about robert fanger

Robert Fanger currently serves as the communications director of the Milton and Rose D. Friedman Foundation, a national, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting school choice throughout the United States. Founded by Nobel Laureate economist Milton Friedman and his wife Rose, the Foundation has been celebrating the 50 th anniversary of school vouchers, which were originally proposed by Dr. Friedman in 1955.

As part of the anniversary, the Foundation has held a gala dinner this past June in New York and will hold its second this December in Los Angeles. Fanger worked to not only develop the marketing materials for the events, but also undertook a major media campaign, which resulted in coverage in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, National Review, American Spectator, Education Week, New York Times, New York Sun, Reason magazine and numerous other media outlets.

Fanger has led several national-level media campaigns to promote more than a dozen legislative victories for school choice around the country, as well as all of the Foundation’s research and policy papers. In addition, he has guided several state-level media campaigns corresponding with the Foundation’s program activities.

Since Fanger joined the Foundation in November 2003, the organization has experienced a 500 percent increase in its media presence and a significant increase in media inquiries.

In addition to his media activities, Fanger has transformed the Foundation’s marketing functions. First, he upgraded the School Choice Advocate, the Foundations main mode of contact with legislators, donors and media, from a newsletter to a magazine. Next, he led the redevelopment of the Foundation’s Issues in Brief series, which has become a major tool for educating state legislators, providing information specific to their district. Lastly, Fanger has provided several marketing and communications services to think tank and school choice organizations around the country, including the development of marketing collateral, educational pieces for legislators, web sites and media plans.

Prior to joining the Foundation, he served as principal of Fanger Communications, a communications and marketing agency established in 2000. The company provided media relations, marketing and web development services to a variety of clients including Eli Lilly and Company, Teranode Corporation of Seattle, American Teleservices Association, Johnson Memorial Hospital, University of Washington, Hoosier State Press Association and Indianapolis Private Industry Council.

Fanger has also been involved in politics, serving as the communications director and press secretary for the Brose McVey for Congress (IN-7) campaign in 2002 and as a consultant for Nancy Naples for Congress (NY-27) in 2004.