Ron Christie

Ron Christie is an American government relations expert and Republican political strategist. He has worked in the White House and is the author of two books, Black in the White House and Acting White: The Curious History of a Racial Slur. He is also the founder and CEO of Christie Strategies, a communications and issue management firm. A veteran senior advisor of both the White House and the Congress, Christie brings years of government relations experience to the table. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, he addresses politics (including policy and strategy), campaigns, and elections and gives his audience an insider’s look at Washington, DC.

Experience. Christie began working at the White House in 2001 as deputy assistant to Vice President Dick Cheney for domestic policy, advising him on health care, budget, taxes, and other policy areas. Later that year, he was elected to the Council on Foreign Relations due to his expertise in international affairs. In 2002, he joined the staff of the president, serving as a special assistant to George W. Bush and the acting director of USA Freedom Corps until 2004. While serving in the White House, Christie was selected by Bush to lead an American delegation to an international conference on volunteerism and civic engagement hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair in London, England. After the summit, Christie worked with then Chancellor of the Exchequer and future Prime Minister Gordon Brown to devise an expanded call for civic engagement in Great Britain.

Prior to his time in the White House, Christie served as counsel to Senator George Allen (R-VA) and as senior advisor to former House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich (R-OH). He was also the vice president of Navigators, a consulting and communications firm; the executive vice president and director of global government affairs at Ruder Finn; and of counsel at Patton Boggs.

Exposure. As a frequent commentator on current political events, Christie appears frequently as a political and legal analyst on CNN, MSNBC, The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Lou Dobbs Tonight, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Fox News Sunday, Hannity & Colmes, The O’Reilly Factor, The Tavis Smiley Show, and more. Christie also serves as a weekly contributor and panelist on NPR’s News and Notes. A noted political strategist and skilled orator, Christie is a contributing columnist for The Hill, a leading Capitol Hill newspaper, and is one of their featured writers on The Pundit’s Blog.

Education and Academia. Christie is a resident fellow at the Institute of Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He has also served as a visiting assistant professor of political science at Haverford College, as well as an adjunct professor of strategic advocacy at The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Political Management. He lectured at University of Virginia’s Center for Politics and is on George Washington University’s African American Leadership Board. Christie received his B.A. from Haverford College and his J.D. from the George Washington University National Law Center.