ABOUT US
HOnorary chair
Senator joni ernst
Joni Ernst, native of Red Oak, Iowa, has dedicated her life to her state and country, having served in the military for over 23 years and now representing Iowans in the United States Senate.
Joni is working to grow a strong economy; stand up for Iowa farmers, families, and small businesses; hold Washington accountable, ensure a strong national defense, and support our veterans.
Born and raised on a farm in Montgomery County, Joni’s parents instilled in her the values important to Iowans: hard work, service, and sacrifice. After graduating top of her class at Stanton High School, Joni went on to Iowa State University where she joined the university’s ROTC program.
After graduating from Iowa State, Joni joined the U.S. Army Reserves. In 2003, she served as a company commander in Kuwait and Iraq, leading 150 Iowa Army National Guardsmen during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Joni retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard after 23 years of military service.
Known for her independent leadership and commitment to public service, Joni previously served as the Montgomery County Auditor where she worked to eliminate wasteful government spending and protect taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars, and was the local commissioner of elections. As a state senator, Joni fought to balance the state budget and helped turn Iowa’s $900 million budget deficit into a $1 billion surplus. In November 2014, Joni was elected as the first woman to serve in federal elected office from the State of Iowa and also became the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate.
Joni still lives in Red Oak, not far from where she grew up, and near her family. Her daughter Libby is a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army.
MEET THE BOARD
Michael Allen
Michael Allen brings a wealth of experience in national security policy, having dedicated his career to serving in crucial roles within the White House, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and the private sector. Currently, as Managing Director of Beacon Global Strategies LLC, he specializes in advising clients on the intricate intersection of business and national security.
Throughout his tenure from 2011 to 2013 as Majority Staff Director of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence under Chairman Mike Rogers, Michael coordinated the oversight, authorization, and funding of all intelligence programs across the intelligence community. His leadership also steered the committee’s efforts in advancing crucial cyber security legislation in the House of Representatives.
Michael’s service in the White House spanned from 2001 to 2009, where he held several key positions, including Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counter-proliferation Strategy at the National Security Council. During that time, he played a pivotal role in shaping U.S. policy on counter-proliferation, nuclear issues concerning Iran, Syria, and North Korea, as well as bio-defense and export controls.
A distinguished author, Michael penned “Blinking Red: Crisis and Compromise in American Intelligence After 9/11,” shedding light on critical national security challenges post-9/11. His expertise has made him a sought-after commentator on national security and foreign policy issues, frequently contributing insights on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News.
Michael holds a distinguished academic background, and his dedication to strengthening national security and fostering bipartisan legislative solutions continues to define his impactful career.
Richard Goldberg
Richard Goldberg is a senior advisor at FDD. He previously served on the White House National Security Council staff; as deputy chief of staff, senior appropriations associate and foreign policy adviser to former U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk of Illinois; as chief of staff and head of legislative affairs to former Gov. Bruce Rauner of Illinois; and as a Navy Reserve Intelligence Officer with experience on the Joint Staff and in Afghanistan. He was sanctioned by Iran in August 2020.
A former staff associate for the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations and a leader in efforts to expand U.S. missile defense cooperation with Israel, Richard played a key role in U.S. funding for the Arrow-3 program, Iron Dome and the deployment of an advanced missile defense radar to the Negev Desert. He was instrumental in securing the first-ever funding for persecuted Christians in northern Iraq and led efforts to reform the United Nations and its related agencies. Richard was a founding staff director of the House U.S.-China Working Group and was among the first Americans ever to visit China’s human space launch center.
In the Senate, Richard emerged as a leading architect of the toughest sanctions imposed on the Islamic Republic of Iran. Featured in the book The Iran Wars, he was the lead Republican negotiator for three rounds of sanctions targeting the Central Bank of Iran, the SWIFT financial messaging service, and entire sectors of the Iranian economy. Richard also helped lead the fight against the “Russia Reset,” championing military assistance to key Eastern European allies and blocking the Pentagon from sharing classified missile defense data with Russia.
As the NSC’s Director for Countering Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction, Richard helped coordinate key elements of President Trump’s maximum pressure campaign against Iran aimed at denying Iran all pathways to nuclear weapons. The regime in Tehran imposed sanctions on Richard in August 2020 for “being actively involved in economic terrorism” against the Islamic Republic.
Richard previously served as an Intelligence Officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, including assignments as a Navy Watch Officer in the Pentagon’s command center, Chief of Counterintelligence Threats for a reserve unit supporting U.S. European Command, and Senior Intelligence Officer for an electronic attack squadron deployed to Afghanistan.
Barry Jackson
Barry Jackson is an incisive Republican strategist who leverages his years of senior executive and legislative branch experience to counsel clients on the tactical steps needed to achieve success in Washington, D.C. Corporate clients rely on Barry’s intuitive sense of the political landscape to guide decision-making processes and communications strategies.
From 2010 to 2012, Barry served as chief of staff to former House Speaker John Boehner.
He also served as Speaker Boehner’s first chief of staff from 1991 through 2001. Barry served as executive director of the House Republican Conference during Speaker Boehner’s tenure as chairman, as well as executive director of the Contract with America, the document outlining the party’s national platform that vaulted Republicans into the House majority for the first time in four decades.
In between his stints in Congress, Barry served in the White House of President George W. Bush as assistant to the president for Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs, managing the White House offices of Political Affairs, Public Liaison, Intergovernmental Affairs, and Strategic Initiatives.
Currently, Barry serves as director of the National Endowment for Democracy; a director of the Consortium of Catholic Academies; chair of the American Australian Council; and a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the University of Iowa School of Journalism. He was appointed by President George H.W. Bush and President Barack Obama to serve as a trustee of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
Kent Lucken
Kent Lucken is a Managing Director at Citi Private Bank in Boston and serves as the firm’s North American Head of Financial Sponsors, where he leads Citi’s engagement with global private equity and infrastructure funds. Prior to joining Citi, Kent worked at Robertson Stephens, a leading technology-focused investment bank.
Kent is a fourteen-year veteran of the U.S. Foreign Service, where he completed diplomatic assignments at the U.S. embassies in Italy, the Soviet Union and Russia, Georgia, Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, he served as the first U.S. diplomat in the newly independent Republic of Georgia. He also participated in the Dayton peace talks while assigned to the former Yugoslavia.
Kent serves on Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center International Council, he’s Chairman Emeritus of the U.S.-Asia Institute, a Washington, D.C. based non-profit focused on building stronger relations with Asia, and he was named to the US State Department’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board. He currently serves on the Advisory Board of The Marathon Initiative, a strategy think tank focused on great power competition and The Reagan Institute’s Westminster 2.0 Working Group on the Democracy in the 21st Century. Kent is a member of Economic Club of New York, the Board of Governors at Iowa State University, and he’s a Trustee at the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art.
Kent served as a Foreign Policy Advisor for Governor Mitt Romney’s 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, worked as a Political Advisor for two Iowa Caucuses, and helped lead national security transition planning for the Romney campaign. He’s represented the U.S. as an OSCE International Observer at national elections in the Republic of Georgia and Kyrgyzstan, and he has been a featured commentator on foreign affairs for The New York Times, National Public Radio, and The Boston Globe, and lectured at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Kent earned his Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard Kennedy School, and graduated with a BA in Political Science from Iowa State University. His wife, Kristen, is a faculty member at Brandeis University, and they have two sons.
Morgan Ortagus
Morgan Ortagus is an active U.S. Navy Reserve Officer and a business executive. During the Trump Administration, she served at the Department of State as the Spokesperson for the United States of America.
At the State Department, she worked closely with the White House on the historic Abraham Accords that brought peace deals between Israel and UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan. Traveling with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to more than 50 nations, she coordinated messaging campaigns and responses to sensitive and high-profile foreign policy actions, from hostage negotiations to the U.S. campaign against Huawei’s 5G expansion in the West.
She led U.S. government efforts to push back against sophisticated Chinese, Russian, and Iranian disinformation campaigns, and was instrumental in the United States’ determination of the Chinese government’s genocide against the Uyghurs.
Morgan worked her way through public high school, in an array of jobs, including as an Applebee’s waitress and hostess. Morgan earned an honors thesis at Johns Hopkins University for her research on counterinsurgency and graduated from Johns Hopkins in May 2013 with a dual Master of Business Administration/Master of Arts in Government. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science, cum laude, from Florida Southern College.
In the private sector, Morgan founded Ernst & Young’s Geostrategic Business Group and was a Global Relationship Manager at Standard Chartered Bank in the Public Sector Group covering clients in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. She pioneered a new political risk analysis suite for Ernst & Young’s largest corporate clients. Morgan was also the co-founder and Managing Director of GO Advisors, a National co-Chair of Maverick PAC, and a national security contributor at Fox News.
Morgan began her government service as a public affairs officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where she spent several months in Baghdad, Iraq. She was an intelligence analyst at the U.S. Treasury in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis and was assigned to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the Deputy U.S. Treasury Attaché. Morgan was the principal liaison from the U.S. Treasury to the banking sector in Saudi Arabia.
Morgan and her husband, Jonathan, have a daughter, Adina, who is the light of their lives. They moved to Nashville so that Morgan could help lead a healthcare investment firm. Her family attends Congregation Sherith Israel.
Rachel Pearson
Rachel Pearson brings a wealth of experience in elective politics, providing corporations, associations, and non-profit organizations with strategic planning and counsel. Her resume includes roles in numerous Senate campaigns and three Presidential elections, through which she fostered
strong relationships with Members of both houses of Congress. Known for her commitment to bipartisanship, Rachel often brings together Members of Congress and congressional staff from both sides of the aisle to foster relationships that result in effective legislative solutions.
In 1996, Rachel founded Pearson & Associates, a strategic consulting firm that has offered guidance to several Fortune 500 companies and leading associations for over two decades. Her firm is renowned for its expertise in strategic planning and counsel, helping clients navigate the complexities of policy and politics.
Rachel’s dedication to bipartisanship and problem-solving led her to co-found Principal to Principal in 2013. This consulting practice specializes in curating intimate dinners for business leaders, Members of Congress, diplomats, and others, bridging gaps and solving problems across industries.
Following the 2018 election, Rachel launched Engage: Promoting Women’s Economic Security, a bipartisan organization focused on expanding economic opportunities for women in the 21st century. Her work with Engage exemplifies her passion for fostering bipartisan, commonsense legislative solutions at all levels of government.
An Ohio native, Rachel has also served as an advisor to several governments in Africa, focusing on strengthening bilateral relationships and fostering U.S. investment.
Peter Rough
Peter Rough serves as Director of the Center on Europe and Eurasia and Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute in Washington, D.C., where he delves into critical issues shaping U.S. foreign policy. Peter began his career at the Institute editing their renowned journal, Current Trends in Islamist Ideology.
Before joining Hudson, Peter collaborated on a social history of World War I in the Middle East, A Land of Aching Hearts, published by Harvard University Press in 2014. His earlier roles include serving as an associate director in the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives and director of research in the Office of George W. Bush, where he assisted the former president with his memoir, Decision Points.
Peter’s career has been devoted to foreign policy and national security, including positions as a policy analyst at the U.S. Agency for International Development and an advisor to U.S. Army Special Operations Command. He also participated in foreign policy working groups for presidential campaigns focused on Russia and the Middle East.
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Peter is a distinguished alumnus of The George Washington University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, where he excelled as a Cabot Corporation Scholar. Fluent in German, he contributes to several transatlantic dialogues and initiatives that explore how to advance the American national interest.
COL David Trotter
Colonel Trotter is a retired commissioned officer of the United States Army in November 2021 with thirty five years of active military service. He served in multiple combat tours, leadership roles, and executive positions. He also served at all levels from the squad, battalion, brigade, division, corps, Army, and in the Pentagon. His combat tours include Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.
During his career, Colonel Trotter pursued and received a Bachelors in Business Administration and a Masters in Business Administration. He graduated from the Army’s Command and General Staff College and was selected to attend the Army War College as a senior Fellow at the Central Intelligence Agency. Today, Colonel Trotter consults for small and large businesses. He also manages a small horse and cattle ranch in Leavenworth, Kansas. His interests include Veteran’s Affairs, Developing Resilience – individual and organization, Equine Therapy for Veteran’s suffering from PTSD, and Veteran suicide prevention.
Colonel Trotter attended the following schools – Ranger, Airborne, Pathfinder, Air Assault. Some of his awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Army Meritorious Service Medal, NATO Meritorious Service Medal.
Roger Zakheim
Roger Zakheim is the Washington Director of the
Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, where he champions the enduring principles of individual liberty, national security, and economic opportunity that define President Reagan’s legacy. As Director, Roger oversees the Institute’s initiatives, including his role on the Executive Committee of the Reagan National Defense Forum.
Before joining the Reagan Institute, Roger distinguished himself as a partner at Covington & Burling LLP, where he co-chaired the Public Policy and Government Affairs practice group. Before joining Covington, he served as General Counsel and Deputy Staff Director of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, where he managed the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). This landmark legislation authorizes the Defense Department’s substantial annual budget and is crucial in shaping America’s defense strategy.
Roger’s commitment to advancing U.S. national security is further underscored by his role as a Commissioner on the Congressional Commission on the National Defense Strategy of the United States. Roger frequently writes and speaks on national security and defense issues. He has testified before a number of Congressional committees and his views appear regularly in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and other media outlets.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Roger Zakheim is deeply engaged in fostering dialogue and policy development through his advisory roles on various boards, including the United States Institute of Peace and the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments’ Advisory Council.
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CONTACT THE TEAM
MEET THE BOARD
JONI ERNST
Joni Ernst is a mother, a soldier and a leader. From the start, she has taken on Washington and delivered on her pledge to “Make ‘em Squeal.”
Senator Joni Ernst, native of Red Oak, Iowa, has dedicated her life to her state and country, having served in the military for over 23 years and now in the United States Senate.
In November 2014, Joni was elected as the first woman to serve in federal elected office from the State of Iowa and also became the first female combat veteran elected to serve in the United States Senate. In Washington, Joni serves on four Senate committees of major importance to Iowans: Armed Services; Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry; Environment and Public Works; and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Joni is focused on growing a vibrant economy and ensuring the government runs effectively and efficiently which means cutting out-of-control spending, reducing taxes, eliminating harmful regulations and balancing the budget.
Born and raised on a farm in Montgomery County, Joni’s parents instilled in her the values important to Iowans: hard work, service and sacrifice. As a mother, soldier and independent voice, Joni is committed to bringing these values to Washington, D.C.
Joni received her undergraduate degree from Iowa State University where she joined the university’s ROTC program. After graduating, Joni joined the U.S. Army Reserves. In 2003, Joni served as a company commander in Kuwait and Iraq, leading 150 Iowa Army National Guardsmen during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Joni retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard after 23 years of military service.
Known for her independent leadership and commitment to public service, Joni previously served as the Montgomery County Auditor where she worked to eliminate wasteful government spending and protect taxpayers’ hard-earned dollars. As a state senator, Joni fought to balance the state budget and helped turn Iowa’s $900 million budget deficit into a $1 billion surplus. In addition to her work to balance the budget, Joni worked tirelessly to grow jobs and the economy, cut taxes, improve education, and reduce the role of government in Iowans’ lives.
BARRY JACKSON
Barry Jackson is an incisive Republican strategist who leverages his years of senior executive and legislative branch experience to counsel clients on the tactical steps needed to achieve success in Washington, D.C.
From 2010 to 2012, Barry served as chief of staff to former House Speaker John Boehner. He also served as Speaker Boehner’s first chief of staff from 1991 through 2001. Barry served as executive director of the House Republican Conference during Speaker Boehner’s tenure as chairman, as well as executive director of the Contract with America, the document outlining the party’s national platform that vaulted Republicans into the House majority for the first time in four decades.
In between his stints in Congress, Barry served in the White House of President George W. Bush as assistant to the president for Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs, managing the White House offices of Political Affairs, Public Liaison, Intergovernmental Affairs, and Strategic Initiatives.
Currently, Barry serves as director of the National Endowment for Democracy; a director of the Consortium of Catholic Academies; chair of the American Australian Council; and a member of the Professional Advisory Board of the University of Iowa School of Journalism. He was appointed by President George H.W. Bush and President Barack Obama to serve as a trustee of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars.
MORGAN ORTAGUS
Morgan Ortagus is a seasoned business executive, distinguished public policy and communications professional, and an active U.S. Naval Reserve Officer.
A veteran of both the Obama and Bush Administrations, Ms. Ortagus was sworn in as U.S. State Department Spokesperson on April 3, 2019 for her third tour of duty in the executive branch. During this time, she worked closely with the White House on the historic Abraham Accords that brought peace deals between Israel and UAE, Bahrain, and Sudan. As Spokesperson, she developed strategic communications plans for every area of U.S. foreign policy. Traveling with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo to more than 50 nations, she coordinated messaging campaigns and responses to sensitive and high-profile foreign policy actions, from hostage negotiations to the U.S. campaign against Huawei’s 5G expansion in the West. She led U.S. government efforts to push back against sophisticated Chinese, Russian, and Iranian disinformation campaigns, and was instrumental in the United States’ determination of the Chinese government’s genocide against the Uyghurs.
In the private sector, Morgan founded Ernst & Young’s Geostrategic Business Group and was a Global Relationship Manager at Standard Chartered Bank in the Public Sector Group covering clients in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. She pioneered a new political risk analysis suite for Ernst & Young’s largest corporate clients. Morgan was also the co-founder and Managing Director of GO Advisors, a National co-Chair of Maverick PAC, and a national security contributor at Fox News.
Morgan began her government service as a public affairs officer at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where in 2007 she spent several months in Baghdad, Iraq. From 2008-2010, she was an intelligence analyst at the U.S. Treasury in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis. In 2010, she was assigned to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as the Deputy U.S. Treasury Attaché. Morgan was the principal liaison from the U.S. Treasury to the banking sector in Saudi Arabia.
Morgan earned an honors thesis at Johns Hopkins University for her research on counterinsurgency and graduated from Johns Hopkins in May 2013 with a dual Master of Business Administration/Master of Arts in Government. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Political Science, cum laude, from Florida Southern College.