Right On Crime, a national criminal justice campaign of the Texas Public Policy Foundation, welcomes two new members to its national team of conservative criminal justice advocates. Wil Cheatham, Arkansas Director for Right On Crime, and Carley Widner, Digital Marketing Manager for Right On Crime, join colleagues from 15 states and Capitol Hill working on policies that create less crime, fewer victims, and safer communities.
“We are very excited to welcome both Wil and Carley to our dynamic organization,” said Right On Crime Executive Director and former U.S. Attorney Brett Tolman. “Wil brings an invaluable expertise and passion to the job in Arkansas, a state with strong conservative values and leadership. And as we grow our Right On Crime footprint to more states throughout the nation, Carley’s entrepreneurial success and strong policy-driven education will be a valuable asset to our communications team and new surrogate outreach program.”
Appointed as Chief of Staff and Chief Legal Counsel by the Arkansas State Treasurer, Cheatham helped manage an 11-billion-dollar portfolio. Earlier in his career, Cheatham served as an analyst in the Counterterrorism Division and later in a unit focused on terrorist financing at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. A native Arkansan, Cheatham is currently a practicing attorney in family law and personal injury and was previously working part time as a prosecuting attorney in Arkansas’ Third Judicial District.
ROC’s Arkansas Director Cheatham said, “I am ecstatic to join ROC as Arkansas’ State Director. Following the major changes that came to Arkansas’s criminal justice system in the 2023 legislative session, my goal is to work toward policies that benefit victims, the taxpayers, and each and every Arkansan. I look forward to working with policymakers across the state of Arkansas.”
Widner holds a Master of Science in International Public Policy from the University College of London and a B.A. in International Studies from Texas A&M University. With an academic focus on the intersection of domestic and international policies and their impact on human trafficking, Widner is also a successful digital entrepreneur who owns her own online business with a broad experience in digital marketing and communications.
“I am incredibly grateful to be joining the ROC communications team, and I look forward to collaborating and helping our organization champion policies that create strong and safe communities,” said Widner, ROC’s Digital Marketing Manager. “My research in graduate school on prison reformation has instilled a passion in me for evidenced-based and effective changes in our criminal justice system.”
Right On Crime is a national campaign of the Texas Public Policy Foundation supporting conservative solutions for fewer victims, less crime, and safer communities. The movement was born in Texas in 2007, established as a national campaign in 2010, and leads the way in implementing conservative criminal justice initiatives across the nation that are just, effective, and fiscally responsible. For more information, visit our website at www.RightOnCrime.com.