John D. Ratliff

John Ratliff is the Director of Policy for Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley. In this capacity, he advises the Governor, senior executive staff, and cabinet secretaries on the development and implementation of the full range of state policies. Prior to joining the Governor’s Office, Mr. Ratliff was Director of the Environment, Energy & Natural Resources Division and the Homeland Security & Technology Division of the National Governors Association’s Center for Best Practices; Director of the Center for Livable Communities at the American Institute of Architects; a legislative counsel to U.S. House of Representatives with responsibility for the Transportation & Infrastructure, Small Business, and Education & Workforce Committees; a visiting fellow at the Center for Environmental Dispute Resolution in Oldenburg and Berlin, Germany; a legislative advisor to a project of the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements (Habitat) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States; and an associate with the law firm of Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy in Washington, DC. He has also served on the Housing Commission of the City of Falls Church, Virginia.

Mr. Ratliff holds a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School and an M.P. in urban and environmental planning and a B.A. from the University of Virginia where he was selected for membership in Phi Beta Kappa.