Donald Bryson serves as Chief Executive Officer of the John Locke Foundation and Publisher of Carolina Journal. He leads Locke’s work to advance individual freedom, free markets, limited government, and government accountability in North Carolina through public policy research, journalism, civic education, and strategic advocacy.
As CEO, Bryson is focused on strengthening Locke as a leading state-based public policy organization. Under his leadership, Locke and Carolina Journal help shape consequential policy debates, hold government accountable, and equip North Carolinians with the information and ideas needed to understand the issues shaping their state.
Before becoming CEO, Bryson served as President of the John Locke Foundation and helped guide the merger of Locke and the Civitas Institute, where he had previously served as Chief Executive Officer. The merger brought together two of North Carolina’s leading free-market policy organizations and expanded Locke’s capacity for research, journalism, and public engagement.
Before joining Locke, Bryson served as North Carolina State Director for Americans for Prosperity, where he worked on state tax reform, educational freedom, regulatory restraint, and grassroots policy advocacy.
Bryson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a Certificate in Leadership from Wake Forest University. He is also a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network for state-based leaders in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
His writing on history, politics, and public policy has appeared in national and North Carolina outlets including National Review, Fox News, Law & Liberty, and The News & Observer.
