Ross Izard is founder and principal of Xiphos Strategies, LLC, a turnkey government affairs firm that helps clients across the nation build and deploy the systems, infrastructure, and knowledge needed to engage effectively with American government.

Ross is a government affairs professional, policy analyst, and writer with experience working at all levels of the public policy world across multiple states and the federal government. Although he has worked on a variety of issues, most of his career has been dedicated to K-12 education policy.

Prior to founding Xiphos Strategies, Ross served as the Vice President of Policy and Government Affairs for ACE Scholarships, a national nonprofit scholarship-granting organization. He has also worked as an education policy analyst in the think-tank world, where he researched, developed, and advocated for a variety of state and local public policies, including policies related to public charter schools. Additionally, Ross has authored or coauthored dozens of pieces on a variety of topics, including white papers, editorials, policy briefs, stories, and blogs. His work has been published by national, state, and local media outlets, and he has assisted in the production of several amicus briefs for two state supreme courts and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Ross holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Colorado and an M.A. in Public Administration from the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs. He currently lives in Castle Rock, Colorado, and spends most of his free time training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, fly fishing, or adventuring with his family.