Joseph Lee Bast (born January 22, 1958) is an American conservative and libertarian political activist, business executive, and policy advocate. He co-founded The Heartland Institute in 1984, serving as its first employee, executive director, and later as its president and CEO until his retirement in July 2017. Under his leadership, Heartland became a prominent nonprofit think tank based in Arlington Heights, Illinois, focusing on free-market policies, education reform, health care, budget and tax issues, and climate change skepticism. The organization organized high-profile events like the 2009 International Conference on Climate Change (which Bast opened) and published newsletters including School Reform News and Environment & Climate News. Prior to Heartland, he studied economics at the University of Chicago as an undergraduate until 1984 without completing his degree, co-edited the bimonthly magazine Nomos, and directed Nomos Press (1983-1988). He also founded and served as director of the State Policy Institute (1991-1997), held roles with the American Conservative Union, and served as a trustee of Shimer College. He has been a member of the Philadelphia Society since 2002. Bast contributed articles to outlets like the Wall Street Journal, Investor's Business Daily, Cato Journal, and USA Today, and testified before congressional committees. A Catholic, he received awards including the State Policy Network's Roe Award (1994), Eagle Forum Award (1998), and Libertarian Party's Champion of Liberty Award (2004). His tenure has been marked by controversies including a 2014 Travis County, Texas court ruling questioning his credibility, debates about the think tank's funding (including from fossil fuel interests through the Donors Capital Fund), and criticism for promoting climate change denial and disseminating misleading information on environmental issues. Post-retirement, he remains a Senior Fellow at Heartland focusing on climate and energy policy.