Upon the announcement of Dr. Ryan T. Anderson’s appointment as the new president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center, Heritage Foundation president Kay C. James said:

“Ryan Anderson has made so many profound contributions to public policy and to the national conversation on the crucial issues of life, marriage, free speech, and religious freedom. His work for nearly a decade as the William E. Simon Research Fellow in American Principles and Public Policy at Heritage served as a guide to lawmakers, policy advocates, and everyday Americans alike. Ryan published four books, he wrote regularly in academic journals, his work has been cited by the United States Supreme Court, and he was a frequent commentator in the media.

“While Ryan has regularly been the tip of the spear on many issues and refused to back down from conservative principles, he has always sought to better understand people with whom he disagreed and unfailingly engaged them with charity, civility, and clarity. This enabled him to foster civil dialogue on some of our most challenging issues, make unlikely allies, and shape the views of people from across the political spectrum. America needs more examples of this kind of civil engagement now more than ever.

“Ryan’s courage and intellectual leadership will be missed at Heritage, but we are thrilled that he will be leading the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a longtime friend and ally of Heritage and a true powerhouse of ideas. This is a loss for us, but a gain for EPPC. They will flourish under his leadership.

“I wish Ryan many blessings as he takes on this exciting new challenge.”

Dr. Ryan T. Anderson said:

“I will always cherish the time I spent at Heritage, working with so many talented and courageous colleagues to advance ideas rooted in sound first principles for the good of all Americans. Heritage has provided me a wonderful home for many years to do so much good work—for all of this, I leave full of gratitude.”