2025 Club for Growth
Foundation Fellows

Torey Alston

Florida

Torey Alston has spent nearly 20 years in some form of public service in the State of Florida including being called to serve by the last four Governors in some capacity.  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Torey as a Broward County Commissioner, member of the Broward School Board (served as the 1st millennial and youngest Board Chairman in county history at 38) and the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Board of Directors (current vice-chair).  

Both former Governor and current U.S. Senator Rick Scott and former Governor Crist previously appointed Torey in 2010 to serve his alma mater on the Florida A&M University Board of Trustees.  While former Governor Jeb Bush served, Torey was selected in the 3rd class of the Florida Gubernatorial Fellows Program and was previously recognized as a high-school all-star in 2001-2002.

Professionally, Torey has served in several executive roles spanning state, county, local government, school district and private sector with experience in education, transportation, facilities/maintenance, procurement, human resources and budgeting.  

He is currently serving as CEO of the Greater Miami Expressway Agency, a nearly $3B toll agency spanning Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.  Most recently, Torey served as Chief of Staff at the Florida Department of Transportation under the DeSantis Administration, as the second-in-command for a $12B enterprise with nearly 6200 employees.

Mr. Alston received his undergraduate and graduate degree from Florida A&M University.  Torey married his college sweetheart Candice and is a proud father to their daughter, Elliott Elizabeth and son, Torey Louis. Residing in Broward County, Florida, in their spare time they enjoy traveling, fishing and hosting family/friends.

Chelsea Carroll

Utah

Chelsea Carroll is the co-founder of Uptown Cheapskate, a national franchise of resale clothing stores that operate more than 150 locations across the United States. She is a Forbes 30 under 30, Inc. Magazine’s 30 under 30, and the first female winner of the Entrepreneurs Organization’s Global Student Entrepreneur of The Year Award.

Through her work with Uptown Cheapskate, she’s helped other individuals become business owners through franchising. Uptown Cheapskate is the top retail franchise opportunity according to Entrepreneur magazine and has been ranked for 10 years straight on the Franchise 500.

Chelsea currently owns and operates a network of 25 Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid franchise locations across seven states: managing teams to recycle clothing in their communities to benefit growing families. In her free time, she volunteers for the Utah Republican Party and various other organizations.

Chelsea lives in North Salt Lake with her husband and four young children.

Anthony Clervi

Kansas

Anthony Clervi is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and leader known for his transformative impact across various industries. As Una’s Co-founder, CEO, and Managing Partner, he has propelled the organization into a premier group purchasing entity, enabling companies to optimize procurement strategies, enhance supplier relationships, and achieve significant cost savings.

Beyond his role at Una, Anthony is the Chairman of Big Red M, a distinguished consulting firm specializing in revenue growth for associations and nonprofits. Big Red M provides tailored solutions, including membership recruitment, sponsorship development, and sales consulting, to help organizations overcome revenue stalls and accelerate growth.

Anthony’s entrepreneurial ventures span investments in multiple businesses, driving innovation, economic development, and job creation. His strategic vision and hands-on leadership style foster industry success and solidify his reputation as a transformative business operator and mentor.

Jay Collins

Florida

Jay Collins is a retired U.S. Army Special Forces combat veteran who received a number of debilitating injuries that led to the loss of his left leg. He served five additional years as a Green Beret post-amputation, retiring after completing over 23 years of service.

Following his military service, Jay took a position with Operation BBQ Relief, overseeing the distribution of millions of meals to Americans following natural disasters while helping veterans and their families overcome shared experiences using food as a catalyst.

In November of 2022, he was formally elected to the Florida Senate and began serving as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee. As chair, he focused on the stabilization, revitalization, and growth of this critical economic space. Jay believes that we have to make the economics of agriculture work, or we will surely lose this vital space. Additionally, he has written and passed over 40 unique pieces of legislation and championed largely complex and difficult legislative issues.

He is married to his wife of 24 years Layla, a 20-year veteran. Together, they have 2 children, Gabe (12) and Colt (9), and attend Grace Family Church in Odessa, Florida.

Lucas Cremers

New York

Lucas Cremers is the founder and executive director of the David Network, a network of professionals, alumni, and 1,500 conservative students who aim to effect change within key institutions and industries. The network supports students on 10 campuses and pipelines talent into both the conservative movement and private sector. Previously, he was an analyst in Equity Capital Markets in the Investment Banking Division at Goldman Sachs. Lucas graduated from Columbia University, where he studied computer science and economics, and has previously worked in defense technology, campaign software, and genomic research. In free time, Lucas likes to mountaineer, cook, read, run, and enjoy good food, music, and company with friends.

Bill Eigel

Missouri

Bill Eigel is a husband, father, veteran, and small business owner. Bill currently serves as the State Senator from Missouri’s 23rd Senatorial District and was sworn into office on January 4, 2017.

He served as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer in the United States Air Force, achieving the rank of Captain. He served for nearly eight years with assignments in Louisiana, Arizona, and at Whiteman Air Force Base in Knob Noster, Missouri.

During his service, Bill deployed to multiple foreign locations, including Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. He was awarded the Air Force Commendation Medal for his service as the Officer-In-Charge for America’s primary airlift refuel stop between Afghanistan and Europe in 2004.

After leaving the service in 2007, the Eigels purchased St. Louis Skylights, a small residential and commercial remodeling company. After significant growth, and with permanent locations in Missouri and Illinois, National Skylight Solutions is one of the fastest-growing skylight installation companies in the country.

Senator Eigel is also a founding member of the Senate Conservative Caucus and the Missouri Freedom Caucus, advocating for limited government, lower taxes, and individual freedoms.

Daniel Elliott

Indiana

Treasurer Daniel Elliott was elected as the 56th Indiana State Treasurer on November 8th,2022. As the state’s chief investment officer, he oversees multiple agencies & the management of over $13 billion on a daily basis.

Prior to becoming Treasurer, Daniel Elliott worked his entire 25-year professional career in information technology. An entrepreneur at heart, Daniel started his own software consulting company focusing on software application development and cybersecurity. Daniel has also served in local government as a member of the Morgan County Council County and President of the Morgan County Redevelopment Commission. This experience gives Daniel unique insight into the challenges local government officials face every day.

Daniel grew up in an unincorporated town in rural Jennings County, Indiana. Today, he lives on a small farm in rural Morgan County with his wife, Laura, and their four children. He is a proud school-choice dad. He graduated from Utah Valley University and is the first Latter-Day Saint to be elected to statewide office in the State of Indiana.

Daniel loves to spend time with his family and outdoors. One of his passions is training his own horses, and he and his family can often be found outside riding their horses on a beautiful Indiana afternoon.

Jake Evans

Georgia

Jake Evans is a Shareholder at Greenberg Traurig, LLP, an international law firm. Jake is a first-chair litigator who represents clients in complex, high-stakes cases across practice areas in federal and state courts throughout the United States. Jake graduated in the top of his class from UGA’s Law School and has received numerous awards for his work, including SuperLawyers “Rising Star”, The Best Lawyers in America, “Ones to Watch” and Georgia Trend’s“Legal Elite”. Jake has achieved notable victories, including being the only lawyer in Georgia history to overturn two elections in the same race, being lead counsel for the Pennsylvania House all the way to the United States Supreme Court, and representing numerous religious institutions in their fight for religious liberties. 

Jake is the youngest person ever elected Chairman of Georgia’s State Ethic’s Commission, a role which he served in for three years. Jake also served on the Professionalism Committee of the Georgia Bar, and is a 2023 Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow, was President of the Atlanta Young Republicans, which he helped grow to the largest YR chapter in the nation and has participated in numerous international delegations, including to North Macedonia, Germany and the Republic of China (Taiwan). Jake has been recognized as one of Georgia’s Most Influential People by Atlanta Magazine, Georgia Trend magazine and James Magazine.

Jonathan Finer

Colorado

Jonathan Finer is the vice president of Ready Colorado, working to advance school choice and reflect conservatives committed to ensuring every student receives a quality education and that parents can send their child to the school that best fits their values.

He has worked for over a decade in federal and state public policy and politics. He most recently served as the Chief of Staff for the Colorado House Republicans under the late Minority Leader Hugh McKean. He previously served as the Regional Representative based in Denver, Colorado for U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Secretary Eugene Scalia, covering Colorado, North Dakota, Montana, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Prior to DOL, Jonathan served in the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and worked for Senator Cory Gardner and the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget.

Jonathan earned a B.A in business administration and a B.S. in political science from Colorado Christian University, and an M.A. in economics from George Mason University.

A competitive marathoner and skier, Jonathan can often be found running a local trail or up in the mountains. He and his wife, Margo, live in Littleton, Colorado with their golden retriever Theodore (Teddy) Ruffsevelt and kittens, George Pawshington and Josie the Riveter.

Elliot Gaiser

Ohio

Elliot Gaiser serves in the Ohio Attorney General’s Office as the Solicitor General of Ohio.

Immediately before joining the office, he worked in the issues and appeals practice at Jones Day in Columbus, Ohio. In that role, his practice focused on appeals, dispositive trial-level matters, and strategic counsel to clients in a range of industries regarding litigation and regulatory matters. Elliot has also litigated disputes ranging from antitrust, bankruptcy, and election law to administrative and constitutional questions—both in Ohio and across the country.

Elliot previously served as a law clerk for Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., at the Supreme Court of the United States; for Judge Neomi Rao on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit; and Judge Edith H. Jones on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.

He received his law degree from the University of Chicago in 2016. Before law school, he worked as a management consultant and a fellow at a research institution focused on anti-poverty programs. He received his undergraduate degree from Hillsdale College in 2012, where he played the cello in the orchestra and edited the opinions page of the campus newspaper.

Sarah Harbison

Louisiana

Sarah Harbison joined the Pelican Institute as General Counsel in January 2020. At the Pelican Institute, Sarah serves in the vital role of defending Louisianians’ First Amendment rights, as well as their right to earn a living.

Prior to joining the Pelican Institute, Sarah’s civil defense practice focused on product liability litigation. Because politics is her first love, Sarah left full-time law practice in December 2015 to advise political candidates full-time, including candidates for U.S. Senate, treasurer, secretary of state, and governor.

A Lafayette, Louisiana native, Sarah is a summa cum laude graduate of Loyola University and Loyola Law School, where she served as a member of the Moot Court staff.

She and her husband, Medlock, live in the Garden District in New Orleans with their cats, Beau and Jack. Sarah and Medlock enjoy hiking in our country’s national parks, exploring Civil War battlefields, and renovating their 100-year-old home.

Jessica Hart Steinmann

Texas

Jessica serves as General Counsel, Secretary of the Board, & Director of Litigation for the America First Policy Institute. Previously, she served as a senior official for the Trump Administration at the Department of Justice. She was appointed by the President as Director of the Office of Victims of Crime, where she oversaw nearly $9 billion (funding financed by convicted felons, not taxpayer dollars). Her office provided the largest federal funding to combat human trafficking. Before this, she served as an Intergovernmental and Public Liaison.

Additionally, Jessica served as Elections Committee Clerk & Counsel of the Texas House of Representatives and helped draft the election integrity law that the Democrats fled to Washington D.C. in protest. She previously was a senior staffer for Senator Ted Cruz, the Harris County Republican Party, and a commercial litigation attorney at Bracewell & Giuliani.

Jessica was elected as the 2024 Texas committeewoman on the RNC platform committee. She currently serves as the President of The Woodlands Republican Women and is on the Texas Federation of Republican Women’s board. She previously served as the President of the Houston Young Lawyers Association and the Chairman of the Houston Holocaust Museum’s Next Generation Leadership Board.

Jamie Haynes

Texas

A 5th-generation Texan, Jamie Haynes is a tenacious advocate for conservatism and stands to protect children and promote limited government. She has served on numerous legislative priority subcommittees for the Republican Party of Texas, founded an organization to assist parents in navigating public education, and is a Texas Scorecard ‘Conservative Leader’ award recipient.

She has also served as Vice President of Amarillo Republican Women, Randall County Precinct Chair, and as a State Convention Delegate. She has also volunteered for local campaigns, including promoting pro-life ballot propositions. Jamie remains active in several other conservative organizations such as Grassroots America – We The People, High Plains Republican Women, The Federalist Society & Texas Ed 911.

Jamie graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor’s degree in management information systems and then from West Texas A&M with a master’s in general business administration. She is a member of Trinity Fellowship Church in Amarillo, Texas where she serves on the Ekklesia Dream Team and has led Patriot Academy classes.

Jamie and her husband, JT, run cattle in the Texas Panhandle, own a real estate brokerage where they lead in farm & ranch sales, and have been featured on an episode of HGTV’s ‘House Hunters.’ They have two sons in college who are participating in collegiate rodeo (team roping).

Dave Hebert

Michigan

Dave Hebert, Ph.D, is a senior research fellow at AIER. He was formerly a professor at Aquinas College, Troy University, and Ferris State University. He has also been a fellow with the U.S. Senate Committee on the Budget and has worked for the U.S. Joint Economic Committee.

Dr. Hebert’s research has been published in academic journals such as Public Choice, Constitutional Political Economy, and The Journal of Public Finance and Public Choice and popular outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Investor’s Business Daily, RealClearPolicy, RealClearMarkets, The Hill, and The Daily Caller.

He also serves as an Associate Director of The Entangled Political Economy Research Network.

Robert Henneke

Texas

Robert Henneke is the Executive Director and General Counsel at the Texas Public Policy Foundation.

Before joining the Foundation, Robert served as the twice-elected Kerr County Attorney where he brought conservative values to county government. Robert began his legal career serving as an Assistant Attorney General in the General Litigation division under the leadership of Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. Robert has appeared on national news shows, such as Fox News, Fox Business, MSNBC, and others. His commentaries have been published in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Fox News, Forbes, The Washington Examiner, The Hill, and other national publications.

He is a member of the State Bar of Texas and is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States, the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Federal District Courts in the Eastern, Western, Northern and Southern Districts of Texas, and the Eastern District of Michigan.

Robert received his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He earned his undergraduate degree in English Literature from Georgetown University. Robert graduated from Tivy High School in Kerrville, Texas.

He lives in Austin with his wife Lesley and their two sons and is an Eagle Scout. Robert was a 2019 Texas Lawyer Attorney of the Year Finalist.

Gabriella Hoffman

Virginia

Gabriella Hoffman is the director of the Center for Energy and Conservation at Independent Women. She is a freelance media strategist, award-winning writer, and Townhall.com political columnist.

She hosts the District of Conservation podcast and CFACT original video series “Conservation Country.”
Gabriella has published columns and articles in Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Hill, RealClearPolicy, RealClearEnergy, RealClearMarkets, Virginian Pilot, Washington Examiner, Deseret News, InsideSources.com, Washington Times, Field & Stream, Sporting Classics, Outdoor Life, The Virginia Sportsman, Wall Street Journal, and more. Additionally, she’s been quoted/featured in notable publications, including the Washington Post, Fox News, NPR, Marie Claire, and Time Magazine’s Guns in America fall 2018 issue.

In May 2021, she was elected to the Professional Outdoor Media Association’s Board of Directors, where she serves as Secretary. She is the 2019 POMA Pinnacle Conservation Award recipient for her reporting work on grizzly bear conservation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. She is also a 2021 graduate of the State Policy Network’s Generation Liberty Fellowship.
From January 2022 until December 2023, she served as the first Mid-Atlantic/Northeast Regional Leader in Young Voices’ inaugural Regional Leaders Program class. Prior to this, she participated in their Contributor Program from June to December 2021.

Gabriella credits her Lithuanian parents, Soviet Union escapees, for instilling a love of freedom, liberty, and limited government in her. Learn more about her work at http://www.gabriellahoffman.com.

Dustin Hurst

Idaho

Dustin Hurst serves as Senior Director of Development for People United for Privacy Foundation, a position he took in early 2023.

Prior to joining the team, Dustin served as Vice President and Communications Director for the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF). His work helped make IFF the most influential public policy voice in the Gem State. During his time there, he served in the same positions for Idaho Freedom Action, a voter engagement organization.

Dustin, a graduate of Boise State University, lives in Boise with his wife and three wonderful kids.

Berny Jacques

Florida

Berny Jacques holds a B.A. in History and Political Studies from Washington Adventist University and a law degree from Stetson University College of Law. Professionally, he served as an Assistant State Attorney for Florida’s 6th Judicial Circuit and worked in private practice as a civil litigation attorney.

In 2016, he was listed as a “Legal Elite” in the area of Government and Non-Profit by Florida Trend’s Magazine and was recognized as a Florida “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers Magazine in 2018. He’s currently Senior Partnerships Director at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Tampa Bay.

In 2020, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Berny to the Sixth Circuit Judicial Nominating Commission, and Sheriff Bob Gualtieri appointed him to the Pinellas County Sheriff’sCivil Service Board.

He resides in Seminole, Florida, where he served on the city’s Developmental Review Board and was Vice Chairman of the city’s Charter Review Committee in 2019. Berny is passionate about mentoring and has been a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program since 2013.

He proudly represents Florida House District 59 in the Florida legislature. District 59 encompasses all of Largo and portions of Seminole, Pinellas Park, and unincorporated Clearwater.

Shane Jett

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State Senator Shane Jett served 11 years as a Navy Intelligence Officer. He has a small business, farming, and ranching background. Jett served in both the Oklahoma House and Senate and was appointed to the U.S. Treasury by President Donald J. Trump.

Shane speaks three languages, has a business degree from Oklahoma Baptist University, and leadership certificates from both the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Wharton School of Business. Shane Jett is a Cherokee citizen and is married to Ana Jett. Together, they have three daughters.

Senator Shane Jett has a top-rated consecutive voting record and is the founding chair of the new Oklahoma Freedom Caucus. He is an unabashed, unapologetic Constitutional Conservative, Bible-believing, God-fearing, Christ-honoring, American Patriot serving his constituents in the Oklahoma State Senate.

Chris Johnson

Mississippi

Chris Johnson is a father, business owner, and state senator from Hattiesburg. He has served in the Mississippi Legislature since 2016, first as a member of the House of Representatives before being elected to the Mississippi State Senate in 2019. Chris serves as Chairman of the newly created Government Structure Committee and Vice Chairman of the Finance Committee.

During his time in the Legislature, Chris has supported legislation to cut taxes, improve education, increase public safety, protect Mississippians’ constitutional rights, bring in more high-paying jobs, and incentivize economic growth from new and expanding businesses. He has also helped secure over $100M in economic development and infrastructure projects for the Pine Belt.

He is a graduate of Pearl River Community College and The University of Southern Mississippi, where he earned a BS in Accounting. Chris is a Fellow of the Civil Society Fellowship – founded in partnership with ADL and the Aspen Institute – and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. In 2017, the Hattiesburg American recognized him as a “Top 12 Under 40.”

Tim Jones

Missouri

Former Speaker Tim Jones served in the Missouri House from 2007 to 2015. Speaker Jones successfully cut Missouri’s income tax for the first time in state history and passed historic legislation for the protection of life, the Second Amendment, school choice, labor, and litigation reform, and protected Missourians from an ever-encroaching federal government.

Now, as a media personality and evening drive show host, Tim is a respected political analyst and commentator. Tim also represents Americans for Tax Reform and the American Legislative Exchange Council in the Midwest and serves as the State Director of the Missouri Freedom Caucus. Tim is the Founder and President of Elevation Strategies, a political, public policy, and communications consulting company.

Previously, Tim helped lead the public policy media company First Rule as their Chief Communications Officer from 2015 to 2020. During that time, Tim also served as Chairman of the Board of the Missouri Club for Growth. Tim began his career in 1997 as a prosecuting attorney, then entered private practice while serving as President of the Board of Aldermen for the City of Eureka and then in the Missouri General Assembly.

Tim is married to the accomplished Suzanne, and they are blessed with two brilliant daughters, Katie & Abby.

Adam Josefczyk

Ohio

Adam Josefczyk is the President of Forge Leadership Network, an organization that he co-founded with Justin Powell in 2015.

Forge mentors, trains, and connects faithful young conservatives to lead in politics and the public arena. Just as Major League Baseball cultivates talent through its minor leagues, Forge is building the “farm team” for the conservative movement in the states.

Prior to launching Forge, Adam was vice president of a leading public policy organization in Ohio. Adam graduated summa cum laude from the University of Dayton in 2011, earning honors as the top student in both the history and political science departments.

Adam was the first-ever recipient of the Timothy Award from the Center for Christian Virtue in 2017. He was chosen as one of the 2017 William F. Buckley Award winners, presented nationally by America’s Future Foundation to five young professionals for their “above-and-beyond service to the liberty movement.”

Adam, his wife Jessica, and their young children are proud to call Southwest Ohio home. He is a long-suffering, die-hard fan of his hometown Cincinnati Bengals.

Noelle Kahaian

Georgia

Noelle Kahaian is the co-founder and president of Protect Student Health Georgia, a non-profit committed to protecting the health and innocence of students in schools. She is also a paralegal for the non-profit, public-interest law firm Child and Parental Rights Campaign. This national law firm defends parental rights to shield their children from the impacts of gender identity ideology.

She also serves in many capacities in the state Republican party, travels the state providing Biblical citizenship classes, and teaches healthy relationship curricula in the local school districts. Most recently, she was elected to the Georgia State House for District 81.

Noelle is a strong advocate for fiscal responsibility and limited government. Her faith informs her politics, and she is confident that America’s best years are imminent with a civic revival.

Dallas Kephart

Pennsylvania

Dallas is a multi-generational Pennsylvanian and an alumnus of Lock Haven University, graduating with honors magna cum laude. While working to obtain his undergraduate degree, Dallas interned for Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson and spent his summers working in the coal industry, operating heavy equipment to strip mine coal and working at a local processing plant to help clean and process coal.

Dallas then went on to earn his law degree from Penn State Law. While there, he provided pro bono legal services to startup and early-stage businesses and served as a law clerk to the United States House of Representatives Oversight Committee.

Following law school, Dallas became a licensed attorney in Pennsylvania and clerked for a judge on the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court, one of the state’s two intermediate appellate courts that hears government-related matters from across the state. Dallas has experience with notable cases that involved congressional redistricting, election challenges, and administrative orders.

Dallas’ legislative goals include striving to create an economic environment that allows for job creation and economic growth, defending the Pennsylvania and United States constitutions, and providing top-quality constituent services.

Jamie Kiel

Alabama

Jamie Kiel started his company, Kiel Equipment, while working toward his management and marketing degree at the University of North Alabama. What began as a local business 30 years ago now serves customers across Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Kiel, in his second term in the Alabama House of Representatives, serves as Vice Chairman of the House Education Ways and Means Committee. In addition, he serves on the Insurance Committee, Ports and Waterways Committee, and State Government Committee. Kiel serves on the University of North Alabama Foundation Board of Directors and the Northwest-Shoals Community College Foundation Board of Directors.

Although Kiel has successfully passed multiple pieces of important legislation, his most important bill was passed and signed into law in 2021. This post-Covid legislation limits the Governor’s ability to restrict or close businesses, ending the “essential business” designation in Alabama.

Jamie and his wife Melissa have three daughters: Sarah Kate, Audrey Claire, and Lydia Grace. The children attend Russellville Schools, where Melissa is a teacher. Melissa is a past Franklin County Chamber of Commerce Teacher of the Year. The Kiel family is actively involved at their church where Jamie served as the music director for 20 years.

Nicole Kiprilov

Washington, DC

Nicole is a Republican political operative and strategist. A native New Yorker, she graduated in 2019 from Duke University with a double B.A. in Political Science and French, a specialization in political theory, a minor in Philosophy, and a certification in Philosophy Politics and Economics (PPE).

Nicole is the Executive Director of The American Border Story (TABS), the President of the Coalition for Military Excellence (CME), and leads several initiatives at The America Fund focused on fighting for the America-First movement. Nicole is also an Independent Women’s Forum Fellow.

Nicole’s background is in political/governmental press and communications, political consulting, campaign management/strategy, infrastructure-building, and candidate development/coaching. She worked at the NYS Senate as a Legislative Director and Communications Director for State Senator Phil Boyle, at the NYC Council as a Chief of Staff to Council Member Vickie Paladino, and also as the Press Secretary and Political Spokesperson to House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik. Nicole has managed state and local races, and she chaired the Campaigns Committee and Women’s Caucus at the New York Young Republican Club for over three years.

Nicole frequently appears on Newsmax, One America News, and Real America’s Voice. She is a contributor at Daily Caller and writes for several other publications. She is also a frequent guest speaker on communications strategy and professional development. Nicole speaks several languages, is a classical pianist and violinist, and has been a Taekwondo competitor for over a decade.

Michael Lanahan

Missouri

Michael Lanahan is the Founder and CEO of Government Executive Coach, a trusted partner for government leaders navigating the high-stakes world of public service. Michael is the author of The State Government Leader Playbook, a roadmap for state agency leaders built from the wisdom of over 30 of the country’s best agency leaders from conservative administrations.

A former state government executive and recovering attorney, Michael has firsthand experience navigating the complexities of public leadership. He led a major reorganization effort, spearheaded an agency turnaround, and managed statewide initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, he partners with executives, boards, and teams across public and private sectors to drive transformation, build trust, and create lasting results.

Michael is a proud graduate of The University of Missouri and The University of Chicago Law School. He lives in St. Louis, Missouri, with his wife and three sons.

Adam Lister

Tennessee

Adam is the founder and principal of One Twelve Strategies, where he dedicates his efforts to understanding how clients hope to achieve meaningful impact in their communities. He tailors his work to clients to leverage their potential, build thoughtful and strategic approaches to their most complex challenges, and help them drive meaningful and transformational change.

Adam is ruthlessly focused on outcomes and has supported scores of organizations and leaders in developing and setting a clear vision and strategy to help them achieve their goals. As a former nonprofit CEO of an education choice advocacy organization, he understands the challenges and complexities of organizational leadership, development, and strategy.

Adam established One Twelve Strategies to help leaders and organizations push through their toughest challenges, win difficult fights, and build stronger and more durable foundations for the future. Adam has served as an executive for trade associations and nonprofits for the last fifteen years, understands the complexities of organizational leadership, and can articulate the macro and micro-level dynamics of strategy, advocacy, fundraising, and politics.

Phillip Magness

Virginia

Dr. Phillip W. Magness is an economic historian specializing in the United States. He currently holds the David J. Theroux Chair in Political Economy at the Independent Institute.

Magness’ research has appeared in multiple scholarly venues, including the Economic Journal, the Journal of Political Economy, the Journal of Business Ethics, the Southern EconomicJournal, Social Science Quarterly, Public Choice, the Journal of the EarlyRepublic, the Journal of the Abraham Lincoln Association, Slavery & Abolition, Constitutional Political Economy, theInternational Trade Journal, the Journal of Supreme Court History, and Liberal Education.

He is the author or co-author of several books, including “Cracks in the Ivory Tower: The Moral Mess of Higher Education,” “The 1619 Project: A Critique,” and “Colonization after Emancipation: Lincoln and the Movement for Black Resettlement.”

Garrett Mason

Maine

Garrett Mason is a Maine native with roots that go back generations. Born in Lewiston, Maine, he was raised in Lisbon Falls, where both sides of his family have lived for over 200 years. He is a 2006 graduate of Pensacola Christian College in Pensacola, Florida, and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and Marketing.

Garrett served in the Maine State Senate from 2010-2018. During his time in the Senate, he carried out various committee assignments, including Criminal Justice and Public Safety; Education and Cultural Affairs, Government Oversight; Energy, Utilities, and Technology; and Veterans and Legal Affairs. In 2018, Mason ran for the Republican nomination for Governor. He placed second in the first-ever statewide ranked-choice election in America.

He was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2018 by his alma mater, Pensacola Christian College, for his contributions to conservative politics.

In 2018, he started Dirigo Public Affairs where he works with clients in the telecommunications, construction, health care, and agricultural industries. He currently serves his community as a County Commissioner where he was reelected in 2024 to a second four-year term.

Garrett lives in Lisbon Falls with his wife Rebekah and their daughter Piper.

Mindy McAlindon

Arkansas

Representative Mindy McAlindon was elected to the Arkansas House of Representatives in 2023.

She earned her B.S. in Engineering, Economics, and Mathematics from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Indiana University. Before her legislative career, she spent over two decades working in sales, finance, and marketing for multimillion-dollar brands across almost every major business segment, including startups, non-profits, and Fortune 100 companies. She was recently instrumental in strengthening the ANA Women in Advertising movement through speaking, training, and membership development.

As a proud resident of Benton County, Arkansas, Representative McAlindon quickly became involved in her community through volunteering and politics, demonstrating her dedication to helping her community and state grow.

In the legislature, Representative McAlindon was elected Vice Chair of the Freshman Caucus and serves on City/County/Local and Revenue & Tax committees as well as the Arkansas Legislative Council (Co-chair Lottery) and Joint Energy Committee (alternate).

Most recently, Representative McAlindon was awarded the Legislator of the Year award by ALEC and the National Consumer Champion award by Consumers’ Research.

Mindy and her husband, Lance, have four children and live in Centerton.

John “JB” McCuskey

West Virginia

John “JB” McCuskey is West Virginia’s 21st State Auditor and current Attorney General-elect. He is concluding his second term, first elected in 2016.

Previously, he served two terms in the House of Delegates and practiced law in Charleston. As Auditor, McCuskey has made it his mission to ensure an efficient, effective, and transparent government. McCuskey has turned West Virginia into the most transparent state in the country and established the Public Integrity and Fraud Unit.

McCuskey is a native of Harrison County, West Virginia. His parents, John and Anne McCuskey, cultivated his deep love of the Mountain State and instilled in him the values of public service.

He is a graduate of The George Washington University with a degree in Political Communication. He is also a graduate of the West Virginia University College of Law. Before attending law school, McCuskey worked as a civilian for the Department of Defense at the Pentagon in the offices of the Army and Department of Defense General Counsels.

Auditor McCuskey lives in Charleston with his wife, Wendy, and daughters, Charlotte Anne and Martha Elizabeth, and their dog Pearl, where they own a small business.

Jane McEnaney

North Carolina

Jane McEnaney leads State Policy Network’s K-12 education program, overseeing advocacy strategy to expand and defend education freedom so that more families are empowered to access a values-aligned, best-fit learning environment for their children. Since directing SPN’s affiliate grantmaking for education issue campaigns, Jane and her team have contributed to more than 40 K-12 policy wins in 26 states, optimizing student outcomes so that the next generation of Americans are prepared to face 21st century challenges.

Before SPN, Jane co-founded a 501(c)(4) in her hometown of Chicago that successfully made direct education funding a dominant issue in the city’s 2023 mayoral election by propelling a pro-school choice candidate into the runoff, increasing his fundraising 18x and popularity among voters by 860%. She also served as communications director for the Illinois House Republican caucus and as Midwest executive director for a national tech trade association, promoting the growth of the innovation economy on behalf of 80+ companies across 11 states.

Jane held senior leadership roles under Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner and was a lead negotiator for the state’s 2017 education finance reform, which contained the Invest in Kids tax-credit scholarship program. Prior to representing the executive branch on the House floor, Jane was the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Illinois Department of Revenue, during which time her office was recognized for advancing pro-growth tax policy and awarded the 2016 Outstanding Achievement in State Tax Reform by the Tax Foundation.

Prior to joining the Rauner administration, Jane managed government affairs for the Illinois Policy Institute (SPN’s Illinois affiliate), during which time she became the youngest registered lobbyist in state history. Before becoming a true believer in the primacy of states’ rights, Jane cut her teeth in the war room headquarters of Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign and in Paul Ryan’s Capitol Hill office in 2011.

Will McNutt

Texas

William McNutt is a real estate developer, attorney, and civic leader based in Dallas, Texas. He is the co-founder and president of Anthem Development, a vertically integrated real estate development, construction, and management firm. His legal experience includes serving as general counsel for real estate and investment firms overseeing more than $1.5 billion in assets under management.

Beyond real estate, Will has an extensive background in law and public policy. He recently worked as a member of the landing team for the Department of the Treasury in the Trump-Vance Presidential Transition, where he assisted in shaping policy and personnel decisions for the incoming administration. He has served as Election Counsel through the Republican National Lawyers Association and various campaigns, deploying to key battlegrounds nationwide in support of election integrity efforts. Previously, he worked as Associate Counsel for the 58th Presidential Inaugural Committee and served for more than a decade as a reserve officer in the Texas Military Department, contributing to border security operations, hurricane response efforts, and officer training programs.

Most importantly, he is married to his college sweetheart and they reside in Dallas with their three children. They are active members of Northwest Bible Church.

Robert Ordway

Indiana

Robert Ordway is the Senior Policy Advisor for Governor Mike Braun (R-IN). He previously served as Deputy Legislative Director to then-Senator Braun in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining that office, he was a Director at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) while completing the Koch Associate Program (KAP). He began his start in D.C. as a Washington Scholars Fellow at the Heritage Foundation.

Before his 8-year stint in Washington, Robert was appointed to the City of Valparaiso’s Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) and Town & Gown Committee for Valparaiso University (VU). He was a candidate for Valparaiso city council in 2015 and a TEDx speaker at VU in 2016.

Currently, Robert is writing his first book, Millrat: A Memoir About ALS, Adversity, and the American Dream. Pieces of the book have been released on SubStack with over 15,000 reads each.

Jordan Pace

South Carolina

South Carolina State Representative Jordan Pace serves District 117 in Berkeley County and is a champion of fiscal responsibility, government transparency, and accountability. Elected as chairman of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus in the Summer of 2024, Pace advocates for conservative principles, pushing to limit government spending, reduce taxes, and end corporate subsidies that he believes place undue burdens on taxpayers.

With a professional background in commercial real estate and education, Pace brings a unique perspective to his legislative work, combining business acumen with a passion for impactful educational reform. A lifelong resident of South Carolina, he lives in Berkeley County with his family and remains deeply engaged in local issues, working to create policies that reflect the needs and values of his community.

Justin Powell

Ohio

Justin Powell is the founder and CEO of Huntington Billboards, one of the nation’s largest independently owned billboard companies with 4,000 locations in 15 states, drawing 16,800,000,000 annual impressions. Justin also co-founded Forge Leadership Network, a political mentorship program for young conservatives getting involved in national politics or state politics in Ohio and Tennessee. In 2022, Forge won the Heritage Foundation’s Innovation Prize. Justin is also the founder of the Atlas Institute, an entrepreneurship residency program mentoring conservative entrepreneurs.

Beyond the confines of his business, Justin enjoys adventure and exploration. In the last 18 months, he has climbed Africa’s tallest mountain (Kilimanjaro), ran with the bulls in Pamplona, explored volcanoes in Guatemala, climbed a glacier in Iceland, and waltzed at the Vienna Opera Ball.

Justin is an Ohio native and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from Liberty University and a master’s degree in Finance from Harvard University’s Extension School.

Jared Reynolds

Missouri

Jared Reynolds grew up on Truman Lake, helping manage his family’s local business, Osage Bluff Marina & Resort. His earliest memories are of the Marina, which naturally attributed to his strong work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit.

Jared migrated to Columbia to attend the University of Missouri, where he graduated in May of 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in Personal Financial Planning. Upon graduation, Jared immediately began building his practice and found his niche to be centered around his love of the great outdoors.

Today, part of Jared’s business continues to be focused on where he got his start, in the professional fishing and hunting industry. By 2003, Jared formed a partnership with Carroll Wilkerson, also a University of Missouri alumnus. The partners bonded over their shared small-town roots, principle beliefs, professional determination, and desire to give back to the community. The partners founded their own independent, local financial advisory firm, WR Wealth Planners (formerly Wilkerson & Reynolds Wealth Management), in January 2009.

Since 2005, Jared has been a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ (CFP®). Being held to the highest standard in the personal financial planning industry and serving as a Fiduciary to his clients is very important to him. Jared holds the Certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor (CPFA™) designation as well, for which he specializes in the design and implementation of custom retirement plans for businesses. Jared is also skilled in analyzing and providing expertise related to the financial issues of divorce and is a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst (CDFA™). Jared is also the only Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA®) in mid-Missouri and is well-versed in advanced planning techniques that serve ultra-high-net-worth families.

Jared firmly believes that family comes first. When he is not working, Jared can be found spending time with his wife, Nikki, and their three sons. As a family, they enjoy hunting, fishing, traveling, being outdoors, and attending The Crossing Church. The couple’s shared love for the University that brought them together has led them to be long-time football and basketball season ticket holders and raise their children to be huge Tiger fans!

As he cares about community involvement, Jared is heavily involved with Rainbow House Children’s Emergency Shelter and served on the Board of Directors for 9 years. He is also a member of the Financial Planning Association and has served as President of the Mid-Missouri Estate Planning Council. Jared likes to give back to local organizations such as the Boy Scouts of America, Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation, and Ducks Unlimited. He is also a lifetime sponsor of the NRA.

Grant Robinson

Alaska

Grant Robinson is a communications professional currently serving as Deputy Press Secretary for Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy. Before working in communications with the State of Alaska, he worked as a multimedia journalist in Anchorage, Alaska, and Knoxville, Tennessee.

His interests include the intersection of natural resources and geopolitics, Austrian economics, and catching large fish.

Grant lives in Anchorage with his wife, Emily.

Rachel Rodriguez-Williams

Wyoming

Rachel was elected to serve in the Wyoming Legislature for House District 50 in 2020. She is currently serving her third two-year term. Rachel serves as  Chairman of the Wyoming House Labor, Health, and Social Services Committee . She also serves on the Management Audit Committee and Rules and Procedures Committee.

She is a member of the House Republican Caucus, the Chairman of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, and a member of the Susan B. Anthony Prolife Women’s Caucus. Rachel was the prime sponsor and champion of the 2023 “Life is a Human Right” Act and the 2022 HB0092, the Wyoming abortion “trigger law.”

Rachel is a retired law enforcement officer and earned a Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice. She has served as a Park County GOP Precinct Committeewoman, from 2019 – Present. She has also served on the board of Park County Republican Women as a past President. She is a graduate of the Park County Leadership Institute, Class XII. Rachel is happiest with her husband, Chris, and their two children.

Jessie Rubino

Wyoming

Born and raised in Wyoming, I earned my education and law degrees from the University of Wyoming. During law school, I served as a Legal Fellow at Mountain States Legal Foundation, a public interest law firm in Colorado defending civil liberties and private property rights. I have been deeply involved in the liberty movement in the Cowboy State, having worked and volunteered on several statewide and legislative campaigns.

Patricia Rucker

West Virginia

Patricia Puertas Rucker is a West Virginia State Senator serving the 16th District. She is a former teacher who is raising and homeschooling her five children with her husband of 28 years.

Patricia is a first-generation American citizen, born in Caracas, Venezuela, coming to the U.S., Montgomery County, Maryland, in 1981 when her father, Jose Puertas, an international correspondent, was assigned by Agence France Presse to the Washington, D.C., desk, eventually becoming its Latin American Editor.

She has been a Harpers Ferry resident since 2001, and her hobbies include gardening, beekeeping, and raising chickens and ducks on her small hobby farm.

Before starting a family, Patricia taught social studies in the Montgomery County Public School System. On November 8, 2016, she was elected to the West Virginia State Senate in the 16th District. She is currently beginning her third term.

She graduated from Montgomery County, Maryland, public schools, Magruder High School (serving one year as the mascot!). She earned a degree from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., with a B.A. in History and minor in Latin American studies.

Trent Staggs

Utah

Trent was raised in a family with nine siblings. His parents taught him the value of hard work, community involvement, and personal responsibility early in life.

He served a mission for his church in Tahiti, learning to speak French and Tahitian. Working his way through college, he graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in political science and economics. He went on to earn his MBA from the Marriott School of Management at BrighamYoung University.

As mayor, Trent has taken a business-oriented approach to government, lowering taxes while increasing services for residents. Under his leadership, Riverton boasts the lowest utility fees in the valley. Not only has he refused to raise property taxes, Trent has cut those taxes and saved over $16 million.

In addition to his civic service, he also manages to be a full-time entrepreneur and business owner with more than 20 years of experience running and managing successful Fortune 500 companies and small and medium-sized enterprises. Trent has created a reputation for himself as someone who can get ailing organizations back on their feet. Most recently, Trent served on the board of directors of a company that he helped take public, getting the company listed on NASDAQ in 2022.

Trent and his wife Alisha have two children.

Jackson Stallings

Oklahoma

Jackson Stallings is from Moore, Oklahoma. He is the son of a school teacher and dental hygienist. Jackson graduated from Southmoore High School and then attended Yale University, where he was a letterman on the Yale football team. While at Yale, he was a William Buckley Fellow and President of the Yale Student Athlete Committee.

After Yale, Jackson studied at the University of Virginia School of Law. While at UVA, he was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy and served as a Judge Advocate General. As a Navy JAG, he has been a defense attorney, legal assistance attorney, and Staff Judge Advocate for both an Admiral and Installation Commanding Officer.

Jackson is married to Jeni Stallings and has two children, Henry and Amelia.

Randan Steinhauser

Texas

Randan Steinhauser is the founding partner of Steinhauser Strategies, a full-service public relations and communications firm based in Austin, Texas. Over the last 15 years, Randan has worked in more than 30 states on political and issue advocacy campaigns dedicated to advancing meaningful public policy.

While in Washington, D.C., Randan worked on Capitol Hill for former Senator Jim DeMint. She later worked for U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos while serving as National Outreach Director for The American Federation for Children.

In 2013, she moved home to Texas with her husband, Brendan, and together they launched Steinhauser Strategies and have partnered with 80+ clients. Randan is a passionate advocate for educational freedom and has worked with many of the nation’s leading organizations to advance school choice reforms.

Randan is a native of South Carolina and earned her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina. She received her M.A. in Communications from Johns Hopkins University. She and her husband are the proud parents of five – including a set of identical twins.

Michael Way

Arizona

Michael Way is an education executive and conservative advocate, and incoming legislator for District 15, dedicated to advancing free-market principles and responsible governance. As Division President of Business Development at Charter One, he oversees the establishment of charter schools from inception to operational launch, fostering strategic growth and compliance while engaging with local communities and state bodies to build sustainable, high-quality schools.

Additionally, he co-founded Denali Law, a multi-state firm focused on Education Law, Estate Planning, and Property Law. His work in law and business has given him a practical perspective on policies that uphold economic freedom and property rights. Michael is currently pursuing an MSc in Educational Assessment from the University of Oxford refining his expertise in educational policy and assessment to advance effective practices in education.

April Weaver

Alabama

In July 2021, Senator April Weaver was elected to serve Alabama’s 14th Senate District, which includes portions of Shelby, Bibb, and Chilton Counties. Prior to joining the upper chamber, she previously served in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010-2020, where she became the first woman in state history to serve as the Chair of the House Health Committee.

Following her service in the House, Weaver was appointed by President Donald J. Trump as regional director of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for Region IV where she was responsible for leading the agency’s efforts in eight southern states, as well as the six federally recognized Indian tribes located within the region.

A nurse who holds bachelors and masters degrees in Business Administration, she has been instrumental in shaping healthcare policy throughout Alabama for more than a decade. Weaver has more than 25 years of leadership experience in healthcare administration and is currently the only Republican woman serving in the Alabama Senate.

Tom Willis

West Virginia

Tom Willis is a Special Forces Green Beret veteran and community leader in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia. He serves as a litigation, real estate and business planning attorney with the Martinsburg, WV law firm of Glenloch Legal, P.L.C. where he is a founding partner.

Early in his career, Tom worked as an international business attorney in the Washington, D.C., office of the world’s largest law firm after clerking for a Federal Judge at the U.S. Tax Court. He also has experience in venture capital and leading investment projects. He graduated from Georgetown University School of Law with Honors and completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Virginia.

Tom is an Eagle Scout and is a Lieutenant Colonel in the West Virginia National Guard having joined up in 2000 in Kingwood, WV. As a Special Forces Green Beret, he has traveled to dozens of countries all over the world including tours to uproot communist insurgents in South America and terrorists in the Middle East. He speaks English, French, Spanish and Russian. Tom is a published author and has spoken as a guest on FOX BUSINESS ®, CNN ®, and i24 NEWS®.

As a founding Board Member, Tom helped establish the Rick Herrema Foundation, a non-profit to help military members and their families adapt to stresses of military life. He currently serves on Shepherd University’s Board of Advisors for the Hunter Carlos Willis Aviation Program.

Returning from deployments around the world, Tom and his wife Sara have raised their three children in Hedgesville, West Virginia, since 2015. He enjoys outdoor recreation, firearms, talking to people, reading history, and singing. Tom’s life experiences, including military training, living overseas, and the trials of losing his first wife and later his oldest son to cancer, help him to connect at a heart level with many.

Jace Yarbrough

Texas

Jace is a partner at a litigation boutique that fights for conservative causes and clients across the country. Raised in rural West Texas, he earned bachelor’s degrees in Electrical Engineering and Government from the University of Texas at Austin. He also earned a law degree from Stanford Law School, where he served as president of his law school’s chapter of the Federalist Society. He is a former fellow of the John Jay Institute for Faith, Society and Law, Alliance Defending Freedom’s Blackstone Legal Fellowship, and the Claremont Institute.

After college, Jace served as an officer in the United States Air Force; he continues that service today in the Air Force Reserves. After law school, he was a commercial litigator at the Dallas office of a Texas-based, global law firm. Based on his commitment to school choice and parental empowerment in education, he is the co-founder of a low-cost, classical Christian school, serving families in North Texas. He is married to his high school sweetheart, with whom he is raising their five children.