Who We Are
Americans for Public Safety supports policies and candidates that respect law enforcement, deliver justice to victims, and uphold the Constitution.
We reject ideologies that weaken our institutions and instead fight to uphold the American values that have forged the foundation of our nation: rule of law, personal responsibility, and civic pride. APS provides political-grade campaign advocacy and strike force capabilities to policy initiatives and elections.
We move with precision—identifying opportunities, mobilizing quickly, and activating changemakers in coordination with local, state, and national stakeholders. These relationships are built on years of shared experience, trust, and results, from state houses to our nation’s capitol.
Our Team
Justin Keener
President
Justin Keener is a leader in the conservative movement, and a seasoned public safety and victims advocate. He administered the Crime Stoppers program at the Dallas Crime Commission, and was the architect of the Right on Crime campaign. He has worked with Texas leadership for nearly two decades in passing legislation that helped the state cut crime and recidivism. He worked closely with the Trump Administration and national allies for passage of the First Step Act. He also serves as president of Texans for Free Enterprise, and was a vice president at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and worked for leadership offices in the Texas Legislature. Justin lives in Austin with his two sons, and is an avid runner, hiker, poker player, and practices MMA.
Brianna Nuhfer
Chief Operating Officer
Brianna Nuhfer is a known expert in national and state criminal justice advocacy. Her work focuses on strategy development and execution, advancing partnerships, policy reforms, and public dialogue. Brianna led the strategy and a multi-million-dollar grant portfolio as vice president of criminal justice at Stand Together. Before that, she co-founded a non-profit which identifies local needs and equips men and women to take action to serve in their communities. Brianna received her B.A. in Political Economy from Hillsdale College, graduating summa cum laude. She currently resides with her husband, two sons, and cat in Bunker Hill, West Virginia.
Ja’Ron Smith
Senior Advisor
Ja’Ron Smith is one of the nation’s leading criminal justice experts, who has helped to craft and shape many of our nation’s laws while working in Congress and in the Trump Administration. In the White House, he served as Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, and Deputy Director of the White House Office of American Innovation, playing a key role in developing domestic policy. He previously served as a Special Assistant to the President for Legislative Affairs, and the President’s Director of Urban Affairs and Revitalization, where he was a chief strategist of lowering crime, the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative, and HBCU initiatives. Prior to the White House, Ja’Ron also served both Houses of Congress Ja’Ron is a graduate of Howard University School of Business and Howard University School of Divinity, and is an ordained minister in the Universal Life Church. He also serves as a Senior Fellow with Right on Crime and Founder of Public Safety Solutions for America.
Noah Busbee
Program Coordinator
Noah Busbee is a rising conservative advocate, with experience working on a variety of issues affecting public safety and free enterprise. He has worked with Texans for Free Enterprise, the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and as a qualitative research analyst in the private sector. He attended the University of Richmond and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in both Political Science and History. Noah currently resides in Austin, Texas, and enjoys kayaking, weightlifting, and reading religious philosophy.
Board of Directors
Doug Deason
Chairman
Doug Deason is a conservative activist, donor, and serves as president of The Deason Foundation and Deason Capital Services. Mr. Deason is Chairman of Great American Media, Chairman of Texans for Free Enterprise, and serves on the boards of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, the Florida Foundation for Correctional Excellence, and as an advisor to Right on Crime and the Deason Center for Criminal Justice Reform at the Dedman Law School at SMU. He has also served as Finance Chairman to the Dallas County Republican Party. In support of President Trump’s campaign, he served as North Texas Chairman, Texas Co-Chairman, and National Vice Chairman.
Justin Keener
President
Justin Keener is a leader in the conservative movement, and a seasoned public safety and victims advocate. He administered the Crime Stoppers program at the Dallas Crime Commission, and was the architect of the Right on Crime campaign. He has worked with Texas leadership for nearly two decades in passing legislation that helped the state cut crime and recidivism. He worked closely with the Trump Administration and national allies for passage of the First Step Act. He also serves as president of Texans for Free Enterprise, and was a vice president at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, and worked for leadership offices in the Texas Legislature. Justin lives in Austin with his two sons, and is an avid runner, hiker, poker player, and practices MMA.
Karen Blackistone
Board Member
Karen is a seasoned lawyer at the intersection of technology, business, and public policy and has advised emerging technology companies in highly regulated sectors on a wide range of issues from organizational structure and operational risks to strategic planning for high-stakes engagement with policy-makers. She spent nearly 20 years in private practice representing high-profile advocacy groups, changemakers, and multinational corporations and where she regularly advised trade associations and nonprofit organizations on a range of issues affecting their operations. Karen is now the general counsel of an investment firm where she is passionate about bringing together policy and technology to reform the criminal justice system and other critical public safety challenges.
Sarah Field
Board Member
Sarah Field is Chief Counsel, Legal Policy at Koch Capabilities, LLC, where she develops and scales policy initiatives on a variety of legal, judicial, and regulatory topics. A leader in the public policy community, Sarah specializes in leading initiatives that require rapid vision development, start-up, and scaling expertise. This has included leading criminal justice reform and constitutionally limited government initiatives for the Stand Together community, overseeing the comprehensive portfolio of the Stand Together community’s issue areas, driving Americans for Prosperity’s long-term vision and strategy for addressing the country’s political environment, and leading judicial engagement strategy at Americans for Prosperity. She has also held roles at the Federalist Society and a variety of other nonprofit organizations.