Annette Meeks is founder and CEO of the Freedom Foundation of Minnesota, an independent, non-profit, education and research organization that develops and actively advocates the principles of individual freedom, personal responsibility, economic freedom, and limited government. Prior to founding the Freedom Foundation, she served as president and chief executive officer of a state-based think tank in Minneapolis. Meek's previous experience was in Washington, D.C. where she was appointed by Congressman Newt Gingrich to serve as his Deputy Chief of Staff upon his historic swearing in as the 50th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Meeks has a wide range of demonstrated dynamic and creative leadership. She has served as a congressional chief of staff, managed a multi-million dollar congressional campaign, and was involved in the earliest discussions of what would eventually become know as "TheContract with America."
A former board member of the National Federation of Republican Women, Meeks has also served as a trainer and public speaker for various organizations around the country. From 2007 to September 2008, she was a volunteer member of the Minneapolis Saint Paul 2008 Host Committee, a bipartisan group of business, civic and political leaders whose purpose was to promote the Twin Cities during the Republican National Convention. She has assumed various leadership positions in Minnesota, including serving on Governor Tim Pawlenty's transition advisory committee; the Governor's Stadium Screening Committee; the Board of Directors of the Council for Electoral Leadership; the Governor's Commission to End Long-Term Homelessness; the Board of Directors of Citizens Against Gambling Expansion; and the Minnesota Citizens Commission for the Preservation of an Impartial Judiciary.
In 2003, Gov. Tim Pawlenty appointed Annette to serve a four-year term as the Seventh District representative to the Metropolitan Council. In 2007, she was reappointed by Gov. Pawlenty to serve another four-year term on the Metropolitan Council. Meeks is Chair of the Transportation Committee and also serves on the Community Development Committee. In addition, she served on the Hiawatha light rail management committee, the Central Corridor Coordinating Committee, and chaired the Metro GIS evaluation committee. Meeks provides political commentary on local television and radio shows, including co-hosting "The Poli-Chicks", a current affairs radio show on WFMP (FM107.1). She is also a regular commentator on At Issue, a weekly public affairs television show produced by KSTP-TV.