The Bottom Line Keri D. Ingraham Speaks with Cabinet Members at Policy Summit and Gala
On May 7, Keri D. Ingraham attended the Independent Women Policy Summit and Awards Gala at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. The day provided Ingraham with the opportunity to speak one-on-one with several cabinet members and other top national leaders.
In addition to her full-time work at Discovery Institute as Senior Fellow and Director of the American Center for Transforming Education, Ingraham’s work is amplified by Independent Women, where she has been a Senior Fellow for the past three-and-a-half years.
At the policy summit, Ingraham spoke with Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, who is part of President Trump’s Cabinet.
That evening at the gala, Ingraham had conversations with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche, and Director of the FBI Kash Patel, among many others.
Several distinguished awards were presented at the gala, including the Barbara K. Olson Woman of Valor Award. Since 2004, the award has honored women who fearlessly stand up for what is right and whose work results in significant improvements in the lives of others. This year, the award was bestowed upon Susie Wiles, Chief of Staff to President Donald Trump. Wiles is a highly acclaimed political strategist with more than four decades of experience marked by exceptional results and leadership achievements.
President Trump addressed gala guests via video, delivering a tribute to Wiles. He praised Wiles as “one of the best White House chiefs of staff ever in history.”
In addition to the Woman of Valor Award, Independent Women presented four of the organization’s ambassadors with the Resilience Award. Recipients were Amie Ichikawa, Soren Aldaco, Prisha Mosley, and Allie Coghan, who each demonstrate bravery, courage, and determination while fostering respectful dialogue and civic engagement.
The Diana Davis Spencer Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Victor Davis Hanson, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, in recognition of his lasting contributions to America and to the cause of freedom.
Mike Rowe, Emmy award-winning TV host, producer, narrator, podcaster, bestselling author, and leading advocate for the skilled trades, was among the gala speakers.
Earlier in the week, Ingraham and Rowe were both in Denver as speakers for ACE Scholarships events focused on education choice and the new Education Freedom Tax Credit scholarship program, which takes effect in January 2027.