Cherie Harder

President at The Trinity Forum

Cherie Harder is a prominent figure in the realms of public policy, Christian thought leadership, and intellectual discourse. Here are some key points about her background and career:

Education

She holds an Honors B.A. in Government from Harvard University, where she graduated magna cum laude.5 6 7
She also has a post-graduate diploma in Literature from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, where she was a Rotary Scholar.5 6 7

Career

The Trinity Forum: Since 2008, Cherie Harder has served as the President of The Trinity Forum, an organization dedicated to cultivating and promoting Christian thought leadership through discussions, lectures, publications, and forums. The Forum aims to renew society by disseminating the best in Christian thinking for the common good and helping leaders think, work, and live wisely and well.1 4 7

Previous Roles

White House: She worked as Special Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Projects for First Lady Laura Bush from 2007 to 2008.3 4 7
U.S. Senate: Harder was a Policy Advisor to Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, advising on domestic social issues and serving as liaison and outreach director to outside groups from 2005 to 2006.4 6 7
National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH): From 2001 to 2005, she was Senior Counselor to the Chairman, helping design and launch the We the People initiative to enhance the teaching, study, and understanding of American history.4 6 7
Empower America and Senator Sam Brownback: She served as Deputy Policy Director at Empower America and as Policy Director for Senator Sam Brownback earlier in her career.4 6 7

Other Affiliations

Harder serves on the boards of Convergence and Faith & Law, and is an advisory board member of The Democracy Fund, The National Civic Art Society, and the National Museum of American Religion.1 3 6
She is also a Senior Fellow at Cardus, an Editorial Board member of Comment magazine, and a past board member of Gordon College and the C.S. Lewis Institute.6 7

Intellectual Interests

Harder is known for her diverse reading interests, which include works by authors such as C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen, and Christian Wiman. She values books that shape her understanding of leadership, such as The Jesus Way by Eugene Peterson and The Road to Character by David Brooks.2

Overall, Cherie Harder is a highly experienced and influential figure in the intersection of politics, policy, and Christian thought, with a strong commitment to fostering meaningful conversations and intellectual hospitality.