Martin Gillespie
November 17, 2025
AFPI Welcomes Chad Barefoot
Washington, D.C.— The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) is pleased to announce that Chad Barefoot has joined the organization as Vice Chair of the American 250 Civics Education Coalition.
Barefoot brings decades of experience in public policy and politics, including service in the North Carolina Senate where he chaired the Education and Education Appropriations Committees overseeing the K-12, Community College and UNC System policy and budgets.
During his time in the legislature, Barefoot was a school choice champion developing and passing North Carolina’s first Education Savings Account and the forward funding model for the state’s opportunity scholarship program. He also worked to expand home school and charter school options for North Carolina families and students. During his chairmanship, he sought public school reforms that put parents and students first holding administrators accountable to classroom sizes, best practices in reading, protecting student data privacy, and increasing apprenticeship opportunities.
Barefoot shared his thoughts on his appointment:
“I am truly honored to join such an amazing team of leaders, thinkers, policy experts, and public servants who are united around a shared vision for our country. Parents and students deserve so much more than what they receive from the education system they fund. Their needs ought to be our priority when shaping public policy. The America First Policy Institute understands this, and I’m excited to work alongside this outstanding team toward this goal. My hope is that the work of the America 250 Civics Education Coalition will reinvigorate a love for our country and create a sustained opportunity for civic virtue within our communities and classrooms.”
Martin Gillespie, Executive Vice President of AFPI, added:
“We are thrilled to welcome Chad to our leadership team. His nationally recognized leadership in education reform will be instrumental as we work to make civics and history a cornerstone of America’s 250th anniversary.”