Mike Barnhart

Mike Barnhart
Basic facts
Organization:	Sunshine Review
Role:	Former president
Education:	American University, Wayne State University

Mike Barnhart is the former President of Sunshine Review and State Budget Solutions. He is the current Chief Operating Officer at American Strategic Analysis and Performance, LLC, and the current Board Chair for the Lucy Burns Institute.

Career

Mike is a public affairs leader with more than 30 years of experience in issue management, public affairs advocacy, and corporate communications for major national non-profits, large trade associations, and Fortune 50 corporations.

Before 2008, Mike Barnhart’s career was in public affairs and communications. In the 1970s, he worked on the staff of United States Senator from Michigan Robert Griffin, departing in 1978. He then went on to become Chief of Staff for Jim Dunn, the U.S. Representative from Michigan’s 6th Congressional District. During his time with Rep. Dunn, Barnhart directed two election campaigns.

After one year of political consulting, Barnhart became Public Affairs Manager for the Washington Times and Insight Magazine, generating publicity for exclusive stories and staff members. He then spent 12 years as Communications Director for a Regional Bell Operating Company, and the following nine years as Managing Director of a national public affairs consulting firm, Public Strategies, Inc.

Sunshine Standard

In the fall of 2010 Sunshine Review launched the Sunshine Standard, a website with tools for citizens to use in order to advance the cause of proactive transparency on the part of government.

Acting as president of Sunshine Review and the Sunshine Standard project Barnhart advanced the idea that state and local governments as well as school districts, had an obligation to transparency reforms that proactively share information with citizens so government can be held accountable to taxpayers for how time and money is being spent.

"Most state and local governments do not embrace transparency," said Mike Barnhart, President of Sunshine Review. "Even fewer proactively share information." Transparency exists largely at the munificence of officials, with the burden of negotiating complex and costly FOIA petitions resting squarely on the shoulders of citizens and journalists.

Education

Mike graduated from American University in Washington D.C., receiving his B.A. in political science in 1975. He also holds a Ph.D. in political science from Wayne State University from his native Detroit.

External links

Suggest a link

• State Budget Solutions Barnhart articles

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