Stephanie Smith
President and CEO
Stephanie Smith, wife of Dalton Smith and the mother of seven children, is a political advocate with twenty five years of professional experience herding both children and politicians. Stephanie is a cum laude graduate of Auburn University and is a cum laude graduate of the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a Master’s Degree in […]
Phil Williams, J.D.
Distinguished Fellow
Phil is the President and on-air talent for the syndicated radio show known to the world as Rightside Radio. With a mission to enlighten, empower, educate and entertain its audience on conservative principles every day, Rightside has taken the conservative news/talk audience by storm in Alabama. Phil was formerly the Chief Policy Officer & General […]
Scott Stantis
Distinguished Fellow
Scott Stantis joined the Alabama Policy Institute in October 2020 and has a long and successful career in journalism and media. Scott joined the staff of the Chicago Tribune in 2009 following a 13-year stint as the editorial cartoonist for The Birmingham News where he lampooned the likes of Fob James, Don Seigelman and Roy […]
Justin Bogie
Sr. Director of Fiscal Policy
Justin Bogie joined the API team in March of 2020. A native of Wetumpka, Alabama, he holds a bachelor’s degree from Auburn University in political science and a master’s degree in public administration from Auburn University Montgomery. Justin has more than a decade of federal and state policy experience. He joins API from The Heritage […]
Kelley Jo Brand
Director of Operations
Kelley Jo Brand graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in the field of Health Education, but has spent most of her career working in sales and marketing. She has been married to Chuck Brand for 20 years and their daughter attends the University of Alabama. Kelley Jo is a gifted fundraiser, event planner, […]
Emma Gibney
Director of Social Policy
Emma Gibney serves as Policy Communications Manager of the Alabama Policy Institute. Originally from Savannah, Georgia, Emma earned her bachelor’s degree from Furman University and is currently pursuing a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She has spent the last few years working in marketing and public relations, most recently […]
Sen. Bill Hightower
Distinguished Fellow
Senator Bill Hightower was consistently ranked among the most conservative members during his tenure as a State Senator. He quickly gained a reputation in Montgomery as a conservative reformer who relentlessly pushed for lower taxes and smaller government – even sponsoring legislation to change Alabama to a Flat Tax and enact Term Limits. In addition […]
Prof. John Hill, Ph.D.
Fellow and Resident Scholar
Dr. John Hill is a Fellow and Resident Scholar at the Alabama Policy Institute Over API’s thirty-plus-year history, he has authored more than thirty publications on education, energy, the state of the environment, the health of families, gambling, and government growth. He is the primary author of three of API’s signature serial publications: Cultural Indicators […]
Bishop Jim Lowe
Distinguished Fellow
Bishop Jim Lowe is the Senior Pastor of The Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, Alabama. He has frequently stated his intention is not to have people merely attend church but to become disciples in the church. He desires to empower them to think, speak, and to act to transform society. After every service, the congregation […]
Dr. Michael Brown
Senior Fellow
A Huntsville native, Dr. Michael Brown began solo private practice of gastroenterology in July 1984 and eventually joined with other gastroenterologists in 1986 to form a group practice from which he retired in January of 2021. He obtained his medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and was inducted into the Alpha […]