Leadership
Rachel Wallen Oglesby
Chief State Action Officer & Director, Center for the American Worker
The main thing is that greatness is doable. Greatness is many, many individual feats, and each of them is doable.
- Angela Duckworth
Rachel Wallen Oglesby is from Bowie, Maryland, and serves as AFPI's Chief State Action Officer & Director, 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.
Areas of Expertise
Work & Jobs,Topics
- Debt
- Inflation
- Trade
- Work & Jobs
- Higher Education
- K-12
- School Boards
- Agriculture
- Energy
- Environment & Climate
- Asia
- Europe
- Israel & the Middle East
- Big Tech & Censorship
- Budget, Spending, & Taxes
- Civil Service Reform
- Government Regulation
- The Administrative State
- Weaponization
- Rogue Prosecutors Citizens Rights
- Healthcare Reform
- Public Health
- Criminal Justice & Public Safety
- Election Integrity
- The Courts
- Border Security & Immigration
- National Security & Defense
- Faith
- Marriage, Family, & Children
- Religious Liberty
- Sanctity of Life