenn Campbell Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and a Visiting Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Skinner was the Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State from September 2018 to August 2019. As Director, she reengaged the Department in red-team exercises on regional conflicts and fostered transatlantic partnerships through numerous strategic dialogues, including the first-ever Policy Planners Summit for NATO, held in April 2019. At various points in the past twenty years, Professor Skinner has served on the US Defense Department’s Defense Policy Board and Defense Business Board, the Chief of Naval Operations’ Executive Panel, the National Academies’ Committee on Behavioral and Social Science Research to Improve Intelligence Analysis for National Security, and the National Security Education Board. In U.S. presidential politics, Skinner served as a foreign policy surrogate for the Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign, a senior foreign policy adviser to Speaker Newt Gingrich during his presidential campaign in 2011–12, a foreign policy adviser to Senator Rand Paul during his presidential bid in 2015-16, and a foreign policy surrogate for the Donald J. Trump presidential campaign in 2016. She was also a senior member of the Trump transition team in 2016. Professor Skinner has published extensively in American politics and international relations. Two of her co-edited books on President Ronald Reagan were New York Times best sellers, and one received the Hoover Institution’s Uncommon Book Award. Professor Skinner holds MA and PhD degrees in political science from Harvard University and undergraduate degrees from Spelman College and Sacramento City College. She has an honorary doctor of laws degree from Molloy College, Long Island. 

Linda McMahon is originally from New Bern, North Carolina, and serves as Chair of the Board and Chair of the Center for the American Worker for AFPI. McMahon served in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet as Administrator of the Small Business Administration. At SBA, McMahon re-imagined the organization, focusing on rural development and championing women entrepreneurs and military veterans. She oversaw natural disaster recovery efforts and helped improve the way the SBA connected small businesses to capital, counseling, and government contracts. After her service in the Trump Administration, she served as Chair of the America First Action SuperPAC, and America First Policy, LLC. Prior to her career in public service, McMahon was the President and later CEO of WWE, INC., which she and her husband, Vince, grew from a small regional corporation to a multinational public company.

“If you want something done, give it to a busy woman to do it.”

Lucille Ball

Larry Kudlow serves as Vice Chair of the Board for AFPI and as Chair of the Center for American Prosperity. He is also the host of “Kudlow” on Fox Business and “The Larry Kudlow Show” on WABC Talk Radio. He previously served as Director of the National Economic Council under President Donald Trump, where he led the domestic and global economic policy agendas. Throughout the years, Kudlow has hosted several popular television shows with an economic focus, had a successful career on Wall Street, and worked as an associate director in the Office of Management and Budget during the Reagan Administration. He began his career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as a staff economist. Kudlow describes himself as a Reagan supply-sider and is a staunch advocate for free markets, tax cuts, and deregulation.

“Free market capitalism is the best path to prosperity.”

LARRY KUDLOW

Brooke Leslie Rollins is originally from Glen Rose, Texas, and serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of AFPI. Rollins was formerly Director of the Domestic Policy Council and Chief Strategist in the White House under President Donald Trump, where she also previously served as Director of the Office of American Innovation. In these roles, she developed and managed the transformational domestic policy agenda of the Trump Administration, leading to historic achievements for the American people. Rollins graduated with honors from Texas A&M University with a degree in agricultural development and was the first female to be elected student body president. After earning her Juris Doctor with honors at the University of Texas School of Law, she served as Governor Rick Perry’s policy director before running the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) for 15 years. At TPPF, Rollins elevated a small policy organization to a national force and redefined the possibilities for a state-based think tank — setting the model and aspiration for AFPI. Rollins and her husband, Mark, currently reside in Fort Worth, Texas, and spend a large majority of their free time taxiing their four very active children to baseball games, cattle shows, piano lessons, and Aggie football games.

“The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind. ”

Thomas Paine

Chad F. Wolf serves as AFPI’s Executive Director, Chief Strategy Officer, and the Chair for the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration. In this role, Wolf is responsible for the day-to-day management and strategic direction of AFPI with a focus on setting policy goals and research priorities. Prior to joining AFPI, Wolf served as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the third-largest federal department in the U.S. Government. During his time at DHS, he successfully navigated numerous global and domestic challenges to the nation’s security, including COVID-19, civil unrest, numerous border and immigration crises, historic natural disasters, and threats to global aviation security. Wolf is a former Visiting Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and currently a Member of the Texas Public Policy Foundation Border Security Coalition. He also serves as President and Founder of Wolf Global Advisors. Wolf has written and speaks frequently on national security, border security, immigration, China, counterterrorism issues. Prior to his service at DHS, he spent over 10 years in the private sector helping clients manage risks and earlier in his career worked on Capitol Hill. He has received the U.S. Secretary of Transportation 9/11 Medal, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal, and the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.

“The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood ....”

Theodore Roosevelt

Jason Allen is from rural Michigan and serves as Michigan Policy Advisor in the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI. He also is a veteran and volunteers for many youth-related programs. Public service has been an important part of his life, and he has served at both the local level and as a State Senator. During his time in office, Allen chaired both the Michigan State Senate and the House Commerce Committee, and also chaired the Senior and Veterans Affairs Committee. Jason has aided Michigan’s Veterans as the Senior Policy Advisor for the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency. Most recently, he assisted rural Michigan residents as a presidential appointee and State Director of USDA Rural Development. He is an avid hunter, pursuing deer, turkey, and pheasants.

“A nation that fails to honor its heroes, soon will have no heroes to honor.”

Winston Churchill

James Baehr grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, but currently resides in New Orleans, Louisiana, and serves as AFPI’s Senior Fellow for the Center for 1776. He previously served as a Special Assistant to the President in the Domestic Policy Council (DPC) in the White House, where he coordinated and oversaw DPC’s policy portfolio across a number of agencies and issues, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of Defense, and Department of Justice. Baehr serves as a Major in the Marine Corps Reserves, where he drills as the Reserve Regional Defense Counsel-East Coast and previously drilled as a Civil Team Commander with the 4th Civil Affairs Group. Previously, Baehr was a federal prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Orleans and an active-duty Marine judge advocate defense counsel at Camp Pendleton. Baehr received his Juris Doctor and master’s degree in History from the University of Virginia in 2008 and graduated from Dartmouth College with honors in History and Government in 2005. In his free time, Baehr enjoys writing war poetry and playing too much speed chess.

“Boldness, be my friend; arm me, audacity, from head to foot.”

William Shakespeare

Ge Bai is from Luoyang, China, and serves as a Member on AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. Bai is currently a Professor of Accounting at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and Professor of Health Policy & Management (joint) at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. An expert on health care pricing, policy, and management, Dr. Bai has testified before House Ways and Means Committee, written for the Wall Street Journal, and published her studies in leading academic journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, JAMA Internal Medicine, Annals of Internal Medicine, and Health Affairs. Her work has been widely featured in ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, Los Angeles Times, NBC, New York Times, NPR, PBS, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other media outlets and used in government regulations and congressional testimonies. Dr. Bai has received the Johns Hopkins Alumni Association’s Excellence in Teaching Award

Lea Bardon is from Scottsdale, Arizona, and serves as Director of Development Operations at AFPI. Prior to joining AFPI, Bardon served as Executive Assistant to Trump Victory Chairwoman, Kimberly Guilfoyle, on the Trump-Pence 2020 presidential campaign, and most recently as the Executive Roundtable Manager at the Republican Attorneys General Association. In this role, she handled Executive Roundtable membership, including member outreach, donor prospecting, and call time, and briefing preparation for various attorneys general. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from The Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University with degrees in International Relations and French and a minor in Business. Bardon speaks three languages, which she credits to her parents and having lived abroad for two years. She currently resides in Washington, D.C., and loves to visit her family and travel to new places whenever she can.

“Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.”

Jennifer Lee

Hilton Beckham is from Long Beach, California, and serves as the Director of Communications at AFPI. Most recently, Beckham served as Communications Director for U.S. Representative Andy Biggs from Arizona, where she handled all media relations for local and national news. Beckham previously served in the White House under President Trump as Media Advisor for Regional Communications. She also served as Special Assistant at the Department of Defense in the Homeland Defense and Global Security office, where she handled media and congressional matters surrounding the southern border. Beckham received her master’s degree at Syracuse University in Broadcast Journalism and Digital Media, where she covered the 2016 presidential election, sparking her passion for politics. In her college years, Beckham was an avid sailor and painter. She now enjoys playing any outdoor sport, especially volleyball and softball on the National Mall, and traveling back to California and South Carolina to spend time with her family.

“Freedom lies in being bold.”

Robert Frost

David Bernhardt grew up outside of a small western rural community, Rifle, Colorado, and serves as the Chair of the Center for American Freedom at AFPI. Bernhardt previously served as the 53rd Secretary of the Department of the Interior, where he furthered conservation stewardship, expanded opportunities for access to hunting and fishing on public lands, drove common-sense regulatory change, and enhanced our Nation’s energy independence. Bernhardt also led the effort to enact the Great American Outdoors Act, which established the most consequential dedicated funding for maintaining critical facilities and infrastructure at our national parks, wildlife refuges, and recreational facilities in history. He also developed and implemented sweeping regulatory changes that were estimated to reduce regulatory burdens by more than $5 billion.  Bernhardt is active in numerous charitable and business endeavors, practices administrative law, and enjoys the spectacular outdoors with his spouse, Gena Rae Bernhardt, their two teenagers, and two yellow Labrador Retrievers.

Ken Blackwell is a native of Cincinnati, Ohio, and serves as the Chair of the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI. Blackwell has an extensive career in public service and is widely regarded as a leading expert on elections and election security. Prior to joining AFPI, Blackwell served as the mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, and was also elected to serve as the Treasurer and Secretary of State for the State of Ohio. Blackwell also currently serves as a Senior Fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance at the Family Research Council. He is the Co-Chairman of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and serves on the Board of Directors for the Public Interest Legal Foundation, the Near East News Agency, and the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity. Blackwell was formerly the United States Ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission. After receiving both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Xavier University, Blackwell became a professor there for many years. He enjoys Hermeneutics, hunting, and traveling the world with his wife of 53 years.

“A NATION OF SHEEP WILL BEGET A GOVERNMENT OF WOLVES!”

Edward R. Murrow

Pam Bondi is from Tampa, Florida, and serves as the Chair for the Constitutional Litigation Partnership, and Co-Chair of the Center for Law and Justice at AFPI. A fourth-generation Floridian, Bondi spent more than 18 years as a prosecutor, trying cases ranging from domestic violence to capital murder. She served as Florida’s 37th and first female Attorney General. When Bondi took office, Florida was referred to as the pill mill capital of the United States, and in her first legislative session she successfully advanced reforms to eliminate unscrupulous doctors and clinics operating in Florida. Bondi served on the President’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission under President Donald Trump, where she worked alongside other national leaders in areas of drug prevention, interdiction, and treatment. Bondi was also a strong champion for the First Step Act, which helps formerly incarcerated inmates re-enter society safely and prevents recidivism. Bondi is a partner at Ballard Partners’ Washington, D.C. office, where she chairs the firm’s corporate regulatory practice. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Florida and her Juris Doctor from Stetson Law School. Bondi splits her time between Tampa and Washington, D.C, where she is on the Board of Trustees for the Kennedy Center. In Tampa, Bondi enjoys watching all the great Tampa Bay sports teams and spending time with her family and rescue dogs.

“Keep your heels, head and standards high”

Coco Chanel

Jack Brewer was raised in Grapevine, Texas, and serves as the Chair of the Center for Opportunity Now, and Vice-Chair of the Center for 1776 at AFPI. Recently, Brewer was an Advisory Board Member of Black Voices for Trump. In 2004, he started his own firm, the Brewer Group, where he serves as Chief Executive Officer and Portfolio Manager. His global charity efforts have delivered millions in emergency aid and currently provide programs to thousands living in extreme poverty.  He is a White House appointee on the Congressional Commission for the Social Status of Black Men and Boys, and is currently a Professor at Fordham Gabelli School of Business, where he has created curriculum tailored for transitioning athletes and prisoners. Brewer was a team captain for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles. Brewer attended Southern Methodist University where he was a two-sport athlete, breaking the Disney World Classic record in triple jump, and was an All-American candidate as a wide receiver in football. He later transferred to the University of Minnesota, where he continued as an All-Big Ten athlete in track and football and served as the team captain. He earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota by the age of 22. Brewer resides in Florida with his wife, Cortney, and has four children: Jared, Laesha, Jackson, and Zayah.

“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

Luke 9:23

Beatrice Brooke was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as the Senior Policy Analyst in the Center for American Prosperity and the Center for Energy & Environment for AFPI. Brooke recently finished her service at the United States Department of Commerce, where she served as a Senior Advisor to the Deputy Secretary on policy matters including international trade, economic development, weather operations, and commercial space enterprises. In this role, she supported the Deputy Secretary, who served as the Department’s Chief Operating Officer of a budget of more than $15.2 billion, 12 operating units, and over 47,000 employees. She is a graduate of Northwestern University, where she majored in Political Science and International Studies and also studied Spanish and Italian. Brooke grew up in Washington, D.C., and she enjoys reading about history, traveling, and studying languages—and has recently begun learning Korean.

“The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.”

Thomas Jefferson

Governor Bryant is originally from Mississippi and serves as a Senior Advisor at AFPI. He is a founding member of Bryant Songy Snell Global Partners, where he provides strategic advice and counsel and business development services to some of the world’s largest industry leaders. Governor Bryant served two terms as Mississippi’s 64th governor from 2012 to 2020 prior to opening his consulting firm. He also served as Mississippi’s lieutenant governor, as state auditor, and as a legislator in the Mississippi House of Representatives. While serving as governor, Bryant largely centered his efforts on creating new economic opportunities, among other things. Under Governor Bryant’s leadership, Mississippi saw its lowest-ever unemployment rate, its lowest-ever high school dropout rate, its lowest-ever teen pregnancy rate, its highest-ever number of jobs, its highest-ever number of graduating physicians, its highest-ever K-12 reading and math improvement scores, and its highest-ever high school graduation rate. Governor Bryant served as Chairman of the Education Commission of the States; Chairman of the Southern States Energy Board; Chairman of Jobs for America’s Graduates; and Chairman of the Royal Commonwealth Society of the United States. A Moorhead native and former deputy sheriff, he earned his bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Southern Mississippi and a master’s degree in Political Science from Mississippi College, where he also received an Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree. Before being elected governor, he served as an adjunct professor of government at Mississippi College. Governor Bryant resides in Hazlehurst, Mississippi with his wife Deborah. They have two children and three grandchildren.

Samuel Buchan is from Akron, Ohio, and serves as a Visiting Fellow for the Center for Energy & Environment at AFPI. Buchan recently served as the Director for International Economic Policy on the National Economic Council, where he contributed to the Trump Administration’s energy and environmental policy and developed the administration’s strategy for European energy security. Previously, Buchan served as the Senior Advisor to Secretary of Energy Rick Perry, where he oversaw the Department’s international efforts and established the Partnership for Transatlantic Energy and Climate Cooperation. Buchan has written numerous articles on the geopolitics of energy and domestic energy policy for leading sector publications, including Newsweek, The National Interest, RealClearEnergy, and The Hill. Buchan earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Akron and is pursuing his Master of International Policy at Texas A&M University. Buchan enjoys woodworking, sailing, and monitoring black market energy trade. 

Julia Butch is originally from Kansas City, Missouri, and serves as a Policy Analyst in the Center for Education Opportunity and the Center for 1776 at AFPI. A 2023 graduate of Villanova University, she earned degrees in Political Science and English with a concentration in Writing and Rhetoric. During college, she served as a Political Risk Analyst for EquityCompass Investment Management, interned with various political campaigns, and completed an internship at Charles Schwab Corporation. In 2022, Julia studied History of Political Thought at Pembroke College at the University of Cambridge in England. While there, she was a member of the Cambridge Union Society and completed a dissertation examining competing 16th Century intersections between capitalism and religion. She has been nationally ranked as a policy debater, served as an administrator for the Justice Debate League, and completed summer research institutes at Georgetown, Dartmouth, and Michigan State. In her free time, she enjoys golf, reading, choir, and traveling.

“Seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand.”

Saint Augustine

Richard V. Burkhauser is from Austin, Texas, and serves as a Member on AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. In 2017, Burkhauser became Emeritus Sarah Gibson Blanding Professor of Public Policy in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University. Between September 2017 and May 2019, he served as a Member of President Trump's Council of Economic Advisers. His professional career has focused on how public policies affect the employment and well-being of vulnerable populations. He has published widely in journals of demography, economics, gerontology as well as public policy. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, IZA Research Fellow, and NBER Research Associate. Previously, Burkhauser held tenured Professor positions in the Department of Economics at Vanderbilt University and Syracuse University as well as in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management at Cornell University. In 2010 he was the President of the Association for Public Policy and Management. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago in 1976. Burkhauser served two years in the Peace Corps in Jamacia before entering the Ph.D. program in Economics at the University of Chicago.

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.”

Mark Twain

Scott Cameron is a New York City native and currently works on the America First Transition Project. Scott worked as both a career civil servant and political appointee in the federal government at the Department of the Interior, as Deputy Chief of the Interior Branch at the White House Office of Management and Budget, as Washington Representative to the Governor of California, as a Congressional staffer to the late US Senator Chic Hecht (R-NV), and as an elected official in Fairfax County, Virginia. In addition, he has worked with corporations, a trade association, and government contracting firms, and he founded a conservation nonprofit organization. 

Scott recently served as Acting Assistant Secretary for Policy, Management and Budget at the U.S. Department of the Interior. In that capacity, he oversaw Department-wide budget, finance, acquisition, financial assistance, information technology, human resource management, wildland fire, and invasive species programs, among other matters, for this $14 billion agency with 65,000 employees. 

Scott is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, a member of the Board of Directors of the Senior Executives Association, a SAGE with the Partnership for Public Service, and was appointed by the Governor of Virginia to the Virginia State Water Control Board. He is a Director and Vice Chairman of the Northern Virginia Soil and Water Conservation District, which serves Fairfax County’s 1.2 million people, where he chairs its Legislative Committee. He is also an active participant in the Legislative Committee of the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, a member of the Invasive Species Subcommittee of the National Association of Conservation Districts, and an appointee to the Virginia Noxious Weed Advisory Committee. 

Scott earned an MBA from Cornell University, where he concentrated on energy and water resource economics. He holds a BA in Biology from Dartmouth College. 

Scott is married, has a grown son, and owns two Siamese rescue cats named Minx and Webber.

Alexandra Caro Campana is from Fort Collins, Colorado, and serves as the Director of the Center for 1776 and Director of the Center for Opportunity Now at AFPI. Campana most recently served three years in the White House under President Donald Trump, first at the Office of Management and Budget and later at the Domestic Policy Council (DPC). She led space policy and child welfare policy for DPC and helped coordinate various activities of the DPC team. She also acted as the liaison between DPC and the Office of the First Lady’s policy team and frequently helped coordinate policy rollouts for the two teams. Campana attended Pepperdine University, where she ran track and cross country and received a degree in Economics. She later earned master’s degrees in Political Economy from both Georgetown University and Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management. Campana has not stepped foot on a track since college but now enjoys running half marathons in different countries around the world.

““Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.””

RONALD REAGAN

Jeffrey Campbell is from Trenton, Michigan, and serves as a Member on AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. Jeffery currently serves as the Frances D. Rasmus and Jerome A. Castellini Professor of Economics at the University of Notre Dame (USA) and as Professor of Macroeconometrics at Tilburg University (NL).  Campbell’s research covers macroeconomics, industrial organization, and econometrics. He also teaches a variety of courses at both universities, ranging from Adam Smith's social thought (for freshmen at Notre Dame) to Time Series Econometrics (for graduate students at Tilburg). Campbell received a Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a Doctoral degree from Northwestern University, both in Economics. 

Jim Carter is from Kansas City, Missouri, and serves as a Senior Fellow in the Center for American Prosperity at AFPI. Previously, Jim was Vice President of Government Affairs at Emerson, a diversified global manufacturing and technology company. Mr. Carter also served in the Bush Administration, as a senior staff member on the Senate Budget Committee, and as an advisor to several U.S. senators. Jim has served in senior roles at the Department of Labor, Department of Treasury, and National Economic Council at the White House. He also received the Secretary of the Treasury’s “Exceptional Service Award.” Mr. Carter has written more than 140 articles on fiscal policy, economics, and other public policy matters for leading publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Investor’s Business Daily, Politico, The Hill, and USA Today. He is a frequent speaker and has taught at The George Washington University and at Johns Hopkins University. Carter also serves on the board of the National Capital Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association.  He holds degrees from George Mason University and Truman State University. He appeared in season three of House of Cards, playing a U.S. Senator.

“The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.”

Thomas Sowell

Ryan Caudelle is from Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as the Director of Strategic initiatives at AFPI. Most recently, Caudelle served as the Executive Director for the Georgia Republican Party, where he helped oversee efforts to improve a conservative majority with record non-presidential year fundraising. He is the last person to oversee a statewide federal campaign win for a Republican in Georgia, which President Donald J. Trump won in 2016. He calls Georgia home, but he finds himself constantly abroad, whether it be studying at Oxford University as an undergraduate or completing his MBA in London, working on a dissertation in Thailand, leading a humanitarian aid mission in South America, traveling across Africa, or just competing with his uncle for the most number of stamps in their passports. With an extensive background in politics and the financial sector, he enjoys connecting people to “make things happen.” When not working, he enjoys a good Hemingway book, being outdoors on a wing shoot, or watching the UGA Bulldawgs play in the fall. 

“The darker the night, the bolder the lion.”

Theodore Roosevelt

Cale Clingenpeel is from Anchorage, Alaska and serves as a Visiting Fellow at AFPI. Clingenpeel most recently served as the Senior Advisor to the Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA). Clingenpeel started at the CEA in 2018 and worked predominately on tax, energy, labor, international & domestic macroeconomic policy, and the economic response to the pandemic. Previously Clingenpeel helped lead an Alaska-based nonprofit organization focused on U.S. Arctic policy, worked on various Alaska political campaigns, conducted field research in East Africa for a development project, and even spent a summer training 70 Iditarod racing sled dogs on a remote Alaska glacier. Clingenpeel holds an M.A. in International Economics and Finance from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a B.S. in International Economics from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Clingenpeel is an Alaskan through and through and is most at home among the mountains whether he’s skiing, running, fishing, camping, or mushing.

“If we worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true really is true, then there would be little hope for advance.”

Orville Wright

Chad Connelly is originally from South Carolina and serves as a Senior Advisor for AFPI’s Center for Election Integrity. Connelly has a wide array of life experiences that contribute to his effectiveness as a highly sought-after speaker on various topics. He earned an engineering degree at Clemson University, served as an Armor Officer in the U.S. Army, led a national engineering firm in sales and revenue, and ran a multi-million-dollar business coaching, mentoring, and leading others into entrepreneurship. Chad also served as the South Carolina GOP Chairman, appearing on every national television network as a featured commentator, and was the Republican National Committee’s first-ever National Director of Faith Engagement, speaking in 43 states to over 85,000 pastors and faith leaders. He formed a non-profit organization called Faith Wins to continue inspiring, informing, and mobilizing pastors and faith leaders across America to fully engage the culture and leverage their influence for a Biblical worldview in the political arena. Faith Wins was responsible for registering nearly 750k new evangelical voters in the 2020 Election Cycle and continues to expand its reach with trusted relationships across America’s evangelical spectrum. He is passionate about America and Her true history but is most passionate about his wife Dana and their four children, who live in Prosperity, South Carolina.

Kellyanne Conway is from Atco, New Jersey, and serves as the Chair of the Center for the American Child at AFPI. For nearly 4 years, Conway served as Assistant to the President and Senior Counselor to the President at the Trump White House, working on a range of issues affecting domestic and global policy. She also served as Campaign Manager of the come-from-behind victory of Trump-Pence 2016, making her the first woman in U.S. history to helm a presidential campaign successfully. She is the Founder and former President of The Polling Company, Inc./WomanTrend, a privately held, woman-owned corporation she operated from 1995 to 2016. She has appeared on various media outlets, including ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN, CNBC, MSNBC, HBO, Comedy Central, MTV, and Fox News Channel. Conway holds a law degree, with honors, from George Washington University Law Center and completed her undergraduate studies at Trinity College and Oxford University. Most recently, she started a new business, KAConsulting LLC, which provides clients advice, polling, and media training. Her memoir was published in Spring 2022. She is a mom to four amazing kids.

Catharine Cypher is a Hilton Head Island, South Carolina native, but calls Fenton, Michigan, home and serves as Deputy Chief of Staff; Chief Of Staff, Constitutional Litigation Partnership; Advisor, Center for the American Child at AFPI. Cypher most recently worked for First Lady Melania Trump as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Media Affairs. Cypher also spearheaded many policy projects, including the First Lady’s 19th Amendment Centennial Anniversary engagements and her “Be Best” policy engagements within the issue areas of foster care, opioids/neonatal abstinence syndrome, and children’s well-being. Previously, Cypher worked for Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway, where she served as Special Assistant to the President and Director of External Affairs. Cypher also worked at the law firm Hogan Lovells, for U.S. Senator David Perdue, and served as the National Political Director at the College Republican National Committee. Cypher graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies from Grand Valley State University. Growing up, Cypher was a top-3 nationally ranked equestrian and a member of a multi-national championship water ski team. She has carried on those passions into adulthood and enjoys spending her free time riding horses and spending time with her family on the lake in Michigan.

“There Comes A Time When One Must Take A Position That Is Neither Safe, Nor Politic, Nor Popular, But He Must Take It Because Conscience Tells Him It Is Right.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Jerry C. Davis, Ph.D. is from Hartwell, Georgia, and serves as a Senior Advisor for AFPI’s Center for 1776. He also serves as President of the College of the Ozarks. His tenure in the college presidency is among the longest in the United States. After graduating from the Mount Berry School for Boys in Mount Berry, Georgia, Davis attended Truett-McConnell University, received a bachelor’s degree from Mars Hill University, an master’s degree from the University of Tennessee, and a Ph.D. from Ohio State University. He is the recipient of the prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, as well as the Missourian Award, one of the state’s highest honors. Davis previously served as the President of the American Association of Presidents of Independent Colleges and Universities. The author of a dozen books, he has led the College of the Ozarks in emphasizing its goal of patriotic education. Additionally, Davis was a presidential appointee to the 1776 Commission. He and the College of the Ozarks have received many recognitions, such as the Above and Beyond Award for support of the Guard and Reserve and the Secretary of Defense Freedom Award. Davis is a recipient of the Lee Greenwood Patriot Award, presented by Helping a Hero. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education awarded Davis with the E. Burr Gibson Lifetime Achievement Award for his significant and lasting impact on the field of institutional advancement.

“Freedom is a fragile thing and it's never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance; it must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people.”

Ronald Reagan

Abi Dills is from Thousand Oaks, California, and serves as Executive Assistant to Chad Wolf and Policy Analyst, Center for Opportunity Now and Center for American Values at AFPI. Previously, she was an Executive Assistant at CURE and a Digital Strategist for Olympic Media. Dills also completed the White House Internship program and was a legal intern for the Federal Communications Commission. She enjoys public speaking and competed on Patrick Henry College’s varsity Moot Court team. After planning her own wedding, Dills realized she loves wedding planning, and in her free time, she now helps her friends coordinate and plan their big day. Dills and her husband Jacob live in Falls Church, Virginia, and she spends her weekends trying to cook like Julia Child, reading, and entertaining friends. 

“There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.”

C.S. Lewis

Caity Durning is from Matawan, New Jersey, and serves as the Events Coordinator at AFPI. Durning graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, New York, with a bachelor’s degree in advertising and marketing communications and a minor in English. She started her career in the fashion industry, serving as the Events Assistant at The Fashion Group International, NYC, as well as a Communications Assistant at Ana Martins Communications. She also loves working with children and served as a private family assistant and nanny. In her free time, Durning enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and drinking way too much caffeine. 

“The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”

C.S. Lewis

Scott G. Erickson is originally from the San Francisco Bay area and serves as the Director of AFPI’s Center for Law & Justice. Prior to joining AFPI, Erickson served at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), concluding his service as the Chief of Staff, where he oversaw all aspects of the Secretary’s Front Office operations. Previously, he also served as DHS Deputy Chief of Staff and as a Counselor to three Secretaries, where his portfolio included law enforcement, transnational criminal organizations, and human trafficking, among other issues. Earlier in his career, Erickson spent nearly twenty years as a uniformed police officer in San Jose, California. He was also the founder and president of a nonprofit organization, Americans in Support of Law Enforcement, that sought to add context and perspective to the public conversation on policing in America. In their free time, Scott and his wife, Lauren, enjoy visiting with friends and family, touring the many historical sites in the D.C. area, and rooting for the Giants, Warriors, and 49ers.

““The brave man inattentive to his duty is worth little more to his country than the coward who deserts her in the hour of danger.””

Andrew Jackson

Michael Faulkender is the Dean’s Professor of Finance at the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business, an institution where he also served from 2008 to 2017, and is AFPI's Chief Economist and Senior Advisor for the Center for American Prosperity. Dr. Faulkender previously served as Assistant Secretary for Economic Policy at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, advising the Secretary on domestic and international economic issues. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he assisted in negotiating the CARES Act and was the senior Treasury official who led the implementation of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). He was awarded the Alexander Hamilton Award for Distinguished Leadership, the highest service award granted at the Department of the Treasury. His research areas include public policy, corporate capital structure, risk management, corporate liquidity, and executive compensation. His work has been published in top academic finance journals and has been cited in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and The New York Times, among other publications. Professor Faulkender teaches classes in the MBA and EMBA programs at the Smith School and previously served on faculty at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, the Kellogg School at Northwestern University, and the Olin School at Washington University in St. Louis.

Fred Fleitz is originally from Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, and serves as Vice Chair of AFPI’s Center for American Security. He also is a Newsmax TV contributor. Fleitz served in 2018 as a Deputy Assistant to President Donald Trump and Chief of Staff of the National Security Council. Fleitz served in U.S. national security positions for 25 years with the CIA, DIA, the Department of State and the House Intelligence Committee staff. Fleitz is a prolific writer who has written extensively on the Iranian and North Korean nuclear program, the growing threat to U.S. security from China, the politicization of U.S. intelligence and many other national security topics. He is the author or editor of seven books. Fleitz’s last book, Defending Against Biothreats: What We Can Learn from the Coronavirus Pandemic to Enhance U.S. Defenses Against Pandemics and Biological Weapons, was published in 2020. Fleitz holds a B.A. in Politics from St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and an M.A. in Political Economy from Fordham University in New York. He lives in Frederick, Maryland with his wife Julie, who he met at the CIA, and his daughter Marie. 

“The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.”

Margaret Thatcher

Virginia Chase Forrester is a native of Greenwood, South Carolina, and serves as the Chief Events Officer at AFPI. Chase previously served as Operations Manager on the Trump-Pence 2020 presidential campaign, where she spearheaded all event operations for the Vice President of the United States and the Second Family. Most recently, Chase worked for the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the Senate run-off races in Georgia and as a fundraiser for Members of Congress. Chase graduated from Clemson University with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a double-minor in Spanish and Legal Studies. Growing up, Forrester was a competitive ballroom dancer and instructor, trained in swing with an emphasis on the South Carolina State Dance, the Carolina Shag. She holds four National and Grand National titles for the 15-21 age division. Forrester still loves to dance and teach in her spare time.

““There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.””

Ronald Reagan

Drake Franklin is from Gainesville, Georgia, and serves as AFPI’s Southeastern Development Director & Policy Analyst in the Center for American Values. Drake most recently served as the Executive Director of Evangelicals for Trump for the Trump-Pence 2020 presidential campaign. In this role, he managed 62 prominent advisory board members and numerous national surrogate relationships. He also worked closely with national and state-level GOP campaign staff to implement several initiatives, including a targeted voter contact program and a robust digital presence while managing and executing over eighty in-person and online events all across the nation. Franklin previously served as a White House Intern in the Presidential Correspondence Office, where he assisted the writer’s team in researching, drafting, and dispatching proclamations, greetings, and letters on behalf of the president. Franklin currently resides in Washington, D.C. When he’s not studying, he enjoys running, boxing, and spending time with friends.

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”

Joseph P. Kennedy

Hogan Gidley is from Columbia, South Carolina, and serves as AFPI’s Vice Chair of the Center for Election Integrity & Senior Advisor for Communications. Most recently, he served as National Press Secretary for President Trump’s Re-Election Campaign and Principal Deputy Press Secretary and Deputy Assistant to the President in the Trump Administration. Gidley is a communications, political, and marketing consultant with more than twenty years of experience.  He was Director of Communications for Mike Huckabee, Elizabeth Dole, and Rick Santorum, to name a few, and served as Executive Director of the South Carolina Republican Party. In his free time, he enjoys duck and turkey hunting, going to the beach, and golfing with friends.

Martin Gillespie is a proud native of South Jersey and serves as the Chief Development Officer for AFPI. Gillespie previously served as Director of Donor Relations and Senior Advisor to the President for Corporate Relations at The Heritage Foundation. His over two decades in the conservative movement include serving as Deputy Director at the Republican National Committee, Executive Director of American Majority Action, Campaign Manager for Congressman Chris Smith, Political Director for Senator Sam Brownback, and service as a political appointee in the Department of Justice under President George W. Bush. He is a graduate with highest honors in political science from Rutgers University and also has a master’s degree in management and fundraising from Avila University. He is named after his immigrant grandfather and also married to an immigrant (Joana) and wants to preserve the promise of America for future generations, most especially his children Jimmy, William, and Martin. In his spare time, he loves playing golf (broke 70 twice in his life—with witnesses!), the Jersey shore, and Italian restaurants.

“It ain’t about how hard you hit. It’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward; how much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

Rocky Balboa

Scott Glabe is from Columbia, Missouri, and serves as a Senior Fellow in the Center for Homeland Security and Immigration at AFPI. Previously, Glabe served as Acting Under Secretary for Policy at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he led a 200-person team focused on issues including cybersecurity, counterterrorism, and economic security. Before DHS, Glabe was a Special Assistant to the President and Associate Counsel at the White House in the Trump Administration and worked for the U.S. House of Representatives in progressively senior legal and policy roles, including Staff Director of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. He also practiced at two large law firms, clerked for a federal appellate judge, and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve. Glabe is a graduate of Yale Law School and Dartmouth College; he earned a master’s degree in defense and strategic studies from Missouri State University. Outside of work, Glabe enjoys spending time with his wife and children. 

“Peace-time plans are of no particular value, but peace-time planning is indispensable.”

Dwight Eisenhower

Jessica Hart Steinmann is from Houston, Texas, and serves as AFPI’s General Counsel, Director of Litigation, Constitutional Litigation Partnership, and Secretary of the Board of Directors. During the Trump Administration, she was appointed by the President as a senior official at the Department of Justice, as the Director for the Office of Victims of Crime, where she oversaw nearly $9 billion and awarded over $2.5 billion in funding in 2020 that helped victims in the aftermath of crime. Her office provided the largest federal funding to combat domestic human trafficking. Before this role, she served as the Intergovernmental and Public Liaison for the DOJ. In this role, she was the primary liaison with governors, state attorneys general, state elected officials, law enforcement officials, and key stakeholders. She previously worked for U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, served as Elections Committee Clerk & Counsel of the Texas House of Representatives, COO of the Harris County Republican Party, and was a commercial litigation attorney at Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP. She received a Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin and received a Juris Doctor from Baylor Law School. Jessica and her husband, Brandon, reside in The Woodlands, Texas. They just welcomed their son, Luke, in October. She spends the majority of her free time involved in state & local republican politics, traveling, hiking, yoga, or out at the lake.

“The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things”

Ronald Reagan

Dr. Kevin Hassett is from Greenfield, Massachusetts, and serves as Chair of AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. He previously served as the 29th Chairman of the President's Council of Economic Advisers from 2017 through 2019. He also served as Senior Advisor to President Trump to support data-driven decisions in response to the Coronavirus. While working in the Trump White House, Hassett was a key force driving internal and external debate on virtually every economic topic, from taxes and trade, to substance abuse and deregulation. While at the White House, Hassett was the top public spokesperson for the White House on economic policy and the state of economy, appearing regularly on Fox News, Fox Business, CNBC, MSNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, and more. He even was drawn upon at times to run the televised White House press briefings. He served as John McCain's chief economic adviser in the 2000 presidential primaries and an economic adviser to the campaigns of George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election and McCain in the presidential election of 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. Dr. Hassett is currently Vice President of the Lindsey Group, a visiting distinguished fellow at the Hoover Institution, an economic contributor at CNN, and senior advisor to Capital Matters, the economic web site of National Review. Dr. Hassett has a wife, two sons, and two dogs. A noted trash talker on the basketball court, his shots purportedly (by him) always go in.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

Gandalf

Ashley Hayek is originally from the small agricultural town of Clovis, California, and serves as AFPI’s Chief Engagement Officer. Hayek is a political strategist with over 15 years of experience in political, non-profit, and organization consulting, most recently serving on the Trump-Pence 2020 presidential campaign as the National Coalitions Director. At the age of 22, she started her first company in the loft of her townhouse in San Diego and within five years became the premier political and non-profit fundraising firm in Southern California. Hayek attended the University of California, San Diego, where she received a degree in Political Science, and is the proud wife of a United States Marine and mom of four. Despite her relentless commitment to work, she is devoted to her family, juggling it all in her best stilettos.

“Success is not a random act. It arises out of a predictable and powerful set of circumstances and opportunities.”

Malcolm Gladwell

Aaron Hedlund is from Wheaton, Illinois, and serves as the Director of Research and Senior Advisor, Center for American Prosperity at AFPI. Most recently, he served as the Chief Domestic Economist and Senior Adviser at the White House Council of Economic Advisers. In this capacity, Hedlund helped design and execute emergency economic measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping coordinate the nationwide health IT data modernization that supported the Operation Warp Speed vaccine program, and analyzing the impact of core domestic priorities ranging from school choice to the Opportunity Zones program for economically distressed areas. Hedlund received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Pennsylvania and his undergraduate degree in economics and mathematics from Duke University. Hedlund, his wife, and their four kids live in Columbia, Missouri, where he is also an associate professor of economics at the University of Missouri. He and his family enjoy hiking, tennis, watching movies, and exploring the vast expanse that is America. His not-so-secret dream would be to attend a tennis match featuring Roger Federer.

“An inconvenience is only an adventure wrongly considered; an adventure is an inconvenience rightly considered.”

G.K. Chesterton

Matthew is from Columbus, Ohio, and serves as the Director of Government Affairs at AFPI. Henderson has worked for a leading trade association, Fortune 100 companies, and elected officials at all levels of government through senior positions on 15 campaigns, including time served in the United States House of Representatives and Senate. Henderson most recently was at a Top 100 global public relations firm servicing web3 and blockchain-based clients in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Matthew was the management consultant behind AFPI’s successful campaign to kill the $6 trillion Build Back Better bill in 2021. The initiative spanned multiple states as part of the Save America Coalition and was composed of roughly 120 conservative leaning organizations. During his experiences working in crisis communications, Matthew publicized Senator Mitch McConnell’s first sanctioned biography “Republican Leader,” in 2009. Henderson was also the lead consultant for School Choice Ohio’s 2011 landmark legislation doubling Ohio Ed Choice opportunities.

“Let's Roll.”

Todd Beamer

Laura Hendrickson lives in Georgetown, Texas, and serves as a Senior Editor at AFPI. She most recently was senior editor and director for a research department that analyzes proposed legislation for the Texas House of Representatives. Laura previously taught Journalism and Communication, including writing and editing, at universities in Texas, Minnesota, and Washington, D.C. She earned a J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and a B.A. in Journalism from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. Laura was born in South Dakota, grew up mostly in New Mexico, and takes every available chance to return to the vast landscapes of both states. She enjoys doing genealogical research, especially in Iowa, and maintains a narrative family history blog.

“Brass is mistaken for gold more easily than clay is.”

C.S. Lewis

Doug Hoelscher grew up on a farm near Williams, Iowa, and serves as Chair, America First Transition Project & Senior Advisor at AFPI. He previously served as an Assistant to the President and Director of White House Intergovernmental Affairs under President Donald Trump, where he was the Administration’s primary liaison to the nation’s governors, lieutenant governors, attorneys general, and other state, local, and tribal leaders. In this role, he built relationships and solved shared challenges at each level of the government. He previously served as the Director of the Iowa Office of State-Federal Relations, as a workforce development advisor, and chaired the National Governors Association 2016 Summer Meeting Committee. Hoelscher previously worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers and held several positions within the George W. Bush Administration at the White House and at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He graduated from the University of Iowa summa cum laude. Hoelscher and his partner, Danny, enjoy traveling to Iowa and Florida to see family, watching college football (especially the Iowa Hawkeyes), dining out, and taking long walks with their loveable mutt, Kenny.

“I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.”

Mark Twain

Lou Holtz is originally from East Liverpool, Ohio, and serves as the Chair of the Center for 1776 at AFPI. Holtz is considered one of the most successful college football coaches of all time. He earned a Bachelor of Science in History from Kent State in 1959, a Master of Arts in Arts and Education from the University of Iowa in 1961, and has received numerous honorary doctorate degrees. During his time at Kent State, Holtz enrolled in the Army ROTC and later served as an Officer in the United States Army Reserves. He played linebacker at Kent State for two seasons before an injury ended his career. In addition to his extensive career as head football coach for several universities, including Notre Dame, William & Mary, Minnesota, Arkansas, and North Carolina State, he was the head coach of the NFL’s New York Jets. He later was a college football studio analyst on ESPN and is currently in his second year with SiriusXM Radio as a co-host for two sports programs. In 1996, the Holtz Charitable Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization, was formed. The Foundation seeks to provide scholarships to trade schools. On Dec. 3, 2020 Lou was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to our society by President Donald Trump. Holtz is the father of four children, grandparent to nine children, and he currently resides in Orlando, Florida.

Renee Hudson is from Concord, North Carolina, and serves as the Chief of Staff and; Chief Government Affairs Officer at AFPI. She has over 20 years of government affairs experience. Prior to AFPI, Renee served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy under President Donald J. Trump. In that role, Hudson was responsible for overseeing staff on the Domestic Policy Council to develop and execute the president’s domestic policy initiatives. During her time in the White House, she also served as Chief of Staff to Kellyanne Conway, Senior Counselor to the President. Before that, Hudson spent 13 years on Capitol Hill serving as Chief of Staff to four U.S. Representatives. She attended the University of Colorado, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Hudson, her husband, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson, and their young son live in Concord, North Carolina.

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

1 Corinthians 16:13

Davis Ingle is from Lakeland, Florida, and serves as the Communications Manager at AFPI. Ingle spent several years working in the federal government in both media affairs and communications. He served at the White House in the Office of Management and Budget, and, later, joined the White House Press Office under President Donald Trump, where he served as press wrangler. In that role, Ingle managed the White House Correspondents’ Association’s daily press pool, managed logistics for both domestic and international travel with the President, and helped produce press briefings and public events with the President. Before joining AFPI, Davis was an Account Executive at ATHOS PR. He also spent time in the U.S. Department of State, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. Mr. Ingle earned a Global Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. He also earned certificates from the University of Oxford in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics and the University of Cambridge in International Relations and Politics. Ingle currently resides in Washington, D.C., and in his free time you can find him on the golf course and basketball court.

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence wins championships. ”

Michael Jordan

Margaret Iuculano is from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, and serves as a Senior Advisor to the CEO for Strategic Partnerships at AFPI. Iuclano is a visionary leader dedicated to advancing sustainable development across generations. With a background as a development consultant, she has collaborated with a diverse range of “free market”-oriented organizations, political candidates, and PACs, crafting growth strategies that have raised hundreds of millions of dollars. Margaret’s journey began with a foundation in Liberty University’s theology program and evolved through executive roles in the private sector. She reached the pinnacle of her career as the CEO of a tech company, culminating in the successful sale of the enterprise in 2008. Following this success, Margaret embarked on a new path as the founder of a nonprofit, championing foster children nationwide through her published book, “My God Box,” which shares her personal experience as a former foster child. Her commitment to creating positive societal change led Margaret to the forefront of public service as a county commission candidate in a populous Florida county. This experience solidified her passion for providing fundraising guidance and grassroots empowerment to emerging candidates. Beyond her professional pursuits, Margaret teaches women’s leadership strategies through Freedom in Christ Ministries, empowering others to discover their voices and flourish as leaders. This endeavor reflects her unwavering commitment to personal and community growth. In her leisure time, Margaret is an avid runner and enthusiastic golf learner, finding profound lessons in perseverance and personal growth through these sports. Her cherished moments revolve around her husband, Anthony, their children, and the delightful presence of Isabella, their endearing pug. 

“Paul has a holy discontent that keeps him pressing on. Therefor he forgets what is behind and reaches for what is ahead/”

Oswald Chambers

Bobby Jindal is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and currently serves as the Chair of the Center for a Healthy America at AFPI. Jindal has a well-earned reputation as one of America’s most successful public sector executives and one of the boldest innovators in the healthcare and education sectors. Jindal used his two terms as Governor of Louisiana to rebuild and diversify the state’s economy and financial footing in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Jindal’s agenda included top-to-bottom reformation and privatization of the state-run charity hospital and the state’s healthcare payer systems. Fiscally, Jindal reduced the state budget by 26%, reduced the state employee headcount by 30,000, and implemented the largest income tax reduction in state history. Despite being the Nation’s youngest governor when he was elected in 2007, Jindal was well-prepared thanks to stints as the head of the state Department of Health and Hospitals, President of the University of Louisiana System, Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Executive Director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare – all before his thirtieth birthday. Jindal graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and Public Policy, with honors, from Brown University, and received a Master of Letters in Politics from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar.

Charlie Katebi is from Princeton, Massachusetts, and serves as the Deputy Director for the Center for a Healthy America at AFPI. In his role, he develops state and federal policy solutions to increase patient choices, lower costs, and expand access to high-quality healthcare. Most recently, he served as a senior policy analyst at Americans for Prosperity, where he advised lawmakers on a variety of healthcare issues. Previously, he served as a state Government Relations Manager at the Heartland Institute. His work has appeared in multiple publications, including National Review, City Journal, The Hill, the Washington Examiner, Forbes, Real Clear Health, The Federalist, and others. In his free time, Charlie loves to bike, play volleyball, and serve his church.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”

J.R.R. Tolkien

General Keith Kellogg was born in Dayton, Ohio, grew up in California, and 23 global and stateside military moves later, settled in Virginia, where he serves as co-Chair of the Center for American Security at AFPI. Kellogg is a highly decorated, retired three-star Army General and has extensive experience in the military and international business. Most recently, he was the National Security Advisor to former Vice President Mike Pence. He also served as the Chief of Staff and Executive Secretary of the National Security Council. Kellogg has wide-ranging experience in Europe, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. He has served as an author and contributor on Fox News and CNN. Kellogg graduated from Santa Clara University with a degree in Political Science and went on to receive his master’s degree in International Studies from Kansas University. Kellogg and his wife, Paige, have three children, and love nothing more than having their four grandchildren stay with them and spoil them with anything they want. It drives their parents nuts.

“There is only one duty, only one safe course, and that is to try to be right and not to fear to do or say what you believe to be right.”

Winston Churchill

Dr. Alveda C. King is from Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as the Chair of the Center for the American Dream at AFPI. She is the daughter of the late slain civil rights activist Rev. A.D. King and the niece of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King is the founder of Speak for Life, fighting for the sanctity and dignity of all life – from the womb to the tomb. She currently serves as a Fox News contributor and host of the Fox Nation show “Alveda King’s House.” Dr. King is a former college professor, served in the Georgia State House of Representatives, is a former presidential appointee, and a 2021 recipient of the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award. 

“I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”

Martin Luther King, JR.

Alexandra Kirschbaum is from Macon, Georgia, and serves as Director of Operations at AFPI. Kirschbaum most recently worked at the Republican National Committee (RNC), where she assisted with election integrity efforts and campaign finance. Before her time at the RNC, she worked for the Executive Office of the President, serving in the Office of White House Counsel, the Office of the Chief of Staff, and White House Personnel. As as intern, Kirschbaum worked in the White House Office of Management & Administration. She graduated magna cum laude from Mercer University in 2019, double majoring in Political Science and German and minoring in Communications. She also served as Class President for three years on her university’s Student Government Association. In her spare time, Kirschbaum enjoys fitness, playing tennis, and traveling to Georgia to spend time with her family.

“Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father, who is in heaven.”

Matthew 5:16

Jordan Kittleson is originally from Monrovia, California, and currently serves as the Western Regional Policy Director of The Center for Election Integrity at AFPI. Kittleson most recently served as National Field Director for the Club for Growth, where he recruited new conservative talent and secured political intelligence vital to the electoral decision-making needs of the organization. Kittleson previously served in congressional campaign management for several House races, as Director of Outreach for two Members of Congress, as a Regional Field Director for the Republican Party, and as North Texas Regional Director for Senator Ted Cruz’s re-election campaign in 2018. Kittleson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Master of Arts in Public Administration from California State Polytechnic University. He enjoys dancing, wearing fresh suits, eating sushi and teppanyaki, playing poker, reciting movie lines, watching Dodger baseball, traveling with his wife, Norissa, and giving God the glory.

“Every battle is won before it's ever fought.”

Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Joseph Lavorgna was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and serves as a Senior Fellow at AFPI. Lavorgna is also the Chief Economist of the Americas at Natixis, a firm he joined after serving as Special Assistant to the President and Chief Economist of the National Economic Council during the Trump Administration. At Natixis, Lavorgna leads the firm’s economic research efforts, managing a team that analyzes trends in the equity, fixed income, foreign exchange, and commodity markets. Joseph has over 25 years of financial services experience. He previously worked at Deutsche Bank for 20 years, where he was the firm’s Chief U.S. Economist. He began his professional career at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York as an economist in the Monetary Analysis & Projections Division. He was a Senior U.S. Economist at Lehman Brothers prior to joining Deutsche Bank. A native New Yorker, Lavorgna holds an economics degree from Vassar College. Lavorgna is an avid golfer, and his wife is from the great state of Michigan. In college, he used to wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch Larry Kudlow debate Bill Wolman on CNBC’s Strictly Business program.

““Do what is hard and life will be easy. Do what is easy and life with be hard.””

Les Brown

Robert Law grew up in Northern Virginia but now calls Washington, D.C., home and serves as the Director of the Center for Homeland Security and Immigration at AFPI. From 2017 to 2021, he served in the Trump Administration as a senior policy advisor and chief of policy at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services within the Department of Homeland Security. Law has a decade of immigration law, regulation, and policy expertise and has held leadership positions at other immigration-focused think tanks. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia and a Juris Doctor from The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law. When not working, Law and his wife, Torrey, are kept busy by our two daughters and Irish doodle puppy, though they try to find time to travel, enjoy the D.C. restaurant scene, and cheer on the Nationals and Capitals.

“The wise know their weakness too well to assume infallibility: and he who knows most, knows best how little he knows.”

Thomas Jefferson

Richard Lawson is from Tampa, Florida, and serves as Executive Director of the Constitutional Litigation Partnership. During the last 20 years, Lawson has handled cases involving fraudulent and deceptive practices across the county. He is an experienced litigator who has tried more than 50 jury trials, and clients facing complex legal challenges are able to draw on his years of courtroom experience to successfully navigate the most complex civil disputes and government investigations. Before joining AFPI, Lawson served in the Office of the Florida Attorney General as the Director of the Consumer Protection Division. This unit is responsible for enforcing Florida’s “little FTC Act,” the Florida Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act (FDUTPA). In this role, Lawson handled matters as diverse as deceptive marketing, enforcement of financial regulations, and data security. He also worked closely with other state attorney general offices and the Federal Trade Commission; during his tenure, Florida became the first state to receive the FTC’s Partnership Award. Though a native of Florida, Lawson has also practiced in New York as a partner with a national law firm, an Assistant District Attorney in the Bronx, and as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York. In addition to his time with the Attorney General, Lawson’s public service in Florida also included serving as Deputy Chief of the Economic Crime Unit for the State Attorney’s Office in Tampa, Florida. Lawson is admitted to practice law in Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia. In his free time, Lawson enjoys reading history books, listening to operas, and chauffeuring his three children to their various engagements.

“I have wondered at times what the Ten Commandments would have looked like if Moses had run them through the U.S. Congress.”

Ronald Reagan

Dr. Chris Leader is from Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as the Chief Advisor for the Center for the American Dream at AFPI. He is also the Executive Director of Speak for Life and Chief of Staff to Dr. Alveda King. In addition to his work with the pro-life community, Chris serves as the President of Kids Against Hunger and Ignite Outreach, where he seeks to empower human dignity around the world. 

“Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”

Francis of Assisi

Natalie Leaman grew up in northwest Indiana and serves as Graphic Designer and Project Manager at AFPI. She has 20 years of experience working in both digital and print design and has spent her time specializing in information graphics. Previously, she was a senior digital designer for a healthcare consulting company, where she supported internal client deliverables, external marketing efforts, and website design and development. Natalie also ran and operated her own business for four years. During this time, she provided graphic design services as a subcontractor for prime consultants on various contracts within the engineering and consulting industries that directly supported government entities. Natalie also spent eight years leading an in-house graphic design department for an aviation consulting firm. During this endeavor, she supported the firm’s multiple offices around the world with her design skills and ability to communicate ideas in a dynamic visual manner. Working in the healthcare and engineering industries rather than in a sole design community has helped Natalie develop unique design skills. Natalie spent her freshman year of college on a Division I scholarship to run cross country and track at Charleston Southern University. After a challenging year of being a student athlete and living away from family, she returned to Indiana, where she graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications Design. She now lives in Indianapolis, Indiana, with her husband and three children. If her kids ever give her free time, she can be found knitting, crafting, or weather permitting, golfing, fishing, hiking, and enjoying the sun poolside.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”

Proverbs 3:5

Robert Lighthizer is originally from Ashtabula, Ohio, and serves as the Chair of the Center for American Trade at AFPI. Prior to joining AFPI, Lighthizer served as the 18th United States Trade Representative (USTR) under President Donald Trump. Alongside President Trump, Lighthizer engineered a historic trade agreement with China that put American workers, farmers, and manufacturers first. An experienced trade negotiator and litigator, Lighthizer has dedicated his life working for equitable trade enforcement for the U.S. and has an impressive record of fighting for American workers, farmers, manufacturers, and businesses. Prior to joining the Trump Administration, Lighthizer was a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, LLP (Skadden), where he practiced international trade law for over 30 years. Before joining Skadden, Lighthizer served as Deputy USTR for President Ronald Reagan. During his tenure, Lighthizer negotiated over two dozen bilateral international agreements, including agreements on steel, automobiles, and agricultural products. As Deputy USTR, he also served as Vice Chairman of the Board of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation. Lighthizer earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center. He has two children and in his free time enjoys playing golf.

“Liberty does not exist in the absence of morality.”

Edmond Burke

Luke J. Lindberg is from Harrisburg, South Dakota, and serves as a Senior Fellow in the Center for American Prosperity at AFPI. Previously, he served as the Chief of Staff and Chief Strategy Officer at the Export-Import Bank during the Trump Administration. As a national leader in trade and export policy, Lindberg sits on the Board of Directors for the National Association of District Export Councils and advises several companies on securing America’s supply of critical minerals and rare earths. He works for Sanford Health, the premier rural health system in America. Lindberg has a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Public Policy, both from the University of Maryland. He and his wife, Brittany Thune Lindberg, have two great kids, John Mark and Lucy. 

“America has no permanent friends or enemies, only interests.”

Henry Kissinger

Matthew Lobel is from Newport Beach, California, and serves as a Policy Analyst for the Center for the American Worker and the Higher Education Reform Initiative at AFPI. Matthew recently worked at Baker Tilly LLP as a consulting intern, helping their defense contractor clients reorganize their cost structures to maximize contractor reimbursements while maintaining market competitiveness. He also worked as an intern in the Institute for Economic Freedom at the Heritage Foundation, where he published op-eds on the negative repercussions of America’s declining labor force participation rate and the impact of high inflation on younger Americans. Previously, Matthew interned in the office of Senator Rick Scott, the pollster WPA Intelligence, and the Office of United States Representative Michelle Steel. Matthew will received a Bachelor of Science Degree in International Business and a minor in Economics from George Washington University in May. In his free time, Matthew enjoys exploring the Washington, D.C., restaurant scene, skiing, and playing tennis and golf. 

“A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both.”

Milton Friedman

Marc Lotter is from Fort Wayne, Indiana, and serves as the Chief Communications Officer at AFPI. Previously, Marc served as Director of Strategic Communications for the Trump-Pence 2020 campaign. He also was a Special Assistant to the President and Press Secretary to Vice President Mike Pence during most of the first year of the Trump Administration. Prior to joining the administration, he served as Press Secretary to the Vice President during the 2016 presidential campaign and transition. In those roles, Lotter regularly appeared on national and cable news outlets including Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN and programs such as: ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos, CNN’s State of the Union with Jake Tapper, MSNBC’s Meet the Press Daily with Chuck Todd and Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace. Lotter brings experience spanning decades in politics, public service and media. Before joining the presidential campaign and White House, he worked in top communication roles in Indiana state government, Communications Director for former Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, Communications Director for former Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, and the McCain-Palin Campaign in Indiana. Before entering public service, Lotter spent 13 years as a producer and manager for television stations across the country. During Lotter’s career in local television news, his work received two Emmy awards and was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists for the “Best Newscast” in Indiana. A dedicated Hoosiers, Colts and Cubs fan, Lotter graduated from Ball State University, where he majored in Telecommunications and Political Science. He resides with his family and dog, Wrigley, in the Washington, D.C. area. 

“The future doesn't belong to the fainthearted; it belongs to the brave.”

Ronald Reagan

Martin Marks considers South Florida his home, and serves as a Senior Advisor for the America First Transition Project at AFPI. With experience in strategic communications, writing, and speechwriting, his work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Esquire, and Travel + Leisure, among other publications. Martin has also served as the Editor-at-Large for a glossy imprint of the New York Observer. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Johns Hopkins University with a double Bachelor of Arts in Writing Seminars and Near Eastern Studies. He then directly matriculated into the Writing Seminars graduate program, earning a Master of Arts, and then earned his Master of Fine Arts at New York University while teaching there. Martin also worked as an unofficial advisor throughout the nomination process of the former U.S. Ambassador to South Africa. He’s an avid yoga practitioner, and at one time founded a yoga studio. He also enjoys running, hiking, and playing tennis.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.”

Abraham Lincoln

Jorge Martinez is from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and serves as Hispanic Outreach Strategist & Spanish Spokesperson at AFPI. Martinez has applied his expertise during a 30-year career that spanning the White House, political campaigns, and service to numerous high-profile clients worldwide. He most recently served as Chief of Staff and Executive Vice President for York Exponential, a Pennsylvania-based collaborative robotics and artificial intelligence company. Martinez oversaw public relations activities, advocacy initiatives, investor relations, strategic partnership and alliances, The Fortress Academy and The Fortress Initiative, Augment America, and the development of the York Plan 2.0 Innovation District. He served as press secretary at the U.S. Department of Justice and has been tapped by Republican administrations to manage event operations for White House trips around the world. He has also appeared in numerous global media outlets, including Spanish language media. A former baseball player until an injury ended his career, Martinez has a passion for coaching his sons’ teams, cooking, and spending time with his family and friends. He attended Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts, where he majored in business administration. He lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with his wife Mona and their children Emma, Joseph, and Matthew.

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”

Henry Ford

Gloria McDonald is from Virginia Beach, Virginia, and serves as the Senior Policy Analyst for the Center for American Security at AFPI. Gloria most recently interned with the State Department, serving two consecutive summers at the United States Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine in the Security Attaché division. In this role, she worked alongside American and Ukrainian security operators to develop intelligence and security policies on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Previously, Gloria interned with Congressman Dave Brat in Washington, D.C. McDonald is a graduate of Liberty University with a degree in International Relations specializing in Strategic Intelligence. She previously studied at Oxford Sixth Form College in the Advanced Studies Program with a concentration in International Affairs and Russian language. She is currently pursuing her master’s degree in Global Security at Johns Hopkins University. The youngest of five siblings, and an aunt to three, Gloria is most appreciative of her family.

““Acts of courage and acts of obedience shift history for nations.””

Pastor Russell Johnson

Ryann McEnany is a Tampa, Florida native and serves as the Digital Marketing and Brand Communications Strategist and Engagement Officer at AFPI. McEnany most recently worked for the Trump-Pence 2020 presidential campaign as a Social Media Strategist. During her time with the campaign, she managed President Trump’s Snapchat, reaching millions of daily users, and assisted in optimizing Team Trump’s digital presence. She spent the final months of the campaign interviewing everyday Americans at rallies around the country, capturing the heartfelt stories of people from all backgrounds, ideologies, and political beliefs, to highlight raw, unscripted reactions from the public. McEnany graduated from the University of Florida with a Master of Science in Sport Management, specializing in Athlete Development, and a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunications. She was a member of University of Florida’s nationally ranked track and field program, where she competed in the 60-meter hurdles and 100-meter hurdles. McEnany currently holds the 8th fastest 60-meter hurdle time in the university’s history. Over the 15 years that McEnany spent in sports, she developed a unique set of skills and gained valuable experiences that she continues to carry with her into the political scene. In Tampa, McEnany enjoys cheering on all the outstanding Tampa Bay sports teams and spending time with her family.

“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11

Paul McLaughlin was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and raised in Rochester, New York, and serves as Development Assistant at AFPI. Paul walked for high school graduation in June of 2022, and immediately upon graduating he began an internship with AFPI. After a successful summer in D.C., his time with AFPI was extended and was offered a full-time position. Paul educates himself by reading, writing, and connecting with professionals and mentors. Outside of work he enjoys reading about the lives of the saints, playing basketball, and spending time with his family of eight. Paul and his three brothers are among the most electric Celtics fans in upstate New York.

“We will never give in, we will never yield, we will never, ever, ever back down. As long as we are unified, the tyrants we are against do not stand a chance because we are Americans who kneel to God and no one else.”

President Donald J. Trump

Oliver McPherson-Smith, Ph.D is from Sydney, Australia, and serves as a Director for the Center for Energy & Environment at AFPI. Dr. McPherson-Smith earned a PhD in political science from the University of Oxford, a master’s degree in Middle Eastern studies from Harvard University, and a bachelor’s degree in land economy from the University of Cambridge. His research has been published in several leading academic journals, and he maintains a fluency in Russian, French, and Spanish. Before his research career, Dr. McPherson-Smith worked as a television correspondent in Africa and Europe. He enjoys surfing, skiing, and debating tax policy with his husband. He is a proud naturalized citizen.

“He who keeps company with the wise becomes wise.”

Proverbs 13:20

Wesley Meadowcroft is from Forest Hill, Maryland, and serves as the Assistant Director of Digital at AFPI. Previously, he worked as a client strategy analyst in the digital fundraising space for congressional and gubernatorial campaigns and nonprofit organizations around the country. Prior to that, he interned at the National Republican Senatorial Committee in the War Room, where he assisted with internal communications and public statements on breaking news from around the Nation. As a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, Wesley received his Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy. If Wesley is not working, you can usually find him playing golf, watching his favorite Baltimore sports teams, or hanging out with his dog, Chipper. 

““Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.””

Abraham Lincoln

Melissa Melendez is from Southern California and serves as a Senior Advisor at AFPI. Melendez started her life in public service in the U.S. Navy, operating as a Russian translator within Naval Intelligence and flying covert missions in support of the U.S. and her allies during the Cold War. She later served as a City Council member in Lake Elsinore, California, for four years, including one term as Mayor. She went on to serve for 10 years in the California State Legislature, first in the State Assembly and then as a State Senator before terming out of office in November 2022. She served as Vice Chair for the Committee on Public Safety, the Budget Committee, the Business, Professions and Economic Development Committee, the Health Committee, and the Insurance Committee. She earned an undergraduate degree from Chaminade University in History and Political Studies as well as a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She enjoys her daily five-mile running routine, but her favorite thing to do is cook for her husband and children. She and her husband, Nico, a Commander in the U.S. Navy Reserve, have five children and one sweet dog named Daisy and live in Southern California. 

“Standing in the middle of the road is very dangerous; you get knocked down by the traffic from both sides.”

Margaret Thatcher

Simon Miller is from Clarkesville, Georgia, and serves as an Operations Coordinator at AFPI. Miller has worked on numerous campaigns in his home state of Georgia and in Iowa, including the Trump campaigns of 2016 and 2020. Miller also served in the Trump White House as an Associate Director in the Office of Presidential Correspondence. Additionally, Miller co-owned and managed a blueberry farm in Georgia. When he’s not planning a trip exploring our amazing country and world, he enjoys reading, hiking, and bike riding in the Washington, D.C. metro area. 

“You will be the same person you are today in five years but for two things: the people you meet and the books you read.”

Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

Sam Mims is from Niceville, Florida, and serves as the Director of Data and the Cybersecurity Policy Advisor at AFPI. She is currently completing her Master of Engineering in Cybersecurity degree at George Washington University where she also teaches cybersecurity courses. Sam previously served as the Data Director for President Donald J. Trump’s re-election campaign and Governor Ron DeSantis’ gubernatorial campaign. Sam also ran Operations for Governor DeSantis’ inauguration before becoming a Policy Chief in his administration. She spent most of her life growing up on Eglin Air Force Base. Sam was a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) D1 student-athlete and NCAA Conference Champion at the University of North Florida, while majoring in political data and international studies and minoring in Spanish. She also studied at the University of Málaga in Málaga, Spain. One of the proudest moments of her life was getting to wear the Team USA jersey for 2 years in two different sports (Beach Volleyball, Volleyball). In her free time (and even in her not-so-free time), you can find Sam enjoying a nice cup of black coffee.

“You cannot succeed without believing in yourself, and that belief is completely under your control.”

Karch Kiraly, Gold Medal Olympian & Women's National Team Head Coach

Steve Moore is from Winnetka, Illinois, and serves as a Co-Chair of the Save America Coalition led by AFPI. Previously, Moore served as a Senior Economic Adviser to President Donald J. Trump, where he focused on tax reform, regulatory reform, and energy policy. He has more than 30 years of experience as an economist and is a leading thinker on the impact of government on business. Moore regularly provides clients with a deepened understanding of the shifts in our global economy. He is a regular guest on national TV with appearances on Fox News, Fox Business, CNN, and CNBC, among many others. During his career, Moore has served as a senior economist at the Congressional Joint Economic Committee and as a senior economics fellow at the Cato Institute, where he published dozens of studies on federal and state fiscal policy. He advised the National Economic Commission in 1987 and served as a research director for President Ronald Reagan's Commission on Privatization. He is also the founder of the Club for Growth, and economist at the Heritage Foundation, and the author of six books including Trumponomics.

“90% of life is just showing up.”

Woody Allen

Casey B. Mulligan is from Chicago, Illinois, and serves as a Member of the Board of Academic Advisors at AFPI. Casey is a Professor in Economics at the College at the University of Chicago; he received his Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago in 1993. Previously, he also served as Chief Economist of the White House Council of Economic Advisers and as a visiting professor teaching public economics at Harvard University, Clemson University, and the Irving B. Harris Graduate School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago. He is affiliated with the National Bureau of Economic Research, the George J. Stigler Center for the Study of the Economy and the State, and the Population Research Center. Casey has received awards and fellowships from the Manhattan Institute, the National Science Foundation, Wolfram Research, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the Smith-Richardson Foundation, and the John M. Olin Foundation. His research covers capital and labor taxation, the gender wage gap, health economics, Social Security, voting and the economics of aging. Mulligan has written widely on discrepancies between economic analysis and conventional wisdom. He wrote: Before You're Hired!, Chicago Price Theory, Side Effects and Complications, The Redistribution Recession, and Parental Priorities and Economic Inequality. He has also written numerous Op-Eds and blog entries for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, the Chicago Tribune, blogsupplyanddemand.com, and other blogs and periodicals. 

Cole Mushegan is from Keller, Texas, and serves as a Policy Analyst in the Center for 1776. Previously, Cole interned in the U.S. House of Representatives for Congresswoman Beth Van Duyne (TX-24). He also worked on multiple local and congressional campaigns, including as a field representative for Rep. Van Duyne’s campaign. Mushegan attends Texas Christian University (TCU) where he is majoring in Political Science with a double minor in International Economics and History. At TCU, Cole serves as the President of College Republicans and the Grassroots Director for the Texas Federation of College Republicans. In his free time, Mushegan enjoys playing basketball, practicing archery, and hunting.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joshua 1:9

Patricia Nation is from central Arkansas and serves as an Attorney in the Constitutional Litigation Partnership Division at AFPI. In this role, she focuses on constitutional law and complex federal litigation and advocacy. Nation served in the Trump Administration as senior counsel in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice and then as the director of Civil Rights Civil Liberties at the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to her work with the federal government, Nation, a third-generation Arkansan, served as Deputy General Counsel at the Arkansas Department of Human Services and spent more than a decade representing Arkansas workers in state and federal courts and before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). In private practice, she helped change the state’s antipsychotic medication protocol in the Arkansas prison system. Nation graduated with honors from Regent University School of Law with a Master of Law in international human rights with a focus on constitutional law, and earned her Juris Doctor and Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. In her spare time, she enjoys judging mock trial competitions and serves as an adjunct professor at Regent University, where she teaches moot court and coaches the moot court team in regional and national competitions.

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Maya Angelou

Margo Nicholas is a native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and serves as a Policy Analyst for the Center for American Values at AFPI. Nicholas most recently served Students for Life of America as Executive Assistant to the President and Executive Coordinator for the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers. In these positions, she managed logistics and communication with stakeholders, coordinated podcast planning, and drafted blogs and one-pagers. She has also worked in policy research for the WallBuilders ProFamily Legislative Network, researching current issues threatening the foundation of America. Nicholas is especially passionate about protections for the unborn and ensuring the right to life is guaranteed for future generations both inside and outside the womb. Nicholas graduated as an Honors Scholar from James Madison University, where she majored in biology, and went on to graduate with highest honors from Liberty University with her Master’s in public policy. Nicholas is about to begin the fourth year of her Ph.D. in Public Policy at Liberty University, pursuing a dissertation studying the effect of telemedicine on abortion outcomes for rural and urban women. Nicholas loves spending time with her husband, little boy, and collie, plays violin in her church worship team, and enjoys breaking a sweat on the Peloton. She and her family are passionate about serving in the local church and pointing eyes to Christ in all that is said and done.

“Speak up for those who have no voice, for the justice of all who are dispossessed. Speak up, judge righteously, and defend the cause of the oppressed and needy.”

Proverbs 31:8–9

Rachel Wallen Oglesby is from Bowie, Maryland, and serves as the director of AFPI’s Center for the American Worker. She previously worked as chief of policy and deputy chief of staff for Governor Kristi Noem in South Dakota, overseeing the implementation of the Governor’s pro-freedom agenda across all policy areas and state government agencies. In this role, she led the office’s efforts to secure universal occupational licensing recognition, invest in high-speed broadband across the state, and bring millions of visitors from across the country to explore South Dakota’s beautiful landscapes and hidden gems. She also served as an advisor on Governor Noem’s successful 2022 re-election campaign. Prior to working for Governor Noem, she worked at the U.S. Travel Association as the manager of industry communications. Oglesby holds a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University and earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from Wake Forest University. She currently lives in Arlington, Virginia, with her husband Daniel and is an avid traveler, reader, and enjoyer of good food and drinks. 

“The main thing is that greatness is doable. Greatness is many, many individual feats, and each of them is doable.”

Angela Duckworth

Lee E. Ohanian is from Santa Barbara, California, and serves as a Member on AFPI’s Board of Academic Advisors. He is a Distinguished Professor of Economics, and Director of the Ettinger Family Program in Macroeconomic Research at UCLA, where he has taught since 1999. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and the Associate Director of the Center for the Advanced Study in Economic Efficiency at Arizona State University. Ohanian is an adviser to the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and previously has advised other Federal Reserve Banks, Foreign Central Banks, and the National Science Foundation. He has been an economic adviser to state and national political campaigns and has testified to the U.S. Senate and the California State Legislative Assembly. His research, which recently has been discussed in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and other media sources, focuses on economic crises, and has been published widely in several peer-reviewed journals. He is a frequent columnist for the Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, and other media. He received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Rochester.

“Underlying most arguments against the free market is a lack of belief in freedom itself.”

Milton Friedman

Dr. Heidi Overton is from Gallup, New Mexico, and serves as AFPI’s Chief Policy Officer and Director, Center for Healthy America. Overton recently served as a White House Fellow in 2019-2020 in both the Office of American Innovation and the Domestic Policy Council and is currently completing her medical training in Preventive Medicine. Previously, Overton was a general surgery resident at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and a physician advocate for price and quality transparency in healthcare through Restoring Medicine. During medical school, Overton was appointed by Governor Susana Martinez to serve on the University of New Mexico (UNM) Board of Regents, which included fiduciary and full-voting responsibilities for all business and clinical operations of the university and health system. Overton graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Health, Medicine, and Human Values from UNM’s Combined BA/MD Program, received her medical degree from the UNM School of Medicine, and obtained her Ph.D. in Clinical Investigation from the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health. Overton loves living in our nation’s capital and enjoys traveling to see family and friends around the country, especially going back home, where she gets her fill of New Mexico red and green chile and can improve her favorite new hobby – golf – in the bright blue skies and sunshine of the high desert.

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord and not for people.”

Colossians 3:23

Rob Pacienza is from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and serves as a Senior Fellow in the Center for the American Dream at AFPI. He is also the Senior Pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy. Pacienza grew up under the ministry of Dr. Kennedy and was mentored by him throughout high school and college. He graduated from Samford University with a BA in religion and from Knox Seminary with a master’s in divinity. He is currently pursuing his doctorate at the Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Pacienza’s doctorate project will focus on developing a discipleship plan that prepares the Church to recapture its prophetic voice in the public square. He has a passion for seeing the Church equip gospel-centered, culture-shaping Christians who build the city of God in the midst of the city of man. Pacienza is married to Jennifer, and they have two children, Preston and Lydia.

“But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty once lost is lost forever.”

John Adams

Jase Panebianco is from Selden, New York, and serves as an Associate Attorney for the Constitutional Litigation Partnership at AFPI. Most recently, Panebianco was a research assistant and legal intern with the National Shooting Sports Foundation, where he conducted a 50-state review of firearm regulations. He received his undergraduate degree in 2017 from St. Joseph’s College, completing four majors in the same number of years. Panebianco graduated from Antonin Scalia Law School in May 2022 with his Juris Doctorate. In his free time, Panebianco enjoys the outdoors. He is an avid hiker, mountain biker, cyclist, and rock climber.

“And, of course, stability isn’t nearly as spectacular as instability. And being contented has none of the glamour of a good fight against misfortune, none of the picturesqueness of a struggle with temptation, or a fatal overthrow by passion or doubt … I don’t want comfort. I want God, I want poetry, I want real danger, I want freedom, I want goodness.”

Aldous Huxley

Nicole Parker is a former Special Agent with the Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) who served from 2010-October 2022. She now serves as a Senior Advisor for the Center for Law & Justice at AFPI. In her role as a special agent, Parker was responsible for investigating violations of Title 18 of the United States Code of Laws and other federal criminal statutes. During her time in the FBI, she was also involved in investigations of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemes, sexual assaults, and extortion. She left, however, due to a shift in the FBI’s priorities and governing principles while she worked there. Parker has spoken out against the agency’s politicization, citing an example of when agents wearing FBI vests knelt with Black Lives Matter protesters in Washington, D.C. Earlier this year, she also spoke out against a constant pattern of the FBI giving different treatment to certain investigations based on political persuasion.

Preston Parry is from Tucson, Arizona, and serves as AFPI’s Strategic Assistant to the President & CEO. Parry most recently served at the White House under President Donald Trump as the Executive Assistant to the Director of the Domestic Policy Council, Brooke Rollins. In this role, he assisted Rollins with the overall operations for over 40 members of the Council. In this role, he was also the Policy Coordinator for the team and was the primary liaison with the Office of the Staff Secretary. Parry previously was an Associate Director in the White House Visitors Office, facilitating tours, large scale events, and assisting the Office of the First Lady. Parry also served as a White House intern in 2017 in the Office of Digital Strategy. He attended Utah Valley University, where he graduated with a degree in Political Science. Parry recently moved to Fort Worth, Texas, where he enjoys freedom, wearing his new cowboy boots and hat in the famous Stockyards, and being surrounded by the nicest people on Earth!

““Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius."”

STEVE JOBS

Rick Perry was born in Haskell, Texas, and raised in Paint Creek, Texas. The son of dryland cotton farmers, he currently serves as the Chair of the Center for Energy & Environment at AFPI. Perry previously served as the 14th Secretary of Energy under President Donald Trump, where he advanced America’s dominance in energy production to help American businesses, workers, families, and farmers. Previously, Perry served as the 47th Governor of Texas. As Governor of the Lone Star State, Perry championed conservative principles that helped Texas become America’s economic engine. Perry also served Texas as Lt. Governor, Agriculture Commissioner, and State Representative. Perry is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having flown C-130 tactical airlift aircraft in Europe and the Middle East and remains passionate about supporting the active duty and veteran community. Perry earned distinction early in his life as an Eagle Scout and he was one of the first in his family to go to college, earning a degree in Animal Science from Texas A&M University, where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and a Yell Leader. Perry married his childhood sweetheart, Anita, in 1982. They have two children, two beautiful granddaughters, and a grandson, who was born on the 4th of July.

Matias Perttula serves as the Director of the Center for American Values at AFPI. Previously, Perttula served as the Director of Advocacy for International Christian Concern (ICC), where he led the government relations efforts to inform the key legislators on global religious freedom challenges facing Christians and other religious minorities. During his time at ICC, he traveled to Nigeria and Pakistan, where he worked with government and civil society leaders to promote religious freedom. He chaired the Program Committee for the International Religious Freedom Summit in 2021 and 2022. Before serving at ICC, Perttula was an assistant at the Brookings Institution for the Vice President and Director of Foreign Policy. Perttula also worked as the Executive Director for the Office of the President at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, where he oversaw the university’s government relations platform, administration for the president’s office, as well as communications and public relations. He also served as an adjunct faculty member in the university’s College of Business. Perttula completed his master’s in business administration in 2013 at Southeastern University and was named the most outstanding graduate of his class. Perttula previously completed his bachelor’s degree in political science and history at the University of California, Los Angeles. He also studied at the Harvard Extension School in International Security Studies. Perttula was born in Brisbane, Australia, in 1986 and spent his childhood in Finland. He moved with his family to Los Angeles in 1998. He is fluent in Finnish and English. Perttula is married to Barbarah Perttula, and they have one son, Lincoln, and another boy on the way. Perttula and Barbarah love being involved in the local church as well as cheering on their favorite NFL teams.

“You may choose to look the other way but you can never say again that you did not know.”

William Wilberforce

Dr. Jonathan Pidluzny, Ph.D., is originally from Alberta, Canada, and serves as the Director of Higher Education Reform at AFPI. In his previous position as Vice President of Academic Affairs at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni, he was responsible for developing and overseeing the council’s academic publications, expanding the faculty network, and working closely with trustees, faculty, and administrators to drive higher education reform. Before that, Dr. Pidluzny was an associate professor of political science and the political science program coordinator at Morehead State University, where he taught for 10 years and served as the elected faculty regent from 2017 to 2019. Pidluzny received his Ph.D. in political science at Boston College and holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in political science from the University of Alberta. 

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.”

George Washington

Anna Pingel is from Bel Air, Maryland, and serves as a Policy Analyst in the Center for Election Integrity at AFPI. She is a fellow with the National Churchill Library and Center, studying Churchillian diplomacy in WWII. She received her degree from Covenant College in 2016 in international studies, and after working in New York at an immigration law firm, she spent time as a staffer in Congress, working in the office of (Ret.) Col. Paul Cook, who represented California’s Eighth Congressional District. She then spent 3 years in the Maryland State Government, in the legislature as a Chief of Staff, and the Department of Transportation. Pingel enjoys creative writing, Bible studies, cooking, competitive shooting, and exploring nature.

“Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Winston Churchill

Jim Pinkerton was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and currently serves as a Senior Fellow in the Center for American Prosperity at AFPI. Pinkerton worked in the Domestic Policy Office at the White House under presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush and in their 1980, 1984, 1988, and 1992 presidential campaigns. In 2008, he served as a senior adviser to Mike Huckabee’s presidential campaign. From 1996–2016, he was a Contributor to the Fox News Channel. From 1993–2007, he wrote a twice-a-week column for Newsday, covering everything from presidential elections to the Iraq War. Pinkerton writes regularly for Breitbart, The American Conservative, and The Daily Caller and has written for publications ranging from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Financial Times, The Los Angeles Times, The National Interest, USA Today, National Review, The New Republic, Foreign Affairs, Fortune, The Huffington Post, US News & World Report, The Washington Examiner, The Guardian, and The Jerusalem Post. He is married to the former Elizabeth Dial and is a graduate of Stanford University. 

“Let all the ends thou aimst at be thy country’s, thy God’s and Truth’s. Be Noble and the Nobleness that lies in other men sleeping but never dead will rise in majesty to meet thine own.”

Shakespeare

Javon Price is from Fairfax, Virginia, and serves as a Policy Analyst in the Center for Opportunity Now, the Center for Second Chances, and the Center for American Security for AFPI. Price most recently worked in the United States House of Representatives as a Staff Assistant for Congressman Byron Donalds of Florida, Previously, Price interned for the White House Domestic Policy Council and the Office of American Innovation. He also interned for the Republican Governors Association and the Republican Attorneys General Association. Additionally, Price is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service, where he studied International Politics with a focus on Security. Price is a veteran of the United States Air Force, having served in the Reserves from 2017-2020. He left the Air Force as a Senior Airman (E-4). When Price is not focused on politics or his studies, he enjoys watching the Dallas Cowboys compete every Sunday. Outside of football season, he is a huge fan of the Georgetown Hoyas Basketball Team and the Washington Nationals.

“The future is for those who prepare for it today.”

Malcolm X

Andrew Puzder is from Brentwood, Tennessee, and serves as a Senior Fellow at AFPI. Previously, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of CKE Restaurants, where he helped turn Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. into the fast-food powerhouses that they are today. He started his journey with CKE as founder Carl Karcher’s personal attorney in 1986; Puzder became CEO in 2000 and led the company out of serious financial difficulties. Under his leadership, CKE expanded to more than 3,800 restaurants globally. Puzder is a frequent lecturer on economics and politics for various groups and associations as well as at colleges and universities. He is a Senior Fellow at Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy, a Visiting Fellow for business and economic freedom at the Heritage Foundation, a member of the Reagan Institute’s National Leadership Council, and a director at the Job Creators Network. He is also a member of the Washington University Law School’s Board of Advisors, the State Financial Officers Foundation’s National Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Board at Prager University. In 2021 he was named Chairman of the Board at 2ndVote Advisers, an investment firm formed in response to the stakeholder capitalism and environmental and social governance movements. In 2010, he co-authored a book titled Job Creation: How It Really Works and Why Government Doesn’t Understand It. His second book, The Capitalist Comeback: The Trump Boom and the Left’s Plot to Stop It, was published in April 2018. As a teenager, he was expelled from high school in 1967 for long hair and took a couple of years off from college in the 1970s to play in rock & roll bands.

“Never give in–never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

Winston Churchill

John Ratcliffe grew up in Mount Prospect, Illinois, and serves as a co-Chair of the Center for American Security. Most recently, he served as the sixth Director of National Intelligence (DNI) under President Donald Trump. In that role, Ratcliffe served as the leader of the U.S. intelligence community and principal intelligence advisor to President Trump. As “America’s Top Spy,” Ratcliffe successfully deployed covert and clandestine intelligence assets to remove numerous designated terrorist leaders from the battlefield, led a shift in the U.S. intelligence community priorities to better position the U.S. for success in the great power competition with China, and designated space as a priority intelligence domain by adding the U.S. Space Force as the 18th member of the intelligence community. In recognition of his national security achievements, President Trump awarded Ratcliffe the National Security Medal, the nation’s highest honor for distinguished achievement in the field of intelligence and national security. Prior to his nomination and confirmation as DNI, Ratcliffe served in Congress for over five years as the U.S. Representative for the 4th Congressional District of Texas. As a Congressman, he was a leading policymaker on national security issues as a member of the House Intelligence and Judiciary Committees and as Cybersecurity Chairman on the Homeland Security Committee. The son of two schoolteachers and the youngest of six, John was born in Illinois but “got to Texas as fast as I could.” He and his family reside in Heath, Texas, where John previously served as mayor for eight years.

“A Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.”

President John Adams

Michael J. Rigas is from Boston, Massachusetts, and serves as the Director of the America First Transition Project at AFPI. He spent more than a decade in the private sector in banking before serving in the public sector. He recently served as the Acting Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and Acting Deputy Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the Trump Administration. At OMB, he served as the Chief Management Officer of the federal government and helped federal agencies respond in a coordinated manner to the COVID-19 pandemic. At OPM, he oversaw the successful effort to eliminate the federal government’s background investigation backlog of more than half a million investigations and the transferring the National Background Investigation Bureau from OPM to the Department of Defense, 2 years ahead of schedule established by Congress. Rigas also served as the chair of the federal government’s Agency Transition Directors Council. Rigas holds an M.A. in public administration from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. and M.A. in economics from Boston University. 

“What you leave behind is not what is engraved on stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”

Pericles

Andy Rosenblatt is from Ellicott City, Maryland, and serves as a Communications Specialist at AFPI. Rosenblatt has spent several years working on Republican campaigns and in federal and state government, most recently, in his home state of Maryland, where he managed legislative correspondence. Previously, he worked at the Republican National Committee as a Business Intelligence Analyst. In that role, Rosenblatt analyzed data and compiled reports to brief campaigns across the country. Before that, he interned for former Congressman Steve Watkins of Kansas and the House Small Business Committee. Rosenblatt earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Maryland. Rosenblatt currently resides in the Washington, D.C area, and enjoys exploring the city, golfing, and cheering on his favorite Baltimore sports teams.

“Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.”

Ronald Reagan

Jacob Sagert is from Dallas, Texas, and serves as a Policy Analyst in the Center for American Freedom at AFPI. Previously, Sagert served as the Director of Issues for Brian Maryott’s congressional campaign in California’s 49th District. He received a bachelor’s degree in international political economy from the University of Texas at Dallas and an M.P.P degree from Pepperdine’s School of Public Policy in Malibu, California. Jacob currently resides in Washington D.C., and enjoys traveling internationally, hiking, going to the beach, and spending time with friends and family. 

“Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision, instead we are always changing the vision.”

G.K. Chesterton

Jon Sanders hails from Raleigh, North Carolina, and serves as a Senior Fellow in the Center for American Prosperity at AFPI. He also is the director of the Center for Food, Power, and Life (CFPL) at the John Locke Foundation, where he works to protect and expand freedom in the vital areas of agriculture, energy, and the environment. Sanders is a contributing columnist to the American Institute for Economic Research and the Senior Fellow of Regulations and the New Economy for the Beacon Center of Tennessee. Before heading CFPL, Sanders was the director of regulatory studies at Locke, where he also served as research editor. He holds a master’s degree in economics with a minor in statistics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature and language from North Carolina State University, a left brain/right brain confluence that sometimes causes him to drop favorite quotes from literature amid a dry policy discussion. He has taught economics as an adjunct instructor for the Poole College of Management at North Carolina State University and the Tillman School of Business at Mount Olive University. Like the late, great economic optimist Julian Simon, Sanders believes that people are the ultimate resource. He lives in Raleigh with his beautiful, out-of-his-league-but-don’t-tell-her wife, his two children, a dog who doesn’t claim him, and a cat who does.

“The greatest beneficiaries of capitalism are those at the bottom of the income ladder.”

Gary Becker

Ambassador Carla Sands is from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, and serves as the Vice Chair of the Center for Energy and Environment at AFPI. Previously, she was appointed to President Donald J. Trump’s Economic Advisory Council, and in 2017, President Trump called on Sands to represent the United States as the Ambassador to Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. During her tenure, Denmark increased its defense spending, while U.S. exports to the Kingdom of Denmark rose more than 43%, creating additional jobs right here at home. As Ambassador, Sands proposed and helped establish the U.S. Consulate in Nuuk, Greenland, and assisted with resolving the Thule Base Maintenance Contract dispute. She facilitated partnership agreements between the U.S. and the people of Greenland and the people of the Faroe Islands and expanded the U.S. mission in the Kingdom of Denmark to include the Coast Guard. In January 2021, Sands received the Department of Defense’s highest civilian honor, the Medal for Distinguished Public Service, for her work to increase security in the high north while countering Russia and China. Before her time in the Trump Administration, Sands was the first woman to serve as Chairman & CEO of Vintage Capital Group in 2015. She studied biology and chemistry at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Elizabethtown College before receiving her Doctor of Chiropractic degree from Life Chiropractic College. Following her father and grandfather’s footsteps, Sands was the third generation in her family to practice chiropractic in Pennsylvania. In 1999, she married her beloved husband, Fred Sands, and had a daughter together. 

Adam Savit is from Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and serves as the Director for the China Policy Initiative at AFPI. He most recently served as China Program Coordinator at the Center for Security Policy, building the program from the ground up, and has held research and communications roles in the national security policy space for more than a decade. He is in his fifth year serving as President of the Log Cabin Republicans of Washington, D.C. Savit holds a B.A. in history and international relations from Penn State University and enjoys music, playing guitar, arthouse and documentary movies, and spending time with his nieces and nephews.

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

Abraham Lincoln

Stacey Schieffelin grew up in the cattle industry on her families’ ranches in Florida and currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the Chair of the Board and Senior Advisor to the Center for the American Worker at AFPI. A successful entrepreneur for over 40 years, Schieffelin is considered one of the top six Star Entrepreneurs in the electronic retail TV shopping industry and has a 28-year global record of success through owning and supporting multiple brands on TV networks in 28 countries. Schieffelin has channeled her expansive entrepreneurial career in sourcing, manufacturing, financing, and distribution toward the empowerment of our Nation’s workforce and the spirit of the American Worker. Schieffelin began her career as a prominent international FORD model then quickly grew into a widely recognizable brand and market leader in the $500B beauty industry. As an award-winning business curator, she also serves as a Senior Advisor to Skylab, an innovative tech platform factory, where she strives to bring more transparent options to the technology and communication space that will advance society, uphold constitutional protections, and increase opportunity across the entire economic spectrum. Schieffelin and her husband, David, a Harvard graduate, are the proud parents of daughters Lou and Knox. The family enjoys traveling together, supporting local government, and volunteering with multiple non-profits.

“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”

Thomas Paine

Adam W. Schindler was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and serves as Chief Digital Officer at AFPI. In previous roles, Schindler served as a digital strategy executive focusing on data-driven digital marketing, messaging, technology architecture, web design, and development. He has served as a CTO, CSO, CMO, Director of Marketing, SVP Marketing, Data and Strategy, and V.P. of Digital Strategy for various technology, accounting, media, and non-profit companies. Schindler received a degree in philosophy in comparative religion from Colorado State University. As an ordained pastor, he regularly speaks on topics at the convergence of politics, history, culture, and faith. He has a lifelong love of Israel and the ancient near-east and has worked with the Israeli Knesset and U.S. government leaders to host Jerusalem Prayer Breakfast events in Jerusalem, Dallas, and San Antonio, Texas. Schindler grew up playing volleyball and enjoys improving his golf skills in his free time.

Allison Schuster is from Clarendon Hills, Illinois, and serves as a Communications Specialist and Policy Advisor to the Center for Education Opportunity and the Center for the American Child at AFPI. Schuster earned a degree in politics and journalism from Hillsdale College. Following her graduation, Schuster participated in a year-long research fellowship with Hillsdale College in Washington, D.C., where she conducted research and coordinated media for professors, particularly Mollie Hemingway and Matthew Spalding. Schuster is a regular contributor and former intern for The Federalist, and a current columnist for The Conservateur. Her reporting largely focuses on cultural and social issues such as gender ideology, education, and religious liberty. In her spare time, you can find Allison running around D.C., playing tennis, or re-reading “The Catcher in the Rye.”

“Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”

Proverbs 31:8-9

James Sherk was born in Ontario, Canada, and immigrated with his family to Midland, Michigan while in middle school. He serves as AFPI’s Director of the Center for American Freedom. Sherk previously served as Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy on the White House Domestic Policy Council under President Donald Trump. James served as the Administration’s top civil service reform and labor policy advisor from 2017 to 2021. At the White House, he was the principal author of and/or policy lead for approximately two dozen executive orders and presidential memoranda. Sherk also served as a member of the President’s Council on Improving Federal Civic Architecture. Prior to his White House service, Sherk was a Research Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, where he was a nationally recognized expert on the civil service and labor policy. Sherk received a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Economics from Hillsdale College and an Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Rochester. Sherk and his wife, Jill, live in Northern Virginia with three beloved children who teach their parents to ponder inscrutable questions like “how much drawing can go on the walls before we have to repaint them?”

“A dead thing can go with the stream, but only a living thing can go against it.”

G.K. Chesterton

Jon Shiner is from Tampa, Florida, and serves as the Director of State Strategies and Engagement for AFPI. He was previously the Campaign Manager for a state Attorney General candidate and before that was the Deputy Chief of Staff and Policy Director for a local Councilmember in San Diego. Jon spent 6 years serving in the United States Navy as a Naval Aircrewman and Rescue Swimmer and is currently working on his degree in Political Science at National University. In his free time, he enjoys watching Formula One, hiking with his dog, and working out. 

“Life does not ask what we want. It presents us with options.”

Thomas Sowell

Travis Shirkman is from Williamsburg, Virginia, and serves as the Director of Donor Relations at AFPI. Shirkman previously served as the Senior Assistant to the President for Donor Relations at The Heritage Foundation where he worked with major gift donors in the Northeast and Southwest regions of the country. He holds a degree in Criminal Justice and Strategic Intelligence from Liberty University, along with a master’s degree in International Relations. He is married to Juliana, a California native, and overly proud of his Golden Retriever, Maverick. He enjoys golfing and cycling in his spare time. Growing up in Williamsburg Virginia, Shirkman fell in love with the history of America and the founding principles that make this country great and worth fighting for every day.

“Politics ought to be a part time profession of every citizen who would protect the rights and privileges of free people and who would preserve what is good and fruitful in our national heritage.”

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Cliff Sims is from Birmingham, Alabama and serves as a Senior Fellow in AFPI's Center for American Security. He previously served as Deputy Director of National Intelligence for Strategy and Communications inside the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), which oversees the 18 agencies of the U.S. intelligence community. In this role, Sims was awarded the Director’s Exceptional Achievement Award in recognition of superior accomplishment and valuable service to the mission of ODNI. Sims was previously Special Assistant to the President and Director of White House Message Strategy under President Trump. In this role, he led the White House’s messaging operation, advising the President and senior officials on communications strategy. Sims spearheaded the Administration’s messaging for some of its most notable accomplishments, including the successful passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. He also led the messaging and speechwriting team for the 2020 Republican National Convention.  Sims graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama with a degree in Political Science. Earlier in life, Cliff was a college basketball player and had songs featured on MTV and in major motion pictures.

“The dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dreams with open eyes, to make it possible.”

T.E. Lawrence

Dr. Kiron K. Skinner is from Chicago, Illinois, and serves as a Member of the Board of Academic Advisors at AFPI. She is also the Taube Professor for International Relations and Politics at Carnegie Mellon University’s Institute for Politics and Strategy. Previously, she founded and directed these entities at Carnegie Mellon University: the Center for International Relations and Politics, the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program, the Institute for Politics and Strategy, and the Institute for Strategic Analysis. Skinner is the W. Glenn Campbell Research Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and a Visiting Fellow at the Heritage Foundation. Skinner was the Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the U.S. Department of State and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State from September 2018 to August 2019. As Director, she reengaged the Department in red-team exercises on regional conflicts and fostered transatlantic partnerships through numerous strategic dialogues, including the first-ever Policy Planners Summit for NATO, held in April 2019. At various points in the past twenty years, Professor Skinner has served on the US Defense Department’s Defense Policy Board and Defense Business Board, the Chief of Naval Operations’ Executive Panel, the National Academies’ Committee on Behavioral and Social Science Research to Improve Intelligence Analysis for National Security, and the National Security Education Board. In U.S. presidential politics, Skinner served as a foreign policy surrogate for the Bush-Cheney 2004 reelection campaign, a senior foreign policy adviser to Speaker Newt Gingrich during his presidential campaign in 2011–12, a foreign policy adviser to Senator Rand Paul during his presidential bid in 2015-16, and a foreign policy surrogate for the Donald J. Trump presidential campaign in 2016. She was also a senior member of the Trump transition team in 2016. Professor Skinner has published extensively in American politics and international relations. Two of her co-edited books on President Ronald Reagan were New York Times best sellers, and one received the Hoover Institution’s Uncommon Book Award. Professor Skinner holds MA and PhD degrees in political science from Harvard University and undergraduate degrees from Spelman College and Sacramento City College. She has an honorary doctor of laws degree from Molloy College, Long Island. 

Julie Taylor is from Naples, Florida, and serves as the Director of Institutional Giving at AFPI. In this role, she engages leaders around the country to invest in AFPI’s mission. She has worked on development teams at many of Washington’s leading principled organizations, helping to raise millions of dollars in funding for think tanks, advocacy organizations, and public interest legal groups. She originally moved to Washington, D.C., to work on the congressional staff of U.S. Congressman Porter Goss of Florida and transitioned to major gifts fundraising at the Heritage Foundation. Awed by philanthropists, entrepreneurs, and innovators who change what's possible with their ideas and passion, she is also inspired by America’s record as the most generous and charitable nation in the world. Taylor enjoys visiting Ohio each summer to see extended family and cheer on the Cincinnati Reds.

“Better to dare mighty things and fail than to live in a grey twilight where there is neither victory nor defeat.”

Winston Churchill

Laurie Todd-Smith, Ph.D. is originally from Phoenix, Arizona, but has lived in Mississippi for over 25 years. She serves as AFPI’s Director of the Center for Education Opportunity & Director of the Center for the American Child. Dr. Todd-Smith was appointed by President Trump to serve as the Director of the Women’s Bureau at the United States Department of Labor. During her tenure at the Women’s Bureau, she focused the agency on issues of childcare, paid family leave, and grants to support women in apprenticeship.  Prior to her work with the United States Department of Labor, Dr. Todd-Smith served as Senior Education and Workforce Policy Advisor to Governor Phil Bryant. She led numerous legislative efforts to help improve public education in Mississippi including: The Literacy Based Promotion Act, Early Childhood Education, Charter Schools, Special Needs Education Scholarship Account, and accountability models for school districts, all of which resulted in improved outcomes for Mississippi’s students. Dr. Todd-Smith is also the former executive director of the Mississippi State Workforce Investment Board (SWIB) and the State Childhood Advisory Council (SECAC). Dr. Todd-Smith is a former elementary school teacher and holds a doctorate in education from Mississippi State University, a master’s degree from Western New Mexico University, and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arizona. Dr. Todd-Smith is a 2-year breast cancer survivor.  She is an avid college football fan and enjoys boating at Lake Caroline, MS with her husband, Ron, and adorable Yorkie, Max.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Nelson Mandela

Scott Toland is from Iola, Kansas, and serves as Senior Editor & Deputy General Counsel at AFPI. He recently served as Assistant Staff Secretary and Special Assistant to the President in the West Wing of the White House under President Donald Trump. In this role, Scott briefed President Trump before speeches and document signings and worked closely with senior officials and federal agencies to prepare documents for the President’s review. He also worked as a Law Clerk for Judge Don R. Willett, first on the Supreme Court of Texas and then on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Scott earned degrees in Journalism and Political Science from the University of Kansas, where he was a Division 1 student-athlete and Editor-in-Chief of "The Wave," a Kansas Jayhawks sports magazine. He then earned a Master of Public Affairs and his Juris Doctor from the University of Texas at Austin. Scott enjoys running and playing golf, tennis, and basketball.

“For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

Luke 1:37

Sam Trippie is from Buffalo, New York, and serves as Development Officer for AFPI. Prior to joining AFPI, Sam worked compliance and payables for various federal and state campaigns. Sam also had the pleasure of interning at the Heritage Foundation under their development team. In Buffalo, Sam braved the snowy winters at Niagara University, where he studied Political Science. Sam currently resides in Washington, D.C., and in his free time he likes to watch the Buffalo Bills win the AFC East and the Sabres avoid last place. He also enjoys Buffalo sports, golfing with friends, and cooking Sunday Sauce.

“When it is too tough for them, it’s just right for us.”

Marv Levy

Scott Turner is from Richardson, Texas, and serves as AFPI’s Chair of the Center for Education Opportunity at AFPI. Turner is a businessman, motivational speaker, and former professional football player, who previously served as the executive director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council. Turner formerly served as a Texas state representative for the 33rd District, which includes part of Collin County and all of Rockwall County. Before entering public service, Turner was an American football cornerback who played in the NFL for nine seasons with the Washington Redskins, San Diego Chargers, and the Denver Broncos. He attended the University of Illinois, where he played as their starting cornerback and graduated with a degree in speech communications.

Mike Vallante is originally from Rhode Island and currently serves as the Director for AFPI’s Center for Election Integrity. Mike has more than 40 years of experience in campaigns, public affairs, and business consulting. He has owned two small businesses in Rhode Island and California, working for clients around the country, including candidates, non-profit organizations, associations, and political organizations. In his first campaign, Mike helped elect the first Republican mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, in 40 years and went on to manage the campaign for the first woman elected to statewide office in Rhode Island. From 2003 to 2007, he served as the Chief Operating Officer/Executive Director of the California Republican Party for the successful recall of a California Governor. In 2011, he became the Chief of Staff to the co-Chairman of the Republican National Committee. Most recently, he served in the Small Business Administration as an Associate Administrator of Field Operations. Mike’s passion is dog rescue, especially older dogs that have medical conditions.

“Do Your Job.”

Bill Belichick

David Vasquez is from Ripon, California, and serves as a Policy Analyst for the Center for American Prosperity, the Center for Energy & Environment at AFPI. Previously, David served in the policy debate world as a founding director of the policy debate team at Concordia-Chicago. Before this, Vasquez served as a development and policy intern through the Charles Koch Foundation’s Koch Internship Program. He is also the co-founder of the Helmsmen Institute, which provides thousands of students in speech and debate with professional training and resources to hone their rhetoric, presentation, public speaking, and policy analysis skills. Vasquez graduated from Concordia University Irvine, majoring in history and political thought, with a minor in law and politics. He was senior captain of the debate team, finishing his senior year as the highest-ranked collegiate debater in the United States among several hundreds of competitors. In his free time, he enjoys ultimate frisbee, rooting for the Oakland Athletics, and researching the impact of tax evasion laws on American expatriates. 

“Our span of life is brief, but is long enough for us to live well and honestly.”

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Jeremiah Wallace is from Chattanooga, Tennessee, and serves as a Development Manager at AFPI. Before joining AFPI, Wallace served on many local government campaigns in his city, as well as had the honor of interning for Tennessee Governor Bill Lee in the state capitol. His time at AFPI began as a development intern and was extended upon getting hired full-time during his internship. Wallace is attending Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, and pursuing his undergraduate degree in public administration online. Though Wallace currently resides in Washington, D.C., he remains a dedicated Tennessee Vols football fan and anxiously awaits their next National Championship. 

“Courage is not the absence of fear. Courage is the ability to act effectively, in spite of fear.”

President Donald J. Trump

Matthew G. Whitaker is from Des Moines, Iowa, and serves as a Co-Chair for the Center of Law & Justice at AFPI. Whitaker was the Acting Attorney General of the United States from 2018 to 2019. Prior to becoming Acting Attorney General, Mr. Whitaker served as Chief of Staff to Attorney General Jeff Sessions. He was previously appointed as the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Iowa by President George W. Bush, serving from 2004 to 2009. Whitaker was also previously the managing partner of Des Moines-based law firm Whitaker Hagenow & Gustoff, LLP from 2009 until rejoining the U.S. Department of Justice in 2017. He was also the Executive Director for FACT, The Foundation for Accountability & Civic Trust, an ethics and accountability watchdog, from 2014 to 2017. Mr. Whitaker earned a Master of Business Administration, Juris Doctor, and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa. While at Iowa, Whitaker was a three-year letterman on the football team, where he received the prestigious Big Ten Medal of Honor. Mr. Whitaker is also of counsel with the Graves Garrett law firm.

“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination, and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”

HARRY S. TRUMAN

Paula White-Cain was born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and serves as the Chair of the Center for American Values at AFPI. Currently, White-Cain serves as Senior Pastor at City of Destiny. For the past 37 years, White-Cain has worked across the world in almost 200 countries, ministering, fighting for religious freedom and humanitarian rights, and advocating for the voiceless. White-Cain also served as an advisor to President Donald J. Trump in the Office of Public Liaison’s Faith and Opportunity Initiative. Prior to her work at the White House, she co-founded one of the fastest growing and largest churches in the nation, which currently has over 28,000 members. She served as pastor of this church for 22 years, and during that time, Paula White Ministries was launched and became a global media and outreach ministry. She is married to legendary singer/songwriter Jonathan Cain of the iconic Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Journey and recites his daily motto of Don’t Stop Believin’ while riding horses and having the time of her life with her family.

“When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.”

Maya Angelou

The Honorable Robert Wilkie is from Fayetteville, North Carolina, and serves as a Distinguished Fellow in the Center for American Security at AFPI. Wilkie was nominated by President Donald J. Trump to serve as the tenth Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA). He was confirmed by the United States Senate after previously serving as the acting Secretary of VA. Before confirmation as VA Secretary, Wilkie was the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. In that role, Wilkie served as the principal advisor to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense for Total Force Management as it relates to readiness, National Guard and Reserve component affairs, health affairs, training, and personnel requirements and management, including equal opportunity, morale, welfare, recreation, and the quality of life for military families. He also previously served as Assistant Secretary of Defense and Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. Wilkie is a Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve. He holds an Honors degree from Wake Forest University, a Juris Doctor from Loyola University College of Law in New Orleans, a Master of Laws in international and comparative law from Georgetown University, and a master’s in strategic studies from the United States Army War College. A graduate of the College of Naval Command and Staff, Air Command and Staff College, the United States Army War College, and the Joint Forces Staff College, Wilkie has published many articles. Wilkie also serves as Senior National Security Analyst for Newsmax Television. He holds personal and unit decorations, as well as the Defense Distinguished Public Service Medal, the highest noncareer civilian award of the Department.

“All the greatest things are simple and many can be expressed in a single word: Freedom; Justice; Honor; Duty; Mercy; Hope.”

Winston Churchill

Gail Wilson hails from Dallas, Texas, and serves as an Engagement Officer for AFPI. Wilson most recently was the Deputy Executive Director for Black Voices for Trump during the Trump-Pence 2020 presidential campaign. There, she led the communication efforts for one of the fastest-growing coalitions on the President’s reelection campaign. Wilson used her unique skillset to cultivate relationships with key community stakeholders to bolster grassroots support for President Trump and crafted, staffed, and oversaw critical campaign events featuring these high-level supporters and leaders. Before focusing on domestic policies, Wilson traveled to Africa, Asia, Eurasia, and Latin America empowering women to participate in their political and economic environment to increase their leadership roles. Wilson graduated with a degree in Political Science from Texas Women’s University. Wilson is a first-generation American and truly loves this beautiful world, having visited 25 countries and counting. When she is not globetrotting, Wilson enjoys eating medium rare steaks and listening to music.

“The time is always right to do what is right.”

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Steve Yates is from St. Petersburg, Florida, and serves as a Senior Fellow and Chair of the China Policy Initiative. He is an analyst and practitioner with experience at various levels of politics, policy, media, and national security affairs. A veteran commentator and trainer for television, radio, and print media opportunities, Yates has navigated policy decision-making processes across agencies, foreign and domestic. Since 2006, he has been a senior advisor to presidential campaigns, a frequent media commentator, and CEO of D.C. International Advisory. He previously served as President of Radio Free Asia and Professor in the Practice of International Business and Politics at Boise State University. Before opening D.C. International Advisory, Yates served in the White House as Deputy Assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney for National Security Affairs from 2001 through 2005, where he provided direct support to the Vice President and his national security advisor for White House deliberations. Yates served as chairman of the Idaho Republican Party from August 2014 to April 2017 and as co-chair of the 2016 Republican Platform Subcommittee on National Security. Yates was a candidate for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor in Idaho’s May 2018 primary. He regularly appears on several national TV and radio stations. He previously served as Senior Policy Analyst at the Heritage Foundation and an analyst at the National Security Agency. He received a master’s degree in China Studies from the Johns Hopkins University Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies. Yates’ TV career began in 1980 at age 12 on Ed Walker’s WJLA AM Washington show, after winning a coloring contest sponsored by the Muppets, Woodward & Lothrop, and The Washington Post. 

“If we maintain our faith in God, love of freedom, and superior global air power, the future looks good.”

Curtis LeMay

General Mick Zais is from Columbia, South Carolina, and serves as a Senior Fellow in the Center for Education Opportunity at AFPI. Zais most recently served as President Donald J. Trump’s Deputy Secretary of Education and, for a short period, as Acting Secretary. Before that, he ran for and was elected South Carolina’s 17th State Superintendent of Education, the second Republican to hold that office. Zais also served for 10 years as president of Newberry College, a private institution founded before the Civil War. During 31 years as an Army infantryman, paratrooper, and ranger, he served in Vietnam, Korea, Panama, and Kuwait. He was a social aide in the Nixon White House; at West Point, he taught organizational behavior, leadership, and management consulting; and in the Pentagon, he was Chief of War Plans. An ardent philatelist, Zais has been married for 42 years to Susan. They have two adult children. His son is a cyber security professional and sergeant in the South Carolina National Guard. His daughter, the former Miss South Carolina USA, is a full-time mom. Zais and Susan have six grandchildren between the ages of three and 10.

“Do right and bear the consequences.”

Sam Houston

Alex Zemek from McLean, Virginia, and serves as a Senior Fellow in the Center for Homeland Security & Immigration at AFPI. He is also the founder and president of The Gethsemane Group. Previously, Zemek served at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as Assistant Secretary (acting) for Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention, where he oversaw strategy and policy related to combating violent extremists, aviation security, international information sharing, and identity management. Before DHS, Zemek was served as Chief of Staff for the Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security. Additionally, during his two decades of federal service, he has served at multiple agencies in a range of disciplines, including as a State Department diplomat, Legislative Fellow with the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, and an intelligence officer. As a senior executive in the private sector, Zemek led the strategy, policy, and congressional affairs disciplines for the non-profit National Defense Industrial Association while serving as Vice President. Prior to 9/11, he traded stocks on Wall Street, taught high school, and coached high school athletics. Zemek has degrees from Yale University and the National Defense University and conducted advanced studies with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Zemek lived in rural Kenyan village for a summer while training with professional distance runners. He enjoys coaching the sports teams of his three sons.

“The struggle of today, is not altogether for today – it is for a vast future also. With a reliance on Providence, all the more firm and earnest, let us proceed in the great task which events have devolved upon us.”

Abraham Lincoln

Kristen Ziccarelli grew up in Germany, Slovenia, Boston, Chicago, and Virginia, and serves as a Production Assistant and Policy Analyst in the Center for Homeland Security and Immigration at AFPI. She was previously a White House Intern with the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs during the Summer of 2020, where she helped coordinate between state and local leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kristen also nurtured her passion for diplomacy working at the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, Germany for three summer terms. In 2021, she founded the media organization Respect Perspective to encourage people to see all sides of controversial issues. Kristen attended the University of Edinburgh in Scotland for her Master’s in International Business and received Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Finance at Christopher Newport University.

“We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars”

Oscar Wilde