Ronald Reagan Foundation and Institute Announces David Trulio as President and CEO

Former FOX News Digital, Department of Defense, and Aerospace and Defense Industry Executive will return to Southern California to lead the Presidential Foundation into a new era

SIMI VALLEY, CA, March 15, 2023 – Mr. Frederick J. Ryan, Jr., Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, announced today the appointment of Mr. David V. Trulio as President and CEO, effective April 3.  The appointment marks the conclusion of an extensive search for a new leader of the Foundation, which is the sole nonprofit organization created by President Reagan charged with continuing his legacy and sharing his principles of individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy, and national pride.

As the new President and CEO, Mr. Trulio will be charged with driving a dynamic expansion of the Reagan Foundation and Institute’s digital offerings, revenue streams, and brand.  Most recently, Mr. Trulio was Managing Editor, Head of Strategy and Editorial Operations, at FOX News Digital, which is a news, analysis, and opinion platform operating FoxNews.com and FoxBusiness.com.  In 2022, FOX News Digital averaged 82.7 million monthly multiplatform unique visitors, was the top-performing news brand with multiplatform views, and was the most engaged news brand on social media.    

In making today’s announcement, Fred Ryan said, “The Reagan Foundation and Institute is an essential resource not just for Americans, but for people around the world who want to learn from one of the greatest leaders of the last century. With David at the helm, we look forward to propelling the Reagan Foundation and Institute into a new digital age and expanding our reach to those Americans who are unable to visit Simi Valley.  David is the perfect person to lead this important initiative and guide us into a new era of growth.”

“Ronald Reagan is the greatest President of the 20th century.  Especially in challenging times, one cannot overstate the importance to America – and the world – of securing and advancing Ronald Reagan’s legacy, his timeless principles, and his elevating leadership example,” said David Trulio, incoming President and CEO of The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.  “I am deeply honored to lead the Reagan Foundation and Institute, and am grateful to the Trustees for this opportunity.  I look forward to working closely with them, the dedicated staff in Simi Valley and Washington, DC, generous donors around the country, and the local and online communities, to build on the many achievements of the Foundation and Institute.”

As President and CEO, Mr. Trulio will oversee a globally recognized non-partisan organization based in Simi Valley, CA, which sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, the most visited presidential library in the country; the Reagan Center for Public Affairs; the Presidential Learning Center; The Air Force One Pavilion; the award-winning Discovery Center; and the Reagan Institute, which carries out the Foundation’s mission in Washington, D.C.

Mr. Trulio will succeed John Heubusch, who is retiring after an accomplished tenure dating back to 2009.  “John’s leadership has brought the Foundation to new levels and he will be deeply missed,” said Fred Ryan.  “We are grateful for his service and wish him much success in this next chapter of his life.”

Under Mr. Heubusch’s management, the Foundation hosted nationally prominent current and former elected officials, authors, and thought leaders, as well as multiple Republican presidential debates, and the annual Reagan National Defense Forum.  In addition, his accomplishments include the establishment of the highly successful Reagan Institute in Washington, D.C., and growing the organization’s endowment by well over a hundred million dollars to its highest amount on record.

“It’s been the honor of my life to preserve and promote the legacy of Ronald Reagan, and I’m excited by what the Foundation will achieve under David’s and the Board’s leadership,” said John Heubusch.    

Mr. Trulio came to FOX News Digital with extensive experience as a leader in both the U.S. government and aerospace and defense industry.  In the previous presidential administration, Mr. Trulio served at the Export-Import Bank of the United States as Counselor to the Chairman and Senior Vice President for the Program on China and Transformational Exports.  He was responsible for standing up and leading a program focused on supporting U.S. companies competing against Chinese state-backed competitors in ten technology areas key to American prosperity and security. 

Earlier, at the Department of Defense, Mr. Trulio served as Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, playing a key leadership and management role atop a vast and diverse team; his responsibilities included serving as Executive Director of the Defense Policy Board, and he also performed the duties of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs. 

Prior to his most recent public service, Mr. Trulio was Vice President of International Government Affairs, Operations, and Regional Executive for Latin America at Lockheed Martin International in its Washington, DC-area headquarters.  He joined Lockheed Martin from Raytheon Company, where he held multiple senior roles, including Director of Operations at Raytheon International, Inc.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Trulio was appointed by President George W. Bush to be a Special Assistant to the President and the Executive Secretary of the Homeland Security Council (HSC) at the White House.  He held additional roles earlier on the HSC staff and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

During the 2004 presidential campaign, Mr. Trulio was a member of the President’s policy team at campaign headquarters.  Prior to his government service, Mr. Trulio practiced corporate transactional law at O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Los Angeles.

Mr. Trulio earned a MBA degree from Harvard Business School; a JD degree from Columbia University School of Law; and a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in public and international affairs from Princeton University.  Bilingual in Spanish and native to Southern California, Mr. Trulio is relocating with his family to the Los Angeles area from Northern Virginia.

About the Reagan Foundation and Institute:

The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is the sole nonprofit organization created by President Reagan charged with continuing his legacy and sharing his principles – individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy and national pride. The Foundation is a non-partisan organization which sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, CA, the Reagan Center for Public Affairs, the Presidential Learning Center, The Air Force One Pavilion, the award-winning Discovery Center and the Reagan Institute, which carries out the Foundation’s mission in Washington, D.C.