Jonathan Burks is an experienced senior public policy professional and corporate board member, who has worked over two decades in the public and private sectors.

Jonathan serves on the boards of directors for the United States Institute of Peace, the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, and the American Idea Foundation.

Until February 2025, Jonathan was vice president for global public policy at Walmart where he led the global retailer’s efforts to analyze and develop positions on pressing public policy issues. Prior to joining Walmart, he was a partner at the global consultancy the Brunswick Group where he was the co-lead for the U.S. public affairs offer.

Before moving to the private sector, he served as the chief of staff to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, where he served as the Speaker’s principal adviser on policy, strategy, and management. Jonathan also advised Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on budget and appropriations issues, served as policy director of the House Budget Committee, director of legislative affairs at the Securities and Exchange Commission, senior advisor (chief of staff) to the Under Secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, and policy advisor in the transition office of the newly created Director of National Intelligence.

In 2012, Jonathan was the deputy policy director on the Romney for President campaign. Early in his career, he served for four years at the White House working first for Vice President Cheney and then for President Bush in a variety of positions including as the Vice President’s staff secretary, associate staff secretary to the President, and special assistant to the President for policy in the Chief of Staff’s office.

Jonathan has a master’s degree from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor of science in foreign service from Georgetown University. He lives with his wife and children in Arlington, Virginia.