Keener joins Foundation as new Vice President of Policy and Communications

The Texas Public Policy Foundation announced today that Justin Keener will join the Foundation’s staff on August 1st as its new vice president of policy and communications.

“Our staff has worked with Justin inside and outside the capitol and respects him immensely,” said Foundation President Brooke Rollins. “His mixture of policy and communications experience will help us carry the message of free markets and limited government to our state’s policymakers and 23 million fellow Texans.”

Keener’s background includes work in the Texas House, Texas Senate, non-profit community and private sector. He served as an aide to Speaker Tom Craddick, Senator Florence Shapiro and the Senate State Affairs Committee. He has worked for the Greater Dallas Crime Commission and as a consultant where he directed public affairs campaigns for Fortune 500 companies, advocacy organizations and political candidates.

“The Texas Public Policy Foundation has a well-earned reputation for providing sound research,” Keener said. “I am excited to work with its policy experts to educate Texans and their elected officials on how free markets and limited government provide the best solutions to our state’s challenges.”

Keener fills a new position created after the departure of Mary Katherine Stout, the Foundation’s former vice president of policy who was named director of the governor’s budget, planning, and policy division. In addition to assuming Stout’s former duties, Keener will direct the Foundation’s communications initiatives in order to expand the organization’s reach across Texas and within the capitol.

“Mary Katherine’s efforts have been central to the Foundation’s success over the last three years,” Rollins said. “While we will miss her as a daily fixture in our organization, we will always value her friendship and know that she will do outstanding work in her new role.”

The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit, free-market research institute based in Austin. More information on the Foundation can be found at www.texaspolicy.com.

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