Bartlett’s decades of work on technology and innovation in public policy have been informed by his broad array of work and education outside of traditional public policy channels. Whether relying on his business background of MBA, work at a human resources consulting firm or as a CEO, he seeks to make every policy debate relevant to what happens to real people and to real business. He has spent decades working for public policy think tanks, technology trade associations, social welfare organizations and on Capitol Hill.

On Capitol Hill, Bartlett was intimately involved in numerous critical debates including encryption and “supercomputer” export controls, the Internet Tax Fairness Act, Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Communications Decency Act, the 1996 Telecommunications Act and others, including efforts to increase information for citizens about Congressional activities and efforts.

He previously served on the Internet Education Foundation Board of Directors, which involved working closely with the Internet Caucus on Capitol Hill. He served two terms as the Chair of the Technology and Communications Taskforce of the American Legislative Exchange Council. He also was a member of the Internet Safety Technical Taskforce, a group comprised of leading Internet businesses and organizations and formed by 49 state attorneys general to focus on identifying effective online safety tools and technologies, a member of the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer Advisory Council and a member of the ISO 279 (Innovation Management) Technical Advisory Group.

Bartlett previously worked for Americans for Tax Reform as technology and policy counsel, and advised then-Commissioner Grover G. Norquist on the Advisory Committee on Electronic Commerce. Later, he represented the software industry handling a variety of copyright issues including open source and proprietary challenges, and a variety of tax and finance issues particular to the software industry, serving as tax and associate general counsel at ITAA, and as Regional VP of Texas for TechAmerica. After that, he was the General Counsel and Vice President for Innovation and Technology at the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Bartlett graduated from Millikin University with a B.S. in philosophy and business administration. He received his Masters of Business Administration and a law degree with a specialization in international and comparative law from St. Louis University. He is admitted to the Missouri bar.

When not found at the local comic book store, Bartlett can be found in the kitchen attempting to perfect his grandma’s German, pastry and American country cooking recipes; admiring comic book pop art of the late 50’s and early 60’s; or traveling across the country to visit his daughters.

Barbara Comstock, senior advisor with Baker Donelson, offers clients decades of policy experience in the legislative, administrative, and private sector arenas, as well as a lifetime of relationships, to build winning coalitions and strategies for clients in today’s challenging policy and political environments. She’s active in the technology and cybersecurity areas, national security and space, and congressional investigations.

Barbara was elected to Congress in 2014, and served two terms representing Virginia’s Tenth Congressional District, making her the first woman elected to that seat. She was named as one of the “Top Ten Most Effective Lawmakers” in the 115th Congress by the Center for Effective Lawmaking, a joint effort of the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University.

During her time in Congress, Barbara was a leader on technology and cybersecurity issues, chairing the Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s Research and Technology subcommittee, as well as serving on the Joint Economic Committee, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and the House Administration Committee. Her legislative achievements include passing legislation to promote women and disadvantaged populations in STEM, as well as expanding research in the technology space. Barbara also was the leader on anti-sexual harassment legislation in Congress, and legislation to tackle the opioid crisis and gang crime. She partnered with Senator McCain to reauthorize multi-year firefighter grants to increase innovation and public safety. While in Congress, Barbara was the only woman in the Virginia congressional delegation and the only Virginia member to chair a subcommittee.

Prior to serving in Congress, Barbara served as a Member of the Virginia House of Delegates. There she was also a leader on technology issues serving as chairwoman of the Science and Technology Committee. She also served on the Commerce and Labor Committee and the General Laws Committee. Barbara was a go-to leader in technology, authoring and passing legislation such as the Research and Development Tax Credit, Data Center Tax Incentives, the first Telework bills in Virginia, and legislation on human trafficking and health care. She received the Virginia Chamber’s Free Enterprise Award and Competitiveness Award.

Prior to elected office, Barbara co-founded her own public affairs firm and was a senior partner at Blank Rome Government Relations. She also served as Director of the Office of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice, overseeing the communications efforts at the Justice Department and FBI, handling communications dealing with major terrorism investigations, corporate fraud, and antitrust matters.

Barbara worked as a strategic advisor for the Mitt Romney presidential campaigns, was head of Research and Strategy at the Republican National Committee, and worked with the George W. Bush 2000 presidential campaign. Barbara first worked on Capitol Hill as a senior aide to Virginia Congressman Frank Wolf (1990 – 1995), working on transportation, health care, business, and appropriations matters. She also served as the Chief Counsel for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and as outside counsel on numerous high-profile investigations.

In 2013, Barbara founded “The Young Women’s Leadership Program” for women in high school and junior high, which is now housed at the Barbara Comstock Institute for Women in Leadership at George Mason University’s Schar School of Policy and Government.

Barbara has served as a fellow at the Harvard Institute of Politics, the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, University of Southern California’s Center for the Political Future, and American University’s Sine Institute.

Barbara also serves as an ABC News political contributor and appears regularly on CNN, PBS, and MSNBC. She serves on the boards of Vivint Home Security, Trustar Bank, UVA’s Miller Center for the Study of the Presidency, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. She is a mother of three and grandmother of seven and lives in McLean, Virginia, with her husband, Chip, a lifelong high school educator and administrator.