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Since 1992, SPN has worked to be a force for good locally, training leaders and catalyzing thriving, durable freedom infrastructure networks in every state, anchored with high-performing, independent state think tanks. SPN’s 50-state Network are ideally positioned to listen to and learn from people about the issues they care about and bring them together to fuel ground-up solutions that enhance lives and livelihoods.

Under Tracie’s leadership, State Policy Network has grown from 36 think tanks in 34 states with combined revenues of about $15 million in 1999. Today SPN serves a collaborative Network of over 200 think tank members and partners, including 64 independent, state-focused think tanks in all 50 states who employ over 1,100 staff, with combined revenues exceeding $188 million. During that time SPN’s own revenues have grown from just under $200,000 in 1999 to over $26 million in 2023.

Background

Tracie helped launch Oregon’s market-oriented state think tank, Cascade Policy Institute, in 1991. Prior to her leadership at Cascade Policy Institute, Tracie worked alongside Washington State radio commentator John Carlson, serving as director of programs at the Washington Institute for Policy Studies in Seattle (now Washington Policy Center). During that time, she was also active in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound, and HOPE Worldwide, a volunteer community alleviating poverty on the front lines.

Tracie earned a degree in history from the University of Washington. She and her husband and sons live in the San Francisco Bay area. Her family is active in local charitable efforts, including the award-winning e-Soccer and e-Hoops programs, serving special needs children across the Bay area.

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Tony previously served as president of the Bill of Rights Institute, and before that the Market-Based Management Institute. He has also served as president of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. An alumnus of the University of North Carolina, he has a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Michigan, and an MFA from Wichita State University. Tony has appeared in media outlets including Fox News, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Post, National Review, and C-SPAN’s Washington Journal.

Tony is also the author of I, Citizen: A Blueprint for Reclaiming American Self-Governance. In writing I, Citizen, Tony conducted extensive research on American public opinion to find out what Americans believe and uncover the source of their political animosities. Through his research, Tony discovered that America is more united than divided, despite what the pundits tell us, and traced the source of our perceived animosity to a small minority of dedicated partisans within the political establishment of Washington, DC. I, Citizen tells the story of how these partisans have created the myth of a divided America and how they’ve concentrated power in the hands of unelected bureaucrats and partisan elites, and offers practical solutions for how we can reclaim our right to self-governance by focusing on solutions and commonalities closer to home.

To schedule an interview with Tony, contact Camille Walsh at walsh@spn.org.

Broadcast:

State Bans on Critical Race Theory Won’t Work
Tony Woodlief on Fox News

Op-eds and Commentary:

How to Stop Worrying About Presidential Elections and Learn to Love Federalism
Tony Woodlief in the Washington Examiner | November 2, 2024

Avoiding the Tyranny of Federal ‘Guidance’
Tony Woodlief in Governing | April 26, 2024

Politicians’ Backstabbing Family Members are the Worst
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World  | October 30, 2022

The Right’s New Divide: Frodo versus Boromir
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World  | October 4, 2022

America Doesn’t Need to Argue Less, It Needs to Argue Better
Tony Woodlief at RealClearBooks | June 2, 2022

An Un-American accusation
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World | May 30, 2022

Beware, Party Bosses, the Rise of the Unaffiliateds is Coming For You
Tony Woodlief in The Washington Post | April 14, 2022

The Myth of Our Coming National Divorce
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World | March 22, 2022

Let Our Communities Lead
Tony Woodlief at National Review | March 4, 2022

The Rise of the Interloping Radicals
Tony Woodlief in Spectator World  | January 19, 2022

Repairing Citizenship
A Review of Tony Woodlief’s Book I, Citizen at Law & Liberty | January 18, 2022

Independent Voters are Alive and Well—and Angrier Than Ever
Tony Woodlief in The New York Post  | December 11, 2021

Is America in ‘a Cold Civil War’? Not at All.
Governing | October 8, 2021

State Bans on Critical Race Theory Won’t Work
The Wall Street Journal | August 20, 2021

All Agree: Better Voting Access and Security Are Needed
Real Clear Politics | September 11, 2021

Free Speech Absolutism Killed Free Speech
The Wall Street Journal | September 7, 2020

The Overlooked Potential of State AGs for Police Reform
Governing | June 15, 2020

The Fragility of Citizenship
Tony Woodlief with Victor Davis Hanson on Center for Civil Society’s webinar | December 8, 2022

The Rise of Independents 
Tony Woodlief on the Michael Smerconish Show | April 19, 2022

Can Federalism Save America?
A Conversation with Fox News’ Guy Benson and Tony Woodlief | March 24, 2022

The Rise of the Independent Voter
Tony Woodlief on Wake Up Columbia with Branden Rathert (Missouri) | February 9, 2022

Is America Divided?
Tony Woodlief on the Moon Griffon Show (Louisiana) | February 9, 2022

Reclaiming American Self-Governance
Tony Woodlief on C-SPAN’s Washington Journal | December 23, 2021

Independent voters ANGRIER than ever, will the parties SMARTEN UP and find better 2024 candidates?
Tony Woodlief on The Hill TV | December 17, 2021

How Americans Can Reclaim Self-Governance
Tony Woodlief on the Michael Berry Show | December 17, 2021

I, Citizen Takeaways
Tony Woodlief on the Jim Bohannon Radio Show | December 6, 2021

The Rise of Independents
Tony Woodlief on the Lars Larson Show | November 15, 2021

Election 2021 and the Rise of the Independent Voter
Tony Woodlief on Fox News Radio | November 9, 2021

State Bans on Critical Race Theory
Tony Woodlief on the David Webb Show | August 27, 2021

Podcasts

State Policy Network: State-Based Infrastructure for Freedom
Tony Woodlief on the Future of Freedom Podcast | July 12, 2022

Tony Woodlief: I, Citizen
Tony Woodlief on the Civil Squared Podcast | December 13, 2021

What Does ‘Self-Governance’ Look Like In The Era Of Community Decay?
Tony Woodlief on The Federalist Podcast | December 13, 2021

Podcast: Can American Self-Governance Be Saved?
Tony Woodlief on the Spectator Podcast | December 8, 2021

I, Citizen: A Blueprint for Reclaiming American Self‐​Governance
Tony Woodlief on the Cato Daily Podcast | December 7, 2021

Episode 381: I, Citizen by Tony Woodlief
Tony Woodlief on National Review’s Bookmonger Podcast | December 6, 2021

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Emily previously served as Vice President of External Relations at the Illinois Policy Institute. In that role, she was responsible for building and strengthening the Institute’s relationships with its investors. She also served as Vice President of Development Strategy at Bearing Tree, where she advised a variety of nonprofit partners on growing their donor base.

Prior to joining the Illinois Policy Institute, she led the development team at the Bill of Rights Institute, an organization dedicated to educating young Americans about the Constitution. While there, she also helped oversee several initiatives, including the creation of a full-length digital civics and economics textbook.

Emily graduated from Bethel College in Indiana with degrees in Economics and Business Administration. She lives in Knoxville, TN with her husband and two sons.

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Rebecca is recognized for shaping strategic priorities and driving organizational success. She spearheaded tripling SPN’s revenue growth, ensuring SPN’s financial stability and increasing major donor contributions fivefold. By attracting and developing a top-tier fundraising team, and promoting a culture of philanthropy, she expanded SPN’s major donor base, generating over $10M from 43 new donors in six years. Over the past eight years, Rebecca has consulted with Network CEOs and development leaders, enhancing policy outcomes, infrastructure, and fundraising strategies.

From 2008 to 2012, Rebecca served as Vice President of Development at the South Carolina Policy Council (SCPC), where she revolutionized the fundraising strategy by shifting focus from corporate to individual donors. She built and led a high-performing team, resulting in a 176% increase in individual donor revenue, surpassing major gift goals by 156%, and growing the donor base by 115%. These efforts solidified SCPC’s financial foundation and ensured long-term success.

From 2012 to 2014, Rebecca was the Manager of Donor Relations at State Policy Network (SPN), managing a diverse portfolio across 21 states. Her strategic outreach and proactive engagement deepened donor relationships and enhanced financial contributions. Rebecca’s ability to align donors’ goals with SPN’s mission created a highly personalized giving experience, strengthening donor loyalty and expanding support. She implemented a targeted moves management strategy for over 100 donors, boosting annual and major gift revenue across regions from Oregon to New York, laying the groundwork for sustainable growth.

From 2014 to 2017, Rebecca served as the Senior Development Officer at Norwich University, the nation’s oldest private military college. She led fundraising initiatives, forging key relationships with university leaders, board members, and stakeholders. Working alongside figures like General Gordon Sullivan and President Rich Schneider, Rebecca’s leadership contributed to a 24% increase in fundraising beyond campaign goals. She also secured $750K in supplementary funding, improving the university’s financial stability and providing flexibility for future projects.

In 2017, Rebecca rejoined State Policy Network (SPN) as Vice President of Strategic Partnerships and was promoted to Senior Vice President in 2024. As a core member of the leadership team, she has played a crucial role in shaping SPN’s strategic vision, ensuring financial stability, and driving programmatic growth. Rebecca oversees strategic partnerships, development, communications, and donor engagement, collaborating with the board and 62 affiliate think tanks across 50 states. Under her leadership, she built a high-retention 17-person development team and SPN’s revenue tripled from $9M to $27M.

Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Public Relations, with a Minor in French, from the University of South Carolina. Her academic background provided a strong foundation in strategic communication, media relations, and cross-cultural understanding, further enhancing her ability to effectively engage with diverse audiences and stakeholders throughout her career.

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Todd began his career in the freedom movement at Kansas Policy Institute where his research focus was tax reform and K-12 finance. Over the years he has helped start over a dozen state think tanks and guided over 30 SPN members through strategic planning processes. Todd received a Bachelors and Master’s degree in economics from the University of Kansas. In his spare time Todd enjoys hiking and cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.

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Prior to joining SPN, Brooke was the Vice President of Communications at the John Locke Foundation, a state-based think tank in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Brooke’s writing has been published in outlets such as The Hill, Entrepreneur, Washington Examiner, WORLD, Daily Signal, and other publications. In addition, she is a contributor to The Digital Public Square: Christian Ethics in a Technological Society, published by B&H Academic Press. Brooke was also the executive producer of Sowing Resilience, Securing Our Food Supply from Farm to Table, a feature length film about North Carolina’s food systems and agriculture industry, as well as A Letter to the King, a film highlighting the historical significance of the Edenton Tea Party, America’s first all-female political movement.

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