FRC - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Communications Manager
- Member of the FRC Team
- Communications Manager / Bio
Alice Chao serves as a Communications Manager at Family Research Council. Prior to her current stint at FRC, she worked as a Media Relations Specialist for Alliance Defending Freedom, serving as PR point-person for ADF cases such as Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak. She also worked at FRC between 2014-2018 as Media Manager and Media Coordinator. She earned a master's degree in sociology from California State University, Fullerton and a bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of California, San Diego.
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Special Advisor for Religious Freedom
Andrew Brunson serves as Special Advisor for Religious Freedom at Family Research Council. Andrew and his wife, Norine, were involved in starting churches and a house of prayer, training Christian leaders, and providing aid to refugees in Turkey for 23 years. In October 2016, Andrew Brunson was falsely accused on terrorism charges, and was held for two years in Turkish prisons.
Following a worldwide prayer movement and significant political pressure from the United States government, Andrew was finally released in October 2018. Andrew has a PhD in New Testament from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. He is the author of God's Hostage (Baker Books, 2019).
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Finance and Business Services
Andrew is FRC's Vice President for Finance and Business Services and oversees Accounting, Finance, Constituent Services, Facilities and Human Resources.
Andrew joined FRC after 30 years in the corporate world. His previous roles included working as the Chief Financial Officer for a private equity owned heavy equipment rental & supplies business and a publicly traded nutritional product company, and Treasurer for a chemical company and a Fortune 500 electricity provider. Earlier in his career he worked for a major international energy company and a "Big Four" public accounting firm. He also served for 6 years on the Board of Trustees of a private Christian school where he was the Finance Committee Chairman.
Andrew holds a B.A. in Economics from Haverford College and an M.B.A. in Analytic Finance and Business Economics from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. Andrew and his wife have three adult children.
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Director of the Center for Religious Liberty
Arielle Del Turco serves as Director of the Center for Religious Liberty at Family Research Council, where she is responsible for religious freedom policy and advocacy efforts. Through research and analysis, she helps craft effective policy solutions and coordinates FRC's advocacy on religious freedom. Arielle is the author of numerous reports, and she has testified before the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government.
Arielle's work has appeared in USA Today, The Hill, RealClearPolitics, Fox News, National Review, The Federalist, Jerusalem Post, and the Washington Examiner. She is the co-author of Heroic Faith: Hope Amid Global Persecution (Fidelis Publishing, 2022), along with Lela Gilbert and Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William G. Boykin. She holds a master's degree in Government with an emphasis in International Relations from Regent University, as well as a bachelor's degree in Politics and History.
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom
Rev. Bob Fu, Ph.D. is Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom at Family Research Council, where he brings his expertise on religious freedom in China to bear on present-day problems. Bob was a former student leader in China during the Tiananmen Square democracy movement in 1989. In 1993, he graduated with a law degree on international relations from Renmin University of China in Beijing. He was a faculty member at the Beijing Party School of the CCP from 1993-1996. Bob was also a house church leader in Beijing until he and his wife, Bochun "Heidi" Cai, were imprisoned in 1996.
In 1997, he was exiled to the United States, and in 2002, Bob founded ChinaAid in Philadelphia to promote religious freedom and rule of law in China.
Bob regularly testifies and briefs policymakers and legislators on religious freedom and national security, foreign policy, and rule of law, as well as refugee issues in the free world. He graduated with a Ph.D. from St. John's College at the University of Durham in the U.K. in the field of religious freedom.
Bob's autobiography, God's Double Agent, was published in 2013 by Baker Publishing Group. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and Editor-in-Chief of the Chinese Law and Religion Monitor journal.
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Information Technology
Job Titles:
- Assistant for Family Research Council 's Government Affairs
- Legislative Assistant
Chantel Hoyt serves as a Legislative Assistant for Family Research Council's Government Affairs team. Under the leadership of the Senior Director of Government Affairs, Chantel tracks legislation and congressional hearings related to the organization's core issues; writes score letters and talking points that inform members of Congress on key items of legislation; drafts communications that keep constituents abreast of important policy initiatives; and performs other administrative duties as needed to help FRC advance life, family, and religious freedom at the federal and state level.
Before serving in this role, Chantel worked as a data entry specialist for a transportation company and interned with FRC's Government Affairs team. She graduated cum laude from Regent University with a bachelor's degree in Government in 2020, building on an associate degree in Business Administration from NHTI-Concord's Community College in her home state of New Hampshire.
Job Titles:
- Dean Cheng, Mario Diaz, Rachel Emmanuel, David Closson
Job Titles:
- Dan Bishop, Jena Powell, David Closson
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Director of Broadcast Relations.
As the Director of Broadcast Relations, Chris Curry works with existing partner radio stations that broadcast Washington Watch with Tony Perkins, while also developing additional markets for the program and by using innovation to increase FRC's presence across various platforms. He also helps partner stations lineup FRC's experts on other programs. As a strong advocate of the radio show from its inception, he is thrilled to be working with the expansion of it as we help Christians across America better engage with culture.
Previously, Chris was on our development team, having joined our staff in 2008. For over eleven years, he led our Gift Planning efforts nationally and was responsible for regional development fundraising in a variety of states. During this time, Chris gained extensive knowledge into the work of FRC, through collaborative efforts across the ministry. He has interacted with many of FRC's partners and supporters, as well as churches, activist organizations, candidates, and other groups. Consequently, he has been able to advance initiatives that help people participate in policy conversations and elections from a biblical perspective.
In addition to more than 35 years of service in non-profit ministries, Chris received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Colorado Tech and has numerous professional certifications, including the completion of the National Planned Giving Institute at the College of William and Mary. Chris and his wife Dawne, have four daughters, two sons-in-law, and one granddaughter. Together, they are active in their community and church, where they have engaged in roles with local schools, bible study leadership, worship teams, and church boards.
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Producer
- Senior Producer / Bio
Chris Martin is a Senior Producer at Family Research Council, working on Washington Watch with Tony Perkins, Pray Vote Stand, and other media projects. Before joining FRC, he spent more than 20 years as a production executive at one of the world's largest sports agencies, primarily producing tennis, football, and endurance sports for networks including NBC, ESPN, Tennis Channel, Eurosport and many others. He lives in Washington, DC and enjoys spending time with his three children.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Programs
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Manager of Annual Giving
Job Titles:
- Senior Editor
- Senior Editor at the Washington Stand
Dan Hart is Senior Editor at The Washington Stand, Family Research Council's outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. His writing has appeared in such outlets as National Review, The Federalist, First Things, The Stream, The Christian Post, the National Catholic Register, and others. Before joining FRC, he served with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he worked to promote vocations to the clergy and religious life. His previous endeavors included serving as Associate Editor of iPhone Life Magazine and also in conference implementation at the Food and Drug Law Institute. Dan received a B.A. in English from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, freelance writing about music and culture, reading, golf, and playing guitar.
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview
David Closson serves as the Director of the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council. He researches and writes on life, human sexuality, religious liberty, and related issues from a biblical worldview.
David is the author of FRC's Biblical Worldview Series, which seeks to help Christians and Christian leaders apply the teachings of the Bible to difficult moral questions.
While in seminary, he served as a Teaching Assistant for courses including Introduction to Christian Ethics, Systematic Theology I, Personal Spiritual Disciplines, and Southern Baptist Heritage and Mission. He also served as an assistant to the Dean of the School of Theology at Southern Seminary for two years.
David has served as a Program Leader for Covenant Journey, leading trips to Israel designed to strengthen Christian college students in their faith through an experiential journey of biblical and modern Israel. He has served on staff or as an ordained deacon at churches in Florida and Kentucky. He also interned for the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention.
His writing has appeared at Fox News, Real Clear Politics, National Review, The Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, Decision Magazine, WORLD Opinions, The Gospel Coalition, Townhall, and Christian Post. David is the author of the forthcoming book Life in a Post-Roe World (B&H Academic, 2024) and is the co-author of Male and Female He Created Them: A Study on Identity, Sexuality, and Marriage (Christian Focus, 2023). David is a regular guest on Washington Watch, FRC's national television and radio program heard on over 800 stations in forty-eight states.
Currently, David is completing a Ph.D. in Christian Ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. David is a graduate of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (M.Div., Th.M.) and the University of Central Florida (B.A., political science, cum laude).
David lives in Washington, D.C. and is a member of Capitol Hill Baptist Church.
David Prentice, Valerie Huber, Dave Yost, David Closson
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Fellow for Regulatory Affairs
Dr. Chris Gacek is the Senior Fellow for Regulatory Affairs at Family Research Council. Dr. Gacek received a Bachelors of Science in economics from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, a Masters and Ph.D. in political science from Stanford University, and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
He has previously worked for the Heritage Foundation, the American Enterprise Institute, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (as a law clerk), the Federal Communications Commission, and a subcommittee of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee (Sen. Tom Coburn, Chairman).
Dr. Gacek is the author of The Logic of Force: the Dilemma of Limited War in American Foreign Policy (Columbia Univ. Press, 1994).
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Director of the Center for Family Studies
Dr. Jennifer Bauwens serves as Director of the Center for Family Studies at Family Research Council. In her role, she researches and advocates for policies that will best serve the health and well-being of families and communities.
Jennifer has a Ph.D. from New York University, where she was bestowed the Robert Moore Memorial Award and granted valedictorian for her dissertation on Hurricane Katrina.
Dr. Bauwens has worked extensively as a clinician providing trauma-focused treatment to children in foster-care and behavioral health settings and to adults who've experienced interpersonal traumas, such as sexual abuse and assault. She created programs to mitigate the effects of traumatic events for survivors of domestic violence and abuse, and she's trained on violence prevention for youth and adults in both national and international contexts.
Her scholarship has focused on the effects of psychological trauma, including man-made and natural disasters. She's worked on projects to investigate the long-term psychological sequalae of witnesses and survivors from September 11, 2001, and other acts of community violence. Additionally, Jennifer has taught on psychological trauma and research methods in several graduate programs, including Rutgers University and Princeton Seminary. She has also served as an editorial consultant for, and published in, peer-reviewed journals focused on clinical practice and traumatic stress.
Job Titles:
- Proves Professional Athletes Can - and Should - Stand Up to China
Eric Metaxas, Albert Mohler, Che Ahn, Brian Hermsmeier, Dean Nelson, Dr. Dan Erickson, Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Research Fellow for the Center for Biblical Worldview
George Barna is a Senior Research Fellow for the Center for Biblical Worldview at Family Research Council. He is also a professor at Arizona Christian University (ACU) where he leads their Cultural Research Center. His focus at ACU is worldview assessment and development, and cultural transformation. George founded The Barna Group (which he sold in 2009), the American Culture and Faith Institute, and Metaformation.
Through those entities, Barna has conducted groundbreaking research on worldview, cultural transformation, ministry applications, spiritual development, and politics. He has provided research and strategy for several hundred parachurch ministries, thousands of Christian churches, various for-profit organizations, and the U.S. military. He has also provided polling and strategy for four presidential candidates. Barna has authored or co-authored more than 50 books, mostly addressing cultural and religious trends, leadership, spiritual development, church dynamics, and cultural transformation. They include New York Times bestsellers and several award-winning books and have been translated into more than a dozen foreign languages.
After graduating summa cum laude from Boston College, Barna earned two master's degrees from Rutgers University and received a doctorate from Dallas Baptist University. Married to Nancy since 1978, they have three daughters and three grandchildren, and live on the central California coast and Phoenix.
Gordon Chang, Dr. Paul Marshall, Gordon Godfrey, Travis Weber, David Closson
Job Titles:
- Uncharted Waters With New PM
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Vice President, Brand Advancement
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Executive Vice President
- Biden Administration
- North Korea Developing Nuclear Submarines
- President Biden 's Foreign Policy Blunders
- President Biden 's Resolve to Stand Up to Putin
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) William G. Boykin serves as Family Research Council's Executive Vice President.
He was one of the original members of the U.S. Army's Delta Force. He was privileged to ultimately command these elite warriors in combat operations. Later, William Boykin commanded all the Army's Green Berets as well as the Special Warfare Center and School.
In all, Lt. Gen. Boykin spent 36 years in the army, serving his last four years as the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. He is an ordained minister with a passion for spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and encouraging Christians to become warriors in God's Kingdom.
Jerry Boykin on Putin's growing frustration with the Russia/Ukraine war
Jerry Boykin reacts to increasing oil prices in the wake of the Russia/Ukraine war
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Vice President / Bio
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Fellow for Biblical Worldview and Strategic Engagement
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Staff Writer
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Vice President, Communications / Bio
Job Titles:
- Admin from Contacting Social Media Platforms about Free Speech
Job Titles:
- Research Fellow for Legal and Policy Studies
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance
Job Titles:
- Director of Communications
- Member of the FRC Team
- Director of Communications / Bio
Kenneth Chan is Director of Communications at Family Research Council, where he works to produce Washington Watch with Tony Perkins, communicates with members of the press, and assists with other productions.
Prior to joining FRC, Kenneth worked at NRB, the world's preeminent association of Christian broadcasters and communicators, where he served for more than eight years as the Director of Communications and as the Managing Editor of the association's flagship award-winning e-newsletter, NRB Today.
Kenneth's background also includes 11 years of experience in the news industry. Most notably, he worked at The Christian Post for more than seven years -- five as the Executive Editor. He joined The Christian Post at the time of its incorporation and played a major part in the news organization's development and rise to prominence.
Kenneth hails from California, where he was born and raised. After graduating as valedictorian of his high school class, Kenneth went to UCLA, majoring in Computer Science & Engineering while interning at the school's flagship newspaper, The Daily Bruin. He later earned a B.A. in Journalism at Olivet University.
Outside of FRC, Kenneth serves on the media team at his church in Virginia. Aside from spending time with his wife and their three children, Kenneth also loves playing sports, singing and listening to music, watching movies, photoshopping, reading news and features, and driving and walking around.
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Vice President, Christian Resources
Job Titles:
- Dan Bishop, Bob Fu, Rob Schwarzwalder
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Managing Editor for Publications
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom
Lela Gilbert is Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom at Family Research Council, where she brings a lengthy record of advocating for persecuted believers and addressing current-day faith and freedom issues. Lela resided in Israel for ten years, from 2006 to 2017; she writes and speaks about the intensifying persecution of Christians, Antisemitism, and abuses of religious minorities across the world.
An award-winning writer, Lela has authored or co-authored more than sixty books, including Saturday People, Sunday People: Israel through the Eyes of a Christian Sojourner (Encounter Books, 2013) and Persecuted: The Global Assault on Christians (Thomas Nelson, 2013 -- co-authored with Hudson Institute Fellows Nina Shea and Paul Marshall. Lela also served as editorial director of Silenced: How Apostasy and Blasphemy Codes are Choking Freedom Worldwide, a volume co-authored by Paul Marshall and Nina Shea (Oxford University Press, 2011).
Her work has appeared in Newsweek, Fox News, RealClearReligion, Jerusalem Post, Providence Magazine, National Review, Catholic Herald and other publications.
Job Titles:
- Dean Nelson, Jack Hibbs, David Closson
Job Titles:
- Dan Bishop, John Lott, Josiah O'Neil, George Barna
- Director of Federal Affairs - Family and Religious Liberty
Job Titles:
- Director of the Center for Human Dignity
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow for Education Studies
Mike Johnson, Lela Gilbert, Mike McClure, David Closson
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Video Producer
Job Titles:
- Education WW Live With Tony Perkins
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Director of Government Affairs
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Special Assistant to the President
Job Titles:
- Director of Men 's Ministries
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Vice President, Development / Bio
Job Titles:
- Judge Kyle Duncan 's Speech to Be Shouted Down by Activists
Job Titles:
- Editorial Director
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Writer
Job Titles:
- Education WW Live With Tony Perkins
Job Titles:
- Vice President for Policy and Government Affairs
Job Titles:
- Member of the FRC Team
- Senior Fellow
- Senior Fellow / Bio
- Senior Fellow With
Walt Heyer serves as Senior Fellow with FRC, working under Dr. Jennifer Bauwens in the Center for Family Studies. Walt is a husband, father, and corporate executive who underwent gender transition surgery at the age of 42 and tried to live as a woman for eight years. Through effective psychotherapy and faith in God, Walt was restored to his male identity and biological reality over 30 years ago. He now helps others who regret trying to live in a manner at odds with how God created them.
Walt advocates for protecting children from these irreversible interventions (known as gender transition procedures) and has testified to state and federal legislators in support of policies and legislation that would protect children in this area.
Walt has appeared on Fox News, CNN, the BBC, and Russia's Channel One; and has participated in hundreds of podcast, radio, and TV interviews. He has also contributed to dozens of documentaries.
Walt has also written seven books and over 60 articles for USA Today, The Federalist, Public Discourse, and The Daily Signal, among other outlets.
His latest book, Trans Life Survivors, offers the latest research and 30 stories from the thousands of people who have contacted him for help.
Walt tells his fascinating story in his memoir, A Transgender's Faith.
His advocacy work was honored by HazteOir.org (CitizenGO Spain) in 2023. He also received the Ruth Institute 2022 Witness of the Year award.