Hon. John Engler Now Serves as the Kirk Center Chairman of the Board
In January of 2026 the Russell Kirk Center board approved the Hon. John Engler to serve as the Center’s Chairman of the Board.
John M. Engler is a nationally respected statesman, policy leader, and institutional steward whose career in public service and civic leadership reflects a deep commitment to ordered liberty, economic vitality, and responsible self-government.
Engler served as Governor of Michigan for three consecutive terms (1991–2003), becoming one of the longest-serving governors in the state’s history. His tenure was marked by major reforms in taxation, education, welfare, and economic development, as well as a sustained effort to strengthen Michigan’s competitiveness in a changing global economy. He is also a key figure in establishing charter schools in the state and around the country, signing the Michigan Charter Schools Act in 1994 to introduce public school choice. His creative and imaginative approach to education reform effectively broke traditional district monopolies and fostered innovation through competition and by offering educational alternatives and accountability. It has been a lasting public policy success.
Widely regarded as a principled reformer, Engler brought fiscal discipline and long-term thinking to state government during a period of significant transition.
Engler’s history with the Kirk family goes back to the very beginnings of his consequential political career. He was born in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, and grew up in nearby Beal City. Prior to his election as governor, Engler served in the Michigan Senate, where he rose to become Senate Majority Leader in 1984. In that role, Engler represented Mecosta and the Kirks, which began a long, continuous friendship that has come full circle today. While serving in the legislature, Engler also earned his Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, exemplifying a commitment to intellectual preparation alongside public duty.
After leaving the governor’s office, Engler continued his leadership on the national stage. From 2005 to 2011, he served as President and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, advocating for policies that strengthened American industry and expanded opportunity. He later became President of Business Roundtable in 2011, leading the organization until his retirement in 2017. Under his stewardship, Business Roundtable reinforced its reputation as a credible, research-driven voice for an economy that serves the long-term interests of workers, families, and communities—engaging policymakers across party lines while affirming the United States as the world’s greatest land of opportunity.
From 2018 to 2019, Engler was appointed Interim President of Michigan State University, his alma mater, where he focused on institutional stability, governance, and restoring public trust during a period of transition.
Engler has long been active in civic and philanthropic leadership. He serves as a trustee of the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation, where he has been a leading advocate for the legacy of President Gerald R. Ford and the virtues of principled public service. He continues his leadership in the charter school’s movement as a board member of the National Charter Schools Institute. His board service also has included the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Universal Forest Products, and previously Dow Jones, Delta Air Lines, Munder Funds, and Fidelity’s Fixed Income and Asset Allocation Funds. He is the past chair of the National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), the Council of Great Lakes Governors, and the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and the National Governors Association (NGA).
As Chairman of the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal, Engler brings a lifetime of experience in public leadership, institutional governance, and the necessary intellectual foundations of public policy to an organization dedicated to preserving the cultural and constitutional foundations of American life. His leadership reflects a shared conviction with Russell Kirk that free institutions depend upon strong pre-political foundations, such as family, education, religion, private and public virtue, sound first principles, and a cultivated understanding of “the politics of prudence.”
John Engler and his wife, Michelle Engler, are the parents of triplet daughters.