Brooke Rollins

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.

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.

And I said, but yes, if anyone calls and helps, I want them to understand the Texas model, what we did in cutting taxes and deregulating and the job growth that happened and how it helped poor people the most, going back to my original idea of going to seminary. And so he won. I was on that economic team. I was not interested in coming to D.C. or the White House. I told the team that.

And I said, but yes, if anyone calls and helps, I want them to understand the Texas model, what we did in cutting taxes and deregulating and the job growth that happened and how it helped poor people the most, going back to my original idea of going to seminary. And so he won. I was on that economic team. I was not interested in coming to D.C. or the White House. I told the team that.

They said, what would you like to do? You were on the team when a lot of people weren't. And I said, no, no, no, I'm going to stay in Texas and help. Then I got a call from my now very good friend, but then at the time didn't know him, Jared Kushner, who said, whatever you're doing, this is about six months into term, year one of term one. What is that thing y'all are doing in Texas?

They said, what would you like to do? You were on the team when a lot of people weren't. And I said, no, no, no, I'm going to stay in Texas and help. Then I got a call from my now very good friend, but then at the time didn't know him, Jared Kushner, who said, whatever you're doing, this is about six months into term, year one of term one. What is that thing y'all are doing in Texas?