Our Story
There is nothing preordained about West Virginia’s lack of prosperity.
For generations, West Virginia has been an object of ridicule, pity, and even curiosity. Its economy and people have been among the poorest in the United States for well over a century. An “island” of poverty in the wealthiest country in the world, West Virginia’s brighter future depends on a new paradigm.
This new way of looking at the world will be fueled by new ideas and a philosophy built on innovation, human flourishing, and a recognition that freedom is the greatest alleviation of poverty the world has ever seen. Our philosophy believes in the entrepreneur, the tinkerer in the garage, and asserts that small government makes more room for individuals to pursue personal fulfillment.
The Cardinal Institute for West Virginia Policy was founded by a group of West Virginians in 2014 to usher in this vision and lay the intellectual groundwork for West Virginia’s brighter future. Cardinal’s founders believed that West Virginia must get the government out of the way. Free from the unnecessary burdens of government intrusion, bureaucracy, arbitrary regulation, and excessive taxes, Mountaineers can craft a brighter future for themselves.
Cardinal’s founders felt that this new paradigm needed an organization whose sole mission was to create, research, communicate, and popularize freedom-enhancing ideas. Cardinal hired its first employee in the fall of 2015 and has been deeply engaged in West Virginia’s marketplace of ideas ever since.
A Brighter Future for West Virginia
Cardinal Institute Key Moments Timeline
Embark on a journey through the growth of Cardinal Institute with our interactive timeline. From our humble beginnings to our current impact, trace the milestones, achievements, and transformative moments that define our mission-driven organization. Explore the progression of our initiatives, influential leaders, and the significant contributions we’ve made to building the West Virginia Miracle. Delve into the narrative of our growth, innovation, and commitment to shaping a better future. Join us on this dynamic visual journey as we continue to make history.
2014
September/October
Articles of Incorporation Written and Approved
November
Cardinal Awarded Nonprofit Status
2015
September
Garrett Ballengee joins the Cardinal Institute as first employee and Executive Director
2016
January
Incorporation Articles Approved; Cardinal Hosts Right-to-Work Town Hall
February
West Virginia Becomes 26th Right-to-Work State with Passage of SB1
March
Cardinal Releases Study on Potential Impacts of Income Tax Cut
September
First ESA Paper in WV History published by Cardinal/Jonathan Butcher
October
Cardinal receives award for exposing wasteful spending in West Virginia with ‘Wild & Wasteful’ report.
2017
January
Jessi Troyan joins the Cardinal Institute as the First Development Director and second employee
February
First ESA Bill (HB2689) Introduced in WV History
March
Cardinal Begins Public-Facing Efforts on Certificate-of-Need (CON) Laws
2018
January
Cardinal debuts NSCW Event in Harper’s Ferry, WV; ESA Bill Introduced
February
Cardinal Publishes Second ESA Research Paper (Special Needs)
July
Amanda Kieffer joins Cardinal Institute as Communications Associate, initiating communications, outreach, and marketing endeavors.
2019
June
Charter Schools Legal in West Virginia for First Time with Passage of HB2006
November
Cardinal Institute wins top prize at Atlas Network’s Smart Bets competition in NYC; Communications Associate reaches finals in John Blundell Elevator Pitch Competition.
2020
September
Cardinal Institute launches Forgotten America podcast spotlighting rural culture and community solutions.
2021
March
Cardinal urges CON suspension amid COVID crisis; Historic Hope Scholarship ESA & Telehealth reforms signed into law.
Summer
Cardinal plans statewide healthcare reform tour on CON; Finalist for Bob Williams award for Hope Scholarship passage.
August
Cardinal wins State Policy Network’s Communications Excellence Award for Hope Scholarship storytelling.
September
Cardinal Announced as Finalist for Worldwise Templeton Freedom Award, One of Six Global Finalists
2022
January
Cardinal releases groundbreaking research paper ‘Convicting CON’; Announces inaugural state coalition advocating for CON repeal
May
More Than 3,000 Students Enroll in Hope Scholarship ESA Program
June
Garrett Ballengee, Cardinal Institute’s Executive Director, honored with the buckley Award from America’s Future
October
West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals Rules Hope Scholarship Constitutional
November
Cardinal participates in Atlas Network’s global Think Tank Shark Tank competition in NYC
2023
January
Cardinal Announces “Tax Reform Week”
February
Cardinal Participates in Governor’s Roundtable on Tax Reform
March
West Virginia achieves landmark CON repeal; Enacts historic income tax cut.
August
Cardinal wins Bob Williams Award for biggest home state win with historic tax cut; Finalist for PIE Network’s Eddies Award for defending Hope Scholarship program.
October
Cardinal’s Breaking Barriers report marks its inaugural dive into Criminal Justice Reform, focusing on obstacles between occupational licensing and the justice system.
November
First Issue of Liberi magazine is published by the Cardinal Institute
December
Benefit Cliffs and Disincentives for Work published, marking Cardinal’s first research project on social safety net reform
2024
January
Dignity Project Listening Research Report released
February
Cardinal hosts “Regulatory Reform Week” to highlight the need for regulatory reform in West Virginia
