The Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF), the most influential conservative policy organization in the state of Idaho since 2008, announces a leadership change.
Ronald Nate, who previously served as an IFF Senior Policy Fellow, has been promoted to the position of President. Shortly after Nate joined the team in 2022, IFF founding President Wayne Hoffman informed IFF's Board of Directors of his decision to pursue other opportunities, and Nate was identified as the best candidate to move into the organization's top position.
"I am honored to be named President of the Idaho Freedom Foundation. Idaho is where I chose to raise my family and make my home. This is a truly special state, and I'm inspired to work day in and day out to preserve what we have and restore what's been lost. I have deep respect for IFF, its legacy of professional and effective advocacy for liberty, and the proven record of influence throughout the state. I am excited to work with IFF's board and staff to bring the organization to new heights," says Nate.
"Wayne Hoffman has been a friend and respected colleague for years, and I want to honor his work and leadership over the decades. IFF has an opportunity to achieve even greater influence in how Idaho government operates and in advancing freedom principles across the state, and I am committed to taking the Foundation to the next level of leadership and effectiveness."
Prior to joining IFF, Nate served as an economics professor at Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg. He has a Ph.D. in economics with 25 years of teaching experience. Nate also served three terms in the Idaho House of Representatives between 2014 and 2022, where his committee assignments included Joint Finance and Appropriations; Judiciary, Rules & Administration; and Local Government.
IFF was launched in 2008 with Hoffman as its founding President. At that time, every state in the country had a free market think tank except for Idaho. The organization quickly developed a reputation as an accurate, independent source for liberty-minded policy innovation and as a tireless watchdog against government waste and marketplace intervention. The Idaho Freedom Index is widely recognized as the best state-level legislative scorecard in the country, holding politicians accountable like never before in the history of Idaho.
"The IFF Board of Directors thanks Wayne Hoffman for his relentless efforts over the past 15 years to dramatically change the conversation about public policy in Idaho. The conservative movement in Idaho would not be as strong as it is today without the thoughtful leadership and strategic roadmap for success developed and implemented by Wayne," says IFF Board Chairman Brent Regan.
"The Board of Directors is excited for the future of the Idaho Freedom Foundation and the vision that Ron Nate has for expanding the organization's impact on conservative public policy outcomes in Idaho," says Regan.
"I will work tirelessly for Idahoans who value maximum freedom, limited government, and protection of God-given rights," says Nate. "IFF is the only institution holding legislators accountable while providing them with common sense policy solutions reflecting the values of the vast majority of our state's citizens. IFF will not rest until Idaho is the freest place to live in the United States, and then we will continue working to keep it that way."
