Bethany Marcum accepts offer to lead Americans for Prosperity Alaska

By
Suzanne Downing
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8

Bethany Marcum is the new state director for Americans for Prosperity Alaska, a grassroots-based group that focuses on government accountability, fiscally conservative policies, and gets involved in campaigns through its political action committee, Americans for Prosperity Action. She begins her new role in August.

Marcum, who serves as the executive director of the Alaska Policy Forum, has been a legislative aide for then-Sen. Mike Dunleavy, was appointed by Gov. Dunleavy to serve on the Alaska Redistricting Board, and has led the Alaska Policy Forum think tank organization for several years. In 2016, she was a delegate to the Republican National Convention from Alaska, as one of 12 delegates from the state who were bound by state party rules to vote for Ted Cruz for the Republican nominee for president.

Marcum, also a master sergeant in the Alaska Air National Guard, has also worked in the corporate world for several years as a business systems analyst for AlaskaUSA Federal Credit Union and at MAC Tel. She volunteers with her church and is an avid hunter. When Gov. Mike Dunleavy appointed her to the University of Alaska Board of Regents, the liberals that dominate the Alaska Legislature would not confirm her, due to her fiscally conservative reputation.

As the head of Alaska Policy Forum, Marcum has been leading efforts to drive down government spending, and she launched a leadership academy to help train Alaskans to be effective advocates.

Americans for Prosperity is a libertarian-leaning advocacy nonprofit that was founded by businessman and philanthropist Charles Koch and his late brother David Koch. The organization formed in 2004 and engages in direct grassroots lobbying as well as educational programs, policy research, and activist training. The organization has a research and education arm, Americans for Prosperity Foundation.

AFP, active in 35 states, opened an office in Alaska in 2014 under the first executive director, Jeremy Price. It continued under the leadership of Ryan McKee, and most recently by Bernadette Wilson, who left earlier this year.

“Grassroots organizations like Americans of Prosperity are the heartbeat of our communities, driving change from the ground up. AFP is founded on the belief that our collective action can lead to meaningful change. This won’t be just a job to me, but a commitment to uphold AFP’s core principles and to catalyze progress,” Marcum said.

“I am immensely grateful for the opportunity to serve in this capacity and look forward to working closely with our dedicated team, volunteers, and community members. I am optimistic and hopeful about what we can achieve together,” she said.

8 COMMENTS

  1. Good another pain in the backside for Kendall and his liberal clown show. Go get some liberal rear end.

  3. The Koch’s and their wealthy allies have a right to participate in the public process through well funded non-profit organizations. Perhaps, they should be praised for such “philanthropy”.

    But, in what alternate universe is anything about AFP properly described as “grassroots”? For better or worse it seems to be the opposite.

  4. I hope that her organization has the time and ability to help Chugiak/Eagle River in our quest for better representation. Sounds like a great organization and I like them already. All changes must start at the local level and we sure are ready.

    • Americans for Prosperity is a national conservative organization of run by Charles Koch (as noted in the article). This isn’t a local, “grassroots” organization–it is the local branch of a national organization.

      • Jaded, and of course you will gladly name the other National Orgs which are leftist, marxist and Chi-Com Funded for us that also claim to be “Grassrooted”. No? huh, Soros much?

  5. The group leadership was wrong for getting rid of Bernedette. No one except the better read and smarter Alaskans (who are few) knew what was this group not until Bernadette was hired and she got the group off the ground and charging forward. Why it get someone whom appeals to an older crowd when needs younger voters and younger families. Bernedette appealed better to a younger crowd.

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