The Leadership Program of the Rockies (LPR) is a Colorado-based, non-partisan training program that focuses on America’s founding principles to promote free-market capitalism and create leaders who will influence public policy. ¹

The Leadership Program of the Rockies is an associate member of the State Policy Network, a coalition of free-market state-level policy organizations. ² While LPR is non-partisan, members of its staff and board have affiliations with the Republican Party.

Activity

The Leadership Program of the Rockies is a Colorado-based, non-partisan training program that focuses on America’s founding principles to promote free-market capitalism and create leaders who will influence public policy. ³

The Leadership Program of the Rockies selects up to 65 Colorado students annually to attend its training, with curriculum based on Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand and Economics in One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt. ⁴ LPR has a secondary program where students study the Federalist Papers, the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence. ⁵

The Leadership Program of the Rockies includes a lecture series called Defenders of the Declaration, which studies original source materials in order to better understand constitutional government. The lectures teach that the Declaration of Independence supports individual freedom and limited constitutional government. ⁶

Part of LPR’s curriculum is provided by Defenders of Capitalism, a non-profit educational organization that claims capitalism is under attack. ⁷ Defenders of Capitalism further claims that taxation and inflation are an attack on personal capital and that culture and intellectualism are an attack on constitutional government. ⁸ Defenders of Capitalism teaches that individual rights, not human, civil, or constitutional rights, are the underlying principle of capitalism. ⁹

LPR alumni have been able to influence public policy by becoming elected officials, state leaders, federal judges, and presidential cabinet members. ¹⁰ Some alumni have become elected members of Colorado school boards and advocated for school choice and educational choice. ¹¹

Funding

The Leadership Program of the Rockies is funded by donations from individuals, foundations, and corporations. While LPR does not disclose its donors, tax filings show donations from the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation,¹² the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation, ¹³ and Donors Trust. ¹⁴

People

Staff

Shari Williams is the president of the Leadership Program of the Rockies, serves on its board, and is the executive director of the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation. Williams serves on the board of the National Taxpayers Union and on the advisory boards of the Atlas Economic Research Foundation and the Heritage Foundation Colorado Committee. ¹⁵

Stephanie Muth is the director of outreach for LPR, the grant manager of the Vernon K. Krieble Foundation, and the political director of the Denver Metro Young Republicans. Muth formerly worked as a consultant to the Colorado Women’s Alliance and Americans for Prosperity. ¹⁶

Board of Directors

Bob Schaffer is chair of the Leadership Program of the Rockies, on the board of the Colorado League of Charter Schools, and as the former chair of the Colorado State Board of Education. Schaffer is a former Republican member of both the Colorado State Senate and the United States House of Representatives. ¹⁷

Cheri Carsten is an ex officio board member of the Steamboat Institute. Carsten formerly worked for the U.S. Department of Defense. ¹⁸

Alex Cranberg is the chair of the ACE Scholarship Foundation. ¹⁹

Mark Hillman is the executive director of the Colorado Civil Justice League. Hillman, a Republican, formerly served as Majority Leader in the Colorado State Senate, as Colorado State Treasurer, and as representative of Colorado on the Republican National Committee. ²⁰

Jeannie Reeser formerly served as a Republican Colorado State Representative and as president of the Adams County Republican Women. Reeser currently serves as a director of the Colorado Federation of Republican Women. ²¹

Michael Williams sits on the national advisory board of the Steamboat Institute. ²²

1. “Home.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/.
2. “The Network: Colorado.” State Policy Network, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://spn.org/directory/#CO.
3. “Home.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/.
4. “About the Program.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/about-the-program/.
5. “Quick Facts & Talking Points.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/quick-facts-talking-points/.
6. “Defenders of the Declaration.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/defenders-of-declaration/.
7. “Defenders of Capitalism.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/defenders-of-capitalism/.
8. “Defend and Grow Your Capital.” Defenders of Capitalism, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.defendersofcapitalism.com/content/defend-and-grow-your-capital.
9. “Individual Rights.” Defenders of Capitalism, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.defendersofcapitalism.com/content/individual-rights.
10. “Home.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/.
11. “Quick Facts & Talking Points.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 24, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/quick-facts-talking-points/.
12. Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2014-2019, Part XV, Line 3a.
13. Vernon K. Krieble Foundation, Return of Private Foundation (Form 990-PF), 2003-2018, Part XV, Line 3a.
14. Donors Trust, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax (Form 990), 2018-2019, Schedule I, Part II.
15. “Shari D. Williams.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/bio/shari-williams/.
16. “Stephanie Muth.” The Steamboat Institute, 2021. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://www.steamboatinstitute.org/person/stephanie-muth/.
17. “The Hon. Bob Schaffer.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/bio/bob-schaffer/.
18. “Cheri Carsten.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/bio/?smid=1080.
19. “Alex M. Cranberg.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/bio/alex-cranberg/.
20. “The Hon. Mark Hillman.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/bio/mark-hillman/.
21. “The Hon. Jeannie Reeser.” Leadership Program of the Rockies, 2021. Accessed May 19, 2021. https://www.leadershipprogram.org/bio/jeannie-reeser/.
22. “National Advisory Board.” The Steamboat Institute, 2021. Accessed May 21, 2021. https://www.steamboatinstitute.org/department/national-advisory-board/.