Robert Ordway is a seasoned policy advisor, entrepreneur, and civic leader whose career spans the public and private sectors. He currently serves as Senior Policy Advisor to Indiana Governor Mike Braun, where he supports the Freedom & Opportunity Agenda. Before this, he held key roles in the U.S. Senate, including Deputy Legislative Director and Senior Policy Advisor to then-Senator Braun, where he specialized in issues related to budget and tax, served as the coalition's lead, and managed a team of junior policy staff.
Ordway’s early D.C. career included work at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) as the Director of Commerce, Insurance, and Economic Development, where he led coalitions in multiple states and facilitated the development of model legislation on housing, transportation, and financial services. A Heritage Foundation Washington Scholars Fellow, he also completed fellowships around the country with the Mitch Daniels Leadership Foundation, the American Conservative, and Claremont Institute.
Beyond his policy work, Robert is a firm believer and practitioner of entrepreneurship. He founded Rusted Oak, an independent menswear boutique, and transitioned it into a custom clothing practice, combining his passion for style and business acumen.
Committed to community service, Robert has served on numerous nonprofit boards and civic committees, including the Custom Tailors & Designers Association in NYC and the Indiana Society of Washington. He is a 2003 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, a lifetime member of both the NAACP and NRA.
A frequent public speaker and published writer, Robert has appeared in outlets such as Campaigns & Elections, Menswear Retail (MR) Magazine, and Northwest Indiana Times, and spoken at events hosted by TEDx, American Moment, and American Compass.
Robert is writing his first book, Millrat: A Memoir from the Multi-Ethnic Working Class
In Millrat, Robert shares his experience as a teenage caretaker of his dad, who battled ALS for five years, all while dealing with his mother’s bipolar disorder and eventual suicide, the third of five in the family. Millrat provides a unique blue collar working class perspective as Robert grew up on 'the color line' in the 90s as Gary was labeled the murder capital of the nation. Combining Robert's life experiences with his dad's timeless wisdom, this book shows readers how faith, family, and community are essential to helping individuals build the personal agency needed to overcome adversity and learn from failure while pursuing the American Dream.
