Meet Our 2022 Buckley Award Winner: Garrett Ballengee!
Even though our 2022 Annual Gala & Awards Ceremony has come and gone, we wanted to make sure we gave our 2022 Award Winners the attention and praise they deserve for all their work making their communities and this country more free and prosperous places. Let’s take a look at one of our 2022 Buckley Award Winners: Garrett Ballengee!
After finishing graduate school, Garrett Ballengee wasn’t sure what he wanted his next steps to be. Looking for advice, he reached out to one of his favorite professors, Dr. Matt Ryan, to seek his counsel on where he should head next. Dr. Ryan pointed Garrett towards the liberty movement as a potential field, and one he felt best fit Garrett’s skills, strategic thinking, and tenacity. Now, a little over ten years later, Garrett is Executive Director of the Cardinal Institute and a 2022 Buckley Award winner. We think it’s safe to sat Dr. Ryan may have been on to something.
Garrett helped build the Cardinal Institute from the ground up, assembling a team that has tackled the many challenges that face West Virginia. He has been a leader in seeing that West Virginia passed its first school choice legislation in the state’s history, became the country’s 26th Right-to-Work state, as well as overseeing many successful research projects on issues ranging from good governance to home-based business regulation to education reform to fiscal restraint. In addition, Garrett has worked to build several coalitions around issues such as health care, education, and labor reform.
All this has been part of Garrett’s larger effort to build what he terms the “West Virginia Miracle,” an economic turnaround transforming the state into a beacon of prosperity and hope. Garrett has cast a compelling vision for this Miracle that gives others hope and a passion for the work they are doing. Thanks to the work of Garrett and Cardinal, this year over 5,000 children have access to an education that fits their needs through a charter school or the HOPE scholarship. Not only that, but West Virginia is now also a Right to Work State. Either of these would be monumental achievements in their own right, taken together they paint a picture of a state and a region beginning to achieve their full potential. Through Garrett and Cardinal’s efforts, this “Miracle” has never felt closer.
Garrett’s vision of this “miracle” stems from his unshakeable belief that freedom is “the most important component of human dignity.” We are all individuals with a unique story, and the ability to author that story is, to Garrett, “perhaps more important than any other in ensuring prosperity, healthy communities, and a future worth fighting for.” Garrett took quite the leap when he left a beloved job in Arlington to return to his home state, let alone to become “employee one” at a new organization. Yet Garrett believed, not just in himself, but in the future he knew West Virginia was capable of.
This theme of belief in a brighter future is a common one in Garrett’s story. More than just being a fantastic strategist and organizer, Garrett has shown tremendous ability as a leader. According to his nominator, “Even during times of great personal strife and family medical concerns, he has continued to lead our team forward…our entire team owes a debt of gratitude to Garrett. In addition to being a great boss and leader, he takes the time to prioritize our individual professional development and help us all to become the best we can be.” From his region, to his state, to his colleagues, Garrett believes that everyone around him can become the best version of themselves – and through that belief, they often do. If that isn’t the definition of a Miracle, we don’t know what is.
Looking to the future, Garrett is hoping to connect liberty lovers throughout the greater Appalachia area. “There are many unique challenges facing that region,” he says, “and it will require homegrown liberty-oriented solutions.” The passion, drive, and local knowledge of young Appalachians who recognize the transformative value of freedom will be key in continuing the work of solving the region’s largest issues.
There are bright days ahead for the Mountain State, and amidst all of that, it seems West Virginia will have Garrett and the Cardinal Institute (and Dr. Ryan) to thank.
To learn more about Garrett and Cardinal Institute, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
While Garrett unfortunately was unable to attend the 2022 Gala and accept his award in-person, he was able to record a speech expressing his gratitude for the award, as well as some hopeful words and counsel for the future of the movement. Enjoy!