Staff
Chairman
Robert L. Bradley, Jr. is the chairman of the Institute for Energy Research (IER). Bradley is one of the nation’s leading experts on the history and regulation of energy markets. Bradley has presented professional testimony on a host of energy issues before the U.S. Congress and state legislatures. As an issue expert and scholar, he is routinely quoted on energy and economic issues within national news reporting, as well as authoring numerous opinion-editorials which have been published in the New York Times and other leading publications.
In addition to his role at IER Bradley also holds positions as a visiting fellow for the Institute of Economic Affairs in London, and as an expert for several preeminent organizations, including the Cato Institute (adjunct scholar), Competitive Enterprise Institute (adjunct scholar); the University of Texas at Austin (honorary senior fellow) and the Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University (academic review committee member).
Bradley has also been a Schultz Fellow for Economic Research (New York City) and Liberty Fund Fellow for Economic Research (Menlo Park, California) and is a member of the International Association for Energy Economics, the American Economics Association and the American Historical Association.
Bradley received a B.A. in economics (with honors) from Rollins College, where he received the S. Truman Olin Award in economics; a masters in economics from the University of Houston, a Ph.D. in political economy (with distinction) from International College.
President
Thomas J. Pyle is the president of the Institute for Energy Research (IER). In this capacity, Pyle brings a unique backdrop of public and private sector experience to help manage IER’s Washington, DC-based staff and operations. He also helps to develop the organization’s free market policy positions and implement education efforts with respect to key energy stakeholders, including policymakers, federal agency representatives, industry leaders, consumer entities and the media.
Previously, Pyle was the founder of his own consulting firm, Pyle Consulting, Inc., an active public affairs consulting firm with a wide range of private and not-for-profit customers. Prior to starting his own firm, Pyle served as vice president of the Rhoads Group in Washington, DC where he represented and advised a variety of association and corporate clients in meeting their strategic public policy goals and priorities. Additionally, he also served as director of federal affairs for a major integrated manufacturing and services company focusing on energy, environment, regulatory and transportation issues.
Before coming to the private sector, Pyle held numerous positions on Capitol Hill including serving a policy analyst for the Majority Whip of the U.S. House of Representatives and as staff director for the Congressional Western Caucus, as well as other legislative staff positions.
Pyle holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Southern California.
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
As senior vice president for public affairs, Brian Kennedy brings a wealth of strategic communications experience to the Institute for Energy Research (IER).
Before joining IER, Kennedy served as chief spokesman and press secretary for the Minority Leader of the U.S. House of Representatives, Representative John A. Boehner (R-OH). In this capacity, he managed the Leader’s day-to-day media affairs and helped design and direct strategic communications efforts for the entire Republican Conference in the House.
Prior to his work for the for the minority leader, Kennedy served as deputy chief of staff and communications director for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Resources, which maintains jurisdiction over energy and natural resources policies for America’s 2.3 billion onshore and offshore federal lands. During his tenure at the Committee, Kennedy also directed the strategic communications initiatives of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT), the Speaker’s Task Force for Affordable Natural Gas (TFANG), and the Task Force for Reform NEPA.
Previously, Kennedy served as communications director for U.S. Representative George Radanovich (R-CA), promoting the Congressman’s work on both the House Resources and Energy & Commerce Committees.
Kennedy holds a B.A. in Political Science from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Senior Vice President, Policy
Dan Kish is a senior vice president for policy at the Institute for Energy Research (IER).
Kish has more than 25 years of experience on congressional committees focused principally upon of natural resource and energy policies. His service includes the principal resource committees in the House and Senate, including six years as chief of staff for the Republicans on the House Resources Committee and four years on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee staff.
His primary focus has been access to resources on government lands and in the waters of the Outer Continental Shelf, and specifically, upon the enormous conventional and unconventional energy there that waits to be allowed to add value to our nation’s well-being.
Kish is a graduate of Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana.
Senior Vice President of Public Policy
Bill Koetzle is senior vice president of public policy of the Institute for Energy Research (IER). In this position, Koetzle serves as the organization’s primary lead on federal policy issues, providing analysis of ongoing legislative and regulatory issues and debates, as well as developing free-market policy alternatives and assessments.
Before coming to IER, Koetzle served as the deputy Republican staff director of policy for the U.S. House of Representatives’ Committee on Energy and Commerce. In this capacity, he served as chief policy advisor to Ranking Member, U.S. Representative Joe Barton (R-TX), on matters within the committee’s jurisdiction, including energy, environment, telecommunications, consumer safety and health care, as well as providing strategic and tactical recommendations on legislation, amendments and policy statements for the Committee.
Koetzle also served in the in the office of the former Speaker of the House, U.S. Representative J. Dennis Hastert, as assistant to the Speaker for policy and as policy lead on energy, environment, telecommunications, natural resources and agricultural issues. Previously, he was a Congressional Fellow with the American Political Science Association.
Koetzle holds a B.A. and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of California, Irvine, has been published in numerous political science publications, as has held a variety of fellowship positions.
Senior Vice President, Operations and Development
Lisa Wallace is senior vice president for development and operations at the Institute for Energy Research (IER).
Previously, Wallace spent twelve years working on Capitol Hill for Congressman George Radanovich and the House Committee on Resources. Initially, she worked as administrative assistant to Congressman Radanovich, where she served as senior advisor to the congressman on all matters of policy, personnel, political strategy and district operations and managed multi-million dollar budget, legislative, communications and support staff.
As Chief Financial Officer for the House Committee on Resources, Ms. Wallace managed and administered a $16 million bi-annual committee budget, oversaw all business operations of the full committee, its five subcommittees, and the Office of the Chief Clerk, and managed a 50-member professional staff.
Wallace is a graduate of California State University at Fullerton.
Director, State Affairs
Before joining IER, Simmons served as the Director of the Natural Resources Task Force at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). In this capacity, he was responsible for the day-to-day management of a 200-member task force made up state legislators and private sector members. ALEC’s Natural Resources Task Force promotes policy innovations through markets, property rights, and the rule of law in energy, environment, natural resources, and agricultural policy areas. He also drafted, researched, and promoted ALEC’s model legislation.
Prior to working for ALEC, Simmons was a Research Fellow at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. He analyzed proposed federal regulations and wrote comments to federal agencies during the rulemaking process. He also drafted law review articles based on a current regulatory and legal issues.
Previous to working at the Mercatus Center, Simmons served as Legislative Staff for the Committee on Resources in the U.S. House of Representatives where he handled endangered species and forestry issues.
Simmons holds a B.A. in Economics from Utah State University and a J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He is a member of the Virginia State Bar.