Tom Minnery
Tom Minnery, senior vice president of Focus on the Family, has led the Government and Public Policy division since 1988, articulating the conservative Christian viewpoint on family, marriage and religious civil liberties issues. His views and influence have helped to shape public policy at both the national and state levels.
Minnery and his staff track federal policy in bioethics issues from abortion to euthanasia, sexual abstinence education; education; marriage; religious civil liberties; homosexuality; and gambling. The expert commentary they provide helps mobilize informed grassroots participation of Christians in the political process. This is accomplished mainly by providing family advocates with trusted news and information on pressing social issues through Focus’ Citizen magazine, CitizenLink daily email, and a variety of online videos like the humorous Stoplight commentaries and the weekly “CitizenLink Report” webcast.
His staff has nurtured the growing network of almost 40 state-level family policy councils, which are increasingly helping to affect the tone of national policy, including playing a major role in the enactment into state laws and constitutions of the traditional definition of marriage.
Minnery also serves as executive director of CitizenLink, the public policy affiliate of Focus on the Family.
Minnery has been featured on CNN, FoxNews, all network news programs, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Newsweek. He has a Bachelor of Science in journalism from Ohio University and Master of Arts in religion from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He is the author of the book Why You Can’t Stay Silent (Tyndale, 2002).
Minnery and his wife, Deb, have three grown children, and five grandchildren. They reside in Colorado Springs.