Source: Sunshine State News
Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., is taking on new duties at the Dallas-based think tank he led as president and CEO for little more than a year.
The National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) announced that James Amos, Jr., the former CEO of Mail Boxes Etc. and the past chairman of the International Franchise Association, will take over as president and CEO. The NCPA notes West “is taking on a more active policy role” as executive director, vice chairman of the board and will be a spokesman.
NCPA Board Chairman Steve Ivy praised both Amos and West on Thursday as the new assignments were announced.
“Jim Amos brings a wealth of free-market business expertise and leadership that will support the NCPA’s mission to promote alternatives to government regulation and solve problems through the competitive, private sector,” Ivy said. “We are thrilled to have him at the helm.”
“Col. West is in great demand as a speaker nationwide with about 150 presentations in the past year,” Ivy continued. “This reorganization enables him to continue as a face and voice of the organization, focus on economic and national security policy issues, and lead the NCPA’s fundraising initiatives.”
“It is a great honor to be given a vote of confidence from the Board of Directors of NCPA,” said Amos. “The opportunity to succeed a great man and still be able to continue to work with him toward a better future is both humbling and challenging.”
West took over as president and CEO of the NCPA back in November 2014. The former congressman, who lost his bid for a second term back in 2012, had been mentioned as possible U.S. Senate candidate in 2016 but moving to Texas essentially ended that possibility.
Following his decision to take over at NCPA, West also left his Allen West Fund PAC. Back in January 2015, West turned the PAC over to U.S. Rep. Barry Lourdermilk, R-Ga. to lead. The PAC remains active with an event in Georgia scheduled for April featuring Loudermilk, U.S. Rep. Steve Russell, R-Ok., and conservative leader Dan Bongino who had West’s support when he ran for federal office in Maryland in 2012 and 2014 and now lives in Florida where he has garnered buzz as possible candidate for office. Bongino announced earlier this week that he will not run for Florida’s open U.S. Senate seat in 2016.
Loudermilk signaled on Thursday that he intends for the Guardian Fund PAC to remain active in 2016.
“Bernie Sanders is a socialist,” Loudermilk insisted. “Hillary Clinton, a radical liberal. And America is in big trouble if we can’t stop them. I have served my country in uniform and swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution. Long before I set foot in the halls of Congress, I was committed to protecting the heart and soul of America and defending the freedoms we cherish. I refuse to sit by quietly and let socialists and liberals like Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton destroy this country. So when my friend Lt. Colonel Allen West asked me to take over as chairman of the Guardian Fund – I knew I had to accept.
“I believe the best way to defend America from radical liberalism is to send more principled constitutional conservatives to Washington who will unapologetically defend American freedom,” Loudermilk added.
The Georgia Republican promised to back a “team of hard-charging conservative candidates, who served our country in uniform, to fight for us in Washington” in 2016.
“We need leaders who will go the extra mile to protect the Constitution and defend our conservative values in Congress,” Loudermilk insisted.