Timothy R. Phillips

Timothy R. (Tim) Phillips is the president of Americans for Prosperity and the Americans for Prosperity Foundation. He became president in 2006. He was formerly Vice President of Century Strategies, a political and corporate consulting firm.

Background
According to Phillips' Americans for Prosperity biographical note, "Phillips is a veteran political strategist and one of the nation’s premier grassroots organizers with nearly two decades of experience, including presidential, gubernatorial and congressional races, as well as state legislative, local and issue-advocacy campaigns. . . Under Phillips’ leadership to date, AFP and AFP Foundation have expanded from seven to 21 state chapters, more than doubled membership to 200,000 citizen leaders, embarked on a nationwide campaign to end pork-barrel earmarks, and successfully engaged in over a dozen major grassroots issue battles on taxes and government regulation in states across the country."

"He has appeared on CNN’s 360 with Anderson Cooper, the Fox News Channel, ABC’s World News Tonight and Nightline programs, the CBS Evening News and dozens of regional and local media outlets promoting AFP’s grassroots message of free markets and free enterprise," his biographical note states.

According to Phillips' Century Strategies biography, "Tim joined Ralph Reed in founding Century Strategies, parent company of Millennium Marketing, in 1997. Since then, he has handled our growing list of political and governmental affairs clients. With over 16 years of experience working at all levels of campaigns, including presidential, gubernatorial and congressional races, as well as state legislative and local campaigns, Tim's political experience is both broad and deep."

"During the 2000 GOP primaries, Tim helped spearhead Century's national efforts on behalf of George Walker Bush's campaign for president. Beginning in 1999 and continuing through the nomination, Century provided direct mail, telemarketing, coalition building and strategic services to Bush for President. During the 2000 general election, Century provided the same services for our ticket. In addition, Tim continues overseeing grasstops and grassroots services for Century's corporate clients across the United States," the biographical note states.

"Tim's extensive experience as a strategic campaign consultant, direct mail and telemarketing specialist, grassroots and grasstops operative has helped him service a broad range of clients including George W. Bush for President; Victory 2000 at the national level; Georgia Republican Party; Florida Republican House Caucus; members of Congress such as Majority Leader Dick Armey, Conference Chairman J.C. Watts, and Bob Goodlatte; National Republican Congressional Committee; Lieutenant Governor John Hager of Virginia; Lieutenant Governor Steve Windom of Alabama; George Herbert Walker Bush for President in 1988, and Republican Party of Virginia," the biographical note states.

"In addition to his work for political clients, Tim has serviced Fortune 500 corporate clients with Century while coordinating successful issue advocacy campaigns in a number of states," the biographical note states.

"After managing Bob Goodlatte's first campaign for Congress in 1992, Tim served on Capitol Hill as the Chief of Staff to Congressman Bob Goodlatte for four years," the biographical note states.

"Given his longtime political experience, Tim has been enlisted to teach campaign training seminars across the nation for organizations like Campaigns and Elections Magazine, Republican Party of Virginia, Christian Coalition, and other state party and grassroots organizations. He was named a 'Rising Star in Politics' in 1998 by Campaigns and Elections Magazine," the biographical note states.

"Tim ... graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude from Virginia Tech University with a B.A. in Political Science," the biographical note states.

Influence on climate change policy
According to a 2011 article in the National Journal, Tim Phillips said Americans For Prosperity and others like it have been instrumental in the rise of Republican candidates who question or deny climate science: “If you look at where the situation was three years ago and where it is today, there’s been a dramatic turnaround. Most of these candidates have figured out that the science has become political. We’ve made great headway. What it means for candidates on the Republican side is, if you … buy into green energy or you play footsie on this issue, you do so at your political peril. The vast majority of people who are involved in the [Republican] nominating process—the conventions and the primaries—are suspect of the science. And that’s our influence. Groups like Americans for Prosperity have done it.”