Dr. Charmaine Yoest is a former Senior Fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum.  Charmaine has served in many facets of political life – in the White House, on a presidential campaign, and leading a national nonprofit.  She is an Adjunct Professor at Pepperdine University in their School of Public Policy. And she also serves as a Senior Advisor to The 30 Day Foundation.  

Previously, Charmaine served as a Vice President of the Heritage Foundation, leading the domestic policy work during the time the organization was voted #1 for Policy Impact three years running.  Those issues included health care and welfare reform, education policy, family formation, women’s issues and religious liberty.  She also served as the co-Executive Director of the National Coronavirus Recovery Commission. 

Charmaine served in the White House as Associate Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and also as the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services where she provided leadership for the $1.3 trillion Department’s public affairs programs, and coordination of strategic messaging across the 11 HHS Operating Divisions.  She has appeared as a spokesperson on every major television network and cable outlet, and has been published in the leading national publications. She has provided testimony in front of the United States Congress on multiple occasions. She is also the author of Mother in the Middle (HarperCollins), an examination of child care policy.