About Us

The Ethan Allen Institute is Vermont’s free-market public policy research and education organization. A “think tank.” Founded in 1993, we are one of fifty-plus similar but independent state-level, public policy organizations around the country which exchange ideas and information through the State Policy Network.

Mission

The mission of the Institute is to influence public policy in Vermont by helping its people to better understand and put into practice the fundamentals of a free society: individual liberty, private property, competitive free enterprise, limited government, strong local communities, personal responsibility, and expanded opportunity for human endeavor.

Organization

The Ethan Allen Institute is a independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit educational organization governed by an 8-member board of directors, and its programs are reviewed by an Advisory Council composed of Vermonters from many walks of life.
The Institute is a 501(c)(3) educational organization, contributions to which are tax deductible for individuals and corporations. The Institute does not solicit or accept funds from governments, or engage in legislative lobbying or political campaigns.

President, Rob Roper

Rob comes from a professional background is in advertising, where he worked as an award-winning copywriter for Young & Rubicam New York. After moving to Vermont in 1998, Rob has been involved in state politics and policy in a number of capacities, serving as Media Relations director for a U.S. Senate campaign, Executive Director of FreedomWorks Vermont, Chairman of the Vermont Republican Party, and  host (now co-host) of EAI’s Common Sense Radio program on WDEV. He lives in Stowe with his wife and two children. rob@ethanallen.org

Vice President, John McClaughry

John founded the Institute in 1993 and served as its President until August 2009. He is a former member of the Vermont House and Senate and was Senior Policy Advisor in President Reagan’s White House.

Policy Analyst, David Flemming

David is a 2016 Hillsdale College graduate with a B.A. in Economics, and a graduate of Essex High School. He is also an alumni of the Koch Internship Program and Koch Summer Fellow Program, and has researched and written about public policy during his time with Economic and Policy Resources, the Independent Institute, Campaign for Vermont and the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Board Chair, Jack McMullen

Archived Newsletters

Affiliated Projects

Common Sense Radio: Hosted by Bill Sayre, an economist with an M.B.A. in finance and economics from the University of Chicago where he studied under Milton Friedman, airs weekdays from 11:00 to noon on WDEV – AM 550, FM 96.1 or LIVE STREAMING. Call in: 244-1777 or, Toll Free 1 877-291-8255

Vermont Transparency (www.vttransparency.org)

Vermont Transparency is a joint venture between the Ethan Allen Institute and the left leaning Public Assets Institute. The project is a reliable portal for citizens, legislators, news media, scholars, and nonprofit groups who want to know where the state, their city, town, and school district get their money, and how they spend it.