Erik Telford

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Erik Telford

Senior Vice President of Public Affairs

Erik Telford is the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs at the Commonwealth Foundation.

Erik is a senior public affairs and communications executive with more than 15 years of diverse experience across public policy, advocacy, and public affairs institutions. Before joining the Commonwealth Foundation, Erik served as the senior vice president at Stand Together Communications, the Koch network’s marketing and communications capability. Erik has also served as the president of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, a state-based watchdog journalism organization. And at Americans for Prosperity, he was the executive director of RightOnline (an initiative he founded) and the director of membership and online strategy. He is currently on the board of the American Commitment Foundation.

In 2013, Campaigns & Elections Magazine honored Erik as an “Advocacy Innovator” and in 2011 as a “Rising Star in American Politics.”  Politics Online named him one of the “Top 10 Who Are Changing the World of Internet and Politics.” 

Education

Friendly Mis-Fire on School Choice

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 28, 2011

In a column, Chris Freind attacked Senate Bill 1, the Piccola-Williams “Opportunity Scholarship Act.” Having obviously neglected to tune into our webcast on SB 1 with Sen. Piccola,…

Media

Read More: Friendly Mis-Fire on School Choice

Education

New Ad Takes on Teacher Unions

  • January 27, 2011

A new full page advertisement for school choice is appearing in newspapers throughout the state this week. Cutting straight to the point, the ad goes after teacher unions and school…

Media

Read More: New Ad Takes on Teacher Unions

Taxes & Economy

Minimum Wage Insanity

  • January 27, 2011

Let’s start with sanity, some logic. Theorem: A firm cannot pay workers more than the value that they add to the firm and remain in business.Corollary 1: Imposing a…

Media

Read More: Minimum Wage Insanity

Education

Parents Need Choices & Control of Their Children’s Education

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 26, 2011

Almost 40,000 students used an EITC scholarship last year—with an average value of $1,000—to attend a better or safer school. The average annual family income for these students was only…

Commentary

Read More: Parents Need Choices & Control of Their Children’s Education

Government Accountability

Spending Transparency on the Fast Track in PA

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 25, 2011

Yesterday, Rep. Christiana’s PennWATCH proposal passed the House State Government Committee along with a number of reform measures designed to bring more transparency to state spending. The legislation (HB 15) is scheduled…

Media

Read More: Spending Transparency on the Fast Track in PA

Taxes & Economy

Wind Energy Deal Blows Away

  • January 25, 2011

Scrutinize the realities of costly and inefficient wind energy projects (and most alternative energy projects, for that matter) in public spheres where tough questions can be asked — like in…

Media

Read More: Wind Energy Deal Blows Away

Education

Has More Money Improved School District Performance?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 25, 2011

A recent study by the 21st Century Partnership for STEM Education (STEM is short for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which is a good cause to use an acronym)…

Media

Read More: Has More Money Improved School District Performance?

Taxes & Economy

Fox: Like Moore and Gore

  • January 25, 2011

The Academy Award nominations were announced this morning, and among those chosen for best documentary was “Gasland,” the Josh Fox propagandizer about the alleged…

Media

Read More: Fox: Like Moore and Gore

Here We Are, Stuck in the Middle With Latvia?

  • January 24, 2011

During his inaugural speech last week, Governor Tom Corbett signaled a shift in state education policy when he said, “Our educational system must contend with other nations and so we…

Media

Read More: Here We Are, Stuck in the Middle With Latvia?

Intern with CF this Summer

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 24, 2011

Are you a student or do you know a student looking to advance their career while advancing liberty? The IHS Charles G. Koch Summer Fellows Program provides summer…

Media

Read More: Intern with CF this Summer

Taxes & Economy

EPA Could Cost PA 350,000 Jobs

  • January 24, 2011

While cap-and-trade died last year, the nationwide regulation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission began earlier this month, via the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) new GHG permits. For clean “green” energy…

Media

Read More: EPA Could Cost PA 350,000 Jobs

Taxes & Economy

Citizen’s Guide to Electric Choice & Competition 2011

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • January 24, 2011

In the late 1990s, Pennsylvania's electricity rates were 15% above the national average, despite the abundance of low-cost coal generation in the Commonwealth. At that time, electricity was sold by…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Citizen’s Guide to Electric Choice & Competition 2011