AFP Advisory Council

The Americans for Prosperity Advisory Council is a collection of talented individuals who contribute to AFP’s strategy and engagement on key public policy issues. The members of the Advisory Council bring to bear years of experience across a variety of the key institutions of society. They advise AFP on how our organization can reach even more Americans and be more effective in reforming government for the better.

Through the Advisory Council, AFP is bringing together influential voices to champion our common cause of expanding freedom and opportunity. Like AFP, these individuals understand that America is not reaching its full potential – but believe it still can.

The Advisory Council is an important part of AFP’s mission to empower every American. The members of the AFP Advisory Council work together to help us pass policies that improve people’s lives and benefit our communities and our country.

Guy Benson

Guy Benson is a Fox News Contributor, Political Editor of Townhall.com, and the host of the nationally-syndicated ‘Guy Benson Show’ on Fox News Radio. Guy was named to Forbes magazine’s ′30 under 30′ law & policy list in 2015, the year he co-authored End of Discussion, a prescient warning about the perils of cancel culture. The Huffington Post included Guy in its 2017 roster of the ′25 top millennial broadcasters in American news and politics′. That same year, he received the College Republican National Committee’s biannual Lee Atwater ′Outstanding Young Conservative award.′ Guy has served as a Media Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, and a Visiting Fellow at both Harvard and Georgetown Universities’ Institutes of Politics. He graduated with honors from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University in 2007. Guy currently resides in the Washington, DC area with his husband and dog.

Erick Erickson

Erick Erickson is the host of the Erick Erickson Show. Erick focuses on the intersection of politics, news, culture, and events. He’s even been known to discuss cooking and theology. Erick, a native of Louisiana who grew up in Dubai, had been a practicing attorney for six years in Macon. He handled corporate law, estates, and elections. He served as a volunteer attorney for President Bush’s election and re-election. He managed and consulted on federal, state, and local campaigns. Erick was elected to city council in Macon, Georgia, where he served for nearly four years until being offered a full-time radio job. Erick served as Editor-in-Chief of RedState.com for 10 years and was a regular political contributor to CNN and Fox News. Erick graduated from Mercer University with majors in History and Political Science and received his JD with honors from the Walter F. George School of Law of Mercer University. He currently resides in Georgia with his wife, daughter and son.

Mary Katharine Ham

Mary Katharine Ham is a nationally prominent journalist, author, and speaker, and host of her own light-hearted news podcast, “Getting Hammered.” As a Political Commentator, she has brought a conservative perspective mixed with a humorous take on politics and pop culture to CNN from 2016 to 2022 and Fox News from 2007-2015. She’s also a frequent speaker on college campuses on the issue of free speech. In 2016, she moderated an ABC News 2016 GOP presidential primary debate in New Hampshire, which featured nine candidates. Ham is the co-author with Guy Benson of “End of Discussion: How the Left’s Outrage Industry Shuts Down Debate, Manipulates Voters, and Makes America Less Free (and Fun),” and has written for The Atlantic, USA Today, and the New York Post. She also has spoken and written on her faith and overcoming hardships after the loss of her first husband in 2015. Remarried in 2020, Ham brings a message of resilience and redemption to audiences. Ham is a die-hard UGA football fan, a Southern gal who is close to her family in North Carolina. She lives with her husband, three daughters, newborn son, and a very energetic Belgian Malinois.

Jeb Hensarling

Jeb served in the U.S. Congress for eight terms, including three terms as chairman of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. Before Congress, Jeb had a varied career in business, including serving as an officer of Maverick Capital, and as a vice president of communications for Green Mountain Energy. He serves on the board of Caliber Home Loans, Inc., one of the nation’s largest non-bank home mortgage companies.

Jose Oliva

Jose Oliva is a Florida-based entrepreneur. He was elected to the Florida House of Representatives to serve the 110th district in 2011 and was elected by his colleagues to serve as the speaker of the Florida House from 2018–2020. During his first term in the Florida House, Jose helped pass a constitutional amendment to reduce the burdensome property tax on Floridians. Throughout his legislative career, he has worked to prevent government overreach, fighting cronyism, and create a small, accountable government. Previously, he was CEO of Oliva Cigar Company, and served as Hialeah Housing Commissioner. Jose and his wife, Jeanne, have three children.

Jim Stephenson

Jim serves as chairman of Yancey Bros. Co., a 100-year-old family-owned business that offers Caterpillar and Blue Bird products, parts, and services at 25 facilities in 19 communities across the state of Georgia. He has served on the board of Americans for Prosperity. Jim earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University and a J.D. from Duke University. Jim and his wife, Donna, have three grown children and live in Johns Creek, Georgia.

Paul Winfree, Ph.D.

Paul Winfree, Ph.D., is the President and CEO of the Economic Policy Innovation Center (EPIC). He has served in top management and policy roles in the White House, the U.S. Senate, and think tanks.

Prior to founding EPIC, Winfree served in multiple positions during three different tours at The Heritage Foundation. These included Distinguished Fellow in Economic Policy and Public Leadership, Director of Economic Policy Studies the Richard F. Aster Fellow, and acting Director of the Center for Data Analysis.

Winfree holds a Ph.D. in economics from Queen’s University Belfast, an M.Sc. in economics and economic history from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and a B.S. in economics from George Mason University. He lives in Virginia with his wife and three children.