Our Team

Michael Gottlieb is President and General Counsel of Ballast Research. In nearly twenty years of experience in Washington as a consultant, policy adviser, and attorney, Mr. Gottlieb has served clients including the President of the United States, Board and C-suite leadership at Fortune 100 companies, state attorneys general, heads of government relations and public affairs, and all three branches of federal government under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Before his tenure at Ballast, Mr. Gottlieb was Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Associate White House Counsel to the President and senior White House staff. In that capacity, Mr. Gottlieb advised the Executive Office of the President and senior agency officials on a range of national policy issues, including those related to healthcare, transportation and infrastructure, national defense and homeland security, privacy and technology, immigration, civil rights and religious liberty, Executive power and authority, and labor. He has worked on behalf of the President with every federal and independent agency, either on specific questions of law and policy or in the implementation of government-wide Executive actions and directions, often subsequent to determinations by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Prior to his work at the White House, Mr. Gottlieb practiced law before the U. S. Supreme Court, where his advocacy was covered by The New York Times, The Washington Times, NPR, The Guardian, The Washington Post, CNN, The National Law Journal, and The Associated Press. Prior to his Supreme Court advocacy, Mr. Gottlieb clerked for the Honorable Thomas B. Griffith, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by President George W. Bush. He also worked in the Executive Branch of the George W. Bush Administration at HHS and as an advisor for several years in the health care sector. Mr. Gottlieb has taught health law and medical ethics at Yale and Georgetown Universities.

Mr. Gottlieb is a Major in the United States Air Force Reserve assigned to the Pentagon. He is the first openly gay officer to be commissioned to the United States military following the repeal of the military’s longstanding prohibition against such open service. A graduate of Yale, Johns Hopkins, and the University of London, Mr. Gottlieb holds degrees in law, public health, psychology, and linguistics. A former US-UK Fulbright Scholar, he has been honored with awards from the LGBT Bar Association, the United States Air Force, and the Judge Advocate General. He is a candidate for an MBA at the Wharton School.

A native of California, Mr. Gottlieb now lives in Washington DC with Ari Shapiro, host of All Things Considered.

Michael Gottlieb is President and General Counsel of Ballast Research. In nearly twenty years of experience in Washington as a consultant, policy adviser, and attorney, Mr. Gottlieb has served clients including the President of the United States, Board and C-suite leadership at Fortune 100 companies, state attorneys general, heads of government relations and public affairs, and all three branches of federal government under both Democratic and Republican administrations.

Before his tenure at Ballast, Mr. Gottlieb was Special Assistant to the President of the United States and Associate White House Counsel to the President and senior White House staff. In that capacity, Mr. Gottlieb advised the Executive Office of the President and senior agency officials on a range of national policy issues, including those related to healthcare, transportation and infrastructure, national defense and homeland security, privacy and technology, immigration, civil rights and religious liberty, Executive power and authority, and labor. He has worked on behalf of the President with every federal and independent agency, either on specific questions of law and policy or in the implementation of government-wide Executive actions and directions, often subsequent to determinations by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Prior to his work at the White House, Mr. Gottlieb practiced law before the U. S. Supreme Court, where his advocacy was covered by The New York Times, The Washington Times, NPR, The Guardian, The Washington Post, CNN, The National Law Journal, and The Associated Press. Prior to his Supreme Court advocacy, Mr. Gottlieb clerked for the Honorable Thomas B. Griffith, nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia by President George W. Bush. He also worked in the Executive Branch of the George W. Bush Administration at HHS and as an advisor for several years in the health care sector. Mr. Gottlieb has taught health law and medical ethics at Yale and Georgetown Universities.

Mr. Gottlieb is a Major in the United States Air Force Reserve assigned to the Pentagon. He is the first openly gay officer to be commissioned to the United States military following the repeal of the military’s longstanding prohibition against such open service. A graduate of Yale, Johns Hopkins, and the University of London, Mr. Gottlieb holds degrees in law, public health, psychology, and linguistics. A former US-UK Fulbright Scholar, he has been honored with awards from the LGBT Bar Association, the United States Air Force, and the Judge Advocate General. He is a candidate for an MBA at the Wharton School.

A native of California, Mr. Gottlieb now lives in Washington DC with Ari Shapiro, host of All Things Considered.

Christian Garcia is senior director of client service at Ballast Research. Prior to joining Ballast Research, he held various research positions in the public policy, legal, and academic arenas. While working for the President’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and the United States Senate, Christian conducted research on economic competitiveness, job creation, and community revitalization. He has also worked as an analyst for a financial litigation firm and as a research assistant for Harvard University. Christian received his honors B.A. in government from Harvard University. He is a native of Weehawken, New Jersey.

Jamie Smith is a Partner and Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Ballast Research.

From the West Wing of the White House to the C-Suites of Fortune 500 companies, to startups, multinational organizations and NGOs, Jamie has advised hundreds of senior executives, serving over twenty years in key strategic communications, marketing, policy and government relations positions. She specializes in advancing the way corporations, governments, and institutions lead by communicating their targeted messages across all integrated platforms most effectively.

Prior to joining Ballast, Jamie has served in the public sector as Special Assistant to and Spokeswoman for President Barack Obama and Deputy White House Press Secretary, Director of Public Affairs for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and General (Ret.) James Clapper, Communications Director for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation under its then Chairman John D (Jay) Rockefeller IV, Spokeswoman and Traveling Press Director for Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2008 Presidential Campaign, Communications Director for former Secretary of State  Madeleine K. Albright and The Albright Group, LLC, and Policy Aide to Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey (D-NY).  In the private sector, Jamie has spent over a decade advising hundreds of senior executives as a consultant for West Exec Advisors, Executive Vice President at Edelman Worldwide, Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Diversity, Civility and Inclusion at the Linux Foundation, Global Chief Communications Officer and Blockchain Advisor at the Bitfury Group & Co-Chair World Economic Forum’s Blockchain Council.

Michael Griffin is Chief Research Officer at Ballast Research. Michael has more than 15 years of experience leading research and product at high-growth organizations. Michael served as an executive director and chief research officer at CEB (now Gartner) where he oversaw global research for CEB’s largest divisions. Michael also served as chief enterprise product officer at a leading venture-backed edtech startup and founded a data-driven research boutique in Washington, D.C. He serves as an advisor to a predictive analytics startup.

Michael is a graduate of Georgetown University where he received his B.S. and J.D. He lives in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife and two daughters.

Sabrina Sussman serves as Vice President of Operations at Ballast Research. In this role, she leads company culture, board engagement, and operations functions including talent, finance, and administration.

Prior to joining Ballast, Sabrina served as Head of Corporate Communications and Public Policy at Zipcar. In this role, she collaborated with city officials, policymakers, organizations, and members of the media to accelerate the growth of car-sharing as a vital, sustainable part of the urban transportation ecosystem.

Previously, Sabrina was a Senior Policy Advisor for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, working on behalf of the mayor with federal agencies, city agencies, and congressional offices. Her portfolio included federal policy and appropriations work on transportation, housing, infrastructure, city planning and economic development.

Sabrina’s career began at the US Department of Transportation, working as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary for Transportation Policy before moving on to the role of Vice President for Membership and Development at the Intelligent Transportation Society of America.

Sabrina holds a Masters in Political Management from The George Washington University and a Bachelors in Communications from American University.

Sean Harper serves as senior director of partnerships & service for Ballast Research. Sean is responsible for working with National Journal’s partner organizations to assist them in better understanding and effectively positioning their policy brand among decision makers in Washington. Before joining National Journal in 2014, Sean worked as the solutions development and client delivery manager for the consulting services organizations within both of Princeton Information Ltd. and Resolvit, LLC. Sean is a native of Silver Spring, MD and graduated in 2006 from the Boston College, where he holds a B.A. in political science and a B.A. in history.

Sean Harper serves as senior director of partnerships & service for Ballast Research. Sean is responsible for working with National Journal’s partner organizations to assist them in better understanding and effectively positioning their policy brand among decision makers in Washington. Before joining National Journal in 2014, Sean worked as the solutions development and client delivery manager for the consulting services organizations within both of Princeton Information Ltd. and Resolvit, LLC. Sean is a native of Silver Spring, MD and graduated in 2006 from the Boston College, where he holds a B.A. in political science and a B.A. in history.