R Street names Ike Brannon senior fellow and research director
WASHINGTON (Nov. 26, 2012) — The R Street Institute today announced that economist and veteran Washington policy expert Ike Brannon will be joining its team as senior fellow and director of research, effective Dec. 1.
In his new role, Brannon will direct R Street’s research projects across a broad array of subject areas, including regulation, public health, the environment, entitlements reform, tax policy and the federal budget.
Brannon comes to R Street from the American Action Forum, where he has served as director of economic policy and director of congressional relations. Previously, he served as chief economist to the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee; senior policy adviser and chief economist to the Republican Policy Committee; and a senior adviser to the John McCain 2008 presidential campaign.
“I have known Ike for years and I would count him easily among the very best economists and public policy analysts in town,” R Street President Eli Lehrer said. “His broad knowledge, vast experience, and ability to get things done will be a huge asset to R Street.”
Earlier in his career, Brannon began his public policy career as a senior economist with the White House Office of Management and Budget, before moving on to become chief economist to the Congressional Joint Economic Committee; principal economic adviser to Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, for the senator’s work on the Senate Finance Committee; and senior adviser for tax policy at the U.S. Treasury Department.
“I’m very excited to be joining an ambitious and vibrant think tank like R Street and I think it’s poised to make big contributions to the policy world in the next few years,” Brannon said.
Brannon holds a doctorate in economics from Indiana University and a bachelors in math, Spanish and economics from Augustana College in Rock Island, Ill.
R Street is a non-profit public policy research organization that supports free markets; limited, effective government; and responsible environmental stewardship. It has headquarters in Washington, D.C. and branch offices in Tallahassee, Fla.; Austin,Texas; and Columbus, Ohio. Its website is www.redesign.rstreet.org.
