Steering Committee

Garrett Ballengee
President & CEO, Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy

Garrett Ballengee joined the Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy, a nonprofit research organization or “think tank” located in West Virginia, in 2015 as its first employee and is now the President & CEO.

A winner of the 2022 Buckley Award, member of the American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network, and proud George Washington Statesmanship Fellow with the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, Garrett believes the foundational ideas of freedom will lead West Virginia to achieve a “West Virginia Miracle.

Under Garrett’s leadership, the Cardinal Institute won one of two top prizes for the Atlas Network’s Investors Summit for Liberty “Smart Bets 2020” competition, became one of six worldwide finalists for the prestigious Templeton Freedom Award in 2021, and was a finalist for the Bob Williams Award for Outstanding Policy Achievement for Cardinal’s work on education choice in West Virginia. He considers the passing of the Hope Scholarship ESA program for K-12 education to be his proudest moment as a liberty advocate. Additionally, under his leadership, the State Policy Network honored the Cardinal Institute with the 2023 Bob Williams Awards for Biggest Home State Win for its work ushering in the largest tax cut in West Virginia history.

A native of Parkersburg, W.Va., Garrett graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Finance from West Virginia University, Honors College, in 2009. Garrett was also a recipient of the WVU Foundation’s prestigious “Outstanding Senior” award, an award given to no more than the top 1% of graduating seniors from West Virginia University. He received his M.A. in Financial Economics from Ohio University in 2011.

Charlie Bufalino
Senior Director of State Advocacy and Support, National Alliance for Public Charter Schools

Charlie is the Senior Director of State Advocacy and Support at the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, working toward improving public charter school laws across the country and supporting the growth and expansion of high-quality public charter schools.

Formerly, Charlie served the state of Tennessee as the Assistant Commissioner of Policy & Legislative Affairs for the Department of Education and Governor’s Office. In this role, he successfully executed the passage of 13 administration education bills, highlighted by the historic passage of major reforms including: The Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act (a full overhaul of Tennessee’s K-12 funding formula for the first time in 30 years); The Literacy Success Act (foundational reform of early literacy instruction, teacher preparation, and funding supports); and The Tennessee Learning Loss Remediation and Student Acceleration Act (permanently established summer learning camps and tutoring opportunities for at-risk students).

Charlie began his career as a start-up employee of Rocketship Education, where he helped drive overall national expansion efforts by leading growth strategy, policy and legislative advocacy work, and the writing and securing charters.  Charlie graduated from Pomona College with a bachelor’s degree in History, and received his Master’s in Public Policy from Vanderbilt University. Charlie has spent his career working in education reform due to his concern with eliminating the achievement gap, the systemic effects of poverty on society, and education’s role in alleviating these ills.  He also moonlights as a recreational hockey player, desperately clinging to the hope of an NHL call-up.

Caroline Roemer
Executive Director, Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools

Caroline Roemer is the Executive Director of the Louisiana Association of Public
Charter Schools (LAPCS), the only statewide association that supports, promotes, and advocates for the charter school movement in Louisiana.

With a wealth of over 25 years of experience in corporate and political communications, public policy, message development, and coalition building, Caroline joined LAPCS in 2007 as its first Executive Director. Her extensive experience instills confidence in her leadership.

Born and raised on a cotton and soybean farm in Bossier City, Louisiana, Roemer left the state in 1991 to work on political campaigns around the country. Clients include mayors, congressmen, governors, and Fortune 500 companies. She returned to her home state following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Caroline’s achievements are truly impressive. She was a 2012 Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow and a fellow with Leadership Louisiana, a Council for a Better Louisiana program. She has also been recognized as one of Baton Rouge Business Report’s “Forty Under 40” and the “2016 Outstanding Social Entrepreneur of the Year” by Tulane University’s Freeman School of Business.

Caroline was also named as one of Greater Baton Rouge Business Report’s 2019 Influential Women in Business. She currently serves as an advisory board member for Education Research Alliance. Caroline resides in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with her son, Owen, their dog, Jazz, and their cat, Forty. When she is not a mom and working, she loves fishing, Sunday drives, live music, and hanging out with her brothers and their families playing board games.

Cathleen Johnson
Kendrick Chair of Economics at West Virginia University

Cathleen Johnson, Kendrick Chair of Economics at West Virginia University, PhD in Economics from Virginia Tech, has contributed as an economist in a few different roles. She contributed to the Segway prototype, led multimillion-dollar experimental studies on risk attitudes, time preferences, and education financing for the Canadian government, directed experimental economics labs in Montreal and Arizona, and studied with Vernon Smith, Economics Nobel Laureate. She is currently a member of the economics department and is founding director of the Kendrick Center for an Ethical Economy at WVU.

James Paul
Executive Director, West Virginia Professional Charter School Board

James Paul is the Executive Director of the West Virginia Professional Charter School Board (PCSB). In this role, James provides technical assistance and oversight to PCSB-authorized charter schools. He solicits, supports, and reviews applications from prospective charter school developers. James coordinates with the West Virginia Department of Education on matters related to funding, assessment, and financial transparency— ensuring appropriate autonomy for authorized charter schools.

James earned a Ph.D. in Education Policy from the University of Arkansas, where he published peer-reviewed articles in several academic journals.

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