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Chair

Rep. Kevin Hern is the chairman of the Republican Study Committee for the 118th Congress.

Born on an Air Force Base, Kevin gained an early appreciation for the sacrifices that military families make. In high school, Kevin earned an Architectural Drafting Certificate at a Career Technology school, which he used to work and pay for his Engineering degree. Later in life, he earned his MBA.

After undergrad, Kevin went on to work as an Aerospace Engineer for Rockwell International. When the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster rocked the aerospace industry, Kevin was out of work. He began saving to purchase his first McDonald’s Restaurant by starting and operating small business ventures: writing computer programs to automate tasks for businesses, real estate, and even hog farming.

In 1997, Kevin literally sold the farm to buy his first McDonald’s restaurant in North Little Rock, Arkansas. In 1999, he purchased two McDonald’s restaurants in Muskogee, Oklahoma, moving his family to the Sooner State. He grew that organization over the next decade; eventually owning 24 McDonald’s restaurants that employed thousands of people in Northeastern Oklahoma.

Kevin has worked across every aisle, serving in various leadership positions within the McDonald’s system – what he dubs the most grassroots business in the world. He served 13 years on the National Leadership Team that represented all 3,500+ U.S. Franchisees, 8 years as the Chairman of the Franchise Relations Team, and 5 years as the Chairman of the Systems Economic Team.

In addition to McDonald’s, Kevin has been a very successful entrepreneur in the areas of banking, manufacturing, real estate development, multiple technology companies, and sports publishing.

He uses his vast experiences to help aspiring entrepreneurs create new businesses so they can pursue their American Dream.

Kevin Hern was sworn into Congress on November 13th, 2018. Kevin and his wife Tammy live in Tulsa and have three children and two grandchildren. They are members at the Church at Battle Creek.