I am honored to have been chosen as President and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis. Since 1983, the nonpartisan public policy research organization has developed and promoted free-market alternatives to government regulation and control. We believe that by harnessing the creativity and strength of private enterprise, we can find solutions to our nation’s challenges.

Thanks to my three decades of experience in franchising, I have had a front-row seat to the miracles of capitalism. I have seen immigrants and high school dropouts embrace hard work and business ownership to transform their lives and the lives of those around them. I have seen the innovation that emerges when entrepreneurs share ideas to solve a problem, and when they compete to craft the best possible solution. The dynamism of the market, which moves fast and measures results, stands in stark contrast to the languid inefficiency of large bureaucracy.

Ret. Gen. Stanley McCrystal gave a wonderful speech at the 2016 International Franchise Association convention in which he discussed how Joint Special Operations Command has been forced to adapt throughout the War on Terror in order to allow faster decision-making to quickly neutralize terrorist threats. He encouraged his audience full of business leaders to eschew top-down organizations and instead empower every person in the organization to be armed with knowledge, and to act quickly to take advantage of opportunities.

Too often, our government seeks to solve every problem by building a new bureaucracy. These “solutions” often become bulky and slow when they need to be nimble and lean.

The National Center for Policy Analysis works hard to counter that impulse. Our team of nonpartisan policy experts analyze the issues confronting America, as well as a range of potential solutions. We’ve originated ideas that are helping Americans save for retirement (Roth IRAs), setting aside money to manage healthcare expenses (Health Savings Accounts), automatic 401(k) enrollment (which encourages retirement savings), and Social Security reforms that allow people to work beyond age 65 without being penalized.

As President and CEO of the National Center for Policy Analysis, I will work alongside former President/CEO Allen B. West, who will take on a more active role as Executive Director/Vice Chairman of the NCPA Board of Directors. It’s an honor to work alongside Col. West, a decorated veteran who also served in Congress before leading the NCPA. Col. West is a highly acclaimed public speaker who gave 150 presentations nationwide last year and will continue to serve as a spokesman for the NCPA, keeping the nation focused on economic issues and national security. He will also serve as a fundraiser for the NCPA.

I look forward to expanding the NCPA’s efforts to educate policy makers about free market solutions and move policy from the realm of the theoretical to practical reality in the lives of all Americans.