Brooke Rollins

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.

if there were a significant policy apparatus or apparatuses, I guess, that were strategic and intentional and that didn't have clients that weren't paid to advocate for certain things, we only advocated for what was right, that it could change everything in Texas, everything. I'd just been the policy director. I had no one telling me what the right thing to do was.

if there were a significant policy apparatus or apparatuses, I guess, that were strategic and intentional and that didn't have clients that weren't paid to advocate for certain things, we only advocated for what was right, that it could change everything in Texas, everything. I'd just been the policy director. I had no one telling me what the right thing to do was.

I just had the industry and lobby in my ear. And so I thought, well, yeah, let me go do this Texas public policy thing for a year or two, and that'll be fun. And then I'll really step away once my kids start coming, hopefully. And I looked up 15 years later with four kids, Luke, Jake, Anna, and Lily. I was doing the flexible work before it was a thing. My board at TPPF was wonderful.

I just had the industry and lobby in my ear. And so I thought, well, yeah, let me go do this Texas public policy thing for a year or two, and that'll be fun. And then I'll really step away once my kids start coming, hopefully. And I looked up 15 years later with four kids, Luke, Jake, Anna, and Lily. I was doing the flexible work before it was a thing. My board at TPPF was wonderful.

Went from two employees to about 120. Became, I believe, the most effective public policy organization in the country. Moved Texas because I had been in the sausage making. So I knew Wasn't, again, wasn't an academic, which at the time most think tanks were run by. But I understood innately how to stop bad things and how to move good things. And that was really the bottom line.

Went from two employees to about 120. Became, I believe, the most effective public policy organization in the country. Moved Texas because I had been in the sausage making. So I knew Wasn't, again, wasn't an academic, which at the time most think tanks were run by. But I understood innately how to stop bad things and how to move good things. And that was really the bottom line.

And how to hire really, really good people. So I got a call from Jared Kushner, whom I had never met. I had been on the president candidate Donald Trump's economic team. Got a call when he was running against Hillary Clinton. Would you help us just build out our economic tax plan, deregulation plan, et cetera? And I said, of course, but I run a nonpartisan think tank.

And how to hire really, really good people. So I got a call from Jared Kushner, whom I had never met. I had been on the president candidate Donald Trump's economic team. Got a call when he was running against Hillary Clinton. Would you help us just build out our economic tax plan, deregulation plan, et cetera? And I said, of course, but I run a nonpartisan think tank.

And I'm always happy to help because obviously I think we thought Donald Trump was going to be more conservative than Hillary, but no one really knew, right? He'd been a Democrat very early, not very long ago.