Kendel Ehrlich is our executive director. Kendel has a comprehensive background in criminal justice, management and politics. She is the former First Lady of Maryland where she spoke throughout the state emphasizing drug abuse prevention, education and hospice care. She was extensively involved in her husband’s campaigns for Congress MD2 (1994-2000); and Governor (2003-2007). She also spent 14 years in Maryland as both a prosecutor and defense attorney in criminal law. During the Trump Administration (45) she was Deputy Director of the Drug Czar’s office (ONDCP), where she supported the Administration’s work through programming and funding. She then moved to OJP/DOJ where she was the Director of SMART managing a staff of 20 and $20 Million of grant funding. During the last few months of the Administration she also led BJA, the largest grant provider for DOJ (approx. $7 billion). Kendel has a podcast with her husband, Bottom Line with Bob and Kendel Ehrlich , and she has two sons: Drew (26) and Josh (22).
Neil Patel is the chairman of the Daily Caller News Foundation, which he co-founded with Tucker Carlson. He is also a co-founder and publisher of The Daily Caller, as well as a co-founder and managing director of Bluebird Asset Management, a hedge fund investing in mortgage-backed securities. Neil served in the White House from 2005 to 2009 as the chief policy adviser to Vice President Dick Cheney, and from 2001 to 2004 as his staff secretary. Prior to joining the administration, Neil was assistant general counsel at UUNET Technologies, practiced law with Dechert Price & Rhoads, and served as counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Committee on U.S. National Security and Military/Commercial Concerns with the People’s Republic of China. Neil received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he served as associate editor of the Journal of Law and Policy in International Business.
Carter DeWitt is the president of the Daily Caller News Foundation. She’s been with the DCNF since 2017 and brings a wealth of experience in business as an award winning small business owner and over 30 years in public relations, marketing, fund development and leadership at the national, state and local levels. She’s taught at the Leadership Institute and served as a panelist and speaker in national conferences. Importantly, she’s had the honor of mentoring dozens of young people as they launched or changed careers.
Thomas Phippen is our editor-in-chief. Thomas is himself the product of the DCNF Fellowship program, and returned to the company after working in local journalism and a stint as an editor for Fox News Digital. He lives in Northern Virginia.