PRESS RELEASE: Defense of Freedom Institute Names Bill Hansen to Board of Directors

WASHINGTON — The Defense of Freedom Institute for Policy Studies (DFI) announced today that William “Bill” Hansen, a former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education and nationally recognized education leader, has joined its Board of Directors.

Hansen is President and CEO of Building Hope Holdings, which supports the financing and development of charter schools nationwide. He also serves as Vice President of the Virginia State Board of Education, appointed by Governor Glenn Youngkin in 2022.

“Bill brings deep experience in education policy, institutional leadership, and governance,” said Bob Eitel, President and Co-Founder of DFI. “As DFI continues to grow, his service at the highest levels of the U.S. Department of Education and across the education sector will strengthen our work advancing the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit, fighting DEI, gender ideology, and anti-Semitism in education, and exposing the damaging influence of teacher unions. Bill intimately understands the intersection of government and education, and this expertise and his deep experience in the corporate world will be critical to taking DFI to the next level.”

Hansen is Co-Founder and General Partner of Green Street Impact Partners, an investment firm focused on education innovation, and serves on the boards of several education organizations.

Earlier in his career, Hansen served as President and CEO of the Strada Education Network, USA Funds, Scantron Corporation, and the Education Finance Council. He was twice unanimously confirmed by the U.S. Senate to presidential appointments at the U.S. Department of Education, serving as Deputy Secretary under President George W. Bush and earlier as Assistant Secretary for Management and Budget and Chief Financial Officer.

“With its focus on the federal role, DFI is unique in that it blends policy expertise, regulatory engagement, public interest litigation, and investigative work to advance education freedom, civil and constitutional rights in schools, and higher education reform, and to ensure parents—not institutions—are empowered to make decisions about their children’s education,” Hansen said. “I’m pleased to join the DFI Board at this pivotal moment in education.”