John Ratliff

Principal Consultant at Council Fire

In an era of near constant disruption, John is uniquely equipped to advise organizations and communities as they navigate dramatic change. He helps them develop and execute visions of the future that make them more resilient, sustainable, equitable, and innovative. With more than 25 years of experience advising decision-makers, John has a long history of leading transformation and is an expert on the interplay of policies across multiple levels of authority and effective execution in systems of networked governance.

John has been engaged in many of the nation’s pivotal events, driving economic transformation in the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, redevelopment after hurricanes including Katrina, Sandy, Irene, and Hugo, redevelopment of Lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center site after 9/11 and rebuilding Berlin after German reunification. He served as Counselor to the Secretary and Director of Policy and Strategic Planning at the U.S. Department of Commerce and as Director of Policy for the Governor of Maryland. He gained an understanding of the critical role of legislatures while managing bills in Maryland’s General Assembly and while serving as a legislative counsel in the U.S. House of Representatives assigned to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, Small Business, and Education and the Workforce.