The Beacon Center of Tennessee
Background
The Beacon Center of Tennessee (BCT) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that describes itself as “providing expert empirical research and timely free market solutions to public policy issues in Tennessee.” [1]
The Center was originally founded as the Tennessee Center for Policy Research (TCPR) in 2004 by Drew Johnson. Johnson left his position as president at the end of 2009. [2], [3]
Before founding TCPR, Johnson was a policy analyst at the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. He was a former senior fellow at the Koch-backed Institute for Humane Studies.[2]
The Center is a member of the Koch-funded State Policy Network, a group of state-level think tanks promoting conservative policy. [4]
Stance on Climate Change
October 4, 2010
The Tennessee Center for Policy Research released a report titled “Cap & Trade: A Lame (Duck) Proposal” that suggested CO2 and climate change may not be correlated, referring to “tens of thousands of scientists” signing petitions as evidence (this likely refers to the debunked Oregon Petition). [5]
The study further suggests that scientists are biased because they often do their research at universities, which receive government funding. Below is its introduction:
“Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a three atom molecule that humans produce with every exhale. Over the past decade, the belief has been propagated that excessive CO2 in the atmosphere leads to intense global warming that, if continued unabated, would cause glaciers to melt, rising the seas and engulfing coastal cities from San Francisco to New York. Despite tens of thousands of scientists signing petitions and stating their cases against the correlation between CO2 and rising temperatures, the link has been advocated by politicians and celebrities alike. Many of global warming’s supporters have no background in science and have convinced others of the CO2-global warming relationship without adequate proof. Even as people begin to realize that these ideas lack credibility, as evidenced by the change in terminology from ‘global warming’ to ‘climate change,’ politicians have continued to propose legislation to limit CO2 emissions.
Perhaps it is important to address how some have come to the idea that limiting CO2 will have a positive impact on the environment. To reach this conclusion, one much first accept that global temperatures are rising, that human activity is responsible for the rise, and that limiting carbon emissions will alleviate this global warming. Many feel that limiting carbon emissions is a function that can only be performed by government. However, one should examine what types of interests would benefit from carbon emission limitations. Environmental groups have a bias towards findings of environmental damage and often rely on university research to endorse their claims. Research universities are predominantly funded by government, and in order to continue receiving grant funds, have an incentive to produce research that supports ideas maintained by government officials, such as the connection between CO2 and global warming. Intervention follows as a way to expand the federal government’s control over a large swath of the economy.”
2008–2009
In 2009, Mother Jones magazine listed TCPR among the “Dirty Dozen of Climate Change Denial,” a list of the “12 loudest members of the chorus claiming that global warming is a joke and that CO2 emissions are actually good for you.” [6]
At the time, TCPR was running the website “Carnival of Climate Change,” which described itself as “a portal for bloggers who write on topics critical of current climate change alarmism and who question unsubstantiated discussions on global warming.” [6], [7]
The Carnival website promoted climate change denial blogs and groups such as Climate Audit, Greenie Watch, ICECAP, the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition, Watts Up With That, the World Climate Report, CO2 Science, the Science and Public Policy Institute, among others. [7]
December 13, 2009
Drew Johnson, founder and president of the Center from 2004 to 2009, wrote the following in an article titled “Climate Change ‘Cures’ are Worse than the Illness” at the Tennessean: [8]
“If the Earth’s temperature is changing in unnatural and unusual ways, and those climate oddities are, in part, a result of human activity, would taking radical steps that result in demolishing the economy of the developed world and the loss of millions of human lives in developing nations be worth reducing the Earth’s temperature a fraction of a degree? Most reasonable people would say no. Given the exaggerations of the problems and the dangers of the policy remedies, it is clear that government solutions to climate change are a medicine far worse than the illness.”
Funding
In a 2009 interview, Drew Johnson claimed TCPR had never taken any money from energy interests.[6]
According to data from the Conservative Transparency project, combined with review of original 990 forms by DeSmog, the Beacon Center has received more than $100,000 from the Charles Koch Foundation. The Koch family made their fortune from the oil refining business through Koch Industries and its many subsidiary companies. [9]
Over $1.8 million of the Center’s funding came from Donors Capital Fund and its sister organization DonorsTrust—together described as the “dark money ATM of the conservative movement” due to their ability to obscure the original sources of donations. [10]
See the full data below, or download the full spreadsheet outlining the Beacon Center of Tennessee’s funding by year (.xslx):
Donor | 2005 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Grand Total |
Donors Capital Fund | $50,000 | $125,000 | $260,000 | $345,000 | $200,000 | $105,000 | $137,000 | $57,500 | $42,250 | $439,700 | $77,200 | $1,838,650 | ||
Walton Family Foundation | $75,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $100,000 | $325,000 | ||||||||
Friedman Foundation For Educational Choice | $140,000 | $76,000 | $55,000 | $271,000 | ||||||||||
The Roe Foundation | $20,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $235,000 | |||
John Templeton Foundation | $193,280 | $193,280 | ||||||||||||
State Policy Network | $10,000 | $80,000 | $50,350 | $140,350 | ||||||||||
Charles Koch Foundation | $57,500 | $50,000 | $107,500 | |||||||||||
DonorsTrust | $6,000 | $32,500 | $25,290 | $39,500 | $103,290 | |||||||||
Thomas W Smith Foundation | $25,000 | $25,000 | $25,000 | $75,000 | ||||||||||
Atlas Economic Research Foundation | $40,000 | $40,000 | ||||||||||||
Jaquelin Hume Foundation | $15,000 | $18,750 | $33,750 | |||||||||||
Adolph Coors Foundation | $25,000 | $25,000 | ||||||||||||
National Philanthropic Trust | $5,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 | ||||||||||
Americans for Prosperity | $10,000 | $10,000 | ||||||||||||
Castle Rock Foundation | $10,000 | $10,000 | ||||||||||||
National Christian Charitable Foundation | $2,500 | $2,500 | ||||||||||||
Grand Total | $50,000 | $151,000 | $300,000 | $403,750 | $252,500 | $105,000 | $382,000 | $127,500 | $330,750 | $732,980 | $295,340 | $254,500 | $50,000 | $3,435,320 |
990 Forms
Key People
Board of Directors
Name | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Description |
John Cerasuolo | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Chairman of the Board of Directors | |
Larry White | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | |||
Joe Scarlett | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors | ||||
Pat Shepherd | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | ||||
Ken Meyer | Y | Y | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | ||||||||||
Brian Fitzpatrick | Y | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | |||||||||||
Fred DeCosimo | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | ||||||||||||
Raul Lopez | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | ||||||||||||
Tina Benkiser | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | ||||||||||||
Lee Beaman | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | |||||
David Johnson | Y | Y | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | ||||||||||
Jim Ethier | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | ||||||||
Lauren Templeton | Y | Y | Y | Member of the Board of Directors | ||||||||||
Carl Kirkland | Y | Chairman Emeritus, Kirklands | ||||||||||||
Jason A. Johnson | Y | Y | Y | Y | President | |||||||||
Martha Fouce | Y | Y | Y | Y | Secretary | |||||||||
Shaka L.A. Mitchell | Y | Y | Executive Vice President | |||||||||||
Clint Brewer | Y | Interim Executive Director |
Staff
Name | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Description |
Justin Owen | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | President & CEO | |
Suzanne Michel | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Director of Operations | ||
Mark Cunningham | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Vice President of Communications and Outreach | |||||||
Braden H. Boucek | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Vice President of Legal Affairs | ||||||||
Joe Kirkpatrick | Y | Y | Y | Development Associate | ||||||||||
Ron Shultis | Y | Y | Director of Policy and Research | |||||||||||
Stephanie Whitt | Y | Y | Executive Vice President | |||||||||||
Jamie McPherson | Y | Vice President of Development | ||||||||||||
Meggan DeWitt | Y | Staff Attorney | ||||||||||||
Taylor Dawson | Y | Director of Outreach and Digital Media | ||||||||||||
Sam Cosby | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Director of Development | ||||||
Lindsay Boyd | Y | Y | Y | Y | Director of Policy | |||||||||
Hannah Cox | Y | Y | Outreach Coordinator | |||||||||||
Trey Moore | Y | Director of Policy | ||||||||||||
Christopher Butler | Y | Y | Director of Government Accountability | |||||||||||
Ryan Turbeville | Y | Y | Policy & Outreach Coordinator | |||||||||||
Carter Meadors | Y | Y | Director of Development | |||||||||||
Clint Brewer | Y | Interim Executive Director | ||||||||||||
Drew Johnson | Y | Y | Y | President | ||||||||||
George Shifflett | Y | Y | Research Associate | |||||||||||
Devon Klein | Y | Policy Research Associate | ||||||||||||
Lauren Biekman | Y | Policy Research Associate | ||||||||||||
Natalia Kowalski | Y | Government Accountability Analyst | ||||||||||||
Paige McKenzie | Y | Manager of Tennessee Votes | ||||||||||||
Reed Johnson | Y | Policy Research Associate | ||||||||||||
Shaka L.A. Mitchell | Y | Executive Vice President | ||||||||||||
Trent Seibert | Y | Y | Director of Government Accountability | |||||||||||
Adam J. King | Y | Policy Analyst | ||||||||||||
Melanie Bull | Y | Research Associate | ||||||||||||
Michael Lumley | Y | Research Associate | ||||||||||||
Wesley Rainer | Y | Research Associate | ||||||||||||
Daniel Phillips | Y | Research Fellow | ||||||||||||
Douglas Kurdziel | Y | Research Fellow | ||||||||||||
Kellie Garretson | Y | Administrative Assistant | ||||||||||||
Luci Stephens | Y | Research Fellow | ||||||||||||
Nicole Williams | Y | Vice President of Operations | ||||||||||||
Trapper Michael | Y | Research Fellow | ||||||||||||
Troy Senik | Y | Research Fellow |
Scholars
Name | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | Description |
Richard Grant | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Distinguished Fellow | ||
Art Carden | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Distinguished Fellow | ||||
Donna Barrett | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Distinguished Fellow | ||||
Harold Black | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Distinguished Fellow | ||||
Paul Stumb | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Distinguished Fellow | ||||
Jeff Cornwall | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Distinguished Fellow | |||||
Jonathan Butcher | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for Education Reform | |||||||
Patrick Gleason | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for Tax Policy | |||||||
Naomi Lopez Bauman | Y | Y | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for Healthcare Reform | |||||||||
Adam Peshek | Y | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for Education Reform | ||||||||||
Ben Stickle | Y | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for Criminal Justice | ||||||||||
Julie Warren | Y | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for Criminal Justice | ||||||||||
Michael LaFaive | Y | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for Economic Development | ||||||||||
Dan Smith | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for Fiscal and Regulatory Policy | |||||||||||
Lindsay Boyd Killen | Y | Y | Senior Fellow | |||||||||||
David L. Harbin | Y | Senior Legal Fellow | ||||||||||||
Joe Coletti | Y | Senior Fellow for Local Finance | ||||||||||||
Jason Edmonds | Y | Y | Y | Carter and Moyers Research Fellow | ||||||||||
Jared Meyer | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for the New Economy | |||||||||||
Scott Drenkard | Y | Y | Senior Fellow for Tax Policy | |||||||||||
Ben Clark | Y | Y | Carter-Moyers Research Fellow | |||||||||||
Allyn Milojevich | Y | Y | Y | Research Fellow | ||||||||||
Amy H. Sturgis | Y | Y | Y | Y | Belmont University | |||||||||
Charles Van Eaton | Y | Y | Y | Y | Bryan College | |||||||||
Dale Bails | Y | Y | Y | Y | Christian Brothers University | |||||||||
J.R. Clark | Y | Y | Y | Y | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga | |||||||||
John Stone | Y | Y | Y | Y | Education Consumers Clearinghouse | |||||||||
Marilyn Young | Y | Y | Y | Y | Belmont University | |||||||||
Robert Berry | Y | Y | Y | Y | PATMOS EmergiClinic | |||||||||
Sally Kilgore | Y | Y | Y | Y | Modern Red Schoolhouse Institute | |||||||||
J.C. Bowman | Y | Y | Y | Florida State University | ||||||||||
Martin D. Kennedy | Y | Y | Y | Middle Tennessee State University | ||||||||||
Shaka L.A. Mitchell | Y | Y | Executive Vice President | |||||||||||
Larry M. Hall | Y | Belmont University |
Actions
October 4, 2010
The Tennessee Center for Policy Research released a Policy Report describing cap and trade as a “Lame (Duck) Proposal.” [5]
“Rather than harm the economy with extensive regulation, the government should support strong property rights for individuals and an efficient tort system so that those with violated property rights will have access to compensation,” the report suggested. [5]
As noted above, the report also suggests scientists should not be trusted because they work at universities that have received government funding. Rather, it suggests the reader should listen to “ tens of thousands of scientists signing petitions.” While the document does not specify which petitions it refers to, it would likely be referring to the Oregon Petition, a document organized by the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine, along with the Exxon-backed George C. Marshall Institute, to gather signatories without limiting them to those with backgrounds in climate science (or even people with real names).
Related Organizations
- State Policy Network (SPN) — Member. [4]
- Talent Market — Client. Talent market is a recruiting agency for conservative nonprofit groups. [11]
- Tennessee Watchdog — Former publication of the TCPR. The website is no longer online. [12]
Contact & Address
Beacon Center of Tennessee [13]
P.O. Box 198646, Nashville, TN 37219
615-383-6431
Social Media
Resources
- “Our Story,” Beacon Center of Tennessee. Archived December 12, 2019. Archive.fo URL: https://archive.ph/RLZBG
- “Drew Johnson – President,” Tennessee Center for Policy Research. Archived August 14, 2007. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/rztw9
- “Clint Brewer Now Top Dog At TCPR,” Nashville Post, August 8, 2011. Archived July 8, 2011. Archive URL: https://archive.ph/KDBNy
- “Beacon Center of Tennessee,” State Policy Network. Archived December 13, 2019. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/QbwlL
- “Cap & Trade: A Lame (Duck) Proposal” (PDF), Tennessee Center for Policy Research, October 4, 2010. Archived .pdf on file at DeSmog.
- “No. 10: Tennessee Center for Policy Research (A.K.A. Carnival of Climate Change),” Mother Jones, December 5, 2009. Archived December 12, 2019. Archive.ph URL:https://archive.ph/7Dlq9
- “Content Disclaimer,” Carnival of Climate Change. Archived June 30, 2010. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/a33xA
- “Climate Change ‘Cures’ are Worse than the Illness,” The Tennessean. Republished by the Beacon Center of Tennessee. Archived December 12, 2019. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/NnzlZ
- “Beacon Center of Tennessee,” Conservative Transparency. Accessed December 14, 2019.
- Andy Kroll. “Exposed: The Dark-Money ATM of the Conservative Movement,” Mother Jones, February 5, 2013. Archived December 13, 2019. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/gGUXe
- Facebook Advertising Archive for Beacon Center. Accessed December 14, 2019. Archived .png on file at DeSmog.
- “About,” Tenessee Watchdog. Archived April 12, 2010. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/AD3bv
- “Contact,” Beacon Center of Tennessee. Archived December 14, 2019. Archive.ph URL: https://archive.ph/EJKmQ
Other Resources
- “Beacon Center of Tennessee,” Sourcewatch.
- “Beacon Center of Tennessee