Josh Kardon
Partner /
Josh Kardon’s 21 years as a Senate chief of staff, investigative subcommittee staff director, legislative director, and campaign strategist are now put to use for a diverse set of corporate and non-profit clients as a partner at Capitol Counsel, LLC. Kardon has a reputation as a highly-valued political adviser “equally well known in Oregon and Washington [D.C.] for his political acumen,” according to The Oregonian newspaper. He served for 18 years as chief of staff to Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR); subcommittee staff director for Reps. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) and John Conyers (D-MI); Oregon Chair, Hillary Clinton for President, 2008; and senior campaign adviser for many Oregon elected officials over the years, including Senator Wyden and Oregon Governors John Kitzhaber and Ted Kulongoski. Since 2011, Kardon has advised corporate and non-profit clients interested in trade, taxation, energy, natural resources/conservation, health care, technology, tribal, financial services, and transportation issues. Additionally, he has served as the lead congressional lobbyist in a variety of trade cases and congressional investigations and advised a variety of clients facing complex litigation challenges.
Education
- University of North Carolina – J.D.
- University of North Carolina – B.A.
Positions Held
- Capitol Hill Consulting Group, Washington, D.C. – Senior Vice President. Advised clients on health, energy, taxation, and natural resources issues.
- Office of Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Washington, D.C. – Chief of Staff for 18 years.
- Office of Congresswoman Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Washington, D.C. – Legislative Director, D.C. Office Chief of Staff, and Legislative Assistant on energy and the environment.
- Government Activities and Transportation Subcommittee, Washington, D.C. – Staff Director. Investigative subcommittee under Congressman John Conyers (D-MI) and the House Government Operations Committee.
Memberships / Recognition
- Kardon has served on a variety of Boards of Directors, including MERSCORP, Inc., Reston, VA; Habitat for Humanity, Portland, OR; and Self-Enhancement, Inc., Portland, OR. He currently serves on the Board of the Oregon League of Minority Voters.
- Kardon was awarded the Dean John A. Knauss Fellowship in 1989 by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Successes
In the private sector, Kardon has enjoyed significant legislative and White House wins on behalf of clients in the areas of trade, energy, conservation/public lands, natural resources, and five out of six trade cases. Senator Wyden and others credit Kardon as having been the architect of many notable legislative and political successes, playing a pivotal role in the enactment of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act, the Healthy Forests Restoration Act, and the Mount Hood, Steens Mountain, Copper Salmon, and Badlands Wilderness laws, among many others.