How Well Do You Know Roger?
Many of us know who Roger Custer is, but how much do you actually know about him?
Under his leadership since 2011, AF’s impact, programs, and budget have grown. He received a BA from Ithaca College and a MPA in nonprofit management at George Mason University. After being a Conference Director at Young America’s Foundation, Roger later joined AF.
Outside of AF, Roger stays involved with other nonprofits as well. He was a participant in the Koch Associate Program in 2012 and is currently a FEE Faculty Network member. In 2014, he received the William F. Buckley Jr. Award from the Young Conservatives Coalition.
A fun fact that some of the AF community may not know: Roger loves classical music and opera. You can even find him playing clarinet in the American Balalaika Symphony.
Raised as a conservative, his mother encouraged him to participate in local politicsfrom an early age. After attending his first Young America’s Foundation (YAF) conference in high school, he really got involved. In College, he was a leader in the College Republicans at Ithaca College in New York. His campus activism was profiled in Time Magazine due to the pressure he put on the administration to embrace intellectual diversity alongside the politically correct kinds of diversity. Following that success, YAF then invited him to be conference director and he worked there for seven years.
He says,
“Our country is special because of the freedoms we enjoy. It is crucial to educate and inspire young people with a free market message because they don’t learn it in most high schools and colleges. The only way we will be prosperous in the long term and reduce poverty is to embrace free markets, limited government, and personal responsibility as the Founders did when they established this nation.”
His favorite part of AF is getting to work with and help the talented leaders in the AF community. “Although the media may highlight the Bernie Sanders fans, there are just as many or more liberty-minded young people working hard to inspire their peers. AF is here to empower them and give them the tools they need to influence their local communities.”
Roger will be working harder than ever to bring AF’s strategic plan to fruition. With Roger’s track record and proven determination, we are sure to see success. He concluded, “We thank our donors for their investment in this project and look forward to working with new young leaders across the country.”
Want to learn more about Roger and AF? Visit AF’s booth at FreedomFest in Las Vegas July 13th-16th.