Brooke Rollins

I have just, I first thought I may end up at seminary and be a pastor, a youth pastor, and that was really where I felt very called after college, but then realized that if I lean into public policy, And I didn't know what that meant. I didn't even know what a think tank was, but that I could perhaps change more and help more people going that route than if I just worked at a church.

I have just, I first thought I may end up at seminary and be a pastor, a youth pastor, and that was really where I felt very called after college, but then realized that if I lean into public policy, And I didn't know what that meant. I didn't even know what a think tank was, but that I could perhaps change more and help more people going that route than if I just worked at a church.

And so I really kind of learned Got excited about that idea, and I was a big, firm litigator for a couple of years after law school. Did a clerkship, a federal clerkship for a judge in Dallas in the Northern District. And then got a call from Rick Perry, also another... big-time Texas Aggie, ag major from an ag background, a rural town, and he'd just become governor.

And so I really kind of learned Got excited about that idea, and I was a big, firm litigator for a couple of years after law school. Did a clerkship, a federal clerkship for a judge in Dallas in the Northern District. And then got a call from Rick Perry, also another... big-time Texas Aggie, ag major from an ag background, a rural town, and he'd just become governor.

And in Texas, George W. Bush had just become president. They had the old hanging chad. You know, think the election integrity issues are new to today. They are not new to today. This goes way back. But Rick Perry became governor. He was lieutenant governor. And he called me, and I was sitting, billing my every six minutes, the billable hour for this big law firm in Dallas. Loved the firm.

And in Texas, George W. Bush had just become president. They had the old hanging chad. You know, think the election integrity issues are new to today. They are not new to today. This goes way back. But Rick Perry became governor. He was lieutenant governor. And he called me, and I was sitting, billing my every six minutes, the billable hour for this big law firm in Dallas. Loved the firm.

Didn't love the work. And he said, why don't you come join my new team down here in Austin? I was 28 years old. I'd only been out of law school for a couple of years. And he made me his deputy general counsel. Sort of shocking to everybody, but I'd known him. I met him when I was 15 as a future farmer of America. And he believed in me.

Didn't love the work. And he said, why don't you come join my new team down here in Austin? I was 28 years old. I'd only been out of law school for a couple of years. And he made me his deputy general counsel. Sort of shocking to everybody, but I'd known him. I met him when I was 15 as a future farmer of America. And he believed in me.

And so that was really how the pivot, as I was trying to figure out what was next, how I really leaned into public policy and And I found in the governor's office, it was a great experience. I only did it for two years at the very beginning of his administration, Rick Perry's. that you could make such a difference.

And so that was really how the pivot, as I was trying to figure out what was next, how I really leaned into public policy and And I found in the governor's office, it was a great experience. I only did it for two years at the very beginning of his administration, Rick Perry's. that you could make such a difference.

But what I realized was that there was no one at that moment in Texas governance that was lobbying for freedom and for liberty and for God and for family, that all of those people that would come see me every day wanted something, even in Texas, looking for a specific law or wanting a little bit more taxpayer money.

But what I realized was that there was no one at that moment in Texas governance that was lobbying for freedom and for liberty and for God and for family, that all of those people that would come see me every day wanted something, even in Texas, looking for a specific law or wanting a little bit more taxpayer money.

And I wasn't even 30 yet, so I was sort of new to all of it, but I was put in a pretty a pretty highly responsible area. And it was so instructive to me. So anyway, long story short, I ended up planning to sort of step away from any sort of official work. And my husband and I were ready to start a family.

And I wasn't even 30 yet, so I was sort of new to all of it, but I was put in a pretty a pretty highly responsible area. And it was so instructive to me. So anyway, long story short, I ended up planning to sort of step away from any sort of official work. And my husband and I were ready to start a family.

And I was going to do that for 20 years and then perhaps think about reentering the workforce, again, having no idea what that even meant. But I got a call from Wendy Graham, who was then Senator Phil Graham's wife, chair of this organization I had never heard of called the Texas Public Policy Foundation. And only had a couple of employees based in San Antonio.

And I was going to do that for 20 years and then perhaps think about reentering the workforce, again, having no idea what that even meant. But I got a call from Wendy Graham, who was then Senator Phil Graham's wife, chair of this organization I had never heard of called the Texas Public Policy Foundation. And only had a couple of employees based in San Antonio.

I was the governor's policy director at the time. I went from being deputy general counsel to taking on all the policy for Rick Perry. And she said, would you like to come do this? I didn't have any kids at the time. Well, you know, I could do it for a year or two.

I was the governor's policy director at the time. I went from being deputy general counsel to taking on all the policy for Rick Perry. And she said, would you like to come do this? I didn't have any kids at the time. Well, you know, I could do it for a year or two.

And I didn't even know what a think tank was, but I did know that based on my experience in Rick Perry's office, I'm not an academic, I'm an ag major from Texas A&M, but that if there were significant efforts to build a policy apparatus, I couldn't have articulated this 20 years ago, but I can now into what my instinct was.

And I didn't even know what a think tank was, but I did know that based on my experience in Rick Perry's office, I'm not an academic, I'm an ag major from Texas A&M, but that if there were significant efforts to build a policy apparatus, I couldn't have articulated this 20 years ago, but I can now into what my instinct was.