CNP Action, Inc. is an advocacy organization that supports conservative principles, including limited government, free markets, traditional values, and a strong national defense. Founded in 1987, CNP Action, Inc. is the lobbying arm of the Council for National Policy (CNP), a right-of-center group. ¹

Activities

CNP Action, Inc. hosts interactive “action sessions” at Council for National Policy meetings, addressing current issues and specific legislation that support its conservative agenda. These action sessions allow for collaborative discussions with public policy experts and provide actionable information to its attendees. ²

CNP Action, Inc. publishes Heard Around the Hill, a monthly newsletter featuring events and projects led by conservative groups and current legislation before Congress. CNP Action also publishes “Action Alerts” in order to encourage CNP members to act on specific policy matters. ³

Board of Directors

Kelly Shackelford is the chair of the board of CNP Action and the founder, CEO, and president of the First Liberty Institute. Shackelford is the former president of the Freemarket Foundation. ⁴

Bob McEwen is president of the board. McEwen served six terms as a Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was a member of the Select Committee on Intelligence and the House Committee on Rules, and three terms in the Ohio General Assembly. ⁵

Michael W. Thompson Jr. is the secretary and treasurer of the board and sits on the board of regents at the Fund for American Studies. ⁶

Kenneth Blackwell is a senior fellow at the Family Research Council, a fellow at the National Academy of Public Administration, and a visiting fellow at the American Civil Rights Union. Blackwell is the co-chair of the board of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems, sits on the boards of the Club for Growth and the National Taxpayers Union, and formerly sat on the boards of the Academy for Government Accountability and the National Rifle Association. ⁷ Blackwell previously served as Secretary of State of Ohio as a Republican and in other political offices. ⁸

Adam Brandon is the president of FreedomWorks. ⁹

Colin Hanna is the president of Let Freedom Ring. ¹⁰

Virginia Thomas is the former director of executive branch relations at the Heritage Foundation. ¹¹

William Walton is a trustee at the Heritage Foundation, sits on the board of the Media Research Center, and is a senior fellow for the Discovery Institute’s Center on Wealth, Poverty, and Morality. ¹²

1. “CNP Action, Inc.” Council for National Policy. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://cfnp.org/cnp-action-inc/.
2. “CNP Action, Inc.” Council for National Policy. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://cfnp.org/cnp-action-inc/.
3. “CNP Action, Inc.” Council for National Policy. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://cfnp.org/cnp-action-inc/.
4. “Kelly Shackelford.” LinkedIn, 2022. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellyshackelford/.
5. “About.” Bob McEwen, 2022. Accessed March 17, 2022. http://bobmcewen.com/about/.
6. “Park Board: Michael W. Thompson, Jr.” Fairfax County Virginia. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/board/thompson.
7. “Amb. J. Kenneth Blackwell.” International Foundation for Electoral Systems, 2021. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://www.ifes.org/people/hon-j-kennneth-blackwell.
8. “Ken Blackwell, Senior Fellow for Human Rights and Constitutional Governance.” FRC. Accessed April 4, 2022. https://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=by07d01.
9. “Adam Brandon.” FreedomWorks. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://www.freedomworks.org/content/adam-brandon.
10. “Colin Hanna – Guest Speaker at the Leadership Institute.” Leadership Institute, 2022. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://www.leadershipinstitute.org/Training/contact.cfm?FacultyID=161921.
11. “Virginia Thomas.” The Heritage Foundation, 2022. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://www.heritage.org/staff/virginia-thomas.
12. “William L. Walton.” The Heritage Foundation, 2022. Accessed March 17, 2022. https://www.heritage.org/staff/william-l-walton.