New faces, new roles at Badger Institute |
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The Badger Institute is bolstering its staff with top talent as it heads into 2026 |
Ben Eisen joins us this week as Vice President of Policy and Research. |
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Eisen has held senior research roles at several think tanks. At the Fraser Institute, he served as Director of Alberta Policy Studies and Director of Ontario Policy Studies. He previously served as Director of Research at the Atlantic Institute for Market Studies. He earned a BA from the University of Toronto and an MPP from the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.
Eisen will spearhead our new 2026 “Mandate for Madison” and will be responsible for all policy work at the Badger Institute. |
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Patrick McIlheran, our Policy Director since 2021, is taking over our journalism arm, including our weekly Top Picks, as Executive Editor. |
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Prior to his public policy work at the institute, McIlheran served U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson for more than 10 years as deputy chief of staff, communications director and policy adviser. Previously, he had a 25-year career in newspapers, including seven years as a columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where one of his primary focuses was Milwaukee’s complex environment of school reform. |
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Riley Swedberg, a recent graduate of Grand Canyon University, is our new Operations Associate. |
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Riley brings experience in government affairs, policy research, and legislative tracking. Previously, Riley served as a Government Relations Assistant at Grand Canyon University, where she tracked Arizona state legislation on behalf of the university. She has also gained federal and nonprofit experience through internships with the U.S. House of Representatives and the Clare Boothe Luce Center for Conservative Women. |
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The Badger Institute is a free-market think tank advancing prosperity and opportunity in Wisconsin through policy, journalism and advocacy. We find the brightest minds in America and train our sights on making Wisconsin a place where government is limited, civil society is robust and all residents can aspire to a better life. |
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The Badger Institute has long been at the forefront of the fight for school choice, right to work, welfare reform, tax restructuring, limited government, civil society and so much more. If you appreciate the Institute’s legacy and want to support free markets, opportunity and prosperity, please consider donating today. Your support will help the Institute continue to advocate for conservative principles now and in generations to come.
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The Institute never has, and never will, accept government funding. We gratefully welcome your online donation or email Mike Nichols, President. The Badger Institute is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization funded solely by the generosity of foundations, companies and individuals. |
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Badger Institute
700 W. Virginia St., Suite 301
Milwaukee, WI 53204 |
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