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.”
Criminal Justice Reform
Crime Declines as Pa. Passes Criminal Justice Reforms
Responsible, smart reforms are paying dividends in Pennsylvania’s correction system—and recently passed reforms aim to build upon this success. The state Department of Corrections released a statement and…
Media
Read More: Crime Declines as Pa. Passes Criminal Justice ReformsEducation
Myles Goes to Washington
“School choice opens up doors that would otherwise be slammed shut. As a young African American male in a low-income neighborhood it’s more likely I would be a dropout…
Media
Read More: Myles Goes to WashingtonTaxes & Economy
Poverty, Energy, and RGGI
Despite living in one of the richest countries and one of the largest energy producers in the world, many Americans still struggle to pay their energy bills. Roughly 1 in 3 Americans report…
Media
Read More: Poverty, Energy, and RGGICriminal Justice Reform
Pa. Leading Nation on Smart Justice Reform
December 18, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa. – Today, the Pa. Legislature passed two bills that firmly establish Pennsylvania as a national leader on criminal justice reform. Senate Bills 500 and…
Press Release
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Justice the Right Way
Pennsylvania can continue leading the nation on criminal justice reform while decreasing crime.
Commentary
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Pa. Kids Deserve Opportunity!
Topics on this page Pennsylvania…
Media
Read More: Pa. Kids Deserve Opportunity!Government Accountability
How to Make an Easy Six Million
A week ago the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s office announced charges against Wing Tat Chiu and Ivy Hiu-Ying Li, a married couple whom they accuse of earning $6 million in illegal…
Media
Read More: How to Make an Easy Six MillionCriminal Justice Reform
Pa. One Step Closer to Fairer Corrections System, Safer Communities with Bipartisan Justice Reforms
December 9, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa. – Today, the House Judiciary Committee took an important step toward making Pennsylvania’s corrections system more efficient, more cost-effective, and better equipped to protect public…
Press Release
Read More: Pa. One Step Closer to Fairer Corrections System, Safer Communities with Bipartisan Justice ReformsEducation
Parents Protest Politicians’ Education Hypocrisy
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is the latest in a long line of politicians to take advantage of school choice for their own kids—Sen. Warren sent her son to private schools…
Media
Read More: Parents Protest Politicians’ Education HypocrisyTaxes & Economy
Feds Restore Foodstamp Rules: Providing a Pathway to Independence
Pennsylvanians are experiencing the lowest unemployment rates on record and wages are rising, including wages at the lower end of the pay scale. Across the country 16 states have restored…
Media
Read More: Feds Restore Foodstamp Rules: Providing a Pathway to IndependenceEducation
We’re thankful!
And the winner of “Biggest Home State Win” is … the Commonwealth Foundation! You can imagine the excitement of CF staff when we recently found out we’d won a prestigious…
Media
Read More: We’re thankful!Education
My Unanswered Question for Governor Wolf
Governor Wolf continues to use divisive rhetoric that places all the blame for Pennsylvania’s education woes on public charter schools. During his recent press conference at the Pennsylvania Association of…
Media
Read More: My Unanswered Question for Governor WolfRegulation
Economic Freedom and Flourishing in Pennsylvania
We live in a free country, but when it comes to our economy, Pennsylvanians aren’t free. Unpredictable regulation makes owning a business a huge risk in Pennsylvania, and when it…
Media
Read More: Economic Freedom and Flourishing in PennsylvaniaCriminal Justice Reform
Pa. Senate Passes Legislation Removing Employment Barriers
Individuals like Ericka Miller and Amanda Spillane are one step closer to having a fair opportunity to pursue success and live their American dream. On Thursday, the state Senate…
Media
Read More: Pa. Senate Passes Legislation Removing Employment Barriers
Economic Growth Boosts Prosperity, not Minimum Wage Hikes
November 20, 2019, Harrisburg, Pa. — Today, the Pennsylvania Senate passed legislation to hike the commonwealth’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $9.50 per hour by 2022. Commonwealth Foundation Vice…
Press Release
Read More: Economic Growth Boosts Prosperity, not Minimum Wage HikesGovernment Accountability
Sunlight is Always Welcome
Pennsylvania’s two state-wide public pension systems are deeply underfunded. They only have about sixty cents in assets available for each dollar of promised payouts, which means they are at…
Media
Read More: Sunlight is Always WelcomeEducation
Harrisburg Children One Step Closer to the Quality Education They Deserve
Financial mismanagement. Student violence. State receivership. FBI investigation. These are the headlines Harrisburg families have been confronting for years—even decades. That's why the House Education Committee advanced legislation, HB 1800, sponsored…
Press Release
Read More: Harrisburg Children One Step Closer to the Quality Education They Deserve
CF Interns Tour the Capitol with Steve Bloom
Commonwealth Foundation interns don’t just get any tour of the Capitol—they get a tour from CF VP Steve Bloom, who walked those same halls as a state representative for eight…
Commentary
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CF Interns Tour the Capitol with Steve Bloom
Commonwealth Foundation interns don’t just get any tour of the Capitol—they get a tour from CF VP Steve Bloom, who walked those same halls as a state representative for eight…
Commentary
Read More: CF Interns Tour the Capitol with Steve Bloom
How Three Workers Fought Union Coercion—and Won
It’s not every day that ordinary Pennsylvanians willingly disrupt their lives to stand up for their constitutional rights. Even rarer is achieving an impact that affects thousands of people in…
Commentary
Read More: How Three Workers Fought Union Coercion—and Won
How Three Workers Fought Union Coercion—and Won
It’s not every day that ordinary Pennsylvanians willingly disrupt their lives to stand up for their constitutional rights. Even rarer is achieving an impact that affects thousands of people in…
Commentary
Read More: How Three Workers Fought Union Coercion—and Won