Politics

The Heritage Foundation Names Dr. Kevin Roberts Next President

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Jorge Velasco Contributor
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Conservative think tank Heritage Foundation announced Dr. Kevin Roberts as its next chief executive Thursday afternoon.

Roberts, CEO of nonprofit research institute Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF), comes with leadership experience as he enters Washington, D.C. from Austin, Texas.

“Under his leadership, TPPF more than doubled in size and expanded its influence nationwide, opening an office in Washington DC,” said Bridgett Wagner, Vice President of Policy Promotion for The Heritage Foundation in a statement.

Before TPPF, Roberts was president of Wyoming Catholic College and received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Texas in Austin. 

Roberts will replace Kay Cole James, who has served as president of the think tank since 2018.

“In our many conversations with Kevin, we appreciated his entrepreneurial spirit, his enthusiasm for conservative solutions, and the different perspective he’ll bring as a D.C. outsider,” said Heritage Chairman Barb Van Andel-Gaby.

“He’s closely plugged into the broader conservative movement and shares our belief that Heritage must lead not only conservatives—but America—with a positive vision for the future.”

Former Vice President Mike Pence, a distinguished visiting fellow at Heritage congratulated Roberts in a tweet Thursday.

The Heritage Foundation has played a considerable role in D.C. as a conservative organization, and is anticipated to be a key player in the upcoming 2022 midterm elections as well as the 2024 presidential election, reported The Hill.

The Heritage board narrowed down a list of more than 100 names down to nearly half-a-dozen candidates before offering them in-person interviews, RealClearPolitics reported.

Various ex-Trump officials were shortlisted, such as former White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney, former Secretary of Labor Eugene Scalia, and even former Vice President Mike Pence were considered, according to the outlet.