October 12, 2022
SPN’s 30th Annual Meeting celebrates state policy solutions that help Americans thrive
30 years ago, a small group of policy visionaries came together with a purpose: to advance state policy solutions that would improve American lives and empower state and local leaders to make the best decisions for their communities. That meeting would lay the foundation to create the State Policy Network, an ecosystem of more than 64 state think tanks dedicated to solving the biggest challenges facing Americans today. It is the power of the Network—bringing the brightest minds together to solve problems—that fuels critical policy victories that improve lives.
Annual Meeting provides leaders and organizations across the freedom movement with the opportunity to build meaningful connections and collaborate on the most effective ways to leverage state solutions that have national impact. Annual Meeting also highlights the stories of inspiration from across the Network that champion everyday Americans and give a voice to those who are impacted by policy decisions.
In late September, more than 1,400 individuals representing 400 organizations from 48 states (in addition to Canada and Puerto Rico!) attended SPN’s 30th Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate 30 years of changing lives.
At the keynote sessions, Annual Meeting attendees heard from talent experts, renowned speakers, and Network leaders who shared stories of inspiration and focused on the impact of state policy solutions that help Americans and their families.
As an employee of Chick-fil-A for over 30 years, Dee Ann Turner was instrumental in shaping the company’s well-recognized culture and talent programs. During her keynote, she shared that developing a culture of care empowers and inspires employees to go further. Attendees walked away from the session with a deeper understanding of how to recruit, select, and keep extraordinary talent and how to advance their organization’s mission to have maximum impact.
Attendees also heard from Ron Tite, entrepreneur and best-selling author who shared how the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic required many organizations to recalibrate their priorities. Attendees also learned how organizations can adapt and grow to meet the challenges the future brings. The strength of the Network and our individual organizations has never been more important—or necessary. While the federal government and out-of-touch politicians continue to ignore many of the issues facing Americans and focus on our divisions, state solutions are providing communities with a sense of unity and effective problem-solving solutions in the states.
In another keynote session, SPN featured a panel of leaders from the Network who told stories that got to the heart of our work—helping real people solve real problems in communities across the country. Taylor Dawson, Director of Outreach and Digital Media for the Beacon Center of Tennessee, shared the importance of community engagement and the value of listening to the people in our communities like Lij Shaw, whose Nashville recording studio was shut down just because he was recording from his home. Thanks to the litigation efforts of Beacon and the Institute for Justice, Nashville Metro Council passed a law that allowed people to work from home. Tony Kitchens, a member of the Georgia Center for Opportunity’s board of directors, shared his inspiring story of incarceration to helping other former prisoners transition into society and find meaningful work. And David Kirby, the founder of Acton Academy, shared with attendees the importance of challenging the status quo, especially when it comes to the education of our children.
Additional sessions covered key issues facing the Network, like expanding education freedom, creating innovative healthcare options, and how to use the power of the courts to check the federal government. Attendees were also offered sessions on how to build a robust prospecting program to attract new donors, how to better use data to inform initiatives and policy decisions, and how policy solutions can strengthen state economies.
At State Policy Network, we know that talented leaders are the heartbeat of any successful organization. We also know that mentoring, cultivating, and retaining talent is key to building and sustaining a Network of durable freedom movements in every state. Geared toward young professionals, the Generation Liberty Fellowship program convenes select participants at Annual Meeting for a unique opportunity to connect with Network leaders and explore curated professional development opportunities. These individuals come from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds, including public policy, government, and corporate industries. The program also focuses on bringing together individuals to solve the unique challenges that states face, and to learn about how other participants are tackling similar issues in their communities. This year’s program hosted 43 Generation Liberty Fellows from 23 states (in addition to Washington, DC and Puerto Rico), including individuals from the private sector who attended Annual Meeting for the first time.
Annual Meeting culminates in our Annual Awards Dinner and Presentation, which celebrates the achievements of the Network and its inspiring leaders.
SPN recognized the leadership of Georgia Center for Opportunity (GCO) CEO and president Randy Hicks with the 2022 Thomas A. Roe Award. Named after Thomas A. Roe, founder of State Policy Network, this award honors leaders in the states whose achievements have advanced and expanded free market policy solutions. Randy has led the GCO team to create successful statewide initiatives that improve education for children, regardless of their background, and increase employment opportunities for the underemployed and ex-offenders seeking to reintegrate into society. Speaking on his work in the community, Randy commented: “There are dozens of organizations that we work with on the community level, because that’s where commonalities are found, but it also spills over into our policy work. Because once we’re working with people in the community, they are ready to join us on some policy fights that have implications for the people they are trying to impact.”
SPN also honored Greg Sindelar, CEO of the Texas Public Policy Foundation (TPPF) with the 2022 Overton Award. This award recognizes nonprofit leaders in the Network who embody the qualities of leadership, loyalty, humility, and support for the cause of liberty. Greg has served at TPPF for more than 15 years, previously as Director of Operations, Chief Operating Officer, and Executive Director. In his role as CEO, Greg is responsible for overseeing TPPF’s policy, communication, development, and engagement efforts. Throughout his tenure, Greg has embodied the spirit of a servant leader, one of the hallmark qualities of a TPPF staff member. “I think if you really try to understand where people are at and understand what they need, you can ultimately solve problems for people and help them solve problems for themselves. And that’s how we accomplish big things,” he said.
This year’s presentation of the Bob Williams Awards for Outstanding Policy Achievement not only recognized state think tanks for their exceptional work in the states, but also remembered policy maven Bob Williams who sadly passed away earlier this year.
Bob was a dedicated public servant and a nationally recognized expert in the areas of fiscal and tax policy, but he also served as a mentor to many members of this Network. His legacy of service continues to inspire us to be innovative policy pioneers and encourages us to forge ahead with our work in the states, no matter the challenges we might face.
The 2022 award for Biggest Home State Win went to the John Locke Foundation for their critical efforts which helped to pass North Carolina’s First in Freedom Budget, putting more money back into the pockets of hardworking North Carolinians. The budget reduces the personal income tax rate, increases the standard deduction, eliminates the state’s corporate income tax by 2029, and expands the Opportunity Scholarship Program and Educations Savings Accounts for special needs students. Empower Mississippi & Mississippi Center for Public Policy received the Biggest Win for Freedom award for their efforts to pass the Mississippi Tax Freedom Act, the largest tax reform in Mississippi history. Both organizations launched rigorous messaging campaigns which helped to convince state lawmakers to pass tax reform in the state. Georgia Center for Opportunity took home the Most Influential Research award for their study which highlighted the harm of COVID restrictions on local economies and employment.
SPN also recognized The Buckeye Institute, Pelican Institute for Public Policy, Liberty Justice Center, Mississippi Center for Justice, Texas Public Policy Foundation, and Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty with the Network Award for their momentous victory against the Biden’s vaccine mandate for large businesses. Through the litigation efforts of these organizations, the United States Supreme Court ruled that employers were no longer forced to make personal medical decisions for their employees.
This year, the Network has experienced a wave of education reforms that provide families across the states with increased education options that best the needs of their child. SPN recognizes the achievements of nonprofit organizations who advance innovative policy solutions to expand education freedom through Ed Prize. The 2022 recipients for this year’s Ed Prize include ASU Prep for their toolkit, “Microschool in a Box” which will allow ASU Prep to collaborate with local entrepreneurs, parents and education leaders to launch microschools, Great Hearts Academies who plans to establish 10 microschools by the 2023-2024 school year, Hearts of Empowerment in DC for their PACT Community Hub which seeks to offer educational opportunities through mentorship programs, and RESCHOOL in Colorado to launch a local learner advocate network and a Design Lab, opening up digital resources to the public.
In our Communications Excellence Awards reception, communication experts from across the Network gathered to celebrate the importance of powerful communications in creating policy change. The Goldwater Institute won the Powerful Storytelling Award for their op-ed, Teacher Blows the Whistle on Critical Race Theory in California Schools, which followed a California teacher’s discovery of how critical race theory was being taught in the classroom. The Pacific Research Institute received the Bold Boost Brand award for their in-depth research and campaigns which exposed the impact of failed California policies to drive solutions. And finally, the Commonwealth Foundation won the Expanding Your Audience Award which highlighted how Commonwealth was able to reach new audiences to support education freedom through the Lifeline Scholarship Program.
Every year at Annual Meeting, attendees walk away inspired by the impact and influence of this Network. Attendees take these stories and the meaningful conversations and connections they have made at Annual Meeting back to their communities. When this Network works together, we are able to leverage our collective influence to create a powerful movement that amplifies state solutions that have national impact. Matt Paprocki, CEO of Illinois Policy Institute, said: “State Policy Network’s Annual Meeting is the one conference that I never miss. Annual Meeting is an explosion of hope, ideas, and community. The future of our country depends on the success of our state, and State Policy Network is leading that effort at their Annual Meeting.”
Join us next year in the Windy City for SPN’s 31st Annual meeting on August 28th-31st, 2023, with host state think tank, the Illinois Policy Institute. Sign up here to get event updates and early access to registration.
