Freedom Forum Welcomes 2 New Members to Board of Trustees

WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 26, 2026) — Today, Freedom Forum welcomed two new members to its Board of Trustees: Mary Kate Cary, inaugural executive director of the National Academy for Free Expression and Pluralism at the University of Denver, and Stephen P. Hills, founding director of the Business Law Scholars Program at Georgetown University Law Center and former president and general manager of The Washington Post.

Together, they bring decades of leadership experience in free expression, higher education, journalism and media innovation to Freedom Forum's governing body.

"Mary Kate Cary and Stephen Hills are thoughtful leaders whose experience aligns closely with Freedom Forum's mission to foster First Amendment freedoms for all," said Jan Neuharth, chair and CEO of Freedom Forum. "From advancing free expression on college campuses to managing one of the nation's leading news organizations, they bring perspectives that will strengthen our board and help guide our work."

Mary Kate Cary

Mary Kate Cary was recently named the inaugural executive director of the John and Sandy Miller National Academy for Free Expression and Pluralism at the University of Denver. Until May 2026, Cary was assistant vice president and deputy chief of staff for the president of the University of Virginia. She served as an adjunct professor at UVA from 2019 to 2025, teaching seminars for third- and fourth-year students on political speech writing and the greatest speeches in American political history.

"I've long admired Freedom Forum's work bringing the First Amendment to life for new generations of Americans. Whether it's helping college students understand their rights on campus or educating high school journalists about the importance of a free press, Freedom Forum meets people where they are and shows why our freedoms matter in everyday life,” Cary said. “I'm thrilled to join the Board of Trustees to support Freedom Forum’s vision of an America where everyone knows, values and defends the five freedoms.”

Cary co-taught the popular “Election 2020” and “Election 2024” courses alongside Jennifer Lawless, a professor with opposing political views, before an audience of 500 UVA students. She was the co-chair of the Heterodox Academy campus community at UVA, one of the largest in the nation, and was awarded the Heterodox Academy’s 2024 Leadership Award.

In 2021, Cary served on UVA’s Committee on Free Expression and Free Inquiry, which produced the university’s policy on free speech. She is the founder of Think Again @ UVA, an initiative to promote free speech, viewpoint diversity, critical thinking and intellectual humility through student-facing programming, which is now being replicated at colleges across America.

Cary is a former White House speechwriter for President George H.W. Bush, a former columnist at U.S. News & World Report and a longtime political commentator, appearing weekly alongside a liberal analyst on Canada’s largest news network, CTV.

Stephen P. Hills

Stephen P. Hills is the founding director of the Business Law Scholars Program at Georgetown University Law Center, where he also teaches. He joined Georgetown in 2015 following a 28-year career at The Washington Post, where he served as president and general manager for 13 years.

During his tenure at The Washington Post, Hills led the company's transformation from a print-centric organization to one named the most innovative media company in the world by Fast Company in 2015 and guided the company through its sale to Jeff Bezos.

"I am honored to join the Freedom Forum Board of Trustees. Having spent much of my career in journalism, I have seen firsthand the vital role that a free press and free expression play in a healthy democracy. I believe deeply in the First Amendment as a foundation of both individual freedom and civic life,” Hills said. “At a time when trust, dialogue and understanding are under strain, Freedom Forum's mission to promote awareness and appreciation of First Amendment freedoms could not be more important."

Hills began his career using $2,000 in savings to co-found The Bay City Business Journal in the San Francisco Bay Area, which grew into one of Northern California’s most widely read business publications.

He serves on the board of AvalonBay Communities and is the founder of HillsScape, a strategic consulting and executive coaching practice. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from Yale University and Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.

The appointments of Cary and Hills bring Freedom Forum’s Board of Trustees to 14 members.