June 30, 2026 • 19 mins
Emily was appointed as chief executive officer of Americans for Prosperity in 2017. As CEO, Emily drives the organization’s mission and strategy to build a permanent grassroots presence that educates and activates citizens to advocate for policies that will help people improve their lives. Emily has been a public policy advocate for the past decade, building policy coalitions of principled lawmakers to unleash opportunities for all Americans to pursue their dreams. Emily also served as the director of special projects at Koch Companies Public Sector, where she worked on a team to build some of the capabilities that make up the Stand Together community today.
Emily has over two decades of experience in policy and politics. She spent 12 years serving the U.S. House of Representatives, working for various House Republican leaders in the Speaker’s office and at the House Republican Conference, including Vice President Mike Pence. Emily is a graduate of Middlebury College, with a focus on international politics and economics. Originally from Minnesota, Emily and her husband now live in suburban Virginia with their two children.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Well, I'm originally from Minnesota and I went to school
in Middlebury College in Vermont.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, well, there's a lot to talk about when
it comes to Americans for prosperity. I do want to
talk about you coming out of school, though, you know,
when we talk about leaders and CEOs, you know, there's
so many things that you can do. And that's where
you find yourself at school. As you were going to
post secondary. What kind of turned you on and what
did you want to do?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You know, it's actually kind of funny. When I was
in college, I studied international politics and economics, and I
was really fascinated with how underdeveloped countries became developed countries.
I really thought that the United States had it all
figured out, and I wanted to go see how we
could help other countries figure it out too. And then
(00:48):
and then I came, I went to Capitol Hill, and
I found out that we actually don't have it all
figured out, and so that changed the trajectory of my
career pretty quickly. But it was an interesting transition from
the study of countries to actually seeing the politics up close.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I bet it was. And then, of course, is inside
baseball when you're working on Capitol Hill, And I'm kind
of curious as you did that when what first opened
your eyes to the power of grassroots activism and how
did that lead you to AFP.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yeah, I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to
work on Capitol Hill because what I saw up close
and personal is that lawmakers really respond when constituents speak up,
and it requires that you look past some of the
flashy headlines and all the lobbying activity to see the
emails and the phone calls and the letters and the
(01:41):
personal stories that are coming directly from constituents and from
the folks back home. And that experience really changed the
way that I thought about how people and government should
work together, because I saw the power of everyday Americans
when they are equipped to engage and advocate effectively. And
(02:02):
that's ultimately why I came to AFP, because that's what
we do.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
If you could indulge me just for a moment with
our listeners, because I think a lot of people while
they've heard about AFP, there's a lot that happen and
I'd love to know the history. I know everything started
back in two thousand and four. Can you give us
a brief history.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, AFP started in two thousand and four in community
in a community in the Midwest, and we have grown
to be thirty seven state chapters across the country. We
haven't lost that grassroots origin story, if you will, And
so that's what we do. And we've made a long
term investment since two thousand and four in people and
(02:40):
in communities across the country. And I think one of
the things that's important to understand about that is that
that doesn't mean that we sort of pop up and
pop down around a specific policy fight or an election,
like a lot of other organizations sort of scale up
and scale down when the opportunities present themselves. We are
there year round, three sixty five. So what that looks
(03:02):
like is basically, we're a team of neighbors who help
people advocate and engage their lawmakers and turn their personal
experiences into policy solutions.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well, you're kind of leading into this, but I love
to talk about mission and vision, and as on the
website learning about AFP, I know it is ultra important
and for our listeners who may not know what does
grassroots advocacy actually look like in a practice, as we
talk about mission.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
And vision, Yeah, well, let me give you an example
and then we can go deeper on vision. If that's helpful. Yeah,
let me give you an example, because this is the
best way I think to understand what grassroots ad because
he really looks like there's an amazing person in Texas
named Joel. Joel was a school teacher and he saw
(03:47):
a lot of amazing, bright kids coming through his classroom
and succeeding. But he also saw his school failing to
help all the children succeed, and so he took that
experience and he turned it into action. He wanted to
be part of a solution for those kids that were
(04:07):
getting left behind. But what he ran into was that
the solution that he wanted to offer, which was a
school that could uniquely help some of those students that
weren't thriving in the regular environment, it was really hard
for students to access that school, and so AFP came
alongside him to amplify his story, to connect him with lawmakers,
(04:28):
to connect him with media and other activists who are
also passionate about the issue. And the result of Joel's
decision to try to fix a problem that he saw
in front of him was the most comprehensive school choice
program in the country finally passed by lawmakers in Texas
that's really changing the lives of so many of the
(04:49):
students that he saw. To me, that's a great example
of grassroots activism because what we're trying to do is
not speak for people. What we're trying to do is
help people speak for themselves and drive change.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
You know, I do want to talk to you about
differentiating yourself, and I know there's many advocacy organizations out
there in America today about what makes AFP different. But
before you do that, I'm just kind of wondering. You know,
when this started back in two thousand and four and
then when you join in twenty seventeen, politics has changed,
news media landscape, I mean everything A WEE could go
on and make that our own separate podcast. But with
(05:24):
the mission vision what you talked about, has there have
been similarities and if so, is anything changed in those
original points that they wanted to start at AFP.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Well, I think the thing that's always been consistent is
that our ultimate mission is to help all Americans pursue
their American dream, and we do that through freedom and opportunity,
like full stop. That's that's what we do. We believe
and then and we still do that the people who
are often closest to the problems, like Joel, are also
(05:55):
the best position to solve those problems. I think that
the thing that has changed and one of the biggest
challenges that we experience right now is declining trust in
institutions especially, but also in politics and in one another
in this country. And so, you know, one of the
things that I think has has really sharpened our focus
(06:16):
is this realization that more and more people feel like
politics and what's happening in our country is sort of
happening to them instead of something that they have the
power to drive and change and improve. And so you know,
I tell my kids all the time, rebuilding trust is
really hard. Yeah, but that's why we're so heavy on
(06:39):
local engagement and relationship building because that's that's that's what
we see today that we didn't see as much at
the beginning of AFP's engagement. And you know twenty two
years ago, is that decline and trust?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
All right, Well, thank you for sharing that, and I
can tell that you care, and that's what it's all about,
especially when you're leading a company and circling back about
all the different advocacy organizations that are out in America today.
What makes AFP different than everybody else?
Speaker 1 (07:08):
I think what makes AFP different than everybody else? And
you're right, there are a lot of advocacy organizations out there,
and that's a good thing, by the way, for our country.
But I think what makes AFP different is, I would
say too, where it's trust and accountability. Because we are
in communities day in and day out through sixty five
we are, we're there and we do a lot of
(07:31):
talking to people at events or on their doorsteps about
the barriers that are standing in the way of them
achieving the American dream, which means we end up doing
a lot of talking about policy and politics. And look,
you can ask anybody from any other advocacy organization who's
been knocking on a door around a political campaign maybe
(07:51):
or a policy fight. There are a lot of people
who don't want to talk about policy and politics in
today's environment. And so I think what sets apart is
that we do it differently. We're not there with talking
points and sort of we're there with a conversation. We
(08:12):
don't parachute in. We're part of their community. We listen,
we make connections, but people are exhausted by politics today.
They want something authentic and that's really what sets afep apart.
Where where that neighbors talking to neighbors model.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Well, I think that is well said, and Emily, I
can tell in the short term that I've gotten to
know you that you're also passionate about what you do.
And all our leaders are in this series. But I
know that you would probably agree, and I'd love for
you to talk about them, that no leader can run
their passion and all the gifts that you have unless
they have an excellent team. Can you talk a little
bit about them?
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Oh my gosh. This so we have, you know, hundreds
of people across the country who wake up every day
wondering how they can drive more freedom and more opportunity
for more people in this country. And that in and
of itself is inspiring. But one of the things that
I think is keeps everybody so motivated are people like
(09:09):
Joel in Texas. But there are people like him in
every single state in our country. I mean, I can
think about somebody like Will in Wisconsin who his American
dream was to open a brewery. That's for Wisconsin, right,
but he wanted to open a brewery, and there's this
crazy regulation in the state that told him that he
couldn't because he was married to somebody whose family owned
(09:32):
a bar. And so the state's solution was that he
divorced his wife and disown his kids so that he
could live the American dream. It's insane, right, but he
started fighting. We came alongside and we helped, and we
helped him drive the change that he knew that he
wanted to see in the country. And that's you know,
(09:53):
there's dol, there's will. The people who are driving this
change are not career politicians or or even career activists.
They're just people who discover that they can have an
influence and they can create change that maybe they never
thought possible and bye by speaking up and by by
(10:15):
partnering with others in their community who share their concerns.
And that's that's what it's all about.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Well, thanks for sharing that. And I guess the other
thing that I'd love to talk to you about our
challenges because I know that things are going well, but
there's always challenges out there and it sounds like you
like to hit them head on with your team. But
as you have challenges that you're facing with civic engagement
in public trust right now? What are they?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You know, people aren't sure what to believe. You know,
you can go back to some of the original documents
in our country and even somebody like Alexus to Toakville
who famously wrote about how astonished he was to see
what was happening in civil society in America. And I
(11:02):
think his quote that the strength of free people's resides
in local community, that line has always stuck with me,
that strong civic participation is truly the foundation of our country.
And right now, I think I have a real concern
that yes, trust and institutions is declining, but also is
(11:24):
pride in being an American. At the same time, the
size and scope of our government has gotten bigger and
bigger and is sort of usurping the agency that DETEFO
saw way back when in people feeling ownership over their
community and their future. And so that's a really big
challenge for our entire country to grapple with over the
(11:48):
next decade. Probably. I mean, this is this is a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
You know, this is a good segue because we like
to talk about leadership on this podcast and see, as
you should know and I think you're talking about something
that hits home. And it doesn't matter if you're selling
widgets or doing what you're doing with Afpmly, when you
lead a team and times are tough out there, people
can get down pretty quickly and you have to rally
the troops up. They're probably not realizing that maybe you're
having those same struggles, but you have to lead all
(12:13):
of them. When it comes to leadership and there is
a tough day, a tough week, a tough month, how
do you lead your people?
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Well, we focus on outcomes and so you know, luckily
what I was saying earlier about how we believe that
the people who are closest to the problem are often
the best suited to find the solution and drive towards it.
That is absolutely critical to being able to drive outcomes,
even in a tough environment. And so you know, watching
(12:44):
people find their voice, watching people advocate, and even if
that change doesn't come easily, you see their engagement and
it's hard to be demotivated when you see people find
that motivation in themselves.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
That's really well said. And you know the other thing
I want to ask you by leadership, and I'm sure
you'd agree with me that because the world is moving
so fast, and I can give you examples around here
where I work, is that when we have a victory
or win, we don't have too much time to celebrate
it because the next thing is coming up. Do you
get a chance to do that at all as a
leader and with your team, to celebrate those victories with
other big or small.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Oh, we try, you know, there's so much happening at
any given time. I know a lot of folks want
to be on to the next thing and the next thing, right,
but we do. In fact, one of the things that
I love the best about this organization is at the
engine of it, the core, the most important piece of
this organization are the grassroots organizers on the ground, hundreds
(13:47):
of them across the country. They're the ones who are
making those connections. They are the ones who are finding
the people whose voices we can empower to drive change.
And so every year we celebrate the of them. And
it's sort of like the Academy Awards, Like even being
nominated is a big deal in love itself, but then
(14:08):
ultimately there is one grassroots Engagement Director of the Year
and it is the best. It's honestly the best part
of the year to be part of that ceremony and
that recognition.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Well, I like that you do that. So beyond policy,
AFP talks a lot about community and civic engagement. Why
is that so important to you personally?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Well, I was saying earlier that strong civic participation is
absolutely core to our country. You know, I think you
know it's two hundred and fiftieth anniversary this year, and
so reflecting back on what the founding fathers did, which
is instill incredible trust in people, which was a radical
(14:50):
idea at the time, and our history and our ability
to live up to some of the principles and the
Declaration of Independence is messy and unfinished. And so that's
why that's why AFP put such a huge emphasis on
volunteers and community based engagement and community building. It's because
(15:17):
we want people to see themselves in that story and
feel hopeful about their role in the future of our country.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
You know, one other thing I'd like to talk to
you about is the future. I know as a leader,
you're always looking forward to listen to administrations changes and news,
organization change, people change, and we're living in a very
fluid society. As you look down the next couple of years,
two to five years. What were your hopes, your dreams,
but also what are you planning to do and what
would you like to execute with your team.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Well, you know, I worked on Capitol Hill twenty six
years ago, and I remember being a young kid at
that time and listening to lawmakers speak passionately about some
really serious challenges that our country was facing. And those
challenges were just far enough off but also just close
enough that they felt urgent, but they felt it felt
(16:09):
like we could tackle them. And I'm speaking specifically about
what lawmakers would have said as the looming insolvency of
major programs that millions and millions of people depend on,
like Social Security and medicare now our country. Congress after Congress,
(16:30):
administration after administration, both Republican and Democrat have kicked that
can down the road over the twenty six years since
I first started on the hill, and we're kicking the
can down the road before I got to the hill.
And so those two programs in particular are scheduled to
be insolvent in twenty thirty two. That's literally right around
the corner. The people who are elected in this year's
(16:52):
Senate elections are going to be casting votes in the
Senate to you know, around whatever it is that our
country decides to do about that issue. And so that's
a very specific example, but there are a lot of
policy issues like that that are going to have generational consequences,
both at the federal and the state level, and that's
(17:14):
what our organization is laser focused on getting engaged in
and trying to move to a productive conclusion so that
more people, so that these things don't become the barriers
that people are pointing to when they say this is
why I can't achieve the American dream.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Well said, well, listen, I've enjoyed this conversation. I want
to get some final thoughts from you. We want to
give the website if you're hiring, and also people want
to volunteer. I think they'd like to find out how
to do that. So I did some final thoughts about
what we talked about and kind of a recap Emily,
the floor is yours.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Well, thank you. I guess if there was one thing
that I would hope that people take away from this conversation,
it's that change starts with people. AFP is founded on
that idea and When we say people, we mean people
who are listening to your program, Dennis, I mean not
political insiders. That's not who I'm talking about here. I'm
(18:07):
talking about citizens who are willing to take a one
small step to get involved and have their voices heard
on the issues that matter most to them. And so,
if there's one thing that I hope that people take
away from this, it's that you're more powerful than you
think you are.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, that is really well said. Listen, you guys have
a beautiful website. It's easy to navigate. Give my best
to the people designed it because there is a lot
of information on there, but it's easy to access what
is that and also let people know how they can
volunteer and be a part of AFP.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yes, our website is Americans for Prosperity dot org and
we are always looking for people who are passionate about
these issues and about helping people engage in their communities
and make a difference. And so if you want to
learn more, if you want to get involved or explore
opportunities to work with us, visit Americans for Prosperity dot org.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
It's Janning Emily. Thank you so much for youvaluable time
I really appreciate it, and I'm so glad that we
could feature and spotlight you and AFP on CEOs. You
should know. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Thank you Dennis
Well, I'm originally from Minnesota and I went to school
in Middlebury College in Vermont.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, well, there's a lot to talk about when
it comes to Americans for prosperity. I do want to
talk about you coming out of school, though, you know,
when we talk about leaders and CEOs, you know, there's
so many things that you can do. And that's where
you find yourself at school. As you were going to
post secondary. What kind of turned you on and what
did you want to do?
Speaker 1 (00:28):
You know, it's actually kind of funny. When I was
in college, I studied international politics and economics, and I
was really fascinated with how underdeveloped countries became developed countries.
I really thought that the United States had it all
figured out, and I wanted to go see how we
could help other countries figure it out too. And then
(00:48):
and then I came, I went to Capitol Hill, and
I found out that we actually don't have it all
figured out, and so that changed the trajectory of my
career pretty quickly. But it was an interesting transition from
the study of countries to actually seeing the politics up close.
Speaker 2 (01:08):
I bet it was. And then, of course, is inside
baseball when you're working on Capitol Hill, And I'm kind
of curious as you did that when what first opened
your eyes to the power of grassroots activism and how
did that lead you to AFP.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
Yeah, I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to
work on Capitol Hill because what I saw up close
and personal is that lawmakers really respond when constituents speak up,
and it requires that you look past some of the
flashy headlines and all the lobbying activity to see the
emails and the phone calls and the letters and the
(01:41):
personal stories that are coming directly from constituents and from
the folks back home. And that experience really changed the
way that I thought about how people and government should
work together, because I saw the power of everyday Americans
when they are equipped to engage and advocate effectively. And
(02:02):
that's ultimately why I came to AFP, because that's what
we do.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
If you could indulge me just for a moment with
our listeners, because I think a lot of people while
they've heard about AFP, there's a lot that happen and
I'd love to know the history. I know everything started
back in two thousand and four. Can you give us
a brief history.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
Yeah, AFP started in two thousand and four in community
in a community in the Midwest, and we have grown
to be thirty seven state chapters across the country. We
haven't lost that grassroots origin story, if you will, And
so that's what we do. And we've made a long
term investment since two thousand and four in people and
(02:40):
in communities across the country. And I think one of
the things that's important to understand about that is that
that doesn't mean that we sort of pop up and
pop down around a specific policy fight or an election,
like a lot of other organizations sort of scale up
and scale down when the opportunities present themselves. We are
there year round, three sixty five. So what that looks
(03:02):
like is basically, we're a team of neighbors who help
people advocate and engage their lawmakers and turn their personal
experiences into policy solutions.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Well, you're kind of leading into this, but I love
to talk about mission and vision, and as on the
website learning about AFP, I know it is ultra important
and for our listeners who may not know what does
grassroots advocacy actually look like in a practice, as we
talk about mission.
Speaker 1 (03:26):
And vision, Yeah, well, let me give you an example
and then we can go deeper on vision. If that's helpful. Yeah,
let me give you an example, because this is the
best way I think to understand what grassroots ad because
he really looks like there's an amazing person in Texas
named Joel. Joel was a school teacher and he saw
(03:47):
a lot of amazing, bright kids coming through his classroom
and succeeding. But he also saw his school failing to
help all the children succeed, and so he took that
experience and he turned it into action. He wanted to
be part of a solution for those kids that were
(04:07):
getting left behind. But what he ran into was that
the solution that he wanted to offer, which was a
school that could uniquely help some of those students that
weren't thriving in the regular environment, it was really hard
for students to access that school, and so AFP came
alongside him to amplify his story, to connect him with lawmakers,
(04:28):
to connect him with media and other activists who are
also passionate about the issue. And the result of Joel's
decision to try to fix a problem that he saw
in front of him was the most comprehensive school choice
program in the country finally passed by lawmakers in Texas
that's really changing the lives of so many of the
(04:49):
students that he saw. To me, that's a great example
of grassroots activism because what we're trying to do is
not speak for people. What we're trying to do is
help people speak for themselves and drive change.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
You know, I do want to talk to you about
differentiating yourself, and I know there's many advocacy organizations out
there in America today about what makes AFP different. But
before you do that, I'm just kind of wondering. You know,
when this started back in two thousand and four and
then when you join in twenty seventeen, politics has changed,
news media landscape, I mean everything A WEE could go
on and make that our own separate podcast. But with
(05:24):
the mission vision what you talked about, has there have
been similarities and if so, is anything changed in those
original points that they wanted to start at AFP.
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Well, I think the thing that's always been consistent is
that our ultimate mission is to help all Americans pursue
their American dream, and we do that through freedom and opportunity,
like full stop. That's that's what we do. We believe
and then and we still do that the people who
are often closest to the problems, like Joel, are also
(05:55):
the best position to solve those problems. I think that
the thing that has changed and one of the biggest
challenges that we experience right now is declining trust in
institutions especially, but also in politics and in one another
in this country. And so, you know, one of the
things that I think has has really sharpened our focus
(06:16):
is this realization that more and more people feel like
politics and what's happening in our country is sort of
happening to them instead of something that they have the
power to drive and change and improve. And so you know,
I tell my kids all the time, rebuilding trust is
really hard. Yeah, but that's why we're so heavy on
(06:39):
local engagement and relationship building because that's that's that's what
we see today that we didn't see as much at
the beginning of AFP's engagement. And you know twenty two
years ago, is that decline and trust?
Speaker 2 (06:53):
All right, Well, thank you for sharing that, and I
can tell that you care, and that's what it's all about,
especially when you're leading a company and circling back about
all the different advocacy organizations that are out in America today.
What makes AFP different than everybody else?
Speaker 1 (07:08):
I think what makes AFP different than everybody else? And
you're right, there are a lot of advocacy organizations out there,
and that's a good thing, by the way, for our country.
But I think what makes AFP different is, I would
say too, where it's trust and accountability. Because we are
in communities day in and day out through sixty five
we are, we're there and we do a lot of
(07:31):
talking to people at events or on their doorsteps about
the barriers that are standing in the way of them
achieving the American dream, which means we end up doing
a lot of talking about policy and politics. And look,
you can ask anybody from any other advocacy organization who's
been knocking on a door around a political campaign maybe
(07:51):
or a policy fight. There are a lot of people
who don't want to talk about policy and politics in
today's environment. And so I think what sets apart is
that we do it differently. We're not there with talking
points and sort of we're there with a conversation. We
(08:12):
don't parachute in. We're part of their community. We listen,
we make connections, but people are exhausted by politics today.
They want something authentic and that's really what sets afep apart.
Where where that neighbors talking to neighbors model.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Well, I think that is well said, and Emily, I
can tell in the short term that I've gotten to
know you that you're also passionate about what you do.
And all our leaders are in this series. But I
know that you would probably agree, and I'd love for
you to talk about them, that no leader can run
their passion and all the gifts that you have unless
they have an excellent team. Can you talk a little
bit about them?
Speaker 1 (08:47):
Oh my gosh. This so we have, you know, hundreds
of people across the country who wake up every day
wondering how they can drive more freedom and more opportunity
for more people in this country. And that in and
of itself is inspiring. But one of the things that
I think is keeps everybody so motivated are people like
(09:09):
Joel in Texas. But there are people like him in
every single state in our country. I mean, I can
think about somebody like Will in Wisconsin who his American
dream was to open a brewery. That's for Wisconsin, right,
but he wanted to open a brewery, and there's this
crazy regulation in the state that told him that he
couldn't because he was married to somebody whose family owned
(09:32):
a bar. And so the state's solution was that he
divorced his wife and disown his kids so that he
could live the American dream. It's insane, right, but he
started fighting. We came alongside and we helped, and we
helped him drive the change that he knew that he
wanted to see in the country. And that's you know,
(09:53):
there's dol, there's will. The people who are driving this
change are not career politicians or or even career activists.
They're just people who discover that they can have an
influence and they can create change that maybe they never
thought possible and bye by speaking up and by by
(10:15):
partnering with others in their community who share their concerns.
And that's that's what it's all about.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Well, thanks for sharing that. And I guess the other
thing that I'd love to talk to you about our
challenges because I know that things are going well, but
there's always challenges out there and it sounds like you
like to hit them head on with your team. But
as you have challenges that you're facing with civic engagement
in public trust right now? What are they?
Speaker 1 (10:39):
You know, people aren't sure what to believe. You know,
you can go back to some of the original documents
in our country and even somebody like Alexus to Toakville
who famously wrote about how astonished he was to see
what was happening in civil society in America. And I
(11:02):
think his quote that the strength of free people's resides
in local community, that line has always stuck with me,
that strong civic participation is truly the foundation of our country.
And right now, I think I have a real concern
that yes, trust and institutions is declining, but also is
(11:24):
pride in being an American. At the same time, the
size and scope of our government has gotten bigger and
bigger and is sort of usurping the agency that DETEFO
saw way back when in people feeling ownership over their
community and their future. And so that's a really big
challenge for our entire country to grapple with over the
(11:48):
next decade. Probably. I mean, this is this is a
big deal.
Speaker 2 (11:52):
You know, this is a good segue because we like
to talk about leadership on this podcast and see, as
you should know and I think you're talking about something
that hits home. And it doesn't matter if you're selling
widgets or doing what you're doing with Afpmly, when you
lead a team and times are tough out there, people
can get down pretty quickly and you have to rally
the troops up. They're probably not realizing that maybe you're
having those same struggles, but you have to lead all
(12:13):
of them. When it comes to leadership and there is
a tough day, a tough week, a tough month, how
do you lead your people?
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Well, we focus on outcomes and so you know, luckily
what I was saying earlier about how we believe that
the people who are closest to the problem are often
the best suited to find the solution and drive towards it.
That is absolutely critical to being able to drive outcomes,
even in a tough environment. And so you know, watching
(12:44):
people find their voice, watching people advocate, and even if
that change doesn't come easily, you see their engagement and
it's hard to be demotivated when you see people find
that motivation in themselves.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
That's really well said. And you know the other thing
I want to ask you by leadership, and I'm sure
you'd agree with me that because the world is moving
so fast, and I can give you examples around here
where I work, is that when we have a victory
or win, we don't have too much time to celebrate
it because the next thing is coming up. Do you
get a chance to do that at all as a
leader and with your team, to celebrate those victories with
other big or small.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
Oh, we try, you know, there's so much happening at
any given time. I know a lot of folks want
to be on to the next thing and the next thing, right,
but we do. In fact, one of the things that
I love the best about this organization is at the
engine of it, the core, the most important piece of
this organization are the grassroots organizers on the ground, hundreds
(13:47):
of them across the country. They're the ones who are
making those connections. They are the ones who are finding
the people whose voices we can empower to drive change.
And so every year we celebrate the of them. And
it's sort of like the Academy Awards, Like even being
nominated is a big deal in love itself, but then
(14:08):
ultimately there is one grassroots Engagement Director of the Year
and it is the best. It's honestly the best part
of the year to be part of that ceremony and
that recognition.
Speaker 2 (14:20):
Well, I like that you do that. So beyond policy,
AFP talks a lot about community and civic engagement. Why
is that so important to you personally?
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Well, I was saying earlier that strong civic participation is
absolutely core to our country. You know, I think you
know it's two hundred and fiftieth anniversary this year, and
so reflecting back on what the founding fathers did, which
is instill incredible trust in people, which was a radical
(14:50):
idea at the time, and our history and our ability
to live up to some of the principles and the
Declaration of Independence is messy and unfinished. And so that's
why that's why AFP put such a huge emphasis on
volunteers and community based engagement and community building. It's because
(15:17):
we want people to see themselves in that story and
feel hopeful about their role in the future of our country.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
You know, one other thing I'd like to talk to
you about is the future. I know as a leader,
you're always looking forward to listen to administrations changes and news,
organization change, people change, and we're living in a very
fluid society. As you look down the next couple of years,
two to five years. What were your hopes, your dreams,
but also what are you planning to do and what
would you like to execute with your team.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
Well, you know, I worked on Capitol Hill twenty six
years ago, and I remember being a young kid at
that time and listening to lawmakers speak passionately about some
really serious challenges that our country was facing. And those
challenges were just far enough off but also just close
enough that they felt urgent, but they felt it felt
(16:09):
like we could tackle them. And I'm speaking specifically about
what lawmakers would have said as the looming insolvency of
major programs that millions and millions of people depend on,
like Social Security and medicare now our country. Congress after Congress,
(16:30):
administration after administration, both Republican and Democrat have kicked that
can down the road over the twenty six years since
I first started on the hill, and we're kicking the
can down the road before I got to the hill.
And so those two programs in particular are scheduled to
be insolvent in twenty thirty two. That's literally right around
the corner. The people who are elected in this year's
(16:52):
Senate elections are going to be casting votes in the
Senate to you know, around whatever it is that our
country decides to do about that issue. And so that's
a very specific example, but there are a lot of
policy issues like that that are going to have generational consequences,
both at the federal and the state level, and that's
(17:14):
what our organization is laser focused on getting engaged in
and trying to move to a productive conclusion so that
more people, so that these things don't become the barriers
that people are pointing to when they say this is
why I can't achieve the American dream.
Speaker 2 (17:29):
Well said, well, listen, I've enjoyed this conversation. I want
to get some final thoughts from you. We want to
give the website if you're hiring, and also people want
to volunteer. I think they'd like to find out how
to do that. So I did some final thoughts about
what we talked about and kind of a recap Emily,
the floor is yours.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Well, thank you. I guess if there was one thing
that I would hope that people take away from this conversation,
it's that change starts with people. AFP is founded on
that idea and When we say people, we mean people
who are listening to your program, Dennis, I mean not
political insiders. That's not who I'm talking about here. I'm
(18:07):
talking about citizens who are willing to take a one
small step to get involved and have their voices heard
on the issues that matter most to them. And so,
if there's one thing that I hope that people take
away from this, it's that you're more powerful than you
think you are.
Speaker 2 (18:23):
Yeah, that is really well said. Listen, you guys have
a beautiful website. It's easy to navigate. Give my best
to the people designed it because there is a lot
of information on there, but it's easy to access what
is that and also let people know how they can
volunteer and be a part of AFP.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
Yes, our website is Americans for Prosperity dot org and
we are always looking for people who are passionate about
these issues and about helping people engage in their communities
and make a difference. And so if you want to
learn more, if you want to get involved or explore
opportunities to work with us, visit Americans for Prosperity dot org.
Speaker 2 (18:58):
It's Janning Emily. Thank you so much for youvaluable time
I really appreciate it, and I'm so glad that we
could feature and spotlight you and AFP on CEOs. You
should know. Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (19:06):
Thank you Dennis
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