Jeff Frazee resigns from Young Americans for Liberty (YAL)

[Matt Collins]

From an e-mail:

This may be the most difficult email I have ever written.

When I started Young Americans for Liberty in 2008 with Ron Paul’s endorsement and $25,000 in seed money, I never dreamed it would become the largest and fastest-growing conservative and libertarian youth organization in the country.

Based on everything we measure, YAL has seen nearly double-digit growth for seven consecutive years -- campus chapters, membership, leadership team, activists trained, educational events, and fundraising, are just a few.

Even better than what we have done in the past is what we will accomplish in the future. I don’t foresee any slowdown in our growth, and more and more young people are being turned on by the ideas of liberty every day.

These successes are not because of one person. Far from it. This is a youth movement, and its long-term success will outlast any one individual.

So today, I’m announcing I will soon step down as Executive Director of Young Americans for Liberty.

It’s difficult to write these words, but it’s not bad news. Like it or not, I’m actually not going away. I will remain Chairman of the Board, but I will relinquish my day-to-day involvement.

“So what are you doing, Jeff?!?” you may ask.

Let me tell you that it wasn’t an easy decision, and it’s not a decision I would have made if I didn't believe this was in the best interest of our movement.

I’m nearly 10 years removed from college, and I jokingly find myself saying “these kids these days…” which is always a sign you are getting old and out of touch with the youth. But that’s not the real reason for this decision.

I’ve been honored over the years to be offered many opportunities that would have pulled me away from YAL. Many of them were very lucrative for me personally. All of them I turned down. YAL was too important to our cause, and I didn’t believe my work was done yet.

But over the past few months, I’ve been exploring a new opportunity to partner with emerging business leaders and young philanthropists who are committing significant resources to advancing our cause. These will be (or in many cases already are) the investors and decision-makers of the liberty movement for years to come.

After much thought and prayer, I’ve come to the conclusion that my comparative advantage is better served building this new network, and YAL's leadership is strong enough to carry on without me.

So where does YAL go from here?

Really, not much will change. And that’s how it’s supposed to be. In the coming days and weeks, you’ll learn more about the transition, but if we do our job well, you will hardly notice a difference.

Most importantly, we’ll continue as the largest and fastest-growing conservative and libertarian youth organization in the country.

So this is not a goodbye, but an evolution in my calling to advance a free society. I’ll continue to keep the same email address and same phone number. I’ll continue to be involved in the vision, goal-setting, and planning for YAL. But I’ll be less involved in the daily operations.

My hope is you will remain just as committed as ever. YAL is not slowing down. Your donations, your activism, your outreach, and your enthusiasm are vital to our success.

“Thank you” doesn’t begin to express my deep appreciation for you and this movement. I'm a product of your commitment and support, and I'll be forever grateful for it.

The revolution continues...

For liberty,

Jeff Frazee
Executive Director
Young Americans for Liberty

P.S. -- I’ll do my best to respond to emails and phone calls. I would love to hear from you, but please forgive my slow response.

 

[Bryan]

Thank you Jeff on a job well done with YAL for all of these years -- and best of luck on the new direction, it sounds like a good one!

 

[Tinnuhana]

The way he was talking, Bryan, I thought he might be joining up with you for "the launch".