The Heritage Foundation announced Tuesday that Kim R. Holmes, a longtime scholar and leader at the think tank, would become the organization’s next executive vice president.

Holmes’ unanimous selection by Heritage’s board of trustees comes about a month after Kay Coles James began her tenure as president of Heritage.

“Kim has long had a profound impact on American policy, and we are thrilled he is continuing his stellar service to The Heritage Foundation with this well-deserved leadership role,” James said in a statement.

Holmes added that he was “truly honored” and called his appointment “an awesome responsibility.”

“Kay has mapped out an exciting vision for Heritage and the conservative movement,” Holmes said, “and I can’t wait to start helping turn that vision of a better America into reality.”

The No. 2 job at Heritage functions as the organization’s chief operating officer. Holmes brings to the position 30 years of service at Heritage, including two decades as vice president of defense and foreign policy studies. Since May, he has served as acting senior vice president for research, responsible for overseeing all four of the think tank’s research institutes.

During President George W. Bush’s administration, Holmes took a four-year hiatus from Heritage to serve as an assistant secretary at the U.S. State Department, where he coordinated U.S. participation in the United Nations and 46 other international organizations.

He is the author of three books, including “Liberty’s Best Hope: American Leadership for the 21st Century,” “Rebound: Getting America Back to Great,” and “The Closing of the Liberal Mind,” which has an updated paperback version released in December.

Holmes received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Central Florida, and a master’s and doctoral degree from Georgetown University.

“As a longtime leader at Heritage, Kim Holmes has a deep understanding of and appreciation for scholarly research,” said Thomas A. Saunders III, chairman of Heritage’s board of trustees. “He and Kay Coles James provide Heritage with a powerful combination of domestic and foreign policy experience.”